Note: This Balance Guide is for spas not using Minerals or Ozone systems

Maintaining Water Balance

pH is the abbreviation for "potential hydrogen" and the reading indicates the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. Basically, it is the measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) the water is.

Total alkalinity is the measure of how stable the pH is. It measures the pool water's buffering capacity to resist pH changes. Without control of the total alkalinity, the pH will rise and fall abruptly.

Everything that enters your spa has a pH that can raise or lower the total pH of the spa. The following is a list of possible culprits that could be giving you a difficult time in maintaining pH between the desired range of 7.2 and 7.8.

• Tap water, depending on the area of the country, can either have a low or high pH

• Overestimating the amount of pH Decreaser or pH Increaser needed is often the problem

• Using bromine tends to lower pH over time, while using shocks like Calcium Hypochlorite for Lithium Hypochlorite may raise the pH over time.

• High bather loads will tend to lower pH.

• Swimmer wastes, such as perspiration, urine, saliva and other body oils will also lower pH.

• A high alkalinity reading will raise the pH.

• Dirt, debris or leaves that blow into the pool as well as rain that is often acidic will lower pH

Calcium Hardness (or Total Hardness), as the name implies, refers to the hardness of the water, measuring the amount of mainly calcium and also other minerals. Swimming pools require hard water - defined as water with more than 100 ppm of hardness ions.

Like pH and alkalinity, calcium hardness affects the tendency of pool water to be corrosive when it is low and scale forming when it is high. Generally, calcium hardness levels should be kept between 150 and 400 ppm.

Chemical use with either bromine or chlorine is nearly reduced by 50% when using a nature2 mineral stick or ozone generator alone and up to 85% (depending on bather load) when both used in conjunction with each other. Therefore your chlorine or bromine residual will be less as shown below.

• With chlorine you should maintain a residual of .5-1 ppm when using it with minerals and or ozonator.

• With bromine you should maintain a residual of 1-2 ppm when using it with minerals and or ozonator.

Our Spas are compatible with either bromine or chlorine. Bromine is:

• Slower Dissolving

• Less Odor than Chlorine

• Less Corrosive

• Bonds with Ozone Better

Bromine is recommended for a more constant user that uses their spa one or more times a day. Chlorine is recommended for the more casual or speratic user because bromine is always being released while the spa is not being used. The end result, too much bromine will be dispensed into the spa corroding the spa.

Therefore chlorine and shock or Spa Shock Xtra is effective and safe for the more casual or speratic user. Chlorine:

• Dissolves Faster

• Exits Fast Due to It's Short Residual in the Spa

• Needed Only When Necessary

Chlorine and bromine both regenerate themselves when shocking your spa.

• Shock the spa with a chlorine or non-chlorine shock once a week or if the water looks hazy.

• Drain and refill the spa every six months, we recommend replacing your spa mineral product every four to six months.

• When you drain your spa check your filter. Clean or replace filter cartridge when dirty.

Other Maintenance Tips

• Strong, smelly chlorine odor means you have chloramines, organic by products of chlorine oxidizing sweat, urine and other contaminants. Shock the spa to remove chloramines.

• Filters and circulation issues can lead to several water chemistry issues such as cloudy or hazy water. Make sure your pump run time meets the spa manufacturer's requirements and your filter is clean and in good working condition.

• If your water looks hazy or cloudy, it is full of various particles that clarifiers bind together so they are large enough to be removed by your filter. Shocking the spa can also take care of this process.

• Water supplies contain different levels of natural minerals like iron, copper or magnesium. These minerals must be removed from the water with a Metal Out or Sequestering Agent (see your dealer) to ensure easier balancing and proper sanitation.

An air-lock is one of our biggest issues with service calls because they are easy to avoid and not cover under any manufacture warranty and are subject to a service fee. So my goal is to take the service out of it, and show you how to solve an air-lock at home. (An Instructional Video is Coming Soon!)

• Spa Essentials Refrence Card

• Spa Essentials Spa Care Guide

• Spa Essentials DVD

• 2x Surface Wipes for clean of all spa surfaces.

• 10x Test strips to measure water balance.

• Measuring Spoon

• 2lbs bottle of Spa Shock Xtra this is your Shock Oxidizer and Chorine in one Bottle.

• 1 pint of Water Clarifier, makes cloudy water sparkling clear again.

• 14oz bottle of Calcium Hardness Increaser raises total hardness of water.

• 1 pint bottle of Stain & Scale Control lowers total hardness of water.

• 1 pint bottle of Defoamer, quickly eliminates foam in spa.

• 1lbs 6oz bottle of pH Decreaser, lowers pH and alkalinity in spa.

* The Kit does not come with pH Increaser. Baking Soda is the best substitute if it's needed right away.