Proper Startup Chems For A New Fiberglass Coating?

[SoCal_Mark]

We just had our spa resurfaced but we went with fiberglass instead of plaster as we had previously. My question is regarding the proper chemicals to use. I work for two Hilton brand hotels here in San Diego and we usually get all our pool/spa supplies from Leslie's Pool Supplies but the company that did the work on the spa directed us to get one of two different chemicals, to use after our initial fill, that are either not available or need to be special ordered through Leslie's. "Stain Treat" or "Super Stain Out" were the two he recommended. I mentioned to him that we get all our supplies from Leslie's and he proceded to tell me how awful they were and that we would have to go to Discount Pool Supply Inc for the chemicals. He also said not to ever let Leslie's test our water for us(we usually have them test for phosphates & metals) or take any advice they might offer as they don't know what thier talking about. I thought it a little odd he ripped Leslie's as bad as he did as I have never heard of them having a bad reputation. Anyway, I went into Leslie's this morning to inquire as to what other chemicals might work in place of the two that were recommended. I was told that I could use Spa Metal Free to serve the same purpose and we would not have to leave the pumps off for between 12-24 hours after adding the chem as with the Stain Treat & Super Stain Out. They also said it seemed odd that we would be directed to add those chemicals on startup as there wouldn't be any metals in the spa at that point.

All this sound right?

I appriciate any help provided.

Mark

[simonc]

We just had our spa resurfaced but we went with fiberglass instead of plaster as we had previously. My question is regarding the proper chemicals to use. I work for two Hilton brand hotels here in San Diego and we usually get all our pool/spa supplies from Leslie's Pool Supplies but the company that did the work on the spa directed us to get one of two different chemicals, to use after our initial fill, that are either not available or need to be special ordered through Leslie's. "Stain Treat" or "Super Stain Out" were the two he recommended. I mentioned to him that we get all our supplies from Leslie's and he proceded to tell me how awful they were and that we would have to go to Discount Pool Supply Inc for the chemicals. He also said not to ever let Leslie's test our water for us(we usually have them test for phosphates & metals) or take any advice they might offer as they don't know what thier talking about. I thought it a little odd he ripped Leslie's as bad as he did as I have never heard of them having a bad reputation. Anyway, I went into Leslie's this morning to inquire as to what other chemicals might work in place of the two that were recommended. I was told that I could use Spa Metal Free to serve the same purpose and we would not have to leave the pumps off for between 12-24 hours after adding the chem as with the Stain Treat & Super Stain Out. They also said it seemed odd that we would be directed to add those chemicals on startup as there wouldn't be any metals in the spa at that point.

All this sound right?

I appriciate any help provided.

Mark

Mark -

I think you may be overly concerned about which chemicals to use at startup. Unless you have some unusually hard water or water with high levels of metal, I think your primary focus should be on properly balancing your water. If your water is balanced correctly, you'll have fewer problems and your tub will last longer.

The key to balancing your water is to get your Calcium Saturation Index (CSI) close to zero. This will help you avoid scale and deterioration of your fiberglass tub. You can use the Pool Calculator to figure out your CSI. You have to adjust various parameters (like calcium hardness, pH, etc.) The best explanation of how to set these values is in Nitro's writeup on Water Balancing. The summary section gives you some approximate target values.

Again, focus on getting your CSI near zero by properly balancing your water. That said, there are a number of ways to reduce metals in your water. You can buy a special filter that goes on your garden hose to filter the water when you fill your tub. You can also buy chemicals to add to your tub at each new fill (and when you add water). I use Spa Kem "Stain and Scale Inhibitor". Why? Mostly just force of habit. I've been using it for almost 5 years and I haven't had any scale problems with my figerglass tub. It works for me, so I use it. I have no idea what would happen if I stopped using it. Maybe everything would still be OK? I don't know. Compared to the other spa related expenses, it's a relatively cheap "habit".

In regards to "dealer bashing" ... well ... everyone one has their own opinions. There are probably good Leslie dealers and some that are bad. I generally discount anyone who dismisses an entire group as "bad". Generally, dealers try to sell you the products they carry. I find this forum to be a great source of information and no one is trying to sell you anything.

Good luck,

- Simon