P
H C
ONTROL
:
C
HEMICALLY
BALANCED
WATER
DEPENDS
PRIMARILY
ON
:
1. T
HE
AMOUNT
OF
ACID
OR
BASE
IN
THE
WATER
(
P
H),
2. T
HOSE
CHEMICALS
THAT
HELP
MAINTAIN
OR
STABILIZE
P
H (
TOTAL
ALKALINITY
)
AND
,
3. T
HOSE
CHEMICALS
THAT
CAUSE
SCALING
(
CALCIUM
HARDNESS
). D
ESCRIBED
AS
A
MEASURE
OF
RELATIVE
ACIDITY
OR
ALKALINITY
OF
WATER
,
P
H
IS
MEASURED
ON
A
NUMBER
SCALE
FROM
0 - 14.
T
HE
MID
-
POINT
, 7,
IS
SAID
TO
BE
PRECISELY
NEUTRAL
,
ABOVE
WHICH
ALKALINITY
BECOMES
PROGRESS
SIVELY
GREATER
AND
BELOW
WHICH
ACIDITY
BECOMES
PROGRESSIVELY
GREATER
. P
ROPERLY
BALANCED
SPA
WATER
SHOULD
HAVE
A
P
H
BETWEEN
7.2-7.8,
A
TOTAL
ALKALINITY
OF
75-150
PPM
AND
AN
OPTIMUM
RANGE
OF
100-400
PPM
OF
CALCIUM
HARDNESS
. W
ITHIN
THESE
LIMITS
,
YOUR
SANITIZING
CHEMICALS
AND
FILTERING
FUNCTIONS
WILL
BE
MOST
EFFECTIVE
. T
EST
KITS
ARE
AVAILABLE
TO
MEASURE
THE
P
H
AND
SHOULD
BE
REPLACED
ON
AN
AT
LEAST
ANNUAL
BASIS
TO
ASSURE
ACCURACY
.
D
ISINFECTION
:
T
HE
HIGH
TEMPERATURE
AND
INCREASED
VELOCITY
OF
THE
WATER
,
AS
WELL
AS
THE
HEAVY
BATHER
LOADS
,
ALL
CONTRIBUTE
TO
THE
ORGANIC
CONTAMINATION
OF
SPA
WATER
. I
T
IS
VERY
IMPOR
TANT
TO
MAINTAIN
AN
EFFECTIVE
RESIDUAL
OF
SANITIZING
AGENT
,
TO
SHOCK
TREAT
AT
PERIODIC
INTERVALS
AND
,
IF
NEEDED
,
TO
CONTROL
ALGAE
GROWTH
.
B
ROMINE
IS
THE
BEST
-
SUITED
SANITIZER
FOR
SPA
WATER
. A
LTHOUGH
CHLORINE
IS
POPULAR
AS
A
SWIMMING
POOL
SANITIZER
,
THE
HIGH
TEMPERATURES
AND
AERATION
OF
A
SPA
GREATLY
ACCELERATE
CHLORINE
LOSS
. F
REE
CHLORINE
REACTS
WITH
ORGANIC
MATERIALS
TO
FORM
COMBINED
CHLORINE
,
WHICH
IS
A
POOR
DISINFECTANT
THAT
CAUSES
OFFENSIVE
ODORS
AND
OFTEN
CAUSES
EYE
BURN
.
B
ROMINE
IS
SIMILAR
TO
CHLORINE
,
ALTHOUGH
IN
THE
FREE
AND
COMBINED
FORM
IT
IS
AN
EFFECTIVE
SANITIZING
AGENT
AND
CAUSES
NO
OFFENSIVE
ODOR
OR
EYE
BURN
. I
T
IS
EASIER
TO
MAINTAIN
A
BROMINE
RESIDUAL
THAN
CHLORINE
AND
IT
IS
EFFECTIVE
OVER
A
WIDER
P
H
RANGE
THAN
CHLORINE
.
T
HE
TEST
FOR
BROMINE
SHOULD
READ
1
PPM
IN
A
RESIDENTIAL
SPA
. D
EPENDING
UPON
BATHER
LOAD
,
AMOUNT
OF
USAGE
,
TYPE
OF
WATER
,
ULTRAVIOLET
EXPOSURE
,
ETC
.,
THE
AMOUNT
OF
CHEMICALS
NEEDED
WILL
VARY
. O
N
A
WEEKLY
BASIS
,
A
“
SHOCK
”
TREATMENT
SHOULD
BE
USED
TO
DESTROY
ORGANIC
CONTAMINATION
NOT
READILY
DESTROYED
BY
NORMAL
ADDITIONS
OF
THE
SANITIZING
AGENT
.
T
HIS
IS
ACCOMPLISHED
BY
USING
A
POWERFUL
,
LONG
-
LASTING
OXIDIZING
AGENT
CAPABLE
OF
DESTROY
ING
THE
ORGANIC
CONTAMINANTS
SO
THE
SANITIZER
CAN
BE
EFFECTIVE
IN
KILLING
BACTERIA
.
C
ONTACT
YOUR
CHEMICAL
SUPPLIER
FOR
THE
BEST
“
SHOCKING
”
AGENT
IN
CONJUNCTION
WITH
THE
LINE
OF
CHEMICALS
BEING
USED
. F
OR
SPAS
INSTALLED
OUTSIDE
AND
DIRECTLY
IN
SUNLIGHT
,
ALGAE
GROWTH
MAY
BE
A
PROBLEM
. I
F
THIS
OCCURS
,
CONTACT
YOUR
RETAILER
OR
CHEMICAL
MANUFACTURER
FOR
ADVICE
ON
THE
BEST
AGENT
AVAILABLE
TO
HANDLE
THIS
PROBLEM
.
REMEMBER!:
1. B
EFORE
USING
CHEMICALS
,
READ
THE
LABELS
AND
FOLLOW
DIRECTIONS
CAREFULLY
.
2. A
LWAYS
ADD
THE
CHEMICALS
DIRECTLY
TO
THE
SPA
WATER
,
EITHER
IN
A
SUITABLE
FEEDER
,
DISTRIBUTED
OVER
THE
SURFACE
OF
THE
WATER
,
OR
POURED
INTO
THE
WATER
,
PREFERABLY
WITH
THE
PUMP
AND
BUBBLER
ON
.
3. N
EVER
ADD
CHEMICALS
TO
THE
SPA
WHILE
PEOPLE
ARE
USING
IT
.
4. M
AINTAINING
TEMPERATURE
BETWEEN
95-104
°
F (35-40
°
C)
IS
ESSENTIAL
AS
A
HEALTH
FACTOR
FOR
BATHERS
AND
IS
HELPFUL
IN
CONTROLLING
WATER
PROBLEMS
.
5. T
HE
BOTTOM
LINE
TO
PROPER
WATER
MAINTENANCE
IS
TO
ADHERE
TO
A
REGULAR
SCHEDULE
OF
TESTING
CHEMICAL
LEVELS
AND
MAINTAINING
THEM
.
WATER CHEMISTRY MAINTENANCE
W
ATER
C
HEMISTRY
G
UIDELINES
26
