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If you have a technical problem with your spa your best bet for a solution is to START YOUR OWN THREAD with YOUR info, not piggyback on something similar. There are 2 reasons for this. First, most of us volunteers who help people here don't have time to read through 164 replies to get the background info to answer your question. Most of us simply skip those threads and do not bother to reply. And second, it gets very confusing for everyone when 2 different conversations get going in one thread, and advice gets given to and taken by the wrong person. So, if you want help from our experts, start your own thread. Include details about your situation, and pics of equipment area, circuit board, and wiring diagram. @waterbearcan you pin this?

@RDspaguy @cranbiz @Cusser @waterbear @ratchett Check this "Disclaimer" out. https://www.hottubrepair.biz/general-8 @Competent Hot Tub Repair What you got to say for yourself?

You need to use a proper multi meter and verify exact voltage on each line. White to black 120V, white to red 120V, black to red = 240V. Next test and verify all fuses are good. Let us know those results and we can go from there.

With the help of an electrical engineer, we dr-soldered the relays which revealed the part number which I used to order the new relays. They'll be here next Tues. What a relief this was., I was ready to condemn the board a couple of times but with the suggestions of those who replied to this discussion and insisted the board could be repaired, I'm now spending $20 instead of $459.00! I will report back as soon as the relays are installed and the tub is powered up and heating. Thanks again to everyone that replied.

Just an update, decided to mess around with this today and everything went smooth as silk. Ran the 6/3, 40 amp breaker/GFCI outside, pulled the jumper and switched the dip switch and everything is running a-1. Ran a quick jet cycle and heat stayed on so looks like we're all set. Thanks again for the help!

You are already taking the first step, see it running. Make sure ALL functions work. Examine under it thoroughly for any signs of leaks. Inspect the frame for rot, etc. Has it a good cover? I would pop the cover on the electronics and look for any signs of a relay overheat. Dark spots on the board, etc.

Run away from Cal Spa. Probably the worst company I ever dealt with in 20+ years. Cal Spas makes a mediocre product, but does not honor their warranty. This results in the dealer either covering the cost themselves, or passing it along to the customer. There is a reason there are few, if any long-term Cal Spa dealers. Bullfrog in my opinion makes a quality product, and yes, on the pricey side. I cannot put my finger on it, but there is something about the company that rubs me the wrong way. I am more of a traditionally engineered product kind of guy. Give me a Sundance, Hot Spring, Caldera, Jacuzzi all day long.

Full disclosure, I am a dealer. I sell Sundance Spas, but in the last 10 years prior to opening my own store I sold Hot Spring, Caldera, Marquis and then a bunch of lesser known brands prior (been in the industry 23 years now). There is no online "consumer reports" type place for hot tubs. Anything you find is going to be a paid for review site. In my opinion, the following are brands I consider quality and this is in alphabetical order to be fair: Artesian, Bullfrog, Caldera, Dimension One, Hot Spring, Jacuzzi, Marquis, and Sundance. There are plenty other brands that are of decent/pretty good quality, and many others that are of lower quality. I would start your search by visiting the dealer locator on each of the above brands and see if you have local representation. If you don't have a local dealer, then the brand is not an option. I would personally avoid online, big box stores, Costco, etc if you want quality and support after the sale. There is a reason a dealer will be more expensive, and it is because they likely offer a better quality product and are there for you after the sale. Pricing is a crapshoot. Some dealers negotiate, some don't. Some inflate their prices to offer big discounts, others don't. And each dealer has different fixed costs which will influence what they sell the hot tub for. Plus the local market will also influence that price. As an example, I am in Wisconsin. My market is way different than someone who is in say Boston or San Francisco, so our prices will likely be different. Same goes for dealer markup. The internet and box stores will absolutely have lower profit margins because they are nothing more than order takers. And when you don't have to worry about any potential expenses after the sale, you can make lower margins and still put food on your table. Any research you do, disregard pricing you find that was pre-Covid, everything has gone up 10%-20%. I have knowledge of current pricing on Sundance, Hot Spring, Caldera, Marquis, and Jacuzzi. If you encounter those brands, I can at least let you know if the price you are being quoted is in the ballpark. Low end 6-person hot tub, I would say $10k - $13k. Mid-tier probably $14k - $17k and high end $20k. I don't count online, big box stuff in the above estimates. You also need to determine how many people you really want the hot tub to fit. A 7' hot tub can claim it fits 7 people and so can a 8' hot tub. The larger one will do so comfortably and the smaller one not so much. A 7' sized hot tub will probably save you $1k - $2k over the larger 8' model.

