Water Care Guide
Water chemistry can be
quite the balancing act. Regular use of your hot tub may result in problems
like cloudy or green water. Don’t fret! Getting your water back to clean, clear
and ready to use is simpler than you think. Below you’ll find solutions
to common water chemistry problems. Please feel free to reach out to our team
with any further questions and we’ll be happy to help!
CLOUDY WATER
If you’re experiencing cloudy water in your spa, there
are three potential solutions. The cloudy water may be due to inadequate
filtration or dirty filters. Check to make sure the filter is securely
attached. If it is, it may be time to clean or replace your filters.
Your next step would be to check the
sanitation levels in your hot tub. If you water is not balanced, shock the
water with non-chlorine shock or add more sanitizer until it reaches 1-3 ppm.
If
you’ve checked the above and you still have cloudy
water, there may be unfiltered particles or chemically saturated water. Use
Water Clarifier to attach to the miniscule particles so the filter can pick
them out. In the case that your water remains cloudy, it may be time for a
drain, clean, and refill. Most of our tubs have the CleanZone Ultra system. The
UV bulb within the system needs to be changed every 18-24 months. A
functioning bulb will assist in maintaining the clarity of the water.
CHEMCAL ODOR
A strong smell of chemicals is the result of a
buildup of chloramines or bromamines, by products of the sanitizer in the
water. Simply adding non-chlorine shock oxidizer should remove the smell. If
the smell persists after the water has been shocked, it may be time for a
drain, clean and refill.
MUSTY ODOR
Musty odors arise when there is not enough sanitizer
in the water. This leads to the presence of bacteria in the water. Add spa
sanitizer of your choice to reach a reading of 1-3 ppm and use a non-chlorine
shock. Re-adjust your sanitizer levels as necessary.
FOAMING
When your tub has a high concentration of body oils,
lotions, or soaps, as well as excessive contaminants, your water may become
foamy. If bathing suits are used while soaking in your hot tub, there may be
residual soaps within the fabric from washing through a machine. You can add
Spa Defoamer and adjust pH and sanitizer levels as necessary or do a full
drain, clean, and refill. To prevent future contamination, it is recommended
that you shower before use. You can also have a set of bathing suits
specifically for use in the hot tub. This bathing suit should only be washed
with warm water to eliminate the chances of more residual soap in the hot tub.
A foamy hot tub could also be the result of low or
zero total hardness or calcium levels causing the water to become milky. Adding
a calcium booster until the hardness is 150 – 400 ppm should alleviate the
foam.
GREEN WATER (ALGAE)
When algae are present in the water, you tub
may turn shades of green. Algae growth is a result of low sanitizer levels or a
high pH. Adjusting the water using pH/Alkalinity down and your spa sanitizer of
choice until the optimum range is met.
ERRATIC pH TEST COLOR
If you’re reading a pH color that is off the charts
on your test strips, your sanitizer levels may be too high and skewing the
results. Test the pH level again when the sanitizer level is below 5 ppm. You
can also drain half of the hot tub water, refill, and test again.
CORROSION OR APPEARANCE OF
RUST
Your tub may start to show signs of corrosion or
begin rusting. This is caused by a low pH level. Simply adjusting your pH with
pH increaser or Alkalinity increaser should reduce future corrosion or rust.
Rust also may occur when there is excess sanitizer in
the water, and it is allowed to sit an oxidize on steel features in the hot
tub. Ensuring that your sanitizer levels are within the recommended ppm will
prevent those items from rusting.
FAILURE TO GET SANITIZER
READING
A low sanitizer level may not show any color on your
test strip. Adding spa sanitizer to raise the ppm to the appropriate range may
help. Dirty water will consume sanitizer as soon as it’s added. If there are
algae present in the water, the sanitizer is being used immediately in attempt
to eradicate the algae. Continue adding sanitizer until it stays within the
recommended range or drain, clean, and refill your hot tub.
If your test strip remains white even after sanitizer
is added, the sanitizer levels may be extremely high. The extreme levels of
sanitizer may be bleaching the reagents on the test strip and giving a false
reading.
TOO MUCH SANITIZER
You may have accidentally dispensed too much
sanitizer into the tub. Don’t worry, the levels will dissipate with time.
Activate the jets with the air controls open for 30 minutes to help speed up
the process. Continue to test water with a test strip until the desired level
has been reached. Do not use the hot tub until the sanitizer level registers
below 5 ppm or skin irritation may occur. You can also drain half of the water
and refill.
EYE AND SKIN IRRITATION
Excessive amounts on contaminants or chloramines/bromamines
may be present in the water. Shocking the water with non-chlorine shock should
reactivate the sanitizer eliminating the chloramines/bromamines. You should
also check your sanitizer level at this time and adjust as needed.
A low pH level may also cause eye and skin
irritation. Adding pH/Alkalinity increaser until the recommended range is met
should balance your water back.