So we've had our pool for a few years. It's been 100% TFP maintained - I was reading here before we even built. We just bought a stand-alone spa, and I'm trying to convert what I know about pools to spas, and have a few questions. The tub was built May 1, delivered on Friday, filled, and we used it over the weekend. I had Ahh-some in hand, so last night, I gave it the treatment, refilled, ran the pumps, drained again, and refilled. So now I have a known-clean tub following the Ahh-some purge, and fresh water.
Fresh fill water readings:
CH: 50
TA: 60
pH: 7.5
Few facts:
- Hot tub has a recirculating pump that runs when heating, and also during the "primary filtration cycle", which is factory set for 8 hours starting at midnight.
- Hot tub has ClearRay (UV) system that turns on whenever recirculating pump runs, with a "Max" of whatever the primary filtration cycle is set to, so right now UV won't be on more than 8 hours / day using factory default settings.
- SWG (ChlorMaker - SmarterSpa version) wasn't in yet when the tub was delivered, but they're installing that on this week when they get it in, so I'm using Dichlor right now for sanitization.
Questions:
- In looking at CSI, and the posts about maintaining using Dichlor / bleach method, it looks like I should increase CH to at least 150. Is that the number that I should shoot for?
- Is there any reason to adjust TA off of the bat, or should I just wait to see what pH does, and then tinker with it if needed? My pool TA is at 90, and it drifts upwards, so acid is added regularly to keep the pool at 7.6. I go through about 2/3 of a gallon of acid / year on the pool.
- FC drops overnight. We've used the tub pretty much every night for at least 20 minutes with 2 people, and I'll add enough dichlor to get it to 3-5 ppm when we shut it down. In the morning, FC is 0 - 1 ppm (most mornings when testing the solution is pink after adding the powder, and I know based on that alone that it's low, drops just confirm). UV system runs at night, and I'm assuming that's eating my FC, and some is being used. I know nothing about UV other than that it eats FC without CYA (which I have very little of in the spa right now). Is my overnight FC drop from the ClearRay system, or because the chlorine is oxidizing contaminates, or both? Doesn't look like there's a great way to shut down the ClearRay system, without turning off the recirc pump short of pulling the bulb.
- Should I use this ClearRay UV system in the hot tub at all?
Just for fun, here's 2 minutes into the Ahh-some treatment on a brand new tub that was built less than 30 days ago....
Fresh fill water readings:
CH: 50
TA: 60
pH: 7.5
Few facts:
- Hot tub has a recirculating pump that runs when heating, and also during the "primary filtration cycle", which is factory set for 8 hours starting at midnight.
- Hot tub has ClearRay (UV) system that turns on whenever recirculating pump runs, with a "Max" of whatever the primary filtration cycle is set to, so right now UV won't be on more than 8 hours / day using factory default settings.
- SWG (ChlorMaker - SmarterSpa version) wasn't in yet when the tub was delivered, but they're installing that on this week when they get it in, so I'm using Dichlor right now for sanitization.
Questions:
- In looking at CSI, and the posts about maintaining using Dichlor / bleach method, it looks like I should increase CH to at least 150. Is that the number that I should shoot for?
- Is there any reason to adjust TA off of the bat, or should I just wait to see what pH does, and then tinker with it if needed? My pool TA is at 90, and it drifts upwards, so acid is added regularly to keep the pool at 7.6. I go through about 2/3 of a gallon of acid / year on the pool.
- FC drops overnight. We've used the tub pretty much every night for at least 20 minutes with 2 people, and I'll add enough dichlor to get it to 3-5 ppm when we shut it down. In the morning, FC is 0 - 1 ppm (most mornings when testing the solution is pink after adding the powder, and I know based on that alone that it's low, drops just confirm). UV system runs at night, and I'm assuming that's eating my FC, and some is being used. I know nothing about UV other than that it eats FC without CYA (which I have very little of in the spa right now). Is my overnight FC drop from the ClearRay system, or because the chlorine is oxidizing contaminates, or both? Doesn't look like there's a great way to shut down the ClearRay system, without turning off the recirc pump short of pulling the bulb.
- Should I use this ClearRay UV system in the hot tub at all?
Just for fun, here's 2 minutes into the Ahh-some treatment on a brand new tub that was built less than 30 days ago....