Are you running the spa uncovered during this time? If not you need to. It can sometimes take 24 to 48hours for the bromine to drop in a new tub because there is no bioload for the bromine to react with and oxidize. test only free chlorine and multiply by 2.25 to get total bromine 10 to 15 ppm is ok but don't rush it. It really takes a few days to a few weeks to get everything stabilized. When you do put in the floater you will need to adjust it until it maintains your desired bromine level based on your tub usage. Be patient. It often takes a few months of 'tweaking' until everything falls into place. Water chemistry adjustments don't happen instantaneously. Children do not dissipate heat as well as adults so turn the temp down to around 95 - 98 and limit him to about 5 or 10 minutes at a time. Keeping hydrated is very important. https://hottubinsider.com/hot-tubs-safe-kids/ https://www.verywellfamily.com/when-can-grandchildren-hot-tub-spa-1696192 https://www.bullfrogspas.com/blog/hot-tub-safety-kids/

Put a small space heater in the equipment compartment as well. Run it at low to medium heat.

Well, this is embarrassing. When initially researching this problem, I found several threads which discussed filters and insufficient flow. I felt the flow at the heating inlets, and decided it felt fine, so I left the filters alone. After seeing your comment, I went ahead and pulled the filters before proceeding, just to make it clear that wasn't the problem. Sure enough, that resolved it, and everything seems to be working fine now. Thanks for not trusting me that the flow was "good", and pushing me to remove the filters. To any future people like me finding this thread: no matter how confident you are that the filters aren't the problem, go ahead and pull them - it only takes a minute, and if they really aren't the problem, it was a trivial amount of effort to prove it. Doing so initially would have saved me hours of troubleshooting, needless research, and stress.

Hot Springs doesn't release those to anyone except authorized dealers. Post up your problem with pictures of the plumbing, control box, wiring diagram and equipment area. The more info you can give us, the better the results normally are.

Why are you running the jets with the cover on? The jets do not have a programmed time on a HS that I know of. They have a time-out, meaning they automatically turn off after a certain time (usually 20-30 minutes) and will engage for short periods to recirculate the water a couple times a day, but the heat and primary filtration are on the small circulation pump. But then, I never see the new ones, so maybe they switched it up. But I can tell you that any spa pump ran on high speed (the only speed yours likely has) for 2 hours straight is going to get screaming hot, and will transfer some of that heat to the water. In a tub as well insulated and efficient as a HS (and there aren't many) it will be even more. If your spa is turning the jets on high for 2 hours automatically then that's a problem, but if you are leaving them on for 2 hours then that's on you. I would think the timeout would be less, but it varies with brand. I didn't think so. Really? I thought that vented to the outside. Seems rather foolish to dead-end your pump vent into sprayfoam after designing a motor to channel the forced air exhaust into a vent hose. Bet those motors get HOT. You can. And that vent tube really should be taking heat away, not deadheading the vent blower in some ill-conceived plan to increase efficiency by a fraction of a percent. Dumping that heat into the equipment area, while a better option than a clogged vent hose, is not enough. Leave a side panel off to allow some airflow in that little box full of hot equipment and see what it does. Define "running". If you mean "jets on" then that sounds about right. Especially with a dead-end vent. But if it's just with the circ pump on it's likely a circuit board issue. The issue, I believe, is how long the high speed pumps run, and the weather is only disguising a symptom. I know there have been some heat-related issues with a certain pump manufacturer, perhaps HS has changed suppliers and now have pumps that run hotter than before.

Why did you resurrect a 11 year old thread? If you are having a problem, please start your own thread. In it, Please fully describe your problem and include pictures of your spa's control board with the dip switches (if present) the wiring diagram which is usually found on the inside of the cover of the control box and of your equipment area. Doing all this will ensure the people here will see it and assist.

Just wanted to let you know that I found the problem, it was a broken wire going to the temperature sensor.

