Directions for using iONRX®
Follow these directions for best results when using iONRX®
- Step #1: Test Water
Prior to Adding iONRX®, you must start with clear, balanced water (pH and alkalinity). If the water is not balanced, drain and refill spa. If your current water contains any bromine or enzymes we highly recommend starting with fresh water. You may experience cloudy water if you don’t change it out.
- Step #2: Add iONRx®
Add 4 oz. of iONRx® per 100 gallons of water directly to spa every week. Weekly dosing is required for the first six weeks. After this initial period, you may want to purchase our test kit. The kit will allow you to determine how much iONRx is in the spa and will likely allow you to cut back on how much or how often you add iONRx to the spa.
- Step #3: Choose Oxidizer
Decide which oxidizer you want to use. Oxidizer is needed in order to keep your water crystal clear. See chart below for appropriate volumes. Chlorine-based products are recommended but you may also use Hydrogen Peroxide. Follow the dosing instructions of Hydrogen Peroxide that are listed on the bottle and strength you purchase.
- Step #4 Filtration
Make sure your filter(s) are clean and free of any tears or holes. Refer to your manufacturer’s manual to set the proper filtration time on your spa. Generally, manufacturers recommend between six to 12 hours of filtration per day.
| Oxidizer | Up to 250 Gallons | Up to 500 Gallons | Up to 750 Gallons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trichlor Tablets (Use Floater) | 1 x 1-inch Tablet per Week | 1-2 x 1-inch Tablets per Week | 2 x 1-inch Tablets per Week |
| Dichlor Granular | 1 Tablespoon per Week | 2-3 Tablespoons per Week | 2-3 Tablespoons per Week |
Please Note:
- Maintain chlorine oxidizer levels at 0.5 ppm to 1ppm. Similar to drinking water.
- If you are choosing to use a NON-CHLORINE OXIDIZER, PLEASE REFER TO THE MANUFACTURER’S DIRECTIONS FOR PROPER USE. Please note: Many of our clients do not recommend using non-chlorine based products. Smelly and hazy water is reported.
- In heavier bather load, it may be necessary to add additional oxidizer and iONRx® to achieve desired results.
- Bromine is NOT recommended when using iONRx®.
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. If using Bromine or Enzymes, yes you will need to start with fresh water. If your spa is NOT using Bromine or Enzymes you may continue to use the water. But if your water is over two months old you should start with fresh water. As water evaporates in your tub it starts to raise the level of dissolved solids that can accumulate over time. These solids are not dangerous, but they make it harder for your chemicals to work properly.
Yes. iONRx is designed to work in conjunction with chlorine and non-chlorine products. iONRx is so safe you could actually be in the spa while putting iONRx in!
To treat a hot tub or spa, you need two types of agents- an antimicrobial agent to kill bacteria and an oxidizer to get rid of contaminants and keep the water looking crystal clear.
Although bromine is chlorine based, it works very differently than chlorine. Chlorine will kill the bacteria and then burn off leaving less chlorine behind. Bromine will kill the bacteria but then remains in the body of water. Something will then need to burn off the bromine that has reacted with contaminants, which is usually a chlorine based shock. This is how the water will get its clarity back when using bromine. When using iONRx®, we eliminate that whole component of using bromine. By maintaining a very low level of chlorine, similar to drinking water, combined with iONRx®, you will have the best of both worlds. A crystal clear and SAFE spa that uses almost 90% less chlorine based products.
YES! iONRx® is extremely safe to handle. iONRx® has been lab tested for toxicity to humans. Have you ever heard of Safety Data Sheets (SDS sheets)? The information provided on these sheets is based on independent lab testing that shows how safe any product is. If someone is not willing to show you these sheets do NOT use their product! iONRx® SDS sheets are available on our website. iONRx® has been tested and awarded CAT IV clearance by the EPA, this means that the technology is as safe to handle as water. Dispensing iONRx® is simple, use any clean measuring cup to dispense the liquid. You are able to enter the tub immediately. You can even dispense the liquid with someone in the tub.
It is acceptable to use non-chlorine based shock instead of chlorine for oxidizing purposes, to keep the water clear, but read the instructions carefully with these products. They require a good deal of work. For example, a standard sized hot tub will require using 4 to 6 tablets of non-chlorine shock per week plus using 4-6 tablets after every use. These are their instructions NOT OURS. Although non-chlorine based shock does allow your body of water to go without chlorine, they are still somewhat corrosive and many people are actually allergic to those types of shock as well. We are NOT against the use of chlorine, but using a much less of it is healthier and safer. Our recommended method is using 1-inch chlorine tablets. This method will consistently provide a very low level of chlorine, which will effectively oxidize any contaminants. Normally you are required to use at least, 4-6 chlorine tablets per week, which not only dispenses a great deal of chlorine, but also changes the chemistry of the water, requiring additional chemicals to balance the water. Using the iONRx® treatment method you will add 1 tablet, in most cases, to the spa every week. This method will maintain a level chlorine similar to drinking water and usually does not require any balancing of chemistry in your spa.
