Hot Springs ACE System Water Balance and CSI

[donws]

Hot Springs recommends the following water chemistry for use with their ACE Salt Water System:
Salt: 1750ppm
pH: 7.4
TA: 80ppm
CH: 50ppm
Chlorine: 3ppm
The low CH is to prevent scaling of the cell, but plugging these values into a water balance calculator at 102F produces a very low CSI (-0.9) which suggests aggressive / etching chemistry. What gives? Wouldn't it be better to bump the TA and pH a bit to help bring the water into balance and raise the CSI?

Thanks!
Don

 

[duraleigh]

Your mixing advice from two systems which doesn't work. TFP teaches TFPC.......no other system.

We have no idea of the validity of any other method so we teach what we know very very well.......TFP

 

[Mdragger88]

If this is an acrylic tub you don’t have anything to worry about with low csi.
More importantly you don’t list cya.
This must also be taken into consideration when calculating csi.
The cya level is also paramount in ensuring you have the proper fc level.
FC/CYA Levels
It is recommended to have 20-30ppm cya to help buffer the harshness of adequate fc levels on people, equipment, & surfaces.

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

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[donws]

Thanks for the information. The Hot Springs Envoy is acrylic and I do believe cya is in the range you noted though I will make a point to measure it more frequently. My SWG cell has continued to function for 4+ years now (with regular cleaning/descaling) and the spa shell is still in great shape. I think this can be attributed to water balance and care. Recently though I noticed some black flakes in the water and on the bottom of the tub. They look and feel like plastic or tiny paint crumbs. I can see that a black plastic cable gland (where the SWG cable passes through the filter cap to the filter standpipe) has deteriorated and it crumbles into such flakes but the gland is likely too small to have produced the amount of flakes that were present. I’m suspicious that another fitting or check valve in the water line may be decomposing as well. I don’t think it’s the heater (hot spring no fault titanium 4kw) but maybe a pump impeller, seal, or something else. In any case I just want to be sure my water balance / chemistry is spot on and not contributing to any component breakdowns. Thanks!

 

[Mdragger88]

The “corrosion” warning regarding low csi is in regards to concrete, plaster, tile, & stone.
Low ph however, can cause deterioration/damage to components/equipment.
I suspect you just may be dealing with regular ole wear & tear.
4+ years is a good run for the ace system! I would definitely think about getting a new cell ordered so if it goes kaput you’re ready to go.
Most salt cells will start having intermittent output &/ or the system will start giving you a low salt warning. Be sure you have a way to actually test your salinity- not just blindly feed it salt because the light/warning is on. I like the Taylor k1766. It’s accurate +/- 200ppm whereas strips & meters are +/- 500ppm. This can make a big difference in a small volume of water.
Definitely keep an eye on your fc by testing regularly so you can be proactive if fc is low & dose manually.

 

[donws]

Thanks I’ve used both the hot spring and aqua check salt test strips in the past. Results seemed to agree and the spa reported proper salt levels but I’ll definitely checkout the Taylor kit. I’ve always used Taylor kits for the rest of the water chemistry testing.

Incidentally, my wife and I are starting construction on a new concrete, pebble finish, salt water pool. We’ve owned three spas over the years so I know my way around them fairly well, but this will be our first pool. Thus the information shared regarding water chemistry and CSI/LSI impact on concrete is also quite helpful. Much appreciated!

 

[Mdragger88]

Thanks I’ve used both the hot spring and aqua check salt test strips in the past. Results seemed to agree and the spa reported proper salt levels but I’ll definitely checkout the Taylor kit. I’ve always used Taylor kits for the rest of the water chemistry testing.

Incidentally, my wife and I are starting construction on a new concrete, pebble finish, salt water pool. We’ve owned three spas over the years so I know my way around them fairly well, but this will be our first pool. Thus the information shared regarding water chemistry and CSI/LSI impact on concrete is also quite helpful. Much appreciated!

You’ll get plenty of use out of the k1766 then with both your spa & pool.
If you’re reagents are running low you may wanna splurge & get the tfpro salt kit - its a nice case & comes with a speed stir which makes the swirling effortless. It contains the k1766 so it all fits in the case.
All tf test kits use taylor reagents- just more of the ones homeowners need most offering a good value compared to the Taylor k2006c.
Test Kits Compared