Do not use this in a spa or pool. If you are going to use a grocery store bleach the label will say (sodium hypochlorite). Strengths may vary from around 4% to 6%. You do not want to use any bleach with other additives. You want the old fashioned bleach. It works extremely well but the pool and hot tub retailers won't agree.

One leg is always on unless there is an overheat. You will always read 120 to neutral or ground on a 240v heater. You must test terminal to terminal for 240v. The 3 closest to the heater connections.

From terminal to terminal, or are you using a touchless voltmeter? The heater has 3 relays, two of which close (turn on) immediately when power is turned on unless there is a high temp error. This sends 120v to the heater, and you will read 120v on a touchless tester, even though the heater is not on. The third relay is thermostat controlled and prone to failure as it is the only one to open/close under load. This one closes the 240v heater circuit and the heater heats up. If your relay was stuck your heater would run while the pump was off which would boil the water in the heater and cause a number of errors on the display. Is this happening?

Our technicians may use initials, pseudo names or nicknames in the course of conducting business. From now on please refer to me as Craven Morehead 🤣

That's what she said.

should have used Stopcock grease on it...lol

Post photo of the topside. Try #1

Nitric acid in the ozone tube from an undersized mazzei. Gets sucked in, coating everything in sticky yellow gunk and foaming like crazy. You know darn well I'm no chemist my friend. Elemental bromine? You give me too much credit.🫡

Chemical and ozone damage do break down styrofoam and cause it to hold water. You can order just inserts. You can dry it out and re-wrap it as long as it is unbroken. It's a band-aid, but can buy you a year or 2.

I would verify none of your hi-limit resets have popped. Red buttons on the side of the black control box. I would also replace that circulation pump IF the spa is able to heat. That pump is likely tired and barely keeping up if it's original. Your heater should draw somewhere between 8-12 amps when ti is actively heating. I use am amp clamp to check amperage readings. Again, at your skill and comfort level. Make sure your heat dial is turned up so it "calls" for heat. Not a tone more I can help with without being there. You're on the right track. The problem lies where the power dies. Lastly, you may have a door interlock switch that will kill power to the entire equipment compartment when the door is opened. Those interlock switches are relics of the past and not needed. I always bypass them without issue. If it has one and it has not been bypassed kill the power, strip the wires back and test them together with a wire nut or something else appropriate. You have now safely bypassed that switch and the spa can be worked on while running with the door open. Lots of free help here, Ken. You better not screw this up. lol

final update ... got the board back w/new relays ... pumps now working as expected ... thank you everyone

👍

Remove the heater tube as shown above. Remove the sensor on the left side. Back off the black nut and just push the sensor up with your finger. Back off the 2- 3/4 nuts and the element will drop down inside the tube. Pull the element out (needle nose pliers might help) and then work backwards to reinstall the element. As mentioned above make sure the 2 o-rings remain seated in the grooves as you position the element back up into place. When tightening the element I will place my finger in the right side of the tube and VERY IMPORTANT hold it centered in the tube so it does not touch the side wall of the tube. I tighten the left 3/4" nut first and then the right side. I look down the tube to make sure it is not touching and centered in the tube.

The flow switch cannot be simply jumpered in these, the system checks for both open and closed. A flow switch is on or off. Zero ohms or infinite ohms. Anything else is a bad switch. If sticking a hose to the filter intake causes it to work then it's likely a flow issue. I'd check the circ pump.

Only replace the element inside. it will cost around 50$ for the piece. When you change it, be carefull about the little 2 new o-ring on the new, also clear as much you can when you remove the old element, its okay if a little bit of orange left. The oring are inside and they are what matter the most. (Tight the 2 nuts very tight)

3 is pump 1, 4 is pump 2

I had both capacitors near the power supply replaced at a local electronics shop. Got the board back today and put everything back together. All working perfectly again. Cost me $65. Appreciate all the help!

Real talk - most manuals are garbage and contain no real useful information aside from a bunch of legal BS warnings and such. Instead of hunting for the manual, just fire away your questions here and I'm sure someone can help answer them

I thought I would update this as I have my Hot Tub up and running again. I ended up having to replace the Control Panel as an assembly as the Power Supply wasn't able to be changed out by itself. I ordered it from Backyard Plus in the USA and had to get it shipped to a buddies place in Buffalo as they only use UPS for shipping. That sucks but their service overall was top notch. Highly recommended as I did use their tech support and they were all very knowledgeable. Thanks for all the help, Dave

New Intermatic PB913N timer installed, straightforward. Seems to be working fine (overnight observation).

