Spillover spa -- How Maintain?

[Navigator]

I have an outdoor in-ground spillover spa that uses the same pump and filter as the pool. Part of the pool return water is bypassed into the spa which then overflows into the pool.

I've always read that spas require different maintenance than pools because of the higher bather load and higher temperatures. But in a spillover spa the water will eventually become the same as the pool water.

So how do people maintain a spillover spa? Just let it take care of itself, or add chemicals to the spa before or after use? Use any different chemicals? Ever dump all of the water into the pool?

I'd be interested to hear how people do this and whether they have had problems.

 

[JasonLion]

As long as you are reguarly mixing water between the pool and the spa, you maintain the combination as you would a pool. The idea is that the water is reguarly mixed with the rest of the water in the pool so that it doesn't say at spa temperature for all that long and each time you use the spa you are getting a different batch of water.