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And as for water balance factors, there are 6, not 4, that must be taken into account:Temp, CH, TA, pH, metals and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). This is based on using the Langolier (or Saturation) Index. In almost all cases, however, metals will not be added into the formula. They should be considered since metals and calcium are both minerals that can and will be dissolved into water. This is the main reason most professionals use Total Hardness vs. Calcium Hardness when using the Saturation Index (SI) formula.For those that are interested, the formula for it is as follows:SI = Ft + pH +Fta + Fch - 12.1Ft is the temp factor, Fta is the TA factor, Fch is the CH factor (Total Hardness could be substituted here). 12.1 is the value used assuming TDS is 1200 ppm or lower. That value must be raised by .1 for every 1000 ppm over 1200 ppm.If anyone would like the SI Values for calculation, I'd be more than happy to post them. I, on the other hand, let my computer do the calculating for me.Ideal range for SI is +.3 to -.3, with 0 being ideal. When SI is zero, the water is neither scale forming or corrosive. Above zero, and it tends to form scale; below zero and it tends to be corrosive.While yes, this is overkill by most people's book, I'm only putting it out here because if we're going to give out this much information, it needs to be as complete as possible. And if anyone would like to know where this info came from, it can be found in any BioGuard Dealers ChemPlus book.
If you ever worked in the spa industry you would know that getting the spa owner to care for their water is not as simple as you think. Your guide will work fine for 10% of spa owners if it was a dealer tried to use it IMO. That % is higher on this site of course because people coming here are generally more willing to learn than the average spa owner but I guarantee you that a majority of spa owners who saw a 4 page guide would either not get past the first page or would not even attempt it in the first place and would come into the store or call and ask "can someone explain this in simple terms". Of course a good dealer goes over this with a spa owner at time of purchase and gives a simple 1 page guide after explaining it so the customer has some reference material after the tutorial.It’s all about understanding your audience and I'm sure many will love the "Nitro Guide to Water Maintenance" because it is very thorough but so was my chemistry textbook in college but whenever I read that I’d get half way through a section and find I retained little because my mind was wandering with thoughts of what game is on tonight, where were the parties happening, why did I choose this major where no women are in my classes, etc. I'm just speaking about what will work for a dealer and spa customers.
For the people that don't want to learn, well, we'll see them when they start having problems.
I prefer to teach them up front but even if they've failed (yes they do listen better then) understanding HOW to teach them is important. I've dealt with the people who go in thinking they won't understand, those who've failed reading the spa manual, those who don't think they have time to listen and those who'll listen, take notes, ask questions etc. For all of them we have very effective stream lined instructions and verbally explain what it all means. I'm not an expert on water care but I am as expert as anyone at knowing how to teach relative to spas so they'll grasp it and have a shot.I've been in close to a thousand back yards teaching people how to care for their water. I can’t talk theory like a chemist as much as I can tell people what works, what to watch for, how to adjust to certain situations, why Ph/Alk matters, etc. I also roll my eyes at comments saying if you use dichlor you need to change your water every month or two when those of us with practical experience know that is ridiculous.
Which begs the question....do you ever think water quality issues will become more automated with hot tubs?
It appears to me that there is a huge segment of hot tub owners that are confused, frustrated, and do not have the patience to keep up with the water issues in their tub, so they basically just thrown some bromine tablets in a float, maybe throw in some "shock" every so often, change their water every couple of months and well...."hope for the best".[/b]
For what it is worth, I have roughly used Richard's bleach system through at least the last 3 water changes, which is about a year. It works very well for me and my tub. You have to watch for rising PH a little more, but no real problem. The quality of the water seems to hold longer than with diclor, and the effectiveness of the sanitizer does not diminsh over time as with diclor. The system is really not very radical. It is essentially the Vermonter method, but you switch from diclor to bleach after a week or two. You can shock with MPS or diclor just as with a diclor system. There should not be a big fuss. The way a tub is used, how many users, how closely it is watched, etc will eventually lead to a particular sanitizing system. For example, if you have kids (particularly teenagers) regularly using the tub, the way I once did, the best system I found was bromine tablets in a floater. In any event, bleach can work if one wants to use it. Jeff
I think the way water maintenance becomes automated is if we demand it, and start thinking outside the box.
I was interested in this method, and searched for this thread. very informative, and I'm considering using this method on my recently purchased sundance optima.I'm interested to know, nearly a decade later, how well does this advice hold up? Would anyone who subscribes to this method change anything? I'm wondering if technological progress in the last decade has outstripped parts of the advice. specifically the advice about never letting chlorine get to zero. i have a sundance optima with clear ray and high output ozone, and mineral cartridge. My chlorine level frequently gets to zero. So, should i ignore that part? Should I ignore other parts?