Check the heater. Make sure the element is not touching the tube. Also test the high limit sensor.

Once my parts come in and I replace the diodes I will report back with my results in case anyone else has the same issue. No disrespect to the board repair people out there, but I prefer to fix these things myself if possible.

Saltwater is awesome from a sales standpoint - most novice buyers assume saltwater means chlorine free, not aware that the system is generating chlorine from the sodium chloride in the water. The reality is that saltwater does have it's pros and cons. And yes, things can become corrosive if you don't maintain the water, but any care routine can become corrosive and damage the spa if used incorrectly. Fortunately you're not stuck with any care routine with hotspring - you can always switch to or from the salt system (there is a generic aftermarket saltwater system you can add to most any hot tub, but Hotspring/Caldera has a nice integration with the topside controller to give you more feedback/control over the salt system). The funny thing is not all dealers are created equal - there are plenty of benefits to every hot tub - why are the other dealers so interested in trashing another brand? Back when I was buying my Hotspring Highlife spa from a small family run dealership, my sales rep refused to trash Jacuzzi or any other brand (despite my encouragement lol) - there's always plenty of pros for each brand. Personally, I opted to skip the Hotspring saltwater system in favor of an ozonator & silver mineral cartridge hooked to a circulation pump - my care routine utilizes less chlorine when soaking in the tub and costs 1/5th as much in annual operating costs. Note: One thing they forget to mention about the salt system is that the cells cost $100+ and only available from your local dealer - they are supposed to last four months, but high phosphate levels (which come from skin moisturizers, soapy suds on bathing suits, fertilizers on grass carried into tub via the feet, etc) can kill a salt cell in as little as four weeks. Personally, it wasn't worth the hassle - although I can always call my dealer and have the salt system enabled if I wanted.

Former Hot Spring / Caldera dealer here. Is the salt system good or bad? Depends on what your expectations are. The salt system has a lot of variables that determine whether it will work as advertised. Specifically, source water quality / water chemistry and usage. With regards to corrosion, doubt it will be an issue. The salt level is lower than pool salt systems and yes, the heater is titanium. I personally didn't notice any more pump seal failures with salt, but I did notice more heater leak issues. Could have been coincidence, could have been worse quality during Covid, unsure. I also didn't see any jet leak issues, but that is just my experience. If there are jet leak issues now, it's more of a QC thing than saltwater problem, in my opinion. Hot Spring makes a quality product and the company will stand behind it. If you are only considering buying a Hot Spring because of salt water, I think that is a mistake because you eliminate many other good brands from consideration. If you are buying a Hot Spring because it is the right hot tub for you, then that is fine.

Wow. So helpful, on this 2 year dead thread. Let me ask you, since you're such a pro, how exactly do you replace an IQ pack with a balboa? Waiting. Still waiting. Gonna be waiting a long time for that answer, aren't I? But then, you wouldn't know, would you?

Personally, I found that using a hose wasn't very effective as it tended to push the dirt further into the filter pleats. So, I decided to put my 3D printing and design skills to use and created various spray tools that could push water from the inside-outwards. However, I soon realized that only a high-pressure system would have enough power to effectively remove the dirt in the way it came in. That's when I had an "ah-hah" moment and came up with the idea of using centrifugal force. I connected a filter to a power drill, allowing it to pull the dirt out the same way it entered. To bring this idea to life, I designed a massive 3D printed contraption, and later on, I created a partially large, expensive metal version with industrial 3D printing. However, I received suggestions to make a single-sided tool that could work with a wider range of filters available in the market. So, I went back to the drawing board until I came up with another idea to compress a plug and use the friction to grip a filter from a single side. Although I'm still in the process of building the website and looking for wholesale partners, I am currently selling these filter spinner widgets on eBay. If you're interested in helping me beta-test them, feel free to send me a private message, as I'm not sure if I'm allowed to share direct links here. I must note that these tools are still in the early testing phases, but they seem to work great for smaller sized filters, such as Hotspring's Tri-X filters. Additionally, they work even better when you use a filter cleaning solution to turbocharge the cleaning process. To give you an idea of what my widget does, I've created a low-resolution promotional GIF, which you can check out

