newspaguy

Once you get your TA down, your pH should be much more stable. You can also add Borates to help slow down pH creep. The easy way to add Borates is to get a product called Gentle Spa sold here, or in bulk here. It's pH balanced, so you don't need to add acid. The cheaper route is to add Borax (aka 20 Mule Team). However, you then have to add acid to counter balance. Alright. I think I got it......I'll give it a try and keep you posted. Thanks!!!!

Okay....so looks like my PH decrease is dry acid...sodium bisulfate????? So I just start adding it a little at a time till my TA gets down to a desirable range while aerating????and the aeration will bring the PH back up? Once I get the TA and PH right, do you guys recommend any of these PH anchors or PH locks to stabilize it. Someone said I can order something called "Borates" and that will help?

What is your TA and pH? You need to lower your TA to the 60-70 ppm range. That will reduce pH creep via aeration. Go here to learn everythig thing you need to know about the Dichlor/Bleach method. Nitro, My TA is ranging between 120 to 180. I know it needs to come way down. My PH is floating in the area of 8. I saw the link and see that I can lower the TA with acid. What do I buy, where can I buy it, and how much should I add at a time to start dropping the TA.

I recently drained and refilled my tub and am following the bleach method recommeded by ChemGeek. Used dichlor for about 4 days then went to 6% bleach, however PH keeps getting too high (along with my TA) and I am going through PH decreaser by the spoonful, literally. Is there a way to stabilize my PH and TA while still using bleach. From reading on this forum, I know that bleach has a high PH, but Im wondering if the PH anchors you can buy work, or if there is another or better solution to stabilize and "lock" my PH and TA in the desired range. I have a smaller tub that holds about 250 gallons.

So when you all refer to using "bleach" we are talking straight off the shelf regular old unscented chlorox?????? Ive been using Dichlor every other day now for about a week and a half. Can I go ahead and start using bleach now as long as I watch the ph levels? This won't be any harsher on the tub components or cover than the dichlor will it? Nitro, you mentioned adding borates to your tub......what type of product name would I look for, what does it do, and how do I use it along with the bleach. Perhaps Chem Geek can help me on the final question......is there any real difference between the chlorine in bleach vs. the chlorine in dichlor (other than its stabilized)? Is chlorine is chlorine is choline when it all comes down to it

Need to order a new cover. Anyone have any recommendations for a good company to order new cover from. Will need a well made well insulated cover to hold up to the cold Wisconsin Winters. Thanks

As most new spa owners I have been spending way more time than I should researching water chemistry and different methods of keeping the water sanitary. Ive gotten alot of info from chem geek and his bleach method seems brilliant, however, Im one of those owners that just will not want to put the time in to deal with the fluctuating ph chem geek warns about with that method. Ive been using the Nature2 with Dichlor after each use and an MPS shock weekly. However, after reading several posts on here, Im beginning to think Id be doing the same thing with only Dichlor and could do with out the $30 nature 2 cartridge as Im not sure its offering any benefit since Im using Dichlor. Ill be doing a water change before the weather gets really cold (Wisconsin) and then I will have to live with the same water for probably the next 4 months due to the consistant cold we get here. So will someone break it down for me to the simplest terms. What is the better method to use, Chlorine(dichlor) or Bromine(with a feeder) as far as ease of use, water quality maintenance, and bather comfort (keeping in mind Ill have to maintain the water for several months without the ability to refill due to freezing temps). This is for a smaller 240 gal tub. Thank you for any input you much more experienced uses can offer Geoff

For one person-hour which is two people soaking for 30 minutes, that's 3-1/2 teaspoons of Dichlor (regardless of tub size) so try using that and see what sort of an FC residual you end up with just before your next soak. If you soak for 60 minutes, use more Dichlor -- perhaps up to 7 teaspoons and see how that goes. These are just guidelines -- you can tweak based on your actual residual FC numbers before the next soak. As for the CYA level, that's a hard question to answer since it depends on your goals. Many people don't worry about it and just change the water when it seems to start turning. In some tubs, the CYA level seems to not climb as much as others, even with similar chemical additions (we don't know why for sure -- perhaps some oxidation of CYA by chlorine). The WRI is a standard guideline, but you can just see how your water does over time. If you weren't using N2, then I'd be more concerned about the high CYA level in terms of sanitation, but the N2 acts a bit as an insurance policy though it's not the same as maintaining a more consistent FC/CYA ratio. If you find that the water turns bad more quickly then you'd like, then you can consider using bleach after one initial week of Dichlor, but would then need to manage the pH more carefully. As for how to manage a smaller tub, using chlorine is fine -- you don't have to use bromine (on your next water change) unless you want to. The main advantage to bromine is ease-of-use due to a floating feeder so you don't have to remember adding sanitizer every day. It's more expensive, however, though for a hot tub it's not that much. It's really up to you, but there's nothing wrong with using chlorine. Technically, you'd still need high levels of bromine just as you would with chlorine (or would need MPS shock) -- basically you need an amount of chemical to oxidize your sweat. Richard Richard, Im interested in trying the unscented bleach method that you referred to. I just spent 2 hours looking through the old posts to find exactly how do use the bleach method without much luck other than seeing several references to the method. Im assuming I would just add it after soaking like I'm doing with the Dichlor. How much bleach do you use per person hour of soaking? Do you still continue to shock weekly with MPS with the bleach method?

Chem geek, So then based on the volume of my tub (235 gal) how much dichlor would you recommend per person hour of soaking? You said 2-3 tsp is not enough, so how much should I up my usage after a soak? And at what level of CYA should I change the water? Im terrible at converting numbers and I tried based on your calculations for a 350 gallon tub, but didn't do well. Your help is appreciated. This was my first fill for this tub, so would I be better off using a different sytems such a bromine at the next water change due to the smaller water volume, or will I have similar issues? Thank you, Geoff

First let me say thanks for all the experts that have provided so much help with the posts on this site for new spa owners such as myself. I recently obtained and started up my 1999 Coleman Horizon 408 hot tub which holds approx. 235 gallons or water. After much research on this site and some persuading by friends I went with the Nature2 cartridge system and am following the program recommened by "SPATECh." Im shocking weekly with MPS and adding between 2-3 tsp. of dichlor after each use (usually just 2 people for 30-60 minutes of soaking) After 15 minutes or so of circulating after adding the dichlor I've checked the FC level and its usually between 7-10ppm. Is this too high of a FC limit initially after adding? And my other concern is by the next day the FC is reading usually 0-1ppm. Should there still be some FC left in the water to keep the spa sanitary or is this normal and okay? The spa water is crystal clear and my ph and TA are within normal ranges. Does it sound like Im doing everything right or do I need to alter my methods so there is more FC chlorine in the water the day following a soak? Thanks in advance for your help.