tom the spa guy

Good points to look at . . . tomthespaguy

It sounds like your shell is bubbling - you may want to check your warranty for the shell, as this is usually a sign of a defect in the material of the shell. Hope this helps. tomthespaguy

pg_rider: If your cabinet is made of some sort of synthetic, then the only thing you'll probably have to worry about it the waterline / waterspots on the side of the tub. However, if the cabinet is real wood, then you should really treat it so that the water won't damage it. Hope this helps. Tom

Hi Paul: Your Calcium Hardness is a bit on the low side. Increase your CH closer to 350. Be sure that when you are circulating your chemicals that you have turned off any air venturis or blowers, as air in the jet stream will raise the pH as well. Using a Total Alkalinity Increaser (Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate) will generally only raise the TA (the pH will be effected, but not as much as your experience has resulted). When you use chemicals like pH up or down (Sodium Carbonate / Sodium Bisulfate), your pH and Alkalinity will both be affected - however a proper TA level serve as a buffer for the pH. Make sure that your water has circulated for at least 30 minutes between testing (turn all air venturis/blowers off). Test strips can be accurate as long as they are not expired and you use them correctly - no swirling and lay the test strip against the bottle flat. Don't try to analyze the color - go with the first reading. Most test strips require a 15 second window to read (as it takes that long for the proper color to appear, which is why water test stations like PinPoint that use UDV's (unit dose vials) to read levels recommend filling the vials from "right to left" and then start testing "left to right" Hope this helps. Tom

Hi Bill, Something to keep in mind is that although we like to think of a spa as just a small pool, it's actually more like a large bathtub. Because of the smaller volume of water (500 or so vs. 24,000), the spa (with it's hot water) reacts more with each addition of chemicals and/or (for lack of a better word) bacteria. Just think of this - dispense a cup of dirt into a large pool, and you'll hardly see it - but the same size cup of dirt in your small spa will show much more. Alkalinity is the key, once it's in check it is easier to get the pH correct. And because each person's body has a different chemical makeup some people's spas are "easier" to keep balanced than others. Hope this helps. Please let me know if I can help anymore. tom Bill, One more thing . . . Next time before adding your Bromine tablets, check your pH and TA and get them in check before adding the bromine. Not that you committed any sins by adding the Bromine first, it is just easier to get your initial pH and TA balanced without the additional chemicals. Also be sure your Calcium Hardness (CH) is in the proper range as well. Hope this helps. Tom

Hi Bill, It sounds like you don't have your Total Alkalinity in check. It should be 80 - 150 ppm. Having you alkalinity in the proper range will act as a pH buffer and will help you in getting the pH to stay in the proper range. Without the TA in the correct range, your pH can up and down without any "reasonable" rhyme or reason. After adding pH increaser or decreaser, it should only take about 1/2 hour of circulation for you to see a change in the level. Hope this helps. tom the spa guy

The Spa Frog system is basically a Nature2 system made to be compatible with Bromine. If you were happy with the Nature2 system, you should be fine with the Spa Frog - you'll still have to keep your water balanced, but basically a set it and forget it type of a system like the Nature 2. Hope this helps. tom the spa guy