G strings, t-shirts, 6 cut limes, a large rock, swim goggles, my virginity...lol🤷‍♂️🤣

Few make it past the warranty... if there is one on the stereo

It's not. It's silver chloride in a calcium carbonate matrix. Chalk, limestone, eggshells, gastropod shells, shellfish skeletons and pearls are all calcium carbonate. Silver Chloride is used instead of the silver nitrate/calcium carbonate found in Nature 2 because it will not precipitate when used with bromine and King Technology also makes an array of products for use with bromine such as their original Spa Frog. Here are the SDS for the system: https://www.kingtechnology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/FROG-@ease-Mineral-Cartridge-R3-10242022E3.pdf https://www.kingtechnology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/FROG-@ease-SmartChlor-Cartridge-R3-10242022E3pdf.pdf( Their chlorine cartridge is a form of chlorine stabilized by DMH ( dimethylhydantoin), 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, This is the same chemical that is used to stabilize bromine in bromine tablets. 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin tests as combined chlorine so you really can't know how much combined chlorine is in your tub vs. active chlorine. This, IMHO, is a disadvantage.(However, the same things occurs with the use of MPS and ozone, which also test as combined chlorine). Dantochlor (a brand name) is : 1, 3-dichloro-5, 5-dimethylhydantoin 81.1% 1, 3-dichloro-5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin 16.1% Inert ingredients 2.8% Total Available Chlorine, % 68 This does not agree with the SDS for SmartChlor Here is a link to all of King Technology's SDS for their various products and OEM products. https://partners.kingtechnology.com/documents-and-downloads/safety-data-sheets/

While I'm not an engineer at Watkins, I don't believe the Cantabria holds anymore water than the Prism even though it claims to hold 85 more gallons. The Prism is in fact 2" bigger in one direction. It also has more space since all the seats are full size. Maybe other's can chime in with more recent experience, but I haven't heard a lot of positive about SmartTop over the last few years from dealers who did sell them. I sold them from 2014-2016 but left that job and didn't get firsthand long-term feedback. Energy efficiency was always a concern and I would be curious / hesitant with long term durability. I have no experience with Covana. I personally would just stick with the factory cover and the Profit III / CoverCradle II cover lift.

Full disclosure. I was a Caldera and Hot Spring dealer from 2017-2022. Opened my own shop and now sell Sundance. If you are already looking at Hot Spring, also take a look at the Prism. Same size as the Cantabria but can accommodate more people. I wouldn't even bother with the Vanguard personally. Its a great hot tub that can barely fit 4 adults (and that is coming from someone who is 5'8"). If you're willing to consider non-lounge models, The Sundance Aspen and Jacuzzi J-495 could be good options. Maybe the Marquis Summit too. As long as you are looking at premium brands, which you are, I would focus more on what fits your needs and what dealer is likely going to be able to take the best care of you. Every product has its problems, pros and cons so I wouldn't let the little things like clip breakage on Bullfrog be a deterrent. If you do choose a lounge model, make sure to dry test and if possible wet test. Each lounge is different and there is no such thing as a no-float lounge. At my height, I didn't fit well in the Envoy/Cantabria/Geneva loungers. I did better in the Prism. I am not a lounge person, but if I had to buy a lounger hot tub today, it would still probably be a Caldera Seychelles even though I am no longer a Caldera dealer because that lounge fit me perfectly. I will also say this about the Grandee. Having a wide open foot well with no where to brace feet against can allow us vertically challenged people to have a hard time staying in the seat.

99.9% The relay is fried. Relays are around $15.. https://hottubpartsofamerica.com/copy-of-relay-zettler-t-90-type-spst-15vdc-coil-balboa-board/ Verify the attached link is the correct relay with seller before buying. I added the link as example. I take my boards to a local electronics repair shop. At $400 for replacement board you might want to consider it. Not a bad price. That is up to you. Based on it's age and it has been adjusted an unknown amount up or down VS the cost of a pressure switch personally I would replace.

