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By keeping in mind the basic ABCs of spa water chemistry,
you'll be assured a pleasant and healthy hot tubbing experience for yourself,
your family and friends. If you are new to the wonderful world
of hot tubs, start here!
Although similar in one way to bath tubs, hot
tub spas are not drained after each use, so we must take measures to
ensure clear, clean, sparkling water. This means balancing the
chemical properties of our spa water so that it is neither too
alkaline nor too acidic. It also means maintaining a sanitizing
system to keep the water healthy and free of harmful microorganisms.
After reading this section, go to  Preparation
& Maintenance for complete directions.
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Always
maintain your sanitizer. |
The warm water of hot tubs would
provide an ideal breeding ground for potentially harmful microorganisms if we
did not initiate and maintain an effective sanitizer system
to control them. Bacteria from
our bodies, as well as airborne mold spores, algae, and even viruses can find
their way into the water.
Fortunately, we have great
sanitizer systems such as: Bromine,
Cleanwater Blue, and Nature2 that can effectively destroy these microorganisms and
keep the spa water safe and healthy.
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Be
certain to shock treat. |
Shock treatment is simply the routine
of applying a compound to your spa water which oxidizes or breaks-down the dead
organic material left behind from your sanitizer system, as well as
non-filterable material such as dirt, soap films, hair spray and perspiration.
Allowed to remain in the water, these contaminants provide a food source for
bacteria and algae. Regular shock treatments eliminate them and
the organics on which
bacteria feed.
Regardless of which sanitizer system you use, periodic
shocking is essential for clear, clean hot tub water. It will also allow your
sanitizer to perform at peak efficiency. We recommend
 OxySpa non-chlorine
MPS shock, although
dichlor
granular chlorine is also a good shock to use at startup and to
correct occasional water problems if they occur. (Dichlor should be
pre-dissolved by itself in a plastic bucket of water, prior to adding
to the spa water).Note: If using Bromine Tablets as your sanitizer,
the MPS compound in OxySpa also activates the bromide ion (which by itself has
no disinfecting capability) to become bromine, which then rapidly becomes the active
sanitizer: hypobromous acid, in spa water. Upon reaction with bacteria and other
contaminants, hypobromous acid is reduced back to bromide ion, ready to be reactivated
again by the next dosage of Oxy Spa shock.
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Control
your water balance. |
When the mineral components of spa
water are correct proportion to one another, the result is
balanced water.
Balanced means that it is neither too alkaline (high pH) which causes
destructive scale buildup on equipment, nor too acidic (low pH) which may erode
plumbing and cause costly damage to spa pumps, seals and heaters. Balanced water
has a more pleasant feel to the skin, and allows your sanitizer to work more
effectively. We take periodic measurements of spa
water with
test
strips to achieve balance.
Total Alkalinity (TA) & pH
TA is important. It is the
measure of all the alkaline material in the water and really an indicator of the
ability of the water to resist changes in pH-- the water's buffering capacity. Too
high TA is much less of a problem than too low. Always adjust TA first, then
check your pH. Maintaining the proper TA will often bring the pH into line
automatically.
Water
chemistry is balanced by adjusting its TA and pH with compounds such as Alkalinity
Increaser, pH Decrease and pH Increase.
Hardness
The hardness level of spa water-- measured as the
amount of dissolved calcium, is also important. Insufficient calcium
hardness can sometimes promote equipment corrosion and also result in water foaming
problems. Although there is no practical way to reduce
extremely high hardness levels, it
is easy to increase levels which are too low by adding
Increase
Calcium.
NOTE: Increasing calcium
hardness is not recommended or necessary if using
Cleanwater
Blue bactericide-algicide.
Stain & Scale Prevention
To prevent problems with spa shell staining and
scale formation, when refilling your spa, be sure to add
mineral stain &
scale preventer.
If using Cleanwater Blue, the only compatible stain &
scale inhibitor is
Cleanwater
Purge.
Go to Preparation
& Maintenance for complete directions.
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