For regular use, we recommended to test your hot tub water once per week, and especially before and after heavy use. This helps you monitor key levels and make necessary adjustments to keep the water balanced and sanitized.

We also recommend bringing a sample of your hot tub water to our showroom for professional testing. We'll use our SpinLab to get exact measurements and provide a printout detailing the precise amounts of each balancing product to add.

There are four primary chemical parameters you need to keep in check:

1. Sanitizer (Chlorine or Bromine): This is crucial for killing bacteria and other microorganisms.
   

   • Chlorine: Ideal range is usually 1-3 ppm (parts per million).

   • Bromine: Ideal range is usually 3-5 ppm.

   • Important: Never mix chlorine and bromine products directly! Choose one sanitization method and stick with it.

1. pH: Measures how acidic or alkaline your water is.
   

   • Ideal range: 7.2 - 7.8.

   • Low pH can cause eye and skin irritation, and corrode equipment.

   • High pH can lead to cloudy water, scale formation, and reduced sanitizer effectiveness.

1. Total Alkalinity (TA): Acts as a buffer to prevent rapid fluctuations in pH.
   

   • Ideal range: 80-120 ppm (some sources suggest up to 150 ppm).

   • Balance TA before adjusting pH, as it will help stabilize your pH.

1. Calcium Hardness (CH): Measures the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium.
   

   • Ideal range: 150-250 ppm.

   • Low calcium can make water corrosive, leading to equipment damage.

   • High calcium can lead to scale buildup on surfaces and equipment.

Cloudy water is a common issue and can be caused by several factors:

• Low Sanitizer Levels: The most frequent cause. Not enough chlorine or bromine means bacteria and organic matter are building up.

• Unbalanced pH/Alkalinity: Levels that are too high or too low can reduce sanitizer effectiveness and cause cloudiness.

• Dirty/Clogged Filters: Your filters trap particles. If they're dirty, they can't do their job effectively.

• High Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): Over time, chemicals, body oils, and other contaminants build up in the water, making it "saturated" and harder to keep clean.

• Body Oils, Lotions, Soaps: These can introduce contaminants that overwhelm your sanitizer and filtration.

Solutions for Cloudy Water:

1. Test and Balance Chemicals: Start by testing your water and adjusting pH, alkalinity, and then sanitizer levels.

1. Shock the Water: Add a "shock" treatment (oxidizer) to break down organic contaminants and revitalize your sanitizer. Follow product instructions for dosage and waiting time.

1. Clean Filters Thoroughly: Remove your filters and rinse them with a hose. For a deeper clean, soak them in a specialized filter cleaner.

1. Run Jets/Circulation: Ensure your hot tub's jets and filtration system run for several hours to circulate chemicals and filter out particles.

2. Drain and Refill (if necessary): If the water is old (3-4 months), has very high TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), or you can't clear the cloudiness, it's often best to drain, clean, and refill your hot tub.

Foamy water is typically caused by:

• Organic Contaminants: Body oils, lotions, cosmetics, soaps, detergents from swimwear, and even pet dander can build up in the water.

• Low Calcium Hardness: Water that is too "soft" can sometimes contribute to foaming. Add "Protect" to increase your calcium hardness!

• High pH/Alkalinity: Imbalanced water chemistry can also play a role. Add "Relent" to decrease your alkalinity.

• Old Water: Similar to cloudy water, high TDS can lead to foaming. Time to drain & re-fill!

Solutions for Foamy Water:

1. Shock the Water: This helps break down organic contaminants.

2. Use a Defoamer: A temporary fix, but it can quickly reduce surface foam. Use sparingly. Shop "Foam Free"

3. Rinse Before Soaking: Encourage users to shower off before entering the hot tub to remove oils and lotions.

4. Clean/Replace Filters: Ensure your filters are clean and effectively removing contaminants. Shop Replacement Filter Cartridges Shop Filter Cleaner

5. Drain and Refill: If foaming is persistent, a drain and refill is often the best solution.

As a general guideline, you should drain and refill your hot tub water every 6 months (once on the fall and once in the spring), depending on usage. Before draining, consider using "Pipe Cleanse" to clean out the internal plumbing lines.

"Shocking" or "oxidizing" your hot tub means adding a concentrated dose of an oxidizer (like a non-chlorine shock or chlorine shock). This process:

• Breaks down organic contaminants (body oils, lotions, sweat) that your regular sanitizer might miss.

• Reactivates your existing sanitizer by breaking down "combined chlorine" (chloramines) which cause the strong "chlorine smell."

You should typically shock your hot tub once a week for average use, and more frequently after heavy use or if you notice water quality issues (cloudiness, odour).

This depends on the chemical:

• Regular Sanitizer (Chlorine/Bromine granules): Usually 20-30 minutes, or until levels are within range when re-tested.

• pH/Alkalinity Adjusters: 20-30 minutes, or until dissolved and circulated. Re-test before use.

• Shock Treatment: Generally 15-30 minutes for non-chlorine shock, and 4-12 hours for chlorine shock, or until chlorine levels drop to a safe bathing range (1-3 ppm). Always check product instructions.