Key to Clean Clear Water
Keeping
your water free from bacteria and viruses will be the first thing you will want
to start with. This is done in a variety of ways that you as the spa owner will
have to decide. Listed below are a few ways this is done. Click on the one you
decide to use and follow the instructions. It may be a good idea to print these
out.
Chlorine
Chlorine
is a very effective sanitizer; it has been used in pools and spas for many years
but is slowly being substituted with other available sanitizer because of its
harshness and strong odor. If this is the sanitizer that you have chosen you
will find it available in granular and 1-inch tablet forms. The granular form
can be distributed directly into the water; usually 2 tablespoons every other
day will keep the required level (1.5-3.0 PPM) to maintain a bacteria free spa.
A
test kit is required to achieve this balance. If you are using the 1-inch
tablet form, a floater that houses the tablets will need to be purchased. Once
the floater is loaded with approximately 4 to 6 tablets it is then set in the
water and is distributed through erosion. This choice is the most popular and
convenient.
Once
again, you will need to maintain the proper reading with a test kit to keep
your water fresh and clean. The next step in setting up a "healthy spa" is checking
the pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness. These are very important measurements
to keep in balance; they keep the water from becoming corrosive, which will
attack heating elements, pump seals and internal gas fired heaters. Read all
about these important three in
Understanding
Water Chemistry section.
Shocking
the spa water once a week or during heavy bather use, is also a must. This is
done with a non-chlorine
shock or oxidizer; these eliminate odors and reduce irritating contaminants
for fresh, clear water. Remember because of the high temperatures and heavy
bather loads, spas require higher sanitizer levels, as well as heavier oxidizer
doses to eliminate bather waste and maintain clear, sparkling water.
Also
recommended, as part of your arsenal to keep your spa healthy is an enzyme based
clarifier. This chemical is used literally to eat body oils that attach
to the spa surface giving it the "ring around the tub" title. It also helps
keep your filter from clogging therefore making it last longer. You can read
about this product in the
Informative Articles section.
Last
but not least, get a
thermometer that will tell you the temperature of the spa water. This takes
any guessing out along with keeping the water safe for bathers.
There
are several other different chemicals available, but are not essential in keeping
your spa "healthy." For example: if foaming is a problem, there is a chemical
for that. If you have water high in minerals, there is something available for
that. If making the water smell like a particular scent is something you want
you can find this and all that was mentioned, in the spa chemicals and accessories
section.
Notes
on chlorine-bromine use: More is not better when using these chemicals, it very
important not to overload or try to "shock" your spa water with them. If you
do, you stand an excellent chance of causing equipment failure due to corrosion.
A non-chlorine shock or oxidizers are available for doing this.
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Bromine
Bromine has become the most popular way to sanitize a spa. It is very effective
and does not have that "strong odor" that chlorine typically has. It is available
in 1-inch tablets and must be distributed into the water with a
floater. The floater is loaded with approximately 4 to 6 tablets; it is
then set in the water and is distributed through erosion. The proper reading
for bromine is 3.0 - 5.0 PPM. Use a
test kit to achieve this. The next step in setting up a "healthy spa" is
checking the pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness. These are very important
measurements to keep in balance; they keep the water from becoming corrosive,
which will attack heating elements, pump seals and internal gas fired heaters.
They should be checked once a week or if you have added water or if you have
had an unusual bather load. Read all about these important three in
Understanding
Water Chemistry section.
Shocking
the spa water once a week or during heavy bather use is also a must. This is
done with a non-chlorine
shock or oxidizer; these eliminate odors and reduce irritating contaminants
for fresh, clear water. Remember because of the high temperatures and heavy
bather loads, spas require higher sanitizer levels, as well as heavier oxidizer
doses to eliminate bather waste and maintain clear, sparkling water.
Also
recommended, as part of your arsenal to keep your spa healthy is an enzyme-based
clarifier. This chemical is used literally to eat body oils that attach
to the spa surface giving it the "ring around the tub" title. It also helps
keep your filter from clogging therefore making it last longer. You can read
about this product in the
Informative
Articles section.
