When doing a fresh fill what order should I balancd the chemicals?

[Skenn81]

Since everything is related I can't be throwing things to change the pH or ch or cl or cya all willy nilly.

Is there a recommended order to go about balancing the chemicals in a hot tub when filling it fresh? Since I have an inflatable one that I only use two months a year what order should I go about this when doing a fresh fill with my hose? Which ones do I tackle first before moving on to the next?

 

[EricJ320]

Do what @Mdragger88 says below. Much more knowledgeable than me!

 

[Mdragger88]

In order of importance:

Fc is priority #1 always - every day.
FC/CYA Levels
If you follow the dichlor then bleach method we recommend then that will cover cya as well

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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Dichlor is also acidic so it will lower ph some as well - see PoolMath effects of adding for its consequences on fc, cya, & ph.
I find it a little hard to get the appropriate amount of cya in my small tub so I generally just use the dichlor/bleach method until i reach a cya of 30ppm.
You can however use the sock method w/ granular cya to accomplish this.

Ph is priority #2 & can be addressed a few minutes after bleach or dichlor additions once they have mixed in the water a few minutes. This goes for all the chems- just give them a few minutes w/ the jets on to mix then move on.
You want to keep your ph in the 7’s every day.

You have not listed your test results but low ch is of no major consequence in a vinyl tub unless you need it to reduce foaming however high ch can cause scaling in all tubs/pools. Mine stays 25-50ppm as that is what my fill water provides.

Ta will come down over time as acid is used to reduce ph.
If you wish to lower ta to reduce the frequency of ph rise you can follow these steps to do so safely

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.

www.google.com

Most with spas find that a ta of around 50-60 is ideal- you don’t have to accomplish this in one day, also a higher ta won’t harm anything.

 

[Skenn81]

When adding Cl and CYA to a hot tub how long should I wait after adding it to test again? Since it an inflatable "portable" one the filter runs pretty much constantly so water is always churning around.

I dont have any dichlor, is there a brand name I can go look for at the store? I have never used that in the pool as I have been on the TPP method since I moved in and I don't know what to go buy. Pool store is closed for the weekend but if it's something I can get at Home Depot or Loews in their tiny pool nook I can go look for that today. The hot tub is just something we use a few weeks of the year so I don't have any spare chemicals or anything that get used in it. I have plenty of liquid Cl and granular stabilizer from the pool I could use in the meantime.

 

[Skenn81]

Isn't there also a thing where if the pH is too low your Cl readings will be off the charts? That's one of the things that happens during a SLAM, right?

I took my pH readings, its so yellow its someplace well beyond the low end of what the Taylor kit can test for. Checked Cl readings and it's a super deep purple that doesn't go clear no matter how many drops (I gave up at 20). Drained half and did it again, Cl off the charts, Drained half again, Cl off the charts still. Something funky is going on here. I filled the pool with the same water and never had this kind of issue.

 

[ajw22]

Isn't there also a thing where if the pH is too low your Cl readings will be off the charts? That's one of the things that happens during a SLAM, right?

No.

When the FC is above 10 it will make the pH test inaccurate and read high.

pH does not affect FC readings.

PH - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Free Chlorine - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

What test kit are you using?

How old are your reagents?

 

[Mdragger88]

When adding Cl and CYA to a hot tub how long should I wait after adding it to test again? Since it an inflatable "portable" one the filter runs pretty much constantly so water is always churning around.

I dont have any dichlor, is there a brand name I can go look for at the store? I have never used that in the pool as I have been on the TPP method since I moved in and I don't know what to go buy. Pool store is closed for the weekend but if it's something I can get at Home Depot or Loews in their tiny pool nook I can go look for that today. The hot tub is just something we use a few weeks of the year so I don't have any spare chemicals or anything that get used in it. I have plenty of liquid Cl and granular stabilizer from the pool I could use in the meantime.

Using stabilizer is fine - just calculate the amount you have added for fc purposes & test cya in a day or so. You want to put it in a pantyhose/skimmer sock - not just throw it in the tub.
Fc testing should be accurate after 5-10 minutes of the jets mixing everything up.
If u want to get some dichlor to have on hand it’s available at Walmart/lowes/Home Depot in the pool/spa section in 1# plastic cans.
You want 99%
Dichloro-S- Triazinetrione as the active ingredient

 

[Mdragger88]

Isn't there also a thing where if the pH is too low your Cl readings will be off the charts? That's one of the things that happens during a SLAM, right?

I took my pH readings, its so yellow its someplace well beyond the low end of what the Taylor kit can test for. Checked Cl readings and it's a super deep purple that doesn't go clear no matter how many drops (I gave up at 20). Drained half and did it again, Cl off the charts, Drained half again, Cl off the charts still. Something funky is going on here. I filled the pool with the same water and never had this kind of issue.

Just to cover all bases…
Have you tried the oto (tc) test to see if it shows off the charts too?
I suspect your regeants are compromised or you possibly dosed way too much for your tub volume.
You should measure your water depth & diameter to be sure water volume is calculated correctly & not just go by what the book that came with it says - sometimes they are counting the entire vessel in their calculations. A little but off can go along way in such a small tub.

 

[Skenn81]

Okay I gave up, dumped the entire thing, and restarted. Something went terribly wrong so I figured this would give me a fresh start.

FC is now at 6.5, close enough to what I need, it will go down when I use it anyway. Will check the pH next, just didn't get to it. CYA is thankfully 0 which is what I was expecting coming from the hose.

For adding the CYA, in the pool I do the sock method and put it in the skimmer, works great that way, give it a squeeze a couple times a day and its all gone in two days. Since I don't have dichlor the calc says I need 1.2 oz if dry to get it up, which would be something a little under 2.5 tablespoons. If I put this in a sock where would it hang? There really isn't anything to hang it from though, what if I just ball up the sock and let it float around? Pool I am adding way more than 2 tablespoons so a sock works well.

 

[Mdragger88]

I use a skimmer sock or knee high - cuz i have alot of them. Tie it in a knot & clip it to my skimmer weir- it dissolves pretty quickly in the hot water.
Maybe you could tie a string & close that up in the lid so it hangs in the water?

 

[Skenn81]

Okay everything for CYA has been added, will check it later today for that.

Test pH, it at 7 or below, can't get an exact reading as once the drops are added it's as yellow as the indicator can be. Calc says I need 1.2oz of Borax to raise it up to 7.6 so I added two tablespoons and will check in a bit. I'll do TA next and since you said it's not needed I won't bother with CH.

 

[ajw22]

CYA is mildly acidic and will lower pH. So if your pH is in the low 7's then the CYa will lower it more.

Turn on your bubbler and aerate the water to raise the pH.

What does the pH and TA of your fill water test at before you add it to your tub?