-Grover

Hi all, New user to the forum, brand new first time spa owner. It looks like I can get some good ol' fashioned know-how here instead of the 18 year old at the pool store. I came into the option of getting a free Arctic spa from a bank repo transaction from a friend. I went out with an electrician and made sure that everything "worked". The spa heated up, lights worked and everything seemed to be functioning. We drained it, prepped it, moved it, and hooked it up at my house, and again everything seems to be working fine on it. I got the chemicals in line with what was here on the board and the owners manual/test strip instructions, and sat in it last night for the first time and was thrilled. I got a working spa for about as free as you can get one! So, here in lies the rub. I've spent quite a bit of time searching for the two things I have concerns on and keep coming up empty handed (I don't think I know what to search for) 1) All of the "jets" in the spa just seem to be holes. There's no housing, just black rings and 2 screws, and they don't push water very hard. I went to our local pool/spa dealer and they had about 20 3-ring binders filled with about a billion different types and I figured the 'net would be a better place for info. Arctic's website doesn't have a "buy new jets" link, and I've checked out some other sites (C-M-P.com, etc.) but again there's HUNDREDS of jets to choose from and I don't want to order new ones that don't work with my spa. I have 9 2" 'holes, 7 4" holes and it is obviously missing the "top" to where the filter cartridge goes. Are these things universal? There's no "brand specific" jets, and I can just get anything that fits in the hole? It seems too easy, and normally things that seem that way turn out to be anything but. 2) Evidently the water out here is very "hard". My test strips and the test at the pool store let me know this, and everything I've read so far says "sorry Charley". I've read that you can dilute it by adding tap water (since that comes from the water softener in the garage I assume, and not the garden hose) but that it's not a huge concern if you use a descaler. Does that seem to be the case for long-time owners? Any help here would be VERY much appreciated, as I'm still getting my feet wet (but at least now literally too!!!) Thanks in advance!!! -Rob