Necessary to brush above ground spa? And, drain/refill comments.

[bbrock]

Hi you all,
I am shopping for a new pool brush, and after one year, it finally hit me, am I supposed to be brushing my spa? I follow the 3 step system using bromine. Spa and water are in good shape. I don't see any algae or things bringing my attention to brush it. My spa is a polyethylene shell. I guess never thought it was necessary to brush an above ground spa.

Also, to be frank, I have not drained the water since I refilled it last April 2014. While it states to replace every 3-4 months, I am still keeping balanced clear water despite this. One + thing is I have at least saved water. Since the water looks good, clean, chem is maintained, and spa is not heavily used, I figure what is the point of refilling so frequently.

Tx for any help.

 

[chem geek]

With an acrylic or polyethylene shell you do not brush it. You may wipe the area near the water surface as that tends to collect filmy substances and some biofilm can form above the water line even if you disinfect the spa water itself (below the water line should be OK given the consistent disinfection).

How often you need to change the water is a function of bather load. In a lightly used spa, you may be able to go a year between water changes. Because you are using bromine and not using Dichlor-only with chlorine you have no buildup of CYA. So for your 300 gallon spa, the Water Replacement Interval (WRI) would be Days = (2/9) x (300) / (# Person-Hours Per Day). So if you were only soaking 11 person-minutes per day (76 per week), then that's one year between water changes. How often are you using the spa each week? How many people using it? How long are the soaks? Is the water hot (104ºF) during the soaks?

 

[bbrock]

As of lately it seems as though I'm using it once per week, if that (pretty sad), maybe about 20 minutes or so. Water temp is 102. It's only me using it.

Tx for ur help Chem Geek.

 

[chem geek]

Your bather load is exceptionally low so yes you should be able to keep your water clear for a very long time and not need to change the water for years, assuming you properly maintain the spa between soaks (i.e. never let the disinfectant get to zero, at least not for very long).

 

[bbrock]

Tx Chem Geek.

Also, I assume that it's normal to have to top off the spa every so often, right? Maybe about every two - three weeks+ or so I top it off due to what I suspect is the normal loss of water from evaporation. The spa is covered, but I leave it at 102° constantly so I could use it whenever I want. It's normal to have to bring the water level back up, right? The water is constantly being heated & steam is being produced. I don't see any visible leaks anywhere.

 

[chem geek]

Yes, your loss is likely evaporation since the high water temperature can have steam escape from the sides unless the spa cover is tightly sealed along the edge.

 

[bbrock]

Tx for all your help in this thread Chem Geek!