Well I spent yesterday searching around for bleach without scents or cloromax and none to be found locally. Pretty annoying actually.
Will look at pool chlorine as well
Tub procedure given to me - Bromine - opinions?
- Thread starter GCS
- Start date
Will look at pool chlorine as well
Yeah as I posted in another thread, "plain bleach" doesn't exist anymore. So annoying!
But you can buy "pool chlorine" at Walmart or Lowe's or Home Depot. I haven't seen it at Target here.
Is there a better alternative to getting the sodium bromide I need other than spa chemicals i.e. this Amazon.com : Leisure Time BE1 Sodium Bromide Spa Care Bromine Reserve, 16 fl oz : Swimming Pool Bromine : Patio, Lawn & Garden
Any brand that is sodium bromide will work. I prefer the granular kind you will only use like 1/2 oz per 100 gallons.
Amazon.com : Hot Tub Things Sodium Bromide 2 Pound - Sanitizes Your Hot Tub Water : Garden & Outdoor
Amazon.com : Hot Tub Things Sodium Bromide 2 Pound - Sanitizes Your Hot Tub Water : Garden & Outdoor
If you have a Menards around you that might have it in their pool/spa isle. Mine does.
I got all my hot tub supplies from my PB / pool store. 10 years ago everything was expensive to ship online and nowadays it’s not, but it’s not exactly cheap online either. I’d probably still be happy supporting my local Mom and Pop if I was doing it today.
Thanks just went ahead and ordered it
How long does it take to get things up to speed on a new setup after I have done the ahhsome cleaning etc - ie so we can use it
Last edited:
A few hours. Dropping ta will take the longest. Remember, only drop to 7.0 ph and aerate to increase ph. Each time it will drop ta a little. It may not make any change at first but then it will come down.
when you get your taylor kit read over it well.
What you will focus on is how to do the ph test and ta test. When you have your ph test you will perform an acid demand test on the ph results. This is basically just adding acid out of the taylor bottle until you get the desired ph color. You will do a drop, recap and invert to mix. Repeat until desired.
In the back of the taylor book is some charts, you will have to guesstimate your tub volume and might have to do some solve for x algebra to figure out dosing (I promise its not that complicated even if it sounds like it). Once you know your tub volume, ta, and ph with acid demand look on the chart for lowering ta. Find out how much muriatic acid(or dry acid) it will take to lower it that much. You will use this as a ballpark number when lowering ph. Then go to ph page and see how much acid to add to lower it the corresponding amount of drops. Subtract that amount of acid from your ta acid amount.
To summarize that I will use an example. Let’s say your have a ph of 7.8 and it takes 3 drops to lower to 7.0. You also have a TA of 250.
You will want to lower your TA to about 50 to keep ph in check, let’s say that takes 15 ounces of acid.
On your PH acid demand page it says to add 7 ounces to lower PH.
Take 15-7 and that leaves with 8 ounces left on lowering TA. As you lower ta it will take less acid each time to drop ph do it will start fast and end slow. When you get close to the amount needed (use judgement) for lowering ta go ahead and retest TA and see where you are and readjust your TA acid number. Redo the PH acid demand every time you are ready to adjust ph as it will change each time as TA is lowered.
You can look into doing borax in the tub to help keep your ph more steady also. Just note if you use borax you will have to add acid at the same tome to balance it (pool math will tell you how much). You could also get proteam gentle spa and that is ph neutral.
After that is all done dump in your required amount of sodium bromide for your tub and stir it around while the jets are running.
Then you are ready for chlorine to start sanitizing.
With all that budget about 2-3 hours to get it balanced but towards the end when ph starts taking longer to rise up you will have 10-15 minute breaks that you can do what ever then come back check ph readjust then back to the break.
when you get your taylor kit read over it well.
What you will focus on is how to do the ph test and ta test. When you have your ph test you will perform an acid demand test on the ph results. This is basically just adding acid out of the taylor bottle until you get the desired ph color. You will do a drop, recap and invert to mix. Repeat until desired.
In the back of the taylor book is some charts, you will have to guesstimate your tub volume and might have to do some solve for x algebra to figure out dosing (I promise its not that complicated even if it sounds like it). Once you know your tub volume, ta, and ph with acid demand look on the chart for lowering ta. Find out how much muriatic acid(or dry acid) it will take to lower it that much. You will use this as a ballpark number when lowering ph. Then go to ph page and see how much acid to add to lower it the corresponding amount of drops. Subtract that amount of acid from your ta acid amount.
