Jacuzzi delivery on Friday. Chemicals for newbies?

[Calisoldier83]

Hi,

I get my Jacuzzi on Friday and really psyched. I'm trying to get up to speed on the chemical treatment stuff. The dealer recommended Chlorine. The spa comes with a starter kit. I'm wondering if I should start with the basic starter kit or something else?

I do have 3 kids and a wife and we plan on going at least every other day.

Any lessons learned, tips, and tricks would be great.

[mpkelley20]

I'm a few months in with my first hot tub and have already switched from the original chemicals I started with.  I have a Marquis with a built in spa frog system so started with the bromine cartridge.  At startup, this is what went into the tub

1.  Starter pack of bromide to create a reserve bank
2.  Some calcium
3.  Bromine cartridge
4.  Mineral cartridge
5.  I needed to adjust PH and Alkalinity so used some Al up
6.  Muriatic acid - to lower PH which kept climbing above 8.0 on me
7.  Non-chlorine based shock

This worked for a bit but my levels were all over the place even with my AL and PH in line.  I couldn't get the bromine levels to stay consistent which is a common issue with the spa frog based on reviews I've seen.


So I drained my tub (did a purge first).  And now I use chlorine which is added daily after I use the tub.  Here is what I am now using

1.  Dichlor (chlorine) - I am using this until my stabilizer gets to about 30-40ppm.  After that, I will switch to standard household bleach.  I add about a tsp after I use the tub and it has kept my levels perfect.  I don't know how much bleach is needed yet but the stuff I bought is about 8%.

2.  Calcium - apparently you need some in the water so I added it.

3.  Baking soda - I used this to get my alkalinity in line to about 50ppm

4.  Muriatic acid - I haven't needed it as my PH has been very stable at about 7.4 but I still have it on hand in case my PH rises.

Since switching, maintenance has been much easier.  And by that I mean consistent.  When I get into the tub at night, the water has minimal smell due to most of the chlorine from the previous day being used up.  My Al and PH have been very consistent so haven't had to do anything there. 

My only concern will be in the colder/snowier months or when I travel where I can't add chlorine each day.  I stopped by my dealer this past weekend and picked up a spa frog chlorine cartridge which I will use when needed.  It should get me through those times without messing up my normal routine too much.

This is a great read that takes you through details on using chlorine.

https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/9670-How-do-I-use-Chlorine-in-my-Spa-(or-pool)


I know there are a lot of non chlorine based options on the market.  Some are EPA approved and others are not.  At the end of the day, you will know if something is not working when you are dealing with nasties in your water if you start breaking out in rashes.  For me, using a well known and approved sanitizer is the choice I made.

[Beck0101]

I have a neighbor using the spa frog program and he looks at his tub almost exactly once a week, max, unless he has a bunch of people in there one night.  He shocks once a week with chlorine and the rest of the time his spa frog does all the work.

I'm using chlorine (for now) and have started to find a decent rhythm.  After needing almost 2lbs of Spa Down to get my alkalinity down I'm really only managing chlorine levels now.  All of my other levels fell right in line after dealing with total alkalinity (and then increasing pH once I got the alkalinity down). 

Once I run out of my freebie Silk Balance I think I'm going to switch to the spa frog or other bromine system.  The big downside (to me) for chlorine is that I need to add a bit after each tub use and after doing that you should be leaving the cover off the tub for 20-30 minutes.  When I get out I am ready to be done, usually headed to bed.  I don't like waiting for the tub to finish up. With the frog system my neighbor very, very rarely adds chlorine after each use and usually only needs a weekly shock and a monthly cartridge change on the spa frog.

It doesn't seem to get much easier than a bromine floater and a weekly shock once the water is initially balanced.  Your mileage, of course, may vary.

[mpkelley20]

Yes, giving up the potential for less maintenance is a huge plus with the spa frog or similar system.  It costs more but it is not exactly "expensive".  I wish I could have gotten mine to be more reliable.  It seemed to work for the few couple of weeks and then my levels were all over the place.  I started getting really high bromine levels even without changing the cartridge setting.  That threw my PH readings off before I realized that high bromine/chlorine can give you false high PH readings with my test kit.  So after trying multiple settings on the cartridge and replacing it with a new one that gave me similar issues, I decided to purge and drain and give chlorine a try. 

I am only a few weeks into the chlorine method.  My tub has been spotless with no foaming and virtually no smell when I use it.  With bromine it always smelled like I was in a hotel spa!  But, again, it has only been a few weeks so we will see If this holds up.

The cold and snow weather is almost here so I might end up switching to the cartridge again.  Only this time, I will be trying the @ ease chlorine cartridge from spa frog.  Thankfully my built in system can use both chlorine or bromine.

