Water Quality In Your Spa
The quality of the water in your spa is important and must be kept clean. Your program will vary depending on your water's mineral content, and how often you use your spa, and the amount of people using it.
Here are our suggested step-by-step procedures:
General Information - The three fundamental areas of water maintenance.
* Water Filtration * Chemical Balance/pH Control * Water Sanitation
Water sanitation is the owner's responsibility of maintaining clean quality water in your spa, and is achieved through the regular and periodic (daily), addition of an approved sanitizer if necessary. The sanitizer will chemically control the bacteria and viruses present in the fill water or introduced during the use of the spa. Bacteria and viruses can grow quickly in under sanitized spa water.
The water's chemical balance and pH control are also your responsibility. You will have to add chemicals to maintain proper levels of Total Alkalinity (TA), Calcium Hardness (CH) and pH. Proper water balance and pH control will minimize scale buildup and corrosion of metals, extend the life of the spa, and allow the sanitizer to work at maximum efficiency.
Methods For Testing Spa Water
Accurate water testing and analysis are an important part of effectively maintaining your spa water. You must have the ability to test for:
Total Alkalinity (TA)
pH
Calcium Hardness (CH)
Sanitizer
Two types of testing methods are recognized and recommended:
Reagent Test Kit is a method which provides a high level of accuracy. They come in either liquid or tablet form.
Test Strips are a convenient testing method used by many spa owners. Keep in mind that test strips are susceptible to heat and moisture.
Basic Chemical Safety
When using chemicals, always read the labels carefully and follow directions. Though chemicals protect you and your spa when used correctly, they can be hazardous in concentrated form. Observe the following guidelines:
Allow only a responsible person to handle spa chemicals KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. Accurately measure the exact quantities specified, never more. Do not overdose your spa.
Handle all containers with care. Store in a cool, dry well ventilated place.
Always keep chemical containers closed when not in use. Replace caps on their proper containers.
Don't inhale fumes, or allow chemicals to come in contact with your eyes, nose, or mouth. Wash your hands immediately after each use.
Follow the emergency advice on the product label in case of accidental contact, or if the chemical is swallowed. Call a doctor or the local Poison Control Center. If a doctor is needed, take the product container along with you so that the substance can be identified.
Don't let chemicals get on surrounding surfaces or landscaping. Rinse off with fresh water if spilled.
Never smoke around chemicals. Some of the fumes can be highly flammable.
Adding Spa Chemicals:
Fold back the spa cover. Carefully remove and set aside the filter lid.
Push the JETS 1 button to turn on the pump 1 to provide high water flow.
Carefully measure the recommended amount of chemical and slowly pour it into the filter compartment. Use care not to splash chemicals on your hands, eyes, or on the spa shell surface or cabinet.
Replace filter lid and run spa for 10 minutes. Re-install spa cover.
IMPORTANT: Super Cholorination /Non-Chlorine Shock Treatment - NOTE: After administering a super chlorination treatment or non-chlorine shock to your spa, leave the cover open for a minimum of 20 minutes to allow the oxidizer gas to vent. A high concentration of trapped oxidizer gas which may exist as a result of the shock treatment (not daily sanitation) may eventually cause discoloration or vinyl degradation to the bottom of the cover. This type of damage is  considered chemical abuse and is not covered under the warranty.
Balancing Total Alkalinity (TA)
The recommended Total Alkalinity (TA) for your spa water is 125-150 ppm.
Total Alkalinity is measure of the total levels of carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides, and other alkaline substances in the water. TA is referred to as the waterĄŻs Ą°pH bufferĄ±. ItĄŻs a measure of the ability of the water to resist changes in pH level.
If the TA is too low, the pH level will fluctuate widely from high to low. Fluctuations in pH can cause corrosion or scaling of spa components. Low TA can be corrected by adding pH/Alkalinity UP (sodium hydrogen carbonate).
If the TA is too high, the pH level will tend to be high and may be difficult to bring down. It can be lowered by adding pH/Alkalinity down (sodium bisulfate).
Once the TA is balanced, it normally remains stable, although the addition of more water with a high or low alkalinity will raise or lower the TA reading of the water.
When the Total Alkalinity is within the recommended range, proceed.
Balancing Calcium Hardness (CH)
The recommended Calcium Hardness (CH) level for your spa is 150-200ppm.
Calcium Hardness is a measure of the total amount of dissolved calcium in the water. Calcium helps control the corrosive nature of the spa's water. That's why calcium-low water (commonly know as "soft" water) is not recommended. It is very corrosive to the equipment, and can cause staining of the spa shell. If the calcium level is too low, we recommend using Calcium Increaser to bring the calcium hardness level to within the recommended range.
If the CH is too high (commonly know as "hard" water), formation of scale on the spa's shell surface and equipment can result. CH can be decreased by dilution - a mixture of 75% hard and 25% soft water will be a good starting point. If soft water is not available, or practical for you, a stain and scale control such as Scale Defense should be added to the spa water, according to instructions on its label.
