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Spa Chemical Challenged!


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:unsure: Hello...I am just new to the forum and very grateful I found the site. My issues are this;

I have no idea how to maintain my hot tub!!! It was my husbands prior. It had been in dis-repair and after a few broken nail, a heating coil, blower, etc. I filled it with water and now what? I have been using the strips to test the water, however it gets a very intense odor that burns you lungs after some time. I would greatly appreciate it if some one would not mind giving me some guidance on what to do; step by step maintenance. I have asked several spa dealers in the area and to no avail they try and sell me hundreds of dollars worth of unnecessary products. Also, I would very much so like some information on the alternatives for chemical uses such as the baking soda method. I am not sure if it is of great importance or not as to the climate you live in or rather the tub is outdoors or not. I live in Colorado and the tub sits in a Gazebo. When I lived in Arizona and had a pool, it seemed easier to use a testing kit for the water.

:wacko: Your help is very greatly appreciated!!!

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:unsure: Hello...I am just new to the forum and very grateful I found the site. My issues are this;

I have no idea how to maintain my hot tub!!! It was my husbands prior. It had been in dis-repair and after a few broken nail, a heating coil, blower, etc. I filled it with water and now what? I have been using the strips to test the water, however it gets a very intense odor that burns you lungs after some time. I would greatly appreciate it if some one would not mind giving me some guidance on what to do; step by step maintenance. I have asked several spa dealers in the area and to no avail they try and sell me hundreds of dollars worth of unnecessary products. Also, I would very much so like some information on the alternatives for chemical uses such as the baking soda method. I am not sure if it is of great importance or not as to the climate you live in or rather the tub is outdoors or not. I live in Colorado and the tub sits in a Gazebo. When I lived in Arizona and had a pool, it seemed easier to use a testing kit for the water.

:wacko: Your help is very greatly appreciated!!!

A question, are you using chlorine, bromine, or biguanide as a sanitizer? These are the only three EPA approved sanitizers.

Get a good test kit for testing your water, that is the first step. Strips just won't do the job! If you are using chlorine you want to get a Taylor K-2006. If you are using bromine you want a Taylor K-2106.

There are no alternatives to chemicals. Baking soda is used to increase the total alkalinity of your water (one of the water parameters that needs to be monitored and adjusted from time to time). Baking soda is just the commom name for sodium bicarbonate, which is sold by pool and spa supply stores and dealers as "total alkalinity increaser" for a high price. It's just baking soday. Perhaps you are referring to what is sometimes callled the BBB method (bleach, borax and baking soda). Bleach is sodium hypochlorite. Same thing as liquid chlorine but about half the strength. It is one of the possible choices to use as a chlorine source if you are using chlorine. If you are using bromine it is an excellent choice for a shock. Borax is used to increase pH without increasing total alkalinity (The chemical usually sold for increasing pH is sodium carbonate (aka washing soda, sal soda, or soda ash) It will increase pH but it also increases total alkalinity, which is not always what is needed.

If you are going to use chlorine you need a chlorine source such as bleach, liquid chlorine, or dichlor. The first two are unstabilized chlorine and that actually has advanteages in hot tubs but you migh need to add a very small amount of stabilizer (cyanuric acid) to the water if the tub is exposed to sunlight. Dichlor is stabilized chlorine but it causes stabilizer levels to keep rising and that causes the chlorine to become a less effective santizer when the stabilizer level gets too high. This could allow the bacteria that causes "hot tub itch" to grow in your water. However, if there is no stabilizer in the water at all it's hard to keep a free chlorine level, especially if the tub is exposed to sunlight.

If you are using bromine you need sodium bromide, bromine tablets in a floater (optional), and an oxidizer to convert the sodium bromide into active bromine sanitizer. The most commom oxidizers are bleach, liquid chlorine, dichlor, and MPS (postasium monopersulfate or non chlorine shock). My preference is for bleach.

In either case you will need baking soda to raise the total alkalinity when it is too low, dry acid (sodium bisulfate which is usually called pH decreaser or pH down or pH minus or a similar name) to lower the pH when it is too high, Borax (from the laundry aisle of the grocery store) to raise pH when it is too low. This is also sold in pool and spa supply stores as a "water enhancers and agae preventative" when used in a 30-50 ppm concentration for a lot of money! I would recommend staying away from the pH increasers that are usually sold. They are sodium carbonate (see above). They will raise your pH AND your total alkalinity together and often your pH is the only thing that needs to be adjusted!

Finally, you might need calcium chloride to increase the hardness of your water if your calcium level is below about 125 ppm for acryic spas, 150 ppm for fiberglass, or 200 ppm for plaster.

I know it sounds confusing but it really isn't. The first step is to decide if you are going to use chlorine or bromine. Chlorine is a bit simpler but requires daily checks. Bromine is a bit less maintenance once you get it adjusted but bromine is a known sensitizer that some people are allergic to and it has a decided chemical smell.

I do not recommend biguanide (SoftSoak, Revacil, BaquaSpa, etc.). It is very expensive and has more disadvantages than advantages IMHO. It will attack certain plastics that are used in spas and it has a tendancy to develop algae, white water mold, and pink slime. It will also require more frequent filter cleanings and replacement! It's main advantage is for people who have a true chemical sensitivity to both bromine and chlorine.