Hi Steve, Bromine is sold in different qualities - most bromine has as much as 60% - 80% chlorine in it - check your labels. As you purchase bromine from Walmarts and Home Depots, etc. you'll see higher chlorine contents. There are a couple of alternatives: BaquaSpa is a hydrogen peroxide based sanitizer that is chlorine & bromine free. The sanitizer does not get "used up" unless it is actually disinfecting, as opposed to bromine/chlorine tablets that melt away and get broken down by the high heat. It is also pH independent, so it's sanitizing effectiveness is not diminished by high/low pH / alk levels. It does cost more on a per-bottle basis, but since you only add the sanitizer as needed (if you don't use the spa as much one week as the next, you'll add less or even none), the average cost is about the same. Another alternative is Brilliance for Spas, also distributed by Arch Chemicals. Brilliance for Spas is Bromine that is 100% chlorine free, so the harshness is really reduced. I've had great success with it from my customers. In addition, their metal control has Soy, and their Oxidizer has mineral salts as well so it also leads to a pleasant feeling. A 3rd alternative is to get a Bromine Generator - effectively a salt water system for spas. It utilizes Sodium Bromide (a lot of it), to produce the bromine. As (all) the bromine disinfects, it lets off bromamides - i think that's the correct term - and that contributes to a good portion of the "bromine smell" (as well as the chlorine). With a Bromine Generator, it takes the bromamides and converts it back into bromine - so the smell is effectively eliminated. You can turn the levels of bromine up or down to maintain a good 3 - 5 ppm, and to also get proper levels when you're expecting heavy bather loads (like a party). Because there are no glues and such holding tablets together, the water stays clearer longer, and water changes come about every year or so (instead of 90-120 days). Although you don't have to continually add bromine with the generator, since it makes its own, you still have to maintain proper pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness levels. All good alternatives - the final decision will be based on a little more research for the best solution for you including your budget and willingness to "learn" a new chemical system. My preferential order is: Bromine Generator, Brilliance, Baqua, and last on the list would be chlorine or bromine (sold at walmarts, home depots and similar places as well as spa dealers) Hope that helps. tom the spa guy

Wow! Pretty intense. I merely stated that most manufacturers don't cover the jets, seals, and bearing - and that it just wasn't Cal Spas. Some manufacturers don't even list their warranty on their website. You're right - dealers can come and go. So can manufacturers - anybody get warranty service on a Yugo lately? You've obviously got an axe to grind somewhere on someone - too bad you can't take a non-confrontational post like the one I made (simply stating that Cal Spas isn't the only manufacturer with exclusions and that there are dealers out there that will back you up as well - in writing - and that some will even go above and beyond the manufacturer warranty - I'm not just talking about Cal Spas dealers, but others as well). Sure, the warranty maybe only as good as the manufacturer says it is, but ultimately, it's the dealer who supports in and backs it up and says "you're my customer, I'll get it fixed for you". Sorry if you couldn't see that. Oh, and the name's Tom. Not Tommy Boy. You must have me mistaken for another one of your friends. tom the spa guy PS. Who else has no jet warranty? Hot Springs (they only cover their MotoMassage Jet), Catalina, Dimension 1, Coleman, and too many others to mention. Large and small manufacturer's. You know how they usually get out of that warranty, even if they do cover it? By blaming the failure on improper water chemicalization. Oh, and if I've inadvertently listed a manufacturer that does cover the jets, please let me know so I can revise my post. tom the spa guy

It's not a Cal Spas exclusive. Other manufacturers have the same exclusions - seals, bearings, jets, trip charges, etc. The reason why bearings, seals, and jets are usually excluded is because most of the time (97%+), they fail due to improper water chemicalization including water balance and calcium hardness levels. It's like driving your Mercedez Benz without engine oil, burning it up and returning it to the dealer and expecting them to replace everything "under warranty" Some dealers have enough confidence in their spa line that they offer extended warranties. Even extended warranties that cover the bearings and seals. Check around and ask your Dealer what they will or will not repair. You'll be surprised - some adhere strictly to the specific manufacturer's rules, others will cover you. tomthespaguy

Hi Cosmos: Baqua is a very good product. Here are some tips: 1. The amber goo that you describe is a couple of things. Partially, it's the contaminants in your water that the Baqua Spa could not dissolve and dissapate. Baqua actually coagulates these contaminants so that your filter can catch it and you can wipe it off, so a little of the amber goo will be present each time you drain and refill with fresh water or add a significant amount of water (from spillage/evaporation). The other partial reason for the goo is Metals in the Water. There are over 80 metals out there, but we only test for 2 - copper and iron. Using Metal control (it's the one chemical that you can put in your spa and not worry about overchemicalizing) will also help to control the goo. 2. Tests with an Ozonator and Baqua Spa showed that it "ate" up Baqua Sanitizer more than no ozonator. However, the results were very minimal - Baqua puts it in their literature that you should check your sanitzer lever more often if you have a sanitizer, but just because their lawyers said they needed to. But the difference is really minimal. 3. The white cloudiness is usually caused by high Ph, Alkalinity, & Calcium Hardness Levels. If any or all of these are extremely high, there is more potential for the white waterline ring. Hope this helps. tomthespaguy