To summarize that I will use an example. Let’s say your have a ph of 7.8 and it takes 3 drops to lower to 7.0. You also have a TA of 250.
You will want to lower your TA to about 50 to keep ph in check, let’s say that takes 15 ounces of acid.
On your PH acid demand page it says to add 7 ounces to lower PH.
Take 15-7 and that leaves with 8 ounces left on lowering TA. As you lower ta it will take less acid each time to drop ph do it will start fast and end slow. When you get close to the amount needed (use judgement) for lowering ta go ahead and retest TA and see where you are and readjust your TA acid number. Redo the PH acid demand every time you are ready to adjust ph as it will change each time as TA is lowered.
You can look into doing borax in the tub to help keep your ph more steady also. Just note if you use borax you will have to add acid at the same tome to balance it (pool math will tell you how much). You could also get proteam gentle spa and that is ph neutral.
After that is all done dump in your required amount of sodium bromide for your tub and stir it around while the jets are running.
Then you are ready for chlorine to start sanitizing.
With all that budget about 2-3 hours to get it balanced but towards the end when ph starts taking longer to rise up you will have 10-15 minute breaks that you can do what ever then come back check ph readjust then back to the break.
Ok so realistically if I can get the tub in place Sat night after we get back from the long journey then Sunday I should be able to make the electrical connections inside and then fill and start the ahhsome cleaning. After that begin the balancing process and perhaps late Monday it may be usable if water chem all checks out. Going to be a challenge I am sure.
The owner is giving me all of these items in the deal (they are new and unopened)
Spaguard Spa Sentry - Amazon.com : SpaGuard Spa Sentry (1 qt) : Garden & Outdoor
Spaguard Balancer kit - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077NK2R1N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Spaguard Enhanced Shock - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HX2QDV8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Spaguard Bromine tablets - Amazon.com : SpaGuard Brominating Tablets - 1.5 lbs : Swimming Pool Chemicals And Supplies : Patio, Lawn & Garden
Also includes a tablet floater and scumbug
With the sodium bromide I just ordered and the test kit I should be all set I think. I will grab some pool chlorine from Lowes by my house as supposedly they have some in stock but even if they don't technically what she is giving me should get me going.
Now to the next issues, figuring out how to move it - thinking a DIY slider if I can get the materials and some plywood.
And how to get the electric supplied to the tub w/o putting a hole in my new deck boards since this tub says to wire it from underneath the tub (seems odd to me but what do I know I am new at this).
I made a 2x4 frame around the top lip of the tub and moved it with 4 people. It basically was a wooden H made around it and that worked well. Cya doesn’t affect bromine so you can use that enhanced shock like chlorine till it’s used up. But it will build up cya in your tub for no reason.
I’m not sure about that spa sentry stuff.
The balance kit is fine to use but you will probably never use and ta/ph up products and the calcium hardness just needs to be above 150 ish. If you fill with softened water you will want that.
the PH down is okay and “safer” but when you run out of that I would recommend muriatic acid. It’s much much cheaper, like $4 a gallon and easier to dose as you don’t need to weigh it out.
Use the stuff till it’s gone then all you will need in the future is bromine tabs if you want to run a floater, chlorine, muriatic acid, borax if you want.
It’s easy to run and won’t require many chemicals. The same rule 100% applies. Do not go to the pool store for testing!!! If you don’t feel confident with your testing ask on here. All your tests are the same tests as you would on pool. Even the bromine test is the same, it just uses a different reagent but the procedure is the same.
I’m not sure about that spa sentry stuff.
The balance kit is fine to use but you will probably never use and ta/ph up products and the calcium hardness just needs to be above 150 ish. If you fill with softened water you will want that.
the PH down is okay and “safer” but when you run out of that I would recommend muriatic acid. It’s much much cheaper, like $4 a gallon and easier to dose as you don’t need to weigh it out.
Use the stuff till it’s gone then all you will need in the future is bromine tabs if you want to run a floater, chlorine, muriatic acid, borax if you want.
It’s easy to run and won’t require many chemicals. The same rule 100% applies. Do not go to the pool store for testing!!! If you don’t feel confident with your testing ask on here. All your tests are the same tests as you would on pool. Even the bromine test is the same, it just uses a different reagent but the procedure is the same.