Problem solved. This video explains what was up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsQmR3CuL7k The LED light wires were just loose. And as anticipated, the dudes did not wire up the speakers in the right spot 🙃 Easy fixes all around, so we are in full enjoyment mode 😎

Yeah, long story short the manufacturer of that spa pack unexpectedly went out of business without any advanced notice to Watkins, which forced them to pivot and work on a new board and controller. Their new replacement control boards are unfortunately not backwards compatible. So by this point all the old stock inventory has been sold off and your best bet is to salvage parts from an old dead hotspring spa or an ebay listing from someone parting out an old hot tub. As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! But if the spa is in good enough condition, certainly consider keeping your eye out for used parts. You might find someone selling an older dead hotspring and willing to sell you the spare parts you need for your spa.

(I finally found the post that I made back in 2010 on setting up 3 step bromine for a hot tub so I am reposting it here with a few edits to update the embedded links so they work and improve the clarity of the procedure. Enjoy!) When testing water do NOT use strips, get a good drop based test kit. Your best bet for Bromine if you are in the US or Canada is the Taylor k-2106 and for chlorine the K-2006 (NOT the K-2005). THE TEST KIT IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN OWN FOR EASY SPA MAINTENANCE. GET A GOOD ONE! I cannot stress this enough!!!!! If the K-2106 is not readily available in Canada you can use the K-2006 for bromine by testing for Free Chlorine and multiplying the results by 2.25 to get Total Bromine. You do not need to test for combined bromine (combined chlorine test) nor cyanuric acid in a bromine system. On to bromine: 1. fill the spa and balance the water.Do not turn the heat up yet. If you have well water or know your water has metals then add a metal sequestrant at this point. You will need to continue with weekly maintenance doses of the metal sequestrant if your water has metals. A better solution is to fill from a water softener or purchase a "spa stick" filter that attaches to your hose to fill the spa to help remove the metals. A,adjust TA to 50-70 ppm (here is a detailed explanation and howto on lowering TA if it's too high),, raise TA with baking soda if it's too low,, it's the same chemical sold as TA increaser for much less money! B. Once TA is in range then adjust pH to between 7.4 and 7.8 Use dry acid (or muriatic acid) to lower pH if too high (8.0 and above). If the pH is too low (7.2 and below) either aerate the water to outgas CO2 and bring up the pH or use borax from the laundry aisle to raise it..Do NOT use pH up because it will make your TA go too high!!!!!!!! pH up is sodium carbonate, also known as washing soda and raises both pH AND TA! C. IF you calcium hardness is below 130 ppm raise it to 130-150. If it is above 400 then add an anti stain and scale or calcium reducer to the spa weekly. If it is between 130-400 you are fine. 2. If you are not in Canada Add 1/2 oz of sodium bromide per 100 gallons of water to create your bromide reserve in the water. This is the MOST important step with a bromine spa and the one most people ignore. If you omit this step you will not have a bromine spa for several weeks until enough tablets dissolve in the water to create the bromide bank and you will be running chlorine until the bromide bank forms! Sodium Bromide is available in packets and jars from several companies. You will need to re add it on each drain and fill. Make sure that you get sodium bromide in either powder or liquid form that is sold to start the bromide reserve or 'bromide bank' and not a one step bromine product that is a mixture of mostly dichlor and a little blt of sodium bromide. READ THE LABEL! It should only contain sodium bromide (and water if in liquid form). Sodium bromide has been outlawed in Canada except as part of 'one step' bromine sanitizer products that are a mixture of sodium bromide and dichlor. A workaround is to use such a product for the first few weeks to build your bromide bank. The ingredients should be sodium bromide and dichlor (sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione). EDIT: I HAVE LEARNED THAT PLAIN SODIUM BROMIDE IS AVAILABLE IN CANADA AGAIN BUT IT SEEMS TO BE DIFFICULT TO FIND AND IS EXPENSVE. IF YOU CAN GET IT USE IT. 3. Shock the spa to 'activate' (oxidize) the sodium bromide into hypobromous acid (this is your 'bromine' sanitizer that you test for with your strips or test kit.) You can use MPS to shock but chlorine works just as well if not better and is much less expensive. One of the best sources of chlorine you can use with a bromine spa is sodium hypochlorite and that can also be found in the laundry aisle. It is ordinary liquid chlorine bleach. You want the regular, unscented