Once the CH is balanced, it normally remains stable, although the addition of more water with a high or low calcium content will raise or lower the CH reading of the water.
When the Calcium Hardness is within the recommended range, proceed.
Balancing The pH
The recommended pH level for your spa water is 7.4-7.6.
The pH level is the measure of acidity and alkalinity. Values above 7 are alkaline; those below 7 are acidic.
Maintaining the proper pH level is extremely important:
Optimizing the effectiveness of the sanitizer.
Maintaining water that is comfortable for the user.
Preventing equipment deterioration.
If the spa water's pH level is too low, the following may result:
The sanitizer will dissipate rapidly.
The water may become irritating to spa users.
The spa's equipment may corrode.
If the pH level is too low, it can be increased by adding pH/Alkalinity Up (sodium hydrogen carbonate) to the spa water.
If the pH level is too high, the following may result:
The sanitizer is less effective.
Scale will form on the spa shell surface and the equipment.
The water may become cloudy.
The filter cartridge pores may become obstructed.
If the pH is too high, it can be decreased by adding pH/Alkalinity Down (Sodium bisulfate) to the spa water.
NOTE: After adding pH/Alkalinity Up (sodium hydrogen carbonate) or pH/Alkalinity Down (sodium bisulfate), wait at least
two hours before testing the water for pH. Measurements taken too soon may not be accurate.
It is important to check the pH on a regular basis. The pH will be affected by the bather load, the addition of new water, the addition of various chemicals, and the type of sanitizer used.
When the pH is within the recommended range, proceed.
Maintaining Sanitizer Level
Sanitizer is extremely important for killing algae, bacteria and viruses, and preventing unwanted organisms from growing in the spa. At the same time, you donĄŻt want too high a sanitizer level, or it can irritate your skin, lungs, and eyes.
Always maintain the sanitizer level in your spa at the recommended level for each type of sanitizer.
Ozone
Deluxe Spa's Ozonation System drastically reduces the use of chemicals in the water. This aids in maintenance because the amount of harsh chemicals and frequency with which they are used is lowered.
Water Terminology:
Bromamines: Compounds formed when bromine combines with nitrogen from body oils, perspiration, etc. Unlike chloramines,bromamines have no pungent odor, and are effective sanitizers.
Bromine: A halogen sanitizer (in the same chemical family as chlorine). Bromine is commonly used in stick, tablet, or granular form.
Calcium Hardness: The amount of dissolved calcium in the spa water. This should be approximately 150-220 ppm. High levels of calcium can cause cloudy water and scaling. Low levels can cause harm to the spa equipment.
Chloramines: Compounds formed when chlorine combines with nitrogen from body oils, urine, perspiration, etc. Chloramines can cause eye irritation as well as having a strong odor. Unlike bromamines, chloramines are weaker, slower sanitizers.
Chlorine: An efficient sanitizing chemical for spas.
Chlorine (or Bromine) Residual: The amount of chlorine or bromine remaining after chlorine or bromine demand has been satisfied. The residual is therefore the amount of sanitizer which is chemically available to kill bacteria, virii and algae.
Corrosion: The gradual wearing away of metal spa parts, usually caused by chemical action. Generally, corrosion is caused by low pH or by water with levels of TA, CH, pH or sanitizer which are outside the recommended ranges.
DPD: The preferred reagent used in test kits to measure the Free Available Chlorine.
Halogen: Any one of these five elements: fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine.
MPS: Monopersulfate is the non-chlorine oxidizer used with the purification system.
Nitric Acid: The formulation of nitric acid, a highly corrosive chemical, is a byproduct of the ozone generating process. Nitric acid is produced in very small quantities and is readily dissolved in the water stream with ozone.
Oxidizer: The use of an oxidizing chemical is to prevent the buildup of contaminants, maximize sanitizer efficiency, minimize combined chlorine and improve water clarity.
Ozone: Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent which is produced in nature and artificially by man. Ozone forms no byproducts of chloramines (ozone actually oxidizes chloramines) and will not alter the waterĄŻs pH.
Pathogen: A microorganism such as bacterium that cause disease.
pH: The measure of the spa waterĄŻs acidity and alkalinity. The recommended pH for the spa water is 7.4 to 7.6. Below 7.0 (considered neutral), the spa water is too acidic and can damage the heating system. Above 7.8, the water is too alkaline and can result in cloudy water, and scale formation on the shell and heater.
Reagent: A chemical material in liquid, powder, or tablet form for use in chemical testing.
Sanitizer: Sanitizers are added and maintained at recommended residuals to protect bathers against pathogenic organisms which can cause disease and infection in spa water.
Scale: Rough calcium-bearing deposits that can coat spa surfaces, heaters, plumbing lines and clog filters. Generally, scaling is caused by mineral content combined with high pH. Additionally, scale forms more readily at higher water temperatures.
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