All Customers ask, "why do I have to worry about testing & balancing my spa or hot tub water?  If it looks clear, everything must be good. Right?"  The answer is, Usually not. Here's what we mean...

Basic balancing for you & your body:  When the pH & Total alkalinity are out of balance, the chlorine, bromine or other sanitizer in your spa don't work as efficiently as they should.  When the sanitizer doesn't work efficiently, bacteria & other stuff you don't want in your spa start gaining control.  You could easily end up with skin rashes and eye irritations at least.

Basic balancing for your spa: Without proper chemical maintenance, you get water line scum build-up, shortened heater life (the heater either corrodes away due to low pH & Total Alkalinity as seen in the picture to the right) or scale build-ups (high pH, high Total Alkalinity, high Total Hardness as shown below) prevent efficient heating (scaling of the thickness of just 1 sheet of paper can easily cause you to use at least 10% MORE electricity or gas), clogged filters and shortened filter life. 

Left completely alone, we've even seen the spa cover become damaged because of it's constant contact with out-of-balance steam.  Built-in pillows get cruddy faster.  Lack of proper sanitizing causes icky scum or gusty foaming.  You didn't buy your spa for that mess!

Adjusting pH:  Adjusting the pH is one of the most essential elements to good swimming pool maintenance.  Almost more important than the chlorine, bromine or other sanitizer level.  When the pH is correct, the sanitizer works the way it was meant to. 

Use SpaGuard pH Increaser to increase the pH and SpaGuard pH Decreaser to lower the pH.  Don't use baking soda (great for baking & cooking, lousy for spas & hot tubs) or any other household product that isn't made to treat spa & hot tub water.  SpaGuard pH Decreaser is a dry acid & is much safer than muriatic acid or sulfuric acid to lower the pH.

Water balance means more than pH. Total Alkalinity & Calcium Hardness are also important factors. Check the water hardness map here.

Wasting money:  I think you get the idea from the above paragraphs. You'll be purchasing more chemicals when you don't need them.  More frequent filter changes (proper cleaning of the filter cartridge should give a life of 2 to 3 years minimum).  We want you to have fun.  Proper water balancing, testing & care shouldn't take more than 15 to 20 minutes per week on average.

Good water balance & water chemistry is one of the 6 Keys to Spa & Hot tub Care.

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Some of the information contained in this article is courtesy of the BioGuard Chem PLUS 2003, 2004, 2009 & H2-Know 2011 Reference Guide. 

If you still need help, here's how to reach us:

Telephone (during store hours): Stratford  203-377-0100
                                             
FAX: (24 hrs) 203-375-7787

Email: techhelp@parpool-spa.com 
 

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