bleach, not a thickened or scented one. It will come in either 5.25% or 6%. Read the label to see which you have. Use 3 oz (6 tablespoons) of the 5.25% or 2.5 oz (5 tablespoons) of the 6% per 100 gallons of spa water to shock. Your bromine will go very high. Uncover the spa and circulate until the bromine drops below 10 ppm before you use the spa. Now heat the spa up to temperature. If you are in Canada you want to use your one step product to shock to about 15-18 ppm Total Bromine or you can shock with bleach and just let the bromide bank build up in time, 4. Put in the floater with your bromine tabs (which usually contain BOTH bromine and chlorine to activate the bromine, btw) and adjust the floater to maintain your bromine at about 4-6 ppm. this can take a bit of trial and error. Check your pH and bromine before you go in each time and if bromine is low add a few tablespoons of bleach and retest until it is above 4 but below 10 ppm. It really only takes seconds for the chlorine to oxidize your bromide reserve into bromine sanitizer. If pH is not between 7.2 and 8.0 then you should adjust it before entering the spa and wait about 30 minutes then retest it to make sure it is in the proper range. If both are off then adjust pH first then the bromine. YOU CANNOT ADJUST THE Ph WHEN THE SANITIZER LEVELS ARE HIGH BECAUSE OF AN INTERACTION BETWEEN HIGH SANITIZER LEVELS AND THE PHENOL RED INDICATOR USED TO TEST PH! It does not matter if the test is done by liquid reagents or strips. Most test kits and strips will not give accurate pH measurements if the sanitizer is above 3-5 ppm . Taylor kits are good up to 10 ppm. If it's higher than that you need to wait for sanitizer to drop before testing and adjusting pH. The only work around is a properly calibrated pH meter. If your bromine is always low open the floater a bit more. If high then close it down a bit. If it is above 10 then take out the floater and open the spa until the bromine level drops below 10 before entering the water and close the floater down a bit. Once you get the floater adjusted the bromine level will stay pretty constant and it becomes much easier! Remember to keep tablets in the floater at all times! You are done! Weekly test pH, Keep pH between 7.2 -8.0 and then when you have finished adjusting shock the spa with bleach just like when you added the sodium bromide but you do not need more sodium bromide. Add anti scale or calcium reducer if your calcium tested above 400 ppm. Every 2 to 4 weeks check and adjust TA and calcium before you adjust pH and shock. For the first few months do it every two weeks until you learn YOUR tub. If it stays fairly stable then you can drop back the testing to monthly. Every 3-4 months drain, refill, balance the water, add the sodium bromide, shock, and put the bromine tablets back in. Actually pretty easy! If you follow these steps you will not need to waste money on defoamers, clarifier, enzymes, etc.! The ONLY additive you might want to consider is a borate product. Borate has several benefits when added to a 30-50 ppm range. You can add borate with a commercial borate product such as Gentle Spa or Optimizer Plus or by using boric acid or borax. Most of the commercial borate products are a mixture of boric acid and borax to product a pH neutral product and might also contain a scent. Boric acid will slightly lower the pH but since the trend in a spa is a rising pH this should not be a major issue. If the pH is too low then add borax (at twice the dosing rate for pH up/sodium carbonate) to bring your pH into the 7.6 to 7.8 range, which is where your pH will want to 'sit' once the borate is added. Borax (both the decahydrate and pentahydate forms) will raise pH significantly and require the addition of either dry acid or muriatic acid to maintain the pH in the proper range. My recommendation is either boric acid or a commercial pH neutral product, Some commercial products are just the pentahydrate form of borax and will say in the dosing instructions that acid must also be added. . To test borate I highly recommend the LaMotte borate test strips. They are much easier to read than the strips from Taylor, Hach, and AquaCheck. The Lamotte strips have color blocks that go from rose pink to tan while the others have color blocks that are (very close) shades of tan and very difficult to discern between them. Initially adjust borate to 50 ppm and test as often as you test your TA and calcium. If and when it drops to 30 ppm bring it back up to 50 ppm. Hope this helps. Chlorine is a bit cheaper than bromine but it really does require daily attention. Bromine (and what I described above is known as 3 step bromine and is the most forgiving) is not as fussy (acceptable pH range is wider and water balance is easier than chlorine or 2 step bromine) and really only needs attention once or twice a week after you get it set up, besides checking sanitizer level and pH before you enter the spa each time. Happy bromine tubbing!