[Calisoldier83]

I'm a few months in with my first hot tub and have already switched from the original chemicals I started with.  I have a Marquis with a built in spa frog system so started with the bromine cartridge.  At startup, this is what went into the tub

1.  Starter pack of bromide to create a reserve bank
2.  Some calcium
3.  Bromine cartridge
4.  Mineral cartridge
5.  I needed to adjust PH and Alkalinity so used some Al up
6.  Muriatic acid - to lower PH which kept climbing above 8.0 on me
7.  Non-chlorine based shock

This worked for a bit but my levels were all over the place even with my AL and PH in line.  I couldn't get the bromine levels to stay consistent which is a common issue with the spa frog based on reviews I've seen.


So I drained my tub (did a purge first).  And now I use chlorine which is added daily after I use the tub.  Here is what I am now using

1.  Dichlor (chlorine) - I am using this until my stabilizer gets to about 30-40ppm.  After that, I will switch to standard household bleach.  I add about a tsp after I use the tub and it has kept my levels perfect.  I don't know how much bleach is needed yet but the stuff I bought is about 8%.

2.  Calcium - apparently you need some in the water so I added it.

3.  Baking soda - I used this to get my alkalinity in line to about 50ppm

4.  Muriatic acid - I haven't needed it as my PH has been very stable at about 7.4 but I still have it on hand in case my PH rises.

Since switching, maintenance has been much easier.  And by that I mean consistent.  When I get into the tub at night, the water has minimal smell due to most of the chlorine from the previous day being used up.  My Al and PH have been very consistent so haven't had to do anything there. 

My only concern will be in the colder/snowier months or when I travel where I can't add chlorine each day.  I stopped by my dealer this past weekend and picked up a spa frog chlorine cartridge which I will use when needed.  It should get me through those times without messing up my normal routine too much.

This is a great read that takes you through details on using chlorine.

https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/9670-How-do-I-use-Chlorine-in-my-Spa-(or-pool)


I know there are a lot of non chlorine based options on the market.  Some are EPA approved and others are not.  At the end of the day, you will know if something is not working when you are dealing with nasties in your water if you start breaking out in rashes.  For me, using a well known and approved sanitizer is the choice I made.

Thanks for the insightful post. Some questions do come to mind.

How much of each product do you put in your SPA on initial fill?
Where do you get your products: Dichlor (chlorine), Muriatic acid, Chlorine (Do brands matter?)
Is there any youtube videos available?

I started reading the How do I use Chlorine and it's kind of helpful but hard to follow since I haven't had any hands on with the products, etc.

I did buy a test strips, Taylor K-2006, and a spa vacuum already. Just not sure where to get the products and how much to use.

[Beck0101]

I think the starter kit you will get will have plenty to get you going.  I wouldn't suggest you buy anything else until you fill it and see where you're at.  The only thing I needed that wasn't included was more pH down.  Other than that more dichlor is the only other item I've needed.

I've been buying everything on Amazon...prices are hard to beat.

[mpkelley20]

I bought my initial pound of dichlor from Amazon as I was in a rush to get it and didn't have time to drive to my spa dealer.  Price wise, no clue how close they are but I bought the Leisure Time brand for about 18-19 per pound.  Here is my complete list of where I got all my chemicals

1.  Dichlor - Amazon (Leisure Time brand for about $19 a pound) - I would prefer to buy from my local spa dealer but needed it quickly and couldn't get to my dealer

2.  Muriatic acid - home depot paint department - cheap

3.  Calcium, PH and Alkalinity up - From my spa dealer as part of the included chemicals with my spa purchase - no clue on price

4.  Baking soda (replaces alkalinity up) - Costco - cheap

5.  Borax laundry booster (replaces PH up) - Costco - cheap

6.  Bleach (will replace dichlor once my stabilizer levels get to 30-40ppm) - Walmart...chlorox brand unscented - cheap

7.  Spa frog chlorine cartridge (for use when I am away) - Spa dealer - cheaper than Amazon


I still have the mineral cartridge in my spa frog that supposedly works with the built in ozonator to help reduce chemical use.  I've read it is not needed so I will decide soon what to do with it as it is reaching the end of its life cycle.  Some say there is a benefit.  Others say skip it.  If I decide to replace it, I will buy it from my spa dealer. 

As far as amounts.  You need to test your water before adding anything and then go from there.  I started by adding about a tablespoon of dichlor and then retested an hour later.  I believe my levels were good which chlorine so I then started adding the recommended dosages of calcium and alkalinity up to get those in line.  The bottles tell you how much to add per XX gallons of water for XX rise in each.  It is pretty easy to follow.

[Calisoldier83]

Thanks for the break down.

I'm looking at Leisure Time 22337 Spa 56 Chlorinating Granules, is that right?

Everything else looks pretty basic.

I will be going out of town during the holidays so it looks like I might need the Spa Frog cartridge. I read elsewhere to shock it before and leave it. I'm not sure if you could shock it with the chemicals provided in the starter kit.

Thanks for the crash coarse as well. That's really helpful!