I noticed you said deck boards. If you are putting this on a deck make sure it is reinforced. 350 gallons of water is 2800lbs plus the weight of the tub so probably around 3300lbs. It’s fine to have on a deck but make sure it was designed for it or it will need extra support installed under it to accommodate.
yep it has concrete piers with 4x4 posts attached to the joists every 30" in an 8 foot by 8 foot square. Something like 11 additional supports I think.
We took our old deck stripped it to the framing (ie no rail and no deck boards) and redid it with composite decking and turned it into a screened porch. Its almost done (I hope). Probably this week or early next week. I believe all the screening is going in today but decking is all down, screen system in place, shingled roof in place etc. Plenty left to do but if my contractor will work a little harder it will be done.
We will have to do a sliding routing on its side. From trailer to backyard we could "carry" it with 2x4s cradling under it perhaps but once to the deck it has to go through a door to the porch (tub is 35"x84" door opening is 36"x 90" w/o the header installed which we told our guy to leave out for now) so get the shoehorn out and some lube, lol.
If I can figure out the slider deal I think we can make it happen by laying sheets of plywood down on the grass. Key is finding the thin plastic board at lowes/HD to be the slide.
My bigger issue at the moment is finding 6/4 wire from anywhere. No one has any it seems.
6/3 wire is needed. You don’t count the ground that’s 3 6 gauge conductors and a ground.
hmm everything I have read said 6/4 so that is what I have been looking for unless I am reading wrong
How to Wire a Spa - Wiring for 120V and 240V hot tubs
Learn how to wire a portable home hot tub spa for 240V using safe electrical methods and properly installed ground fault circuit interrupters.
Nordic manual diagram below
so 6/3 from HD or Lowes is fine like this - Southwire 50 ft. 6/3 Gray Stranded CU UF-B W/G Wire-14782722 - The Home Depot
Attachments
Last edited:
First, please don’t kill yourself. Second, if you are going to run the electrical make absolutely sure you do it right. It would be terrible to miss a step and hurt or kill someone.
Now that that’s out of the way, that wire rating is the number of conductors. They don’t consider ground a conductor. So 6/3 is 3 6 gauge wires and 1 10 gauge ground all in one package. That makes 4 wires total.
Moving in from that, nm-b is not rated for outside, not even into a disconnect box on the house. It’s possible for the paper sleeve to absorb water and run it all the way back to the power box. You need UF also know as underground feeder wire. That’s rated for outdoor use. If you want to use nm for inside you will need a junction box before exiting the house to change to the UF wire. You could also use individual wires as they are rated for damp use and outdoor but will need conduit for the whole run, even inside.
Now that that’s out of the way, that wire rating is the number of conductors. They don’t consider ground a conductor. So 6/3 is 3 6 gauge wires and 1 10 gauge ground all in one package. That makes 4 wires total.
Moving in from that, nm-b is not rated for outside, not even into a disconnect box on the house. It’s possible for the paper sleeve to absorb water and run it all the way back to the power box. You need UF also know as underground feeder wire. That’s rated for outdoor use. If you want to use nm for inside you will need a junction box before exiting the house to change to the UF wire. You could also use individual wires as they are rated for damp use and outdoor but will need conduit for the whole run, even inside.
Another thing about the electrical, some counties or cities require a permit for a hot tub and inspection after wiring. Ultimately it’s your choice on what you do but I figure most people probably don’t know that there might be a required permit.
understood
I fixed the link above to this so I believe this is the proper wire Southwire 50 ft. 6/3 Gray Stranded CU UF-B W/G Wire-14782722 - The Home Depot
6/3 UF-B. And yes it will be in conduit from the house to the GFCI cutoff box then from there to the tub. Based on reading the plan is to use a conduit box to get it into the porch area where the tub will be. From there my plan was to use a small amount of flex conduit to go into the tub housing to then connect to the tub itself
It will probably be a pain to try and use some liquid tite conduit plus it’s not very long. If possible I recommend standard pvc. Probably 1.25. Technically I believe the code states you must be able to pull the whole run through the conduit when assembled but if it’s a short run I personally would put one piece on at a time because uf wire is a bear to run through it.
Ok thanks. I am still searching for wire. Calling a few electricians I know as well but none of them seem to want to help out (go figure).
My contractor says he can do it but I just want to be sure I know what is being done as well since I like to follow up on their work if its not right and get it fixed.