Been using a Solax mini in my 450 gallon hot tub. Its been working pretty good except litle cloudiness in the water. Does anyone use a salt chlorine generator and what else can i add to keep water clean?
what to add to water besides salt?
- Thread starter mayhem69
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The advice you're going to get from folks here is not what to add, but what type of testing you need to do to tell you what you need to add. Managing a hot tub is the same as managing a pool except that if things go south, many times you can simply drain and refill. There's also typically more spikes in chlorine consumption because it's hot and people are sweating. Having less volume of water means there's less total sanitizer (free chlorine) to deal with bather waste (sweat and other stuff we bring to the party).
I'd say this: read some of the articles in Pool School on this site, starting with ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry. I'd also highly recommend these threads: How do I use Chlorine in my Spa and How do I use Bromine in my spa.
Also, SWG are not well suited for spas for the reasons I've stated above and the way SWG systems work. SWG provide slow, steady, reliable addition of free chlorine to water. This is perfect for pools with larger volumes of water with more total sanitizer in the pool. The relative bather waste demand in a pool is low because there is a large volume of water, and therefore alot of sanitizer in the pool that isn't depleted rapidly by normal use and maintenance. Spas are the opposite. Low volumes of water so low total amounts of available sanitizer. Couple that with higher temperatures and sweaty bathers and you have VERY rapid depletion of sanitizer which a slow producing SWG cannot balance with enough oomph. This is a good thread on why SWG isn't suited for spas and some recommendations: Spa SWG
I'd say this: read some of the articles in Pool School on this site, starting with ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry. I'd also highly recommend these threads: How do I use Chlorine in my Spa and How do I use Bromine in my spa.
Also, SWG are not well suited for spas for the reasons I've stated above and the way SWG systems work. SWG provide slow, steady, reliable addition of free chlorine to water. This is perfect for pools with larger volumes of water with more total sanitizer in the pool. The relative bather waste demand in a pool is low because there is a large volume of water, and therefore alot of sanitizer in the pool that isn't depleted rapidly by normal use and maintenance. Spas are the opposite. Low volumes of water so low total amounts of available sanitizer. Couple that with higher temperatures and sweaty bathers and you have VERY rapid depletion of sanitizer which a slow producing SWG cannot balance with enough oomph. This is a good thread on why SWG isn't suited for spas and some recommendations: Spa SWG
A slightly different perspective on the the last paragraph that JVTrain wrote ...
I would think that there is an advantage of a SWG if the tub is used infrequently as the SWG should be able to maintain the FC levels for maintenance instead of requiring the addition of bleach every couple days even when not in use. But, you should likely not rely on the SWG to take care of your bather waste when the tub is used. I would think that after each soak, you should dose the spa with bleach as described in the link above and then let the SWG maintain the FC until the next time you use it.
I would think that there is an advantage of a SWG if the tub is used infrequently as the SWG should be able to maintain the FC levels for maintenance instead of requiring the addition of bleach every couple days even when not in use. But, you should likely not rely on the SWG to take care of your bather waste when the tub is used. I would think that after each soak, you should dose the spa with bleach as described in the link above and then let the SWG maintain the FC until the next time you use it.
We dont use the tub too much at all. I was thinking i could use a little sodium dichlor and the solaxx mini, together hopefully this will work.
But i was told by a lady at Lelies that i should add something (cant remember) when the water gets cloudy.
any idea what this could be?
If the water is cloudy, you need chlorine. And likely need to follow the ShockLevelAndMAINTAIN Process.
You have to be careful with always using Dichlor as that will cause the CYA to rise and thus require you to maintain higher FC levels. This is why we keep recommending using bleach.
How much Pool School have you read? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
You have to be careful with always using Dichlor as that will cause the CYA to rise and thus require you to maintain higher FC levels. This is why we keep recommending using bleach.
How much Pool School have you read? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Chlorine.
Most advice from the pool store will put you back in the pool store not too soon after to buy more unnecessary chemicals.
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