In today’s world of mass marketing and companies trying to get up and over their competitors, an educated consumer must be more cautious than ever. So buyer beware! Most of these new devices or methods are simply, repackaging the same old technology in a new method. For example, there are systems out today that claim to reduce your chlorine by “whatever percentage”, but if you look closely at their ingredients most of them contain bromine, which is chlorine based. These products will contain bromine and then some form of chlorine mixed with something like silver, producing silver-chloride. Don’t be fooled, bromine is just as harmful as chlorine! As we discussed earlier, bromine does a good job of sanitizing but does not oxidize, so chlorine has to be introduced in some way for oxidation. They will advertise the system as “chlorine lowering” but they are replacing it with bromine, which is based on chlorine. We encourage our clients to READ ALL LABELS! iONRx® is patented, which means, if anyone else tries to sell you something that claims to be a new copper-based technology, they are trying to fool you. The United States patent office is a very difficult place to get something approved. No other product has been able to harness high levels of our natural form of copper (free copper). iONRx® is the first aquatic product to feature this form of copper and you will not be disappointed!
The need for many different chemicals for the treatment of your hot tub/spa can make it seem that the enjoyment of your spa is not worth the effort you put into it. In the aquatics business we have a slogan “with every chemical you put into the water another is usually needed to balance the water again”. Think about it, how many different products do you have for your tub/spa? Probably more than you would like. The cost of all these products really adds up over time but what can you do? iONRx® is what you can do! With the recommended iONRx® treatment you will usually need only two things, iONRx® and small chlorine tablets. iONRx® is pH neutral and using this low level of chlorine rarely affects the pH of the body of water. Bottom line: We keep it simple by not having to add or purchase every chemical made for pH adjustment or alkalinity adjustment and everything else they can think of. We actually will not only make your hot tub/spa healthier but it will save you time and money in the long run.
There is no way to guarantee your hot tub will never foam up again. The cause of hot tub foam is something called “thickening water”. This could be caused by a number of factors including, too many chemicals in the water, poor quality chemicals, detergents in your clothing causing soap foam, old water that needs to be changed out. Bromine/chlorine at higher levels will cause foaming on occasion as well. iONRx can drastically reduce foaming in a hot tub by significantly lowering the chemicals in the tub.
If the spa will not be used for some time, you may dispense enough of each product for two to three weeks. This will help keep your water clear while you are away. We do not recommend treating your spa continuously this way, but if you will be away from the spa for an extended period of time, it can be done.
Unless your plan on turning the hot tub off and completely draining all of the water from every part of the tub, which we DO NOT recommend, there is really no way of turning the tub off during the winter months. If you want to lower the temperature down and keep a healthy environment in the spa we recommend following our vacation plan. You may dispense up to four weeks at a time during the months the temperature of the water has been lowered and you do not plan on using the spa. If you plan to use the spa on occasion during these months it is good practice to maintain weekly service on it.
Yes….you absolutely can use Hydrogen Peroxide, but we don’t recommend the use of Hydrogen Peroxide from a store like Walgreens. The strength of those versions of Hydrogen Peroxide are not strong enough and you would need a great deal of it to make it work. There are stronger versions of Hydrogen Peroxide that can handle the load, but it may difficult to find and can get costly.
Unfortunately, this is another brilliant marketing ploy. Salt systems are good for some people, but they do come with some cautions. Salt systems or salt chlorine generators actually make chlorine…the same chlorine you can buy. The chlorine is in a little different form, but you are still using chlorine to treat the spa and now you also have increased the amount of Sodium in the spa, which is not good for some people. Now here is the good news…..salt systems are compatible with iONRx. You will need to ensure the system is producing a low enough amount of chlorine to achieve proper oxidation. Contact us if you have any further questions regarding this topic.
Ozone is a great piece of technology and when properly sized can do a great job of oxidizing and treating water. Unfortunately the units that are designed and installed on home spas are severely undersized for spas that have even regular bather load. The life of the ozone bulb will deteriorate over time and will need to be replaced. We fully support the use of Ozone and they are fully compatible with iONRx, we still recommend use of the tap water level of chlorine being used in conjunction with iONRx and any other added equipment.