Hot Tub & Spa Water Chemistry
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TEST YOUR SPA WATER?
• After spa is full
• After spa water has circulated for at least 1 hour
• After spa water has heated
• Before adding water chemistry products
• Before adding a shock treatment
• When chlorine or bromine level is 5 ppm or lower
• After taking sample from about 18 inches below water surface and away from cartridge area
• As soon as it is removed from your spa
• After spa is full
• After spa water has circulated for at least 1 hour
• After spa water has heated
• Before adding water chemistry products
• Before adding a shock treatment
• When chlorine or bromine level is 5 ppm or lower
• After taking sample from about 18 inches below water surface and away from cartridge area
• As soon as it is removed from your spa
Alkalinity keeps your pH in range and is the KEY to water balance.
BALANCED WATER—Clear pool or spa water is not necessarily sanitized or balanced. After all, the water in your toilet bowl is clear, but not sanitized or balanced! Balanced water prolongs the life of your pool and spa equipment and ensures healthy swimming. Your family’s health depends on balanced water.
ARE YOU HAVING A HARD TIME CLEARING YOUR SPA WATER?
The majority of water chemistry problems are related to poor filtration, poor circulation or an inadequate shock treatment schedule. Always make sure your cartridge is clean. If your cartridge is not clean, you can add water chemistry products until the cows come home and your spa water still will not clear. Periodically rinse off your cartridge with a garden hose about once every couple of weeks (depending upon spa usage). Chemically clean your cartridge about once per month (depending upon spa usage). Your cartridge should be submerged and soaked for a minimum of 8 hours but preferably 24 hours. And remember—rinsing your cartridge is NOT the same as chemically cleaning your cartridge. Have extra cartridges on hand so there is always a clean cartridge available and there is no ‘down time’ during the cleaning process. Follow these steps for chemically cleaning your cartridge:
The majority of water chemistry problems are related to poor filtration, poor circulation or an inadequate shock treatment schedule. Always make sure your cartridge is clean. If your cartridge is not clean, you can add water chemistry products until the cows come home and your spa water still will not clear. Periodically rinse off your cartridge with a garden hose about once every couple of weeks (depending upon spa usage). Chemically clean your cartridge about once per month (depending upon spa usage). Your cartridge should be submerged and soaked for a minimum of 8 hours but preferably 24 hours. And remember—rinsing your cartridge is NOT the same as chemically cleaning your cartridge. Have extra cartridges on hand so there is always a clean cartridge available and there is no ‘down time’ during the cleaning process. Follow these steps for chemically cleaning your cartridge:
- Rinse cartridge with garden hose.
- Submerge cartridge in cleaning solution (read product directions for correct mixture ratio of cleaner versus water).
- Soak for 8-24 hours.
- Thoroughly rinse cartridge. This is very important as the cleaning solution is acidic in nature and will alter your spa water chemistry.
- Thoroughly dry cartridge before use because a dry cartridge filters better than a wet one.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOUR SPA BE DRAINED?
When spa water gets ‘old’, the water chemistry becomes hard to manage and becomes foamy. Depending upon spa usage, you need to empty and refill your spa every two to four months. Use this equation to determine how often your spa should be drained:
When spa water gets ‘old’, the water chemistry becomes hard to manage and becomes foamy. Depending upon spa usage, you need to empty and refill your spa every two to four months. Use this equation to determine how often your spa should be drained:
|
____________________
= Number of days between drainings |
________________
Spa Capacity (in gallons) |
÷ 3 = |
____________________
Maximum number of daily bathers |
Sani-Spa/Shock & Swim/Brominating Concentrate Usage
|
When to use
If chlorine or bromine level is
below 3 ppm * If chlorine or bromine level is
above 5 ppm * When water is cloudy or hazy
|
Sani-Spa Chlorine
YES
NO
NO
|
Shock & Swim
NO
YES
YES
|
Brominating Concentrate Granules
YES*
NO
NO
|
*Spa Frog System runs at 1-2 ppm bromine.
Foam Causes & Solutions
Only use a defoamer as a temporary solution to excessive foaming.
|
CAUSE
Low calcium hardness level
Shock treatment needed
Refill needed
Refill needed
|
SOLUTION
Adjust calcium hardness level. Did you ever notice that you sometimes have a hard time lathering up in the shower when on vacation? This is because some parts of the country have hard water, which is preferable for pool and spa water. Hard water resists the formation of foam, suds or lather. Here in Rhode Island we have soft water so we need to add calcium hardness. A proper calcium hardness level also protects your spa equipment and ensures spa water is not acidic, corrosive or scaling.
Periodically (about once or twice per month, depending on usage) bring your chlorine level up to 10 ppm. When you do this, it’s like ‘setting fire’ to the water and burning out all contaminants such as germs, body oils, lotions, etc. Remember not to use your spa until the chlorine level returns to 3-5 ppm.
When the water gets ‘old’, spa water chemistry becomes hard to manage and the water becomes foamy. Depending upon usage, you need to empty and refill your spa every two-to-four months. Use this equation to determine how often your spa should be drained: # of Days Between Draining =Spa Gallons ÷ 3 ÷ Maximum # of Daily Bathers
Don’t overdose on laundry detergent because there is still a residue of laundry detergent left in clothing, which contributes to foaming.
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