These are the only three EPA aproved sanitizers. All other products (ozone, ionizers and other copper/silver systems, UV, enzymes, etc. are supplimentary sanitizers that must be used in conjuction with (usually) chlorine for properly sanitized water. They are NOT stand alone systems.

Hope this is helpful. If you read through the forum you will find a lot of information on the proper use of chlorine, bromine and biguanide.

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  • 7 months later...
:unsure: Hello...I am just new to the forum and very grateful I found the site. My issues are this;

I have no idea how to maintain my hot tub!!! It was my husbands prior. It had been in dis-repair and after a few broken nail, a heating coil, blower, etc. I filled it with water and now what? I have been using the strips to test the water, however it gets a very intense odor that burns you lungs after some time. I would greatly appreciate it if some one would not mind giving me some guidance on what to do; step by step maintenance. I have asked several spa dealers in the area and to no avail they try and sell me hundreds of dollars worth of unnecessary products. Also, I would very much so like some information on the alternatives for chemical uses such as the baking soda method. I am not sure if it is of great importance or not as to the climate you live in or rather the tub is outdoors or not. I live in Colorado and the tub sits in a Gazebo. When I lived in Arizona and had a pool, it seemed easier to use a testing kit for the water.

:wacko: Your help is very greatly appreciated!!!

A question, are you using chlorine, bromine, or biguanide as a sanitizer? These are the only three EPA approved sanitizers.

Get a good test kit for testing your water, that is the first step. Strips just won't do the job! If you are using chlorine you want to get a Taylor K-2006. If you are using bromine you want a Taylor K-2106.

There are no alternatives to chemicals. Baking soda is used to increase the total alkalinity of your water (one of the water parameters that needs to be monitored and adjusted from time to time). Baking soda is just the commom name for sodium bicarbonate, which is sold by pool and spa supply stores and dealers as "total alkalinity increaser" for a high price. It's just baking soday. Perhaps you are referring to what is sometimes callled the BBB method (bleach, borax and baking soda). Bleach is sodium hypochlorite. Same thing as liquid chlorine but about half the strength. It is one of the possible choices to use as a chlorine source if you are using chlorine. If you are using bromine it is an excellent choice for a shock. Borax is used to increase pH without increasing total alkalinity (The chemical usually sold for increasing pH is sodium carbonate (aka washing soda, sal soda, or soda ash) It will increase pH but it also increases total alkalinity, which is not always what is needed.

If you are going to use chlorine you need a chlorine source such as bleach, liquid chlorine, or dichlor. The first two are unstabilized chlorine and that actually has advanteages in hot tubs but you migh need to add a very small amount of stabilizer (cyanuric acid) to the water if the tub is exposed to sunlight. Dichlor is stabilized chlorine but it causes stabilizer levels to keep rising and that causes the chlorine to become a less effective santizer when the stabilizer level gets too high. This could allow the bacteria that causes "hot tub itch" to grow in your water. However, if there is no stabilizer in the water at all it's hard to keep a free chlorine level, especially if the tub is exposed to sunlight.

If you are using bromine you need sodium bromide, bromine tablets in a floater (optional), and an oxidizer to convert the sodium bromide into active bromine sanitizer. The most commom oxidizers are bleach, liquid chlorine, dichlor, and MPS (postasium monopersulfate or non chlorine shock). My preference is for bleach.

In either case you will need baking soda to raise the total alkalinity when it is too low, dry acid (sodium bisulfate which is usually called pH decreaser or pH down or pH minus or a similar name) to lower the pH when it is too high, Borax (from the laundry aisle of the grocery store) to raise pH when it is too low. This is also sold in pool and spa supply stores as a "water enhancers and agae preventative" when used in a 30-50 ppm concentration for a lot of money! I would recommend staying away from the pH increasers that are usually sold. They are sodium carbonate (see above). They will raise your pH AND your total alkalinity together and often your pH is the only thing that needs to be adjusted!

Finally, you might need calcium chloride to increase the hardness of your water if your calcium level is below about 125 ppm for acryic spas, 150 ppm for fiberglass, or 200 ppm for plaster.

I know it sounds confusing but it really isn't. The first step is to decide if you are going to use chlorine or bromine. Chlorine is a bit simpler but requires daily checks. Bromine is a bit less maintenance once you get it adjusted but bromine is a known sensitizer that some people are allergic to and it has a decided chemical smell.

I do not recommend biguanide (SoftSoak, Revacil, BaquaSpa, etc.). It is very expensive and has more disadvantages than advantages IMHO. It will attack certain plastics that are used in spas and it has a tendancy to develop algae, white water mold, and pink slime. It will also require more frequent filter cleanings and replacement! It's main advantage is for people who have a true chemical sensitivity to both bromine and chlorine.

These are the only three EPA aproved sanitizers. All other products (ozone, ionizers and other copper/silver systems, UV, enzymes, etc. are supplimentary sanitizers that must be used in conjuction with (usually) chlorine for properly sanitized water. They are NOT stand alone systems.

Hope this is helpful. If you read through the forum you will find a lot of information on the proper use of chlorine, bromine and biguanide.

Where do I obtain the dry acid (sodium bisulfate) you mention? I got Ph decreaser from the spa store but is there a less expensive source? Also, I am using Chlorine, baking soda and/or Borax, Ph decreaser and MPS. It seems like you are saying here that I don't really need the MPS. Is that true? My interest is not getting overcharged at the spa store but also, I want the least possible chemical smell to my spa possible.

thanks, zoetman

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