I'm now following nitros dichlor and bleach post. It's mentioned to use 50ppm borates and 12ppm shock per week. How do I go about calculating ppm for a 410 gallon tub?
Calculating ppm
- Thread starter wickflair23
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,024
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
For all chemical dosage amounts, use the PoolMath APP's "Effects of Adding" section. Great tool.
We've since moved away from scheduled shocks and only reccomend them when a SLAM is in order. The OG thread is still great, but we've come a long way since then.
Just like poolcare, an ounce of hot tub prevention kills the need for a pound of cure.
Just like poolcare, an ounce of hot tub prevention kills the need for a pound of cure.
Okay. I'll check that out. Anything else I should change from that OG post?
Borates haven't lived up to the hype long term. The spa with more aeration has more Ph rise, and Borates helps slow the rise, but when it's time to dose you need twice as much. So you're saving half the doses but still pouring as much in the end.
Many skip them and just adjust the Ph as needed with the regular FC testing/adding which forgo the need for weekly shocking. If they're already out there testing as they should, then more frequent MA doses aren't a deal breaker.
Is the borates the gental spa stuff I bought?
So if I'm reading the slam stuff correctly, you should only need to add shock if you have algie and that can be avoided by keeping your FC in check?
Or with unusual FC loss. It's tough with a spa because bather load can be insane or nothing. 2 people in your 410 gallon hot tub is the same as 82 in my 34k gallon pool. And worse even because the pool isn't exfoliating everyone and they are cooling down not heating up. Then the tub sits for a week because you're busy with life and the FC loss swings the other extreme except for any residuals.
Any inkling of the water chemistry getting away from you means its time to dump. Its easier to start over, even in the winter. 3 to 6 months is fair depending on use. People will spemd more money and more effort fighting it, just to dump in the end anyway.
I'd give it a quick SLAM attempt at 3+ months and move on if it didn't improve immediately, whether clarity or FC balance.
Got a pic ? Probably. If you have it already, you might as well use it.
While I have you. I added my first dose of Dichlor at 3 teaspoons (attached is the product I used) I ran a FC test this morning. The water turned a very light pink and was back clear after 1 drop. What should I do today? Increase to 4 teaspoons?
Ok the gentle spa is the stuff. (Sodium tetraborate pentahydrate). It's one of the choices in poolmath when calculating. 
Do you have a digital scale ? A tsp is fluid oz and poolmath effects of adding is calculating ounces by weight.
I do have a scale. Chem guy was emailing me and said 1oz =2tbs=6teaspoons and to just use teaspoons. Should I be doing it a different way?Ok the gentle spa is the stuff. (Sodium tetraborate pentahydrate). It's one of the choices in poolmath when calculating.
Do you have a digital scale ? A tsp is fluid oz and poolmath effects of adding is calculating ounces by weight.
That's by volume and you'd have to weigh it out to see the difference.
1 oz dichlor by weight is 10 FC per poolmath.
Maybe @Mdragger88 has it memorized with Tbsps.
So per the calculator if I add 12oz which I did it would raise my PH by 4.6 yikes. Luckily ph this morning was only up about .2 and TA was up about 10ppm.Ok the gentle spa is the stuff. (Sodium tetraborate pentahydrate). It's one of the choices in poolmath when calculating.
Do you have a digital scale ? A tsp is fluid oz and poolmath effects of adding is calculating ounces by weight.
The calculator doesn't say " sodium" just says tetraborate pentahydrate is that different? The container says 6oz per 200gal
It's the same. Pretty sure it was a character/ space issue.
You'll need to convert volume to weight here too if you used a measuring cup or such instead of the scale.
For that I used a scale. Not sure why it said it would raise my PH so much it's suppose to stabilize it I thought.It's the same. Pretty sure it was a character/ space issue.
You'll need to convert volume to weight here too if you used a measuring cup or such instead of the scale.
It does once the borates are raised, but needs to be balanced with MA while raising them. We suggest boric acid for pools over the borax / MA combo bevause boric acid doesnt appreciably affect the Ph. For a spa it's a much smaller dose and less headache to balance it. Technically it does the same thing but it's easier to correct 400 gallons than 30k gallons.
Okay so was I correct adding 12oz by weight? I'm now paranoid I'm going to raise my PH well over 8 since I added so much Gentle spa.It does once the borates are raised, but needs to be balanced with MA while raising them. We suggest boric acid for pools over the borax / MA combo bevause boric acid doesnt appreciably affect the Ph. For a spa it's a much smaller dose and less headache to balance it. Technically it does the same thing but it's easier to correct 400 gallons than 30k gallons.
Ok your weekend homework is to create a cheat sheet with all your chemicals both ways. Always be conscious of volume/weight. Otherwise 6 months from now it's lalalalalalalalalalala DOH !!!!
For water based stuffs such as OJ, it's almost dead on between the two. But powders can be way off in weight and can throw you off easily.
Per the website it is PH neutral. I'm so confused. This spa stuff is confusing work!!
Manufacturers say alot of things. My SWG says right on it to acid wash it every 3 months. I effectively have no calcium, therefor no scale to ever clean, but I'm supposed to fill the unobtainium plates with acid 4 times a year anyway.
They also say to run a 1 to 3 FC when you might lose 4ppm *a day* to the sun. (For uncovered pools/spas).
They also also say that adding copper lets you use less chlorine when it does nothing to lower UV demand. They convieniently leave out the unsanitary and copper staining part tho.
Don't even get me started on industry or manufacturer recommendations.
