I have a spa that’s in trouble! For complicated reasons I abandoned it unexpectedly for several months, and have now found my way here in an effort to salvage it. Won't even tell you what came out of the jets, but likely you can imagine the horror. I drained it 2x, and it's now on life-support awaiting what I need to do a decontamination (6 years and it has never even been flushed), but have some questions as to what to do next.
Some info:
1. Hot Springs Jetsetter – 225 gallons, no ozonator
2. On a 2nd floor deck under a partial overhang (would this be considered closer to indoors?)
3. Central California coast – mild temps
4. Light usage – 1-2 people maybe 2x/wk, almost never in bright sun (usually on foggy days or at night)
Before now I used only those little strips where the colors never match. I had no idea how ignorant I was – Hot Springs didn’t tell me (desperate for an excuse.) I used first bromine in the floater, then switched to chlorine and tested inadequately and not daily. When the water stopped feeling fresh, I’d drain and refill, thinking that made all right with the world, basically treating it like a big bathtub. What an embarrassing post this is.
Now I want to be responsible. Fortunately, we never got sick, and there were no children involved!
Forgive my newbie questions – I have been reading for hours but having trouble absorbing it all. I’ll get there, but could use a little help out of the gate.
1. Because of the relatively infrequent usage (compared to everyone else here), would bromine be the logical choice? Chlorine sounds interesting, but more maintenance. Ideally, I’d like to be able to test every other day vs every day except those occasions when I use it daily. Could I get away with this w/ bromine? Does this exclude chlorine?
2. Our water is viciously hard. Nearly every home in our community uses a water softener but we’re in a condo w/out individual meters so can’t install one. Should I use one of those filters that attaches to a hose for filtering out minerals? If yes, any recommendations? In the past I used Metal Gon and ordered a couple more bottles, but from reading here I realize tossing in a bottle at fill-up isn't terribly meaningful.
3. Are there different test kits depending if one goes w/ chlorine or bromine since I haven’t decided yet? I did see the test kit comparision post here, but also see there’s a Taylor K-2106 for bromine so am confused.
4. Answers to any obvious questions I didn’t ask are welcome ~
Thanks much.
Some info:
1. Hot Springs Jetsetter – 225 gallons, no ozonator
2. On a 2nd floor deck under a partial overhang (would this be considered closer to indoors?)
3. Central California coast – mild temps
4. Light usage – 1-2 people maybe 2x/wk, almost never in bright sun (usually on foggy days or at night)
Before now I used only those little strips where the colors never match. I had no idea how ignorant I was – Hot Springs didn’t tell me (desperate for an excuse.) I used first bromine in the floater, then switched to chlorine and tested inadequately and not daily. When the water stopped feeling fresh, I’d drain and refill, thinking that made all right with the world, basically treating it like a big bathtub. What an embarrassing post this is.
Now I want to be responsible. Fortunately, we never got sick, and there were no children involved!
Forgive my newbie questions – I have been reading for hours but having trouble absorbing it all. I’ll get there, but could use a little help out of the gate.
1. Because of the relatively infrequent usage (compared to everyone else here), would bromine be the logical choice? Chlorine sounds interesting, but more maintenance. Ideally, I’d like to be able to test every other day vs every day except those occasions when I use it daily. Could I get away with this w/ bromine? Does this exclude chlorine?
2. Our water is viciously hard. Nearly every home in our community uses a water softener but we’re in a condo w/out individual meters so can’t install one. Should I use one of those filters that attaches to a hose for filtering out minerals? If yes, any recommendations? In the past I used Metal Gon and ordered a couple more bottles, but from reading here I realize tossing in a bottle at fill-up isn't terribly meaningful.
3. Are there different test kits depending if one goes w/ chlorine or bromine since I haven’t decided yet? I did see the test kit comparision post here, but also see there’s a Taylor K-2106 for bromine so am confused.
4. Answers to any obvious questions I didn’t ask are welcome ~
Thanks much.
