Brand New Spa Owner

[kjm]

Hello all, I am writing to you as a new spa buyer. Let me go on the record right now and admit I am clueless as to how to balance the water, test, etc. I am even going to have to figure out how to turn the lights on in it! So I'll save us all the trouble and say what we all know - I'm an idiot. Hopefully with some help, the posters here can help educate me and turn me into a professional hot-tubber.

I am several weeks away from receiving the tub, and probably sometime in April from actually being able to take my first soak. I am installing it in our new home we are in the process of building. I have purchased an infinity tub (essential spas neptune) from ebay - wholesale recreation. After doing a lot of reading and looking and sitting in hot tubs I made the decision to purchase sight unseen and I'm aware of the risks. Let's just say I believe I will purchase another tub in the future, and I expect to learn a lot from the ownership of this one. I'll wind up with about 4k with everything delivered and hooked up. My rationale here is that if I get 5 good years out of it, that is 800 a year and that is a price I'll pay even if it isn't "perfect" or if it starts to break at the end of the prorated warranty. I would rather do this, then 5-6 years from now when I have broken 40 years old and really know what I'm doing( ) I can buy a big time tub (Hotsprings and Bullfrog are 2 I really like, but out of my price range right now). Makes sense in my mind anyway. Who knows? I may get many more bonus years out of it and buy another just like it down the road.

The spa will be outside on a concrete slab (patio), and I will most likely have a gazebo type structure over it.

I have been reading the posts on testing and chemicals, etc. and I have a couple of questions:

1. Should I try to use the Salt Ozone combo? The best I can tell from all of the reading I've done is that just an ozonater combined with Chlorine treaments and a willingness to diligently maintain is the best route. I'm a bit worried about something that generates salt in the same enclosed box as my heater and pumps.

2. Is there a post anywhere on this site (I've looked, maybe I am looking in the wrong place) that is a "How to maintain the chemicals in your spa for dummies"?

If there is an interest, I would be happy to create a post with pictures as we go along showing the construction of the spa area from the slab stage (very soon) all the way to the finished product - lights on and soak-ready.

Thanks to all, I am glad I found a site with so many knowledgeable people.

Kevin

[cplarsen]

Go here and read the info and troubleshooting section.

http://www.rhtubs.com/

If you're having real problems, go to this section of the forum

http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?showforum=13

As for the rest, I'd just go with chlorine. You can skip all the fancy stuff like ozone, salt water systems, silver tabs, etc. if you wish. They're really not required.

Hot Tubbing for Dummies

Have dealer test water, use test strips, or get a Taylor test kit.

Then, some Metal Gone in the tub if needed, let it sit overnight, then get start getting the PH and Alkalinity to their correct levels with whichever chemical is required.

Next,

1 tbsp of dichlor (dry chlorine) a day.

3 tbsp of MPS once a week.

There, you just got 99% of it.

You will need to check chlorine levels occasionally, depending on usage, to figure out the correct amount for your water situation. You want to aim for 4 ppm about 15 minutes after putting in the chlorine. I throw it in after using the tub, it's pretty much all burned off by the next night. No chemical smell that way.

Then dump the water every 4 months and start over.