How do I get started?

1. Start with a clean filter. Check it every four months and either clean it according to manufacturer's directions or replace it.
2. Make sure your filtration system is running at least four hours in a 24-hour period.
3. Balance the water - click here for spa water balance guidelines.
4. When the water is balanced, shock the spa to establish a free bromine level of 1-2 ppm or a free chlorine level of 1 ppm.

Maintaining Water Balance
pH is the abbreviation for “potential hydrogen” and the reading indicates the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. Basically, it is the measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) the water is.

Total alkalinity is the measure of how stable the pH is. It measures the pool water’s buffering capacity to resist pH changes. Without control of the total alkalinity, the pH will rise and fall abruptly.

Everything that enters your spa has a pH that can raise or lower the total pH of the spa. The following is a list of possible culprits that could be giving you a difficult time in maintaining pH between the desired range of 7.2 and 7.8.

• Tap water, depending on the area of the country, can either have a low or high pH
• Overestimating the amount of pH Decreaser or pH Increaser needed is often the problem
• Using bromine or chlorine tends to lower pH over time, while using shocks like Calcium Hypochlorite or Lithium Hypochlorite may raise the pH over time.
• High bather loads will tend to lower pH.
• Swimmer wastes, such as perspiration, urine, saliva and other body oils will also lower pH.
• A high alkalinity reading will raise the pH.
• Dirt, debris or leaves that blow into the pool as well as rain that is often acidic will lower pH

Calcium Hardness (or Total Hardness), as the name implies, refers to the hardness of the water, measuring the amount of mainly calcium and also other minerals. Swimming pools require hard water – defined as water with more than 100 ppm of hardness ions.

Like pH and alkalinity, calcium hardness affects the tendency of pool water to be corrosive when it is low and scale forming when it is high. Generally, calcium hardness levels should be kept between 200 and 400 ppm.

Bromine or Chlorine?
Although all of our products are compatible with either bromine or chlorine, bromine is the preferred spa sanitizer. It dissolves slower in hot water; it’s less odorous and less corrosive over time. You should maintain a 1-2 ppm residual of bromine when using it with minerals or 2-4 ppm as a stand-alone sanitizer.

Calculating Spa Volume		Cleaning Your Spa