JB7181 Posted September 9, 2021 Report Share Posted September 9, 2021 I'm new here and we just got a Bullfrog X8 486 gallons and I have been doing a lot of reading on the 3-step bromine method. We use a bromine floater and use soda ash for Ph up and sodium bisulfate for Ph decreaser. Also, I use ProTeam Spa Metal Magic because we have very hard water. I use the Taylor K-2106 test kit. Every morning I test and my numbers are below. and are steady. I shock it every Saturday morning. My question is the guy at the pool store told me that I need to add 2oz of MPS shock or 2oz of dichlor shock every time we use the hot tub. Do I need to add shock after each time we use it even if it shows 6ppm every morning? Usually, it's just me for 30 minutes to a few hours but sometimes my wife and 2 kids join me. pH: 7.4 TA: 120 Br: 6.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterbear Posted September 11, 2021 Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 On 9/8/2021 at 10:17 PM, JB7181 said: Do I need to add shock after each time we use it even if it shows 6ppm every morning? in a word, NO. However, your TA is on the high side for a spa, If you find that your pH is constantly rising and you have to add acid frequently then: DO NOT use soda ash to raise pH, Uncover and aerate the spa (jets and air injectors on full) to cause CO2 to gas off, which will cause pH to rise. IF you need to QUICKLY raise pH because of an overdose of acid and the pH in the spa is below 7.0 then use Borax (sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, 20 Mule Borax in the laundry aisle of the grocery store) at twice the dos of soda ash for the same pH rise. It will have minimal impact on your TA. Use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) for raising TA if needed. Don't try to keep you pH at 7.4. Shoot for 7.6 to 7.8. Lower it when it hits 8.0. What is your CH? Here are some posts for you to read that explain the relationship between pH and TA and how to lower your TA properly: https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52522-some-truths-about-ph-and-ta/ https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/28846-lowering-total-alkalinity-howto/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB7181 Posted September 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 4 hours ago, waterbear said: in a word, NO. However, your TA is on the high side for a spa, If you find that your pH is constantly rising and you have to add acid frequently then: DO NOT use soda ash to raise pH, Uncover and aerate the spa (jets and air injectors on full) to cause CO2 to gas off, which will cause pH to rise. IF you need to QUICKLY raise pH because of an overdose of acid and the pH in the spa is below 7.0 then use Borax (sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, 20 Mule Borax in the laundry aisle of the grocery store) at twice the dos of soda ash for the same pH rise. It will have minimal impact on your TA. Use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) for raising TA if needed. Don't try to keep you pH at 7.4. Shoot for 7.6 to 7.8. Lower it when it hits 8.0. What is your CH? Here are some posts for you to read that explain the relationship between pH and TA and how to lower your TA properly: https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52522-some-truths-about-ph-and-ta/ https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/28846-lowering-total-alkalinity-howto/ Thank you for the information. I just tested the water since I haven't used it the past 2 nights. I have tried to uncover and aerate the hot tub to get the pH to rise but after about 2 hours the pH doesn't move. I will read the links that you provided. pH: 7.2 Br: 6 TA: 110 CH: 190 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterbear Posted September 12, 2021 Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 the process is slow at first when the TA is high and needs to be repeated since the TA will not move downward at first. However, once the TA starts going down the process speeds up. I would suggest aerating overnight at the start of the process, which can take a few days. If you are not planning on using the tub you can turn the heat down during the process but the tub is fully usable during this process as long as you don't accidentally drop the pH below 7.0 and wait about 30 minutes after adding acid with circulation on before entering the tub. 15 hours ago, JB7181 said: I will read the links that you provided This should have been your first step since they explain what you are trying to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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