Chlorine and other chemicals for a hot tub

Kaskade

Just wondering if anybody knows what I should put into an outdoor hot tub in terms of chlorine, ph increasers/decreasers, anti-foamers etc. I have no idea what needs to be do so any advice is welcome. Any suggestions on the best place to buy (best prices) would also be very much appreciated.

dfbemt

Lifted from another www and used on my tub - sorry, can't remember the www. Hope it helps in some way.....


spa Care FOR DUMMIES

Source Water
Before filling you tub with water you should have an understanding of what type of water you are using to fill your tub. Well water tends to be very hard, therefore, if you have a water softener you may want to fill the tub half with softened water and half with regular well water. If you do not have a water softener you should use a product called SPA Safe, which softens the water as you fill you hot tub.
All hot tub owners should use STAIN PREVENT on a weekly basis to help prevent scaling on all hot tub parts and the heater element.
Soft water is also very hard on hot tub parts and may cause the exterior shell of the hot tub to flake or peel. Soft water may also eat away at the heater element in your tub. To increase the hardness of your hot tub water you should use SPA CONTROL.

Chemical Measurement Tip: 1 teaspoon = 10 grams

Sanitizing Your Tub
There are two chemicals you may use to sanitize you hot tub - bromine and chlorine. We recommend using bromine because it is easier on both skin and your hot tub parts, however some people are allergic to it.
With bromine we recommend using the small tabs in a floating bromine dispenser and shocking your tub with either Easy Brome or Spa Swat once or twice per week, depending on the amount of usage. With everyday usage, the tub should be shocked twice per week. Easy Brome is also a great product to put in your hot tub on the initial fill-up to immediately establish a bromine bank. One hundred grams is usually sufficient to establish this bank.

*When changing from Bromine to Chlorine the tub must be emptied and refilled.
Water Testing
As part of your initial start-up chemical kit you should have received a package of test strips. These strips have easy to follow instructions and should be used at least once per week to test your water balance.
On initial fill-up, every six weeks or when you are having problems with your water, you should bring a sample of your water into Water World in a proper water sample bottle, which you should have received as part of your start up kit. Our trained staff can perform more accurate testing than the strips and can also detail an accurate measure of chemicals required to balance the water. Our staff have been trained to help diagnose and treat problems with your water.
Remember to keep all copies water tests completed professionally. You may require them for warranty purposes should something go wrong with your tub. We do keep customer history in our computer system, but we all know how computers can fail at the least opportune time!
Filter Cleaning
Your filter should be cleaned at least every six to eight weeks using the appropriate filter cleaner. We recommend having a spare filter so that the filter being cleaned can completely dry before placed in use again.
Your filter needs replacing when it appears fuzzy; water does not drain through when poured over; or it is falling apart.
Emptying the Tub
The tub should be emptied every 4 to 6 months depending on usage. If you are not sure whether or not you should empty your tub, you can bring your water in for a test at Water World where we will test for the "Total Dissolved Solids" in your water. If we get a high reading, the water should be emptied. We also recommend that before emptying your tub you use WHIRL O CLEAN. This product cleans slime and guck out of your pipes and is discarded when the tub is emptied.
Cleaning Your Tub
Do not use household cleansers to clean your tub. They will cause the hot tub to foam and may throw your water balance off. ACRILYK is the hot tub safe cleaner to use for cleaning and disinfecting your hot tub. You may also use warm water.
Rashes
There could be a number of contributing factors should you develop a rash after using your tub. The most common factor is that you haven't been shocking your water on a regular basis. Even if you have a high bromine reading you have to shock regularly.
Another factor which could contribute to rashes is the use of fragrances in the water, especially those which not been designed for hot tub use. Be sure to read all labels before using such fragrances and if it does not specify hot tub use DO NOT USE IT!
As mentioned earlier, some people are allergic to bromine. If this is the case then the tub will have to be converted over to chlorine as a sanitizer. The same methods apply as with bromine in that chlorine tabs are added to the water and the water is shocked on a regular basis. You will require different test strips to read chlorine. Be sure to specify when having your water tested that you use chlorine to sanitize your tub. Before changing over to chorine you tub must be emptied.

Energy Efficiency Tips:

• Turn down the thermostat when you're on vacation- If you are leaving for an extended period of time or won't use the hot tub for a week or more turn the heat down or off, If you have an older, non-energy efficient hot tub, consider draining it if you will be gone during winter months. Such tubs can freeze which causes a great deal of damage to the equipment. Energy efficient hot tubs can maintain non-freezing temperatures for weeks with appropriate covers.
• Reduce pumping cycles- Normally filtration cycles for single and two speed pumps are set for four hours, twice a day. You may be able to reduce the filtration cycles to three hours, twice a day - during off-peak hours. This adjustment should be based on your usage pattern, so you can maintain clear, clean and safe water. If your hot tub has a low-wattage, continuous circulation pump — leave it alone, it's designed to run all the time.
• Create windbreaks around the hot tub; cutting wind exposure can reduce heat loss. Privacy panels, landscaping, or fencing can all be effective windbreaks.
• Buy only energy efficient spas and hot tubs. Today significant improvements in the construction, controls, and equipment (such as using preheated air for jets and low wattage pumps and lights) make hot tubs more energy-efficient than 5 or 10 years ago. When possible replace your hot tub with a newer, energy efficient model. An average sized energy efficient hot tub consumes 5-7 kWh per day, while a poorly insulated, inefficient hot tub may use 12-18 kWh per day.

hamim16

Cleaning the filter on a regular basis should be a standard part of maintaining your spa. Depending on how often you use your hot tub, the filter should be cleaned.Rinse the spa filter cartridge every two weeks on average.Every three months and every time you change the water in the spa, soak the filter cartridge overnight in a filter-cleaning compound that does not foam. Then rinse it, and allow it to dry before placing it back on the hot tub.Do not use household cleaners and laundry detergents to clean your spa filters. They can create foaming problems in the hot tub.

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Spa Filter