Owner Manual

14
Specialty chemicals address occasional water problems and help to maintain clean, clear water when a spa is heavily used.
Whether you will or should use these chemicals will be based on the quality of your source water and how frequently your spa is
used. Following is a summary of the most common specialty chemicals and when they should be used.
1. Metal removers and stain preventers – Many people have a well as their source water and quite often, this water contains
dissolved metals such as iron and/or copper. If your water is in this category, you should use metal-treatment and stain-
prevention chemicals in your spa. These chemicals will bind with the metals in your water, preventing them from precipitating
from the water and causing stains.
2. Enzymes – Bathers introduce oils and greases into spa water; those normally originate from natural body oils, perspiration,
artificial body oils such as moisturizers, cosmetics and other complex bather wastes. When excessive, they can cause scum
lines and foul up filter cartridges. To help prevent build up of these oils and greases, you can add enzymes to your spa water.
Enzymes help to break down oils and greases into smaller fragments so that they can be destroyed and removed through
shock treatment with a non-chlorine oxidizer. If you experience visible oil and grease conditions on the water’s surface and/or
a continuous scum line, it is recommended to add enzymes on a regular basis.
3. Clariers – When a spa is heavily used, there can be a build up of microparticles in the water that are too tiny to get trapped
by the filter. The water becomes cloudy. These negatively charged particles repel each other and as such they cannot bind
together and be properly filtered. Clarifiers are positive ions that neutralize the negative charge of the microparticles which
allows them to clump together into bigger particles that can be filtered out of the water. If your spa water is properly balanced
and your spa filter is functioning properly, but you still have a cloudiness problem, you should add clarifier to your water.
4. Defoamers – Occasionnally, foam may form on the surface of your spa water for various reasons: low calcium hardness, bather
wastes, improperly rinsed filters, soap from bathing suits, etc. If persistent, check the water’s calcium level and adjust if needed.
Also, ensure that filters and bathing suits are well rinsed. A defoamer is a temporary fix and will not remove the source of the
problem. Add 5 to 10 drops at a time.
SPECIALTY CHEMICALS