Overthinking or just wrong?

[DNSTubber]

New tub owner! 480 gallon Strong Spas with ozonator. Attempting the 3 step bromine sanitizing process. About 3 weeks in and water is clear but chasing my tail on some of the water balancing.

Bromine levels have been pretty good and stable. If they get too low I add Leisure Time Renew to shock (yes - I created a bromine reserve when I first filled the tub). Ph staying a bit high around 7.8. It will drop to 7.2 if I use Spa Down, but then creeps back. TA was around 90, but read that can keep Ph high, so it is now around 60-70 after last use of Spa Down a few days ago. Put Ph back at 7.8 a few days later. Calcium is at 250 (recently raised that b/c hadn't know it was an issue to be super low).

Realistically, what am I trying to achieve day to day? I feel like I am always chasing one of the numbers and maybe overthinking things. Is Ph at 7.8 okay? Should I be trying to lower it daily? Weekly? Does TA matter? So many conflicting opinions. What is the reasonable tolerance for this water chemistry so that I can enjoy this and not have it be a second job?

Filter is set to circulate 2x a day, once for 2 hours and once for 15 mins (left factory settings along). Any concerns there? 2 smaller adults using the tub 1-3 times a week for not too long each time. Could see this usage increasing though when I can get the hang of all of this.

Lastly - do I keep all the jets open all the time? I closed most of them to avoid raising the PH from the movement during the filtering, but maybe that isn't the right thing either. Jets open or closed?

THANK YOU!

 

[RDspaguy]

Balance ph, let alk fall where it will. Keep air injectors closed to avoid ph rise from aeration but leave jets open or you will overheat your pump during filter cycles. Bromine is more forgiving than chlorine in a spa, so don't overthink it.
Does your spa have a 24/7 circulation pump, or just the main pump for heating and filtration?

 

[DNSTubber]

Thank you!
What is the difference between an air injector vs jet?

The circulation is only on when the filter, jets or heater are on. So I guess not 24/7

 

[A.O.]

Balance ph, let alk fall where it will. Keep air injectors closed to avoid ph rise from aeration but leave jets open or you will overheat your pump during filter cycles. Bromine is more forgiving than chlorine in a spa, so don't overthink it.
Does your spa have a 24/7 circulation pump, or just the main pump for heating and filtration?

Keep air injectors closed?? What fun is that?

 

[DNSTubber]

Keep air injectors closed?? What fun is that?

Well now I really want to know what an air injector is!

 

[A.O.]

Well now I really want to know what an air injector is!

So when your pump is running it pushes water through your jets, if you turn the "air injectors" you get a lot of "bubbles" coming out with the water and it kind of turbo charges them.. much more force!

So here a little video of my hot tub, first I turn on the jets (pump) then I open the air valves.. (hot tub and drone were both brand new and I was still trying to figure them out)

 

[DNSTubber]

Ahhhh! My installer called them diverters. They are the things that turn and control how high or low the jets push. I get it now. Okay…

 

[A.O.]

Ahhhh! My installer called them diverters. They are the things that turn and control how high or low the jets push. I get it now. Okay…

Diverters are different things, to me anyway, they change where your jet pressure is going... this seat or that seat, or the big center jet... that kind of thing. The two big wheels on my tub are the diverters, the 4 smaller wheels are what controls the airflow into the jets... two different things.

 

[DNSTubber]

Hmmm - mine act more like air valves based on what you are saying than diverters. I only have 4 small wheels. No big ones. Could I not have diverters?

 

[DNSTubber]

Diverters are different things, to me anyway, they change where your jet pressure is going... this seat or that seat, or the big center jet... that kind of thing. The two big wheels on my tub are the diverters, the 4 smaller wheels are what controls the airflow into the jets... two different things.

Mine act more like airflow controls than diverters. There are 4 smaller wheels for that. I don’t see any larger diverters. Maybe I don’t have them…

 

[DNSTubber]

Hmmm - mine act more like air valves based on what you are saying than diverters. I only have 4 small wheels. No big ones. Could I not have diverters?

Sorry. Tried to delete this as it was meant to be a reply not a new post. My posting is as bad as my hot tub knowledge!

 

[DNSTubber]

Balance ph, let alk fall where it will. Keep air injectors closed to avoid ph rise from aeration but leave jets open or you will overheat your pump during filter cycles. Bromine is more forgiving than chlorine in a spa, so don't overthink it.
Does your spa have a 24/7 circulation pump, or just the main pump for heating and filtration?

So checked today. Bromine staying at a good level (shocked it yesterday), pH appears to be staying at 7.8. Water clear as can be. Do I leave ph there and only bring it down if it goes higher or lower it even at 7.8? Thanks!

 

[A.O.]

So here is a Strong Spas owners manual (not sure which model you have) on page 21 it shows and talks about the air controls and the diverter valves.. have a look and see what you have maybe?? And it does say small ones are air control and larger ones are diverters (optional). What model do you have? Maybe we can figure all this out.

https://strongspas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Strong-Spas-Manual2020sm.pdf

 

[DNSTubber]

So here is a Strong Spas owners manual (not sure which model you have) on page 21 it shows and talks about the air controls and the diverter valves.. have a look and see what you have maybe?? And it does say small ones are air control and larger ones are diverters (optional). What model do you have? Maybe we can figure all this out.

https://strongspas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Strong-Spas-Manual2020sm.pdf

Okay! I have 5 - 2” controls. No 3” controls. I have the Strong Spas SL-60. thank you!

 

[RDspaguy]

7.8 is my upper limit.

 

[jseyfert3]

Keep air injectors closed?? What fun is that?

I believe he meant when the tub is not being used. During use we use the air injector valves as desired, but when we get out I close all of them to reduce aeration while the tub isn’t being used. That also saves energy as the air bubbles increase evaporation which cools the water.

 

[A.O.]

I believe he meant when the tub is not being used. During use we use the air injector valves as desired, but when we get out I close all of them to reduce aeration while the tub isn’t being used. That also saves energy as the air bubbles increase evaporation which cools the water.

Yeah, I was poking a little fun.. I turn all mine off when I get out also..

 

[A.O.]

Okay! I have 5 - 2” controls. No 3” controls. I have the Strong Spas SL-60. thank you!

I am not familiar with that brand, looks like a nice one, I like the hard cover!
Back to your original questions, I cannot help you with the bromine part, I have never used it.
Your PH will go up with the bubbles and all in a hot tub, its just how it works. I use muriatic acid to keep mine at the right level (7.6 ish) , I add about 1/4 oz maybe twice a week.
I keep my TA right about the 50 mark, keeps the PH in check
I use my tub twice a day almost every day and have it set to filter 2 hours 2x a day right before I'm getting in, and then it also has a clean up setting that runs it another hour and a half an hour after I/we get out.

My suggestion to you is after you have used up all those expensive chemicals they told you you needed and sold you, switch to the dichlor/liquid chlorine method.. much easier and cheaper. Most of the stuff they sell you (the general public not just you) is un-necessary and expensive. Just a thought.