Water Chemistry

Introduction to Water Chemistry

Water chemistry is arguably the most important practise to get right after getting your hot tub/swim spa. Spas that are well looked after will have a much longer life cycle on its parts and accessories such as the head pillows and jets/pipes. You can encounter various problems having a pH either too high or too low; some common ones being:

Common low pH level problems:

– Corrosion of hot tub/spa components – Eyes and skin may become irritated Common high pH level problems: – Scale build up around the spa, can cause jets to malfunction – Cloudy water in the spa – Eyes and skin may become irritated (This is a guide to accompany you when performing your maintenance – Please follow the instructions on your chemical bottles to ensure that the correct measurements are taken.) Common Questions & Answers What pH do I need to have? – It is very important to keep the pH between 7.4 & 7.6 as this is the optimum range for the sanitisers to work at their best. How do I check my pH level? – To test your pH level, simply dip one of the test strips (or tablets in the box tester) we’ve provided you with into your spa for a few seconds, then compare the colour on the strip to the chart on the site of the test strip tube. What if my pH is wrong? – If the pH reading is below 7.4 the pH needs to be raised by adding pH Plus (Alkali) – Add your pH Plus then check pH again 4 hours later. From the colour of the reading you can assess if any more will be required. – If the pH is above 7.8 the pH needs to be lowered by adding pH Minus (dry acid) – Add your pH Minus swim spa then check pH again 4 hours later, check colour of strip reading again and assess. (Make sure to read your chemical bottles to get accurate measurements of how much pH Plus/Minus to add based on the size of your spa.) Mineral Testing We tend to not use chlorine for a number of reasons, such as the constant smell it gives off and the fact that chlorine in water will open your pores, strip the natural oils from the skin and cause it to be dry, itchy, and irritated. It can also have the same impact on your hair while causing split ends and weakening your hair strands. To test our minerals, we must make sure that our pH levels are correctly balanced, meaning that we will be testing our mineral/copper levels AFTER checking our pH levels. If the pH is not in the correct range, the copper/mineral readings will be incorrect. How Do I Test the Minerals? Check the copper levels by using a copper dipstick or copper tablet in the Blue test kit. – The desired level is 0.7 If the reading is 0.7 or above no action is required. – If the reading is below 0.7 please add in 10ml intervals checking daily until the correct level is reached (Make sure to read your chemical bottles to get accurate measurements of how much pH Plus/Minus to add based on the size of your spa.) Non-Chlorine Shock The main use of non-chlorine shock is to oxidise the water and help remove contaminants and clear cloudy water It should be used when bathing has ceased, bathing can resume 15 minutes after application. The dose rate is 200 grams to 10,000 litres of pool water. Dose into the pool where there is good water movement or evenly over the surface of the water. Dose once a week when the pool is in use or once every four weeks when the pool is not in use.