Page 6
Getting Started
DO:
• Know which water treatment system you will be using and make sure
you have necessary chemicals available. Read all of the instructions
that come with the system.
• Have
FRESHWATER
5-way Test Strips Available.
• Have pH/Alkalinity Up & Down available.
• Know the "Hardness" of your water, contact your dealer to help you
with this information. See Water Quality and Maintenance for more
information.
IMPORTANT:
Watkins Manufacturing Corporation does not
recommend that the spa be filled with “softened” water, as this may
damage the spa’s equipment.
• Purchase the Clean Screen
™
pre-filter to remove unwanted
contaminants from the tap water. This is recommended, not required.
DON'T:
• Power up the spa until it has been filled with water!
Power to the
spa automatically activates critical components within the spa, such
as controls, heater, circulation pump, and other systems. If power
is supplied to these components prior to the spa being filled, the
components will be damaged, and this may result in a non-warranty
component failure.
• Fill the spa with hot water or cold water with cold water temperature
below 10º C (50º F)! Tripping of the high-limit thermostat may result
causing your spa to stop functioning.
DON'T:
• Use your spa after filling until all of the steps listed below START-UP
are completed!
• Add chlorine if treating your spa with polyhexamethylene biguanide
(Biguanide, PHMB, eg. BaquaSpa
®
) sanitizer.
START-UP
Your
HOT SPRING
spa has been thoroughly tested during the
manufacturing process to ensure reliability and long-term customer
satisfaction. A small amount of water may have remained in the
plumbing after testing and, as a result, may have spotted the spa shell
or the spa siding prior to delivery. Before filling the spa, wipe the spa
shell clean with a soft rag.
The following instructions must be read and followed exactly to ensure
a successful start-up or refill.
1. CLOSE DRAIN AND FILL THE SPA
with water through the
filter compartment. Your
HOT SPRING
spa water level should be
maintained just below the bottom of the pillow.
2. AFTER THE SPA HAS BEEN FILLED
with water and the
equipment compartment door is secured, power must be applied to
the spa.
3. TO CHECK THE OPERATION OF THE JET SYSTEM
and to
purge any remaining air from the heating system:
PULSE/
DL
, FLAIR
&
GLOW
Models:
• Push the JETS hard button.
• Push the JET MAX soft button to run pumps on high speed, run for
one minute. Press JETS OFF soft button to shut all the jets off.
BOLT
Model:
• Push the JETS Hard button to run the jet pump on high speed, run
for one minute. Press JETS OFF soft button to shut the JETS off.
GLEAM
Model:
• Push the JETS hard button.
• Push the JETS MAX soft button to turn on all the jets and run for
one minute. Press the soft button next to each Jet # to shut off the
jets.
Weak or surging jets are an indication of a low water level condition or
clogged filter cartridges
.
IMPORTANT:
Be sure the air Lever (see illustration in Spa Features
section) is open by turning clockwise until it stops. Combination jet
faces can be turned to completely shut off jet flow, these jets should
be open as well.
4. USING A TEST STRIP AND APPLICABLE CHEMICALS
,
adjust Total Alkalinity (TA) to 80 ppm, Calcium Hardness (CH) to
100 ppm (if using ACE system 50 ppm), then spa water pH to
between 7.2 and 7.8. These procedures are listed in the “Water
Quality and Maintenance” section.
IMPORTANT:
Always add spa water chemicals directly into the
filter compartment with the jet pump on high speed for at least
ten minutes. Adjusting the Total Alkalinity (TA) as the first step is
important, as out-of-balance TA will affect your ability to adjust the
pH correctly and will prevent the sanitizer from operating effectively.
SUPERCHLORINATE THE SPA WATER
by adding 1½
teaspoons of chlorine (sodium dichlor) per 950 liters (250 gallons) of
spa water with the spa in the Cleaning mode.
All
HOT SPRING
spas are equipped with a Cleaning mode. When
the mode is activated, the jet pump in the first jet system will turn on
and run for ten minutes (used for water maintenance). To activate
the Cleaning mode, press the CLEAN soft button (on home screen)
to turn on the jet pump.
5. DURING THE SUPER-CHLORINATION PERIOD
, rotate the
DIVERTER
lever(s) through both operating positions, letting the
spa water circulate (with jets on) for equal periods of time. The
HOT
SPRING
spa's diverter levers are designed to operate different jets
in two different positions.
6. SET THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL
, the spa is
pre-programmed to reach 38° C (100°F), and will normally do
so within 18 to 24 hours. You may raise or lower the water
temperature by:
• Pressing the OPTIONS hard button on the control panel.
• Pressing the soft button next to
Temperature
.
•
Pressing the soft button next to TEMP ▲ button on the control
panel to raise the temperature.
•
Pressing the soft button next to TEMP ▼ button on the control
panel to lower the temperature.
Place the vinyl cover on the spa and allow the water temperature
to stabilize. Make sure you secure the cover in place using the
cover locks. Periodically check the spa water temperature. When
the water temperature climbs above 32°C (90°F), proceed to the
next step.
To prevent tampering, you can lock your desired temperature
setting. Refer to the Operating section for details.
7. ACTIVATE THE CLEAN CYCLE
as described in step 5 to turn on
the CLEAN cycle to circulate the spa water. After the clean cycle
is complete, test the spa water for Free Available Chlorine (FAC)
residual. If the residual is between 3 and 5 ppm on the test strips
(found in the test kit) go on to the next step. If the residual is less
than 3 ppm, superchlorinate the spa water by adding 1½ teaspoons
of chlorine (sodium dichlor) per 950 liters (250 gallons) of spa water.