Last
but not least, get a
thermometer that will tell you the temperature of the spa water. This takes
any guessing out along with keeping the water safe for bathers.
There
are several other different chemicals available, but are not essential in keeping
your spa "healthy." For example: if foaming is a problem, there is a chemical
for that. If you have water high in minerals, there is something available for
that. If making the water smell like a particular scent is something you want
you can find this and all that was mentioned, in the spa chemicals and accessories
section.
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Ozone
Are
you using
ozone,
or have you thought about using ozone? It is a very effective and highly recommended
way to sanitize spa water. Read all about this excellent sanitizer in our
Informative
Articles and Instructions section.
If you
or one of your family members are allergic, or have had a reaction to chlorine
or
bromine, then this is something you may want to consider.
NOTE:
Contrary to popular belief, ozone does not make your spa a chemical free spa.
Checking
the pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness is something you still should
be doing on a weekly basis. These are very important measurements to keep in
balance; they keep the water from becoming corrosive, which will attack heating
elements, pump seals and internal gas fired heaters. Read all about these important
three in the
Understanding
Water Chemistry section. They should be checked once a week or if you have
added water or if you have had an unusual bather load.
Shocking
the spa water once a week or during heavy bather use is also a must. This is
done with a non-chlorine
shock or oxidizer; these eliminate odors and reduce irritating contaminants
for fresh, clear water. Remember because of the high temperatures and heavy
bather loads, spas require higher sanitizer levels, as well as heavier oxidizer
doses to eliminate bather waste and maintain clear, sparkling water.
Also
recommended, as part of your arsenal to keep your spa healthy is an enzyme-based
clarifier. This chemical is used literally to eat body oils that attach
to the spa surface giving it the "ring around the tub" title. It also helps
keep your filter from clogging therefore making it last longer. You can read
about this product in the
Informative
Articles section.
Last
but not least, get a
thermometer that will tell you the temperature of the spa water. This takes
any guessing out along with keeping the water safe for bathers.
There
are several other different chemicals available, but are not essential in keeping
your spa "healthy." For example: if foaming is a problem, there is a chemical
for that. If you have water high in minerals, there is something available for
that. If making the water smell like a particular scent is something you want
you can find this and all that was mentioned, in the spa chemicals and accessories
section.
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Nature 2
Another
breakthrough in establishing alternatives to chlorine and
bromine. Read all about this product in the
Informative
Articles section.
Nature 2 is the #1 chlorine alternative, according to an independent spa
industry survey. This is definitely a chemical that should be checked out. Checking
the pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness is something you still should
be doing on a weekly basis. These are very important measurements to keep in
balance; they keep the water from becoming corrosive, which will attack heating
elements, pump seals and internal gas fired heaters. Read all about these important
three in
Understanding
Water Chemistry section. They should be checked once a week, or if you have
added water, or if you have had an unusual bather load.
Shocking
the spa water once a week or during heavy bather use is also a must. This is
done with a non-chlorine
shock or oxidizer; these eliminate odors and reduce irritating contaminants
for fresh, clear water.
Remember,
because of the high temperatures and heavy bather loads, spas require higher
sanitization levels, as well as heavier oxidizer doses to eliminate bather waste
and maintain clear, sparkling water.
Also
recommended, as part of your arsenal to keep your spa healthy is an enzyme-based
clarifier. This chemical is used literally to eat body oils that attach
to the spa surface, removing "ring around the tub". It also helps keep your
filter from clogging therefore making it last longer. You can read about this
product in the
Informative
Articles section.
Last
but not least, get a thermometer that will tell you the temperature of the spa
water. This takes any guessing out along with keeping the water safe for bathers.
There
are several other different chemicals available, but are not essential in keeping
your spa "healthy." For example, if foaming is a problem, there is a chemical
for that. If you have water high in minerals, there is something available for
that. If making the water smell like a particular scent is something you want,
you can find this and all that was mentioned in the spa chemicals and accessories
section.
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