Adjusting TDS and calcium

[96SC]

If this has been brought up before I apologize but I couldn't find it.  

When you adjust your TDS and calcium up do you shoot for the minimum or maximums?  I checked with out local water department and both (tds and calcium) are way below the minimums.  56 and 40 respectively.

If we do shoot for one of the extremes will it effect how other chemicals will react?  I saw where high or low TA will effect pH and its adjustment. (I think that's what it said  :-?)

[hottubdan]

Lots of opinions on hardness.

We go for 150-200 ppm CH, unless using BaquaSpa.  Then we go higher.

TDS we ignore.  As long as you drain 3 or 4 times a year it is usually not an issue.

[Steve]

If this has been brought up before I apologize but I couldn't find it.  

When you adjust your TDS and calcium up do you shoot for the minimum or maximums?  I checked with out local water department and both (tds and calcium) are way below the minimums.  56 and 40 respectively.

If we do shoot for one of the extremes will it effect how other chemicals will react?  I saw where high or low TA will effect pH and its adjustment. (I think that's what it said  :-?)

Now you have ME confused!

TDS (total dissolved solids) is not an "adjustment" we make but rather a result of use, particles, and added product into the water that slowly increases over time. There is no way to lower TDS other than to drain or partially drain and refill with source water with a lower TDS. There is no relation between TDS and hardness.
Once TDS reaches 1500ppm, your water is saturated and can no longer hold product. Balancing becomes more difficult and cloudiness and faoming can occur. With water with a low TDS such as yours, you may even get away with draining only twice a year if your water management skills are good.

Calcium hardness should be between 150-250ppm. Soft water (lower than 100ppm CH) can have a tendancy to foam.

Always adjust TA prior to pH and once you have, leave it for a couple of days and retest. Once your TA is in range, slowly adjust pH into range. Again...leave it for a day or 2 and retest.

TA 100-150ppm
pH 7.2-7.8ppm

Hope that answers it for ya...

Steve

[96SC]

I read that TDS, calcium and metals were to be tested for.  When you filled your tub each should be in their particular range or adjusted to be within that range.

From what you guys are telling me, don't sweat the TDS until it reaches 1500 ppm then do a water change.  But to avoid foaming get the calcium in range or over 100 but less than 250 ppm.  Right? :-/  

Is there a home testing kit for TDS?  My Taylor doesn't have one.  Is that something you have to rely on from you spa dealer?  Are there signs that TDS is high?

I had also read that you don't adjust your pH until your TA is correct, as you mentioned Steve.

[hottubdan]

Are you using the Nature2 (AG+/EverFresh) System?  If so, drain and replace cartridge every 4 months and don't sweat the TDS.

[Steve]

I read that TDS, calcium and metals were to be tested for.  When you filled your tub each should be in their particular range or adjusted to be within that range.

From what you guys are telling me, don't sweat the TDS until it reaches 1500 ppm then do a water change.  But to avoid foaming get the calcium in range or over 100 but less than 250 ppm.  Right? :-/  

Is there a home testing kit for TDS?  My Taylor doesn't have one.  Is that something you have to rely on from you spa dealer?  Are there signs that TDS is high?

I had also read that you don't adjust your pH until your TA is correct, as you mentioned Steve.

The answer to your first 2 paragraphs is: correct!

You can get TDS strip which I'm not a big fan of personally but if your dealer is close, it's take 5 seconds to test it. Not really worth investing in a meter as you won't be testing it often...

The result of high TDS is pH bounce, inability to sustain your sanitizer reading, foaming, odor, cloudiness and the inability to properly adjust your readings. Personally, I prefer to be more proactive and keep an eye on TDS with older water instead of totally ignoring it as the result isn't pretty if left too long past 1500ppm.

Steve

[96SC]

Thanks HTDan and Steve.  

[Vinny]

I agree 100% on what was said ... I wanrt to expand a little on TDS and testing.

A TDS meter that you put into the water does not measure TDS accurately. It will not measure anything that is not ionized. It measures TDS by alternating currents between 2 fixed electrods and measures the speed at which it "connects". Apparently it is used in salt water aquariums.

I was interested in such a meter maybe a year ago and there is a thread somewhere here about it.

I don't know how dealers or test strips test for it but keeping with what was said on how water reacts and dumping water on regular intervals will keep the TDS managable.

[Steve]

This is the Taylor TDS meter we used at our water test station....

[96SC]

Apparently it is used in salt water aquariums.

.

That makes sense, the information I saw said to raise TDS you use 1oz. of salt/100 gallons to raise it 63 ppm.  http://www.d1spas.com/images/documents/01513-092ERevB-WaterCareGuideExportScreen.pdf

[Vinny]

I don't know where they got that from. It must be some hoaky water management system ... after all their Vision system is a N2 on streroids.

One of the things I learned recently was that apparently chlorine does add salt and that bleach or liquid chlorine will add double the amount of salt in the relationship to the PPM chlorine. So when you add 1 PPM chlorine it adds 0.8 PPM salt; bleach will add about 1.6 PPM salt per PPM chlorine.