W
ater Clarity
18
OC Hot Tubs Owner’s Manual
LTR50001045, Rev. N
This section is intended for new spa owners with no
experience with water chemistry. Everyone’s experience
with maintaining water quality is different, but there are
some general concepts you need to know.
Water maintenance is not difficult, although it requires
regular attention. The most important thing to understand
about taking care of your spa water is that preventive action
is much easier than correcting water quality issues.
Before you begin, we recommend you become familiar with
some water quality terms and their definitions (see next
page).
Whether you’re filling your spa for the first time (see page
6) or refilling it after draining it for regular maintenance (see
page 30), start and maintain your spa water by following
the plan we describe in this section.
Water Clarity
Chemical Balance
See page 20 to learn how to balance your spa water.
You will need to test and adjust
the chemical balance of your spa
water. Although this is not difficult,
it needs to be done regularly.
You need to test the level of
calcium hardness, total alkalinity,
and pH.
Spa owners with a bromine generator also need to check
total dissolved solids and phosphates.
Sanitation and Shock
See page 22 to learn how to use sanitizer and shock.
Sanitizers kill bacteria and viruses
and keep the water clean. A low
sanitizer level will allow microbes to
grow quickly in the spa water. We
recommend using either chlorine or
bromine as your sanitizer.
You also need to add shock to the
water to stimulate the chemical sanitizer. How much you use
and how often depend on frequency and intensity of use.
Spa owners with an ozonator also need to add sanitizer,
although their requirements are different.
Filtration
See page 23 for filter cleaning instructions.
Cleaning your filter regularly is the easiest
and most effective single thing you can do to
keep your water clear.
A clogged or dirty filter will cause the heater
and pump to work harder than they need to,
possibly causing them to fail.
The spa’s heating system will only function
with the proper amount of water flow
through the system.
Regularity
See page 24 for the schedule of recommended
maintenance.
Clear
water
requires
regular
maintenance. Establish a routine based
on a regular schedule for your spa
water maintenance.
Maintaining your water quality helps
the enjoyment of your spa and extends your spa’s life by
preventing damage from neglect and chemical abuse.
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3
4
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Water Quality Terms and Definitions
The following chemical terms are used in this section. Understanding their meaning will help you to better understand clear
water maintenance. Words in bold type are defined in this table.
Bromine /
Bromamines
Bromine is an efficient sanitizer chemical for spas. When used as a
sanitizer
, bromine forms
compounds called bromamines. Bromine can be added to the spa or automatically generated. See
page 22 for discussion on
sanitizers
.
Bromamines are compounds formed when bromine combines with nitrogen from body oils,
perspiration, etc. Unlike chloramines, bromamines have no pungent odor and are effective
sanitizers
.
Chlorine /
Chloramines
Chlorine is an efficient sanitizing chemical for spas. We recommend using sodium dichlor-type
granulated chlorine because it is totally soluble and nearly
pH
neutral. When used as a
sanitizer
,
chlorine forms compounds called chloramines. See page 22 for discussion on
sanitizers
.
Chloramines are compounds formed when chlorine combines with nitrogen from body oils,
perspiration, etc. Chloramines can cause eye irritation as well as having a strong odor. Unlike
bromamines
, chloramines are weaker, slower
sanitizers
. To remove chloramines, see the
description of
shock
below.
