> but neither them nor my dealer seemed to bring up the biofilm issue even after I spent two weeks and multiple bottles of bleach, phosphate remover, etc doing everything to try and get a chlorine residual.
Yeah, biofilm seems to be something only recently treated as a major problem. Many dealers seem to be under the impression chlorine kills everything given enough time which isn't entirely true.
Before purge products back in the 80's techs would "purge" by hyperchlorinating to over 500ppm and then drain and dismantle the plumbing to scrub them clean. Naturally this was excessive and time consuming so most people never bothered (another reason why bromine was the preferred sanitizer back then - it's more stable at hottub temps giving it more time to react and sanitize before evaporating).
>Do those portable filters filter out Calcium? I’d get one if so, but the ones I have looked into only do other minerals and no calcium.
They do slightly filter calcium not not effectively enough to eliminate the need for a vanishing act pillow. I use a pre-filter to remove VOC's and such from my city tap water and can feel a difference in the water, but they are not effective against "hard" water. That said, pre-filters are advised for filling any hottub if you are on well water.
This is a portable water softener system you can screw into your hose and soften the water before adding. Something like this works - https://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Soft-Water-certified-connections-Recreational-enthusiasts/dp/B07BF6HCYC but these units are rated for how many gallons they can soften, this specific model is around 1200 gallons of water, so maybe three or four refills.
> We love how the Chlorine level can stay lower so we aren’t smelling like chlorine when we get out.
Totally get it. With my care routine I don't even maintain chlorine levels - by the time we hop in for our next soak, the ozonator has burned off most of the chlorine, allowing us to soak in chlorine-free bath water. Our skin is not dry/itchy after bathing for 30 minutes every night, we can hop straight into bed without showering. But my care routine works best for couples who are only soaking once a night, not frequent use.
> It’s been frustrating at the beginning and initially I was cursing myself for spending extra, but the last two weeks have been great and the fact that the water is just so much more enjoyable compared to a traditional chlorine system makes a huge difference for the kids and wife.
Absolutely for a family with children I think saltwater makes total sense so the kids can enjoy the tub when they want without worrying about them soaking in excessive chlorine.