Full Product Manual

20
Maintaining Spa Water Quality
Testing and
Adjusting Water
As the owner of a spa, it is important that you main-
tain your spa water and keep your spa equipment in
excellent condition. To do so, you must first balance
your spa water.
Chemical Balance
You will need to test and adjust the chemical bal-
ance of your spa water. Although this is not difficult,
it needs to be done regularly.
There are 2 types of testing methods:
• The reagent test kit is a method which provides a
high level of accuracy. It is available in either liquid
or tablet form.
• Test strips are a convenient testing method com-
monly used by spa owners.
Balancing the Total Alkalinity
Total alkalinity (TA) is the measure of the total
levels of carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides, and
other alkaline substances in the water. TA can be
considered a pH buffer. It is the measure of the
ability of the water to resist changes in pH level.
The recommended total alkalinity is
80 - 120 ppm.
If the TA is too low, the pH level will fluctuate
widely from high to low. Low TA can be corrected
by adding alkalinity increaser.
If the TA is too high, the pH level will tend to be
too high and may be difficult to bring down. High TA
can be corrected by adding pH decreaser.
When the TA is balanced, it normally remains
stable, although adding water with high or low
alkalinity will raise or lower the TA level.
Balancing the Calcium Hardness
Calcium hardness (CH) is a measure of the total
amount of dissolved calcium in the water. Calcium
helps control the corrosive nature of the spa’s
water and is why soft water is not recommended.
The low calcium content of soft water is very cor-
rosive to the equipment and can cause staining of
the spa shell.
The recommended calcium hardness is
150 - 200 ppm.
If the CH is too low, add liquid hardness increaser.
If the CH is too high, dilute the spa water with soft
water or, if this is not available, add stain and scale
defense.
When the CH is balanced, it normally remains sta-
ble, although adding soft water or very hard water
will raise or lower the CH level.
Balancing the pH
The pH level is the measure of the balance between
acidity and alkalinity.
The recommended pH is 7.2 - 7.6.
If the pH is too low, it can cause corrosion of metal
fixtures and the heating element.
If the pH is too high, it can cause scaling by allowing
metals or minerals to form deposits and stain spa
surfaces.
Ozone
Ozone is a natural purifier. Chemically known as
O3, it is produced from simple oxygen molecules in
our atmosphere. Ozone is produced in nature from
lightning during electrical storms and from ultravio-
let rays from the sun. It forms our protective ozone
layer. Your spa’s ozone generator is designed to du-
plicate this natural sanitizer. Ozone breaks down
and oxidizes oils, suntan lotions, sweat, urea, etc.
from spa water more effectively than commercial
Too alkaline,
causes scaling
8.2
8.0
7.8
Ideal balance
7.6
7.4
7.2
Too acidic,
causes corrosion.
7.0
6.8
6.6
Decrease the
pH level.
Increase the
pH level.