[d00nut]

mpkelley20, I'm sure you are really careful, but as a reminder to everyone, using Muriatic Acid to replace dry acid is fine if you put it in your spa carefully.  It's easy to hurt yourself or your spa if you don't know what you are doing, otherwise, stick with Sodium Bisulfate.

[mpkelley20]

mpkelley20, I'm sure you are really careful, but as a reminder to everyone, using Muriatic Acid to replace dry acid is fine if you put it in your spa carefully.  It's easy to hurt yourself or your spa if you don't know what you are doing, otherwise, stick with Sodium Bisulfate.

Awesome point!  I wish I was as careful with adding chlorine to my pool and spa as I am with MA.  I would have saved several pairs of pants and shorts from bleach spots! 

Actually have a question...one of the reasons I never used Sodium Bisulfate in my pool was because it leaves sulfates behind.  Based on what I read, over time, these build up and could possibly cause hard to plaster (if you have any in your pool) or salt water generator.  Does this cause an issue in a hot tub as well or does it not matter as long as you are changing your water every 3 months or so?

[The Wizard of Spas]

mpkelley20, I'm sure you are really careful, but as a reminder to everyone, using Muriatic Acid to replace dry acid is fine if you put it in your spa carefully.  It's easy to hurt yourself or your spa if you don't know what you are doing, otherwise, stick with Sodium Bisulfate.

Awesome point!  I wish I was as careful with adding chlorine to my pool and spa as I am with MA.  I would have saved several pairs of pants and shorts from bleach spots! 

Actually have a question...one of the reasons I never used Sodium Bisulfate in my pool was because it leaves sulfates behind.  Based on what I read, over time, these build up and could possibly cause hard to plaster (if you have any in your pool) or salt water generator.  Does this cause an issue in a hot tub as well or does it not matter as long as you are changing your water every 3 months or so?

I have never had issues with Sodium Bisulfate in the manner in which you speak.  I don't sell muriatic acid (its too difficult to get the special permit for us to be able to stock it) but that doesn't mean I do not recommend it in larger in ground pools.  So I am in no way against it.  I just know that there are many things you need to be careful with when using MA, as it can etch concrete, etc.

Plaster and other concrete pools need to have their calcium levels managed to protect their surfaces.  Metal deposits as well can form on any sort of surface but is easily dissolvable with the correct metal remover and pH/alk balance.

Salt generators get build up but that is usually just a formation of NaCl.  And a mixture of 1 part muriatic / 3-4 parts water for 15-20 mins dissolves it all and its good to go.

We build 50-75 new in ground pools and sell 50-100 hot tubs every year and each one gets a chemical kit with sodium bisulfate in it.  So I hope this alleviates your concerns with the product.

I hope this helps.  Good luck moving forward.

[Calisoldier83]

I did go to the dealer last night and had an introduction to chemicals. They start-up kit that'll be providing includes only the:

Dichlor   
MPS Non-Chlorine
Test Strips - (Chlorine, Alkalinity, pH and Total Hardness)

I asked about the initial fill and he said that the water is fresh until after you initially go in, then that's when you start adding chemicals.

Next, he suggested the baking soda if the pH is too low. He said he's never experienced where the pH was too high. Maybe he mixed up and meant the alkalinity up for the baking soda.

Other than the products above he didn't suggest anything else. I told him I bought the Taylor K-2006 and it didn't sound like he was familiar.

It sounds like he provided some very basic procedures. It looks like I will need to do some homework since I don't understand how much of each product to add, except for the above. I'm assuming the Taylor handbook might give me an indication.

It sounds like I need to get me some Calcium.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

I did go to the dealer last night and had an introduction to chemicals. They start-up kit that'll be providing includes only the:

Dichlor   
MPS Non-Chlorine
Test Strips - (Chlorine, Alkalinity, pH and Total Hardness)

I asked about the initial fill and he said that the water is fresh until after you initially go in, then that's when you start adding chemicals.

Next, he suggested the baking soda if the pH is too low. He said he's never experienced where the pH was too high. Maybe he mixed up and meant the alkalinity up for the baking soda.

Other than the products above he didn't suggest anything else. I told him I bought the Taylor K-2006 and it didn't sound like he was familiar.

It sounds like he provided some very basic procedures. It looks like I will need to do some homework since I don't understand how much of each product to add, except for the above. I'm assuming the Taylor handbook might give me an indication.

It sounds like I need to get me some Calcium.

  Sounds like your dealer is really up on things.         Dichlor good, shock good, test strips good.    I am surprised their kit doesn't contain more products.      I would get a PH/ALK increaser or just use baking soda like mentioned.  You also might ask them if they will give you a Jacuzzi brand or Nature 2 mineral cartridge to go in your filter, (similar to spa frog) if they even sell them or stock them?  Calcium is good to add but I wouldn't worry about it yet, I would also get a product called Defender by Leisure time.

  I will say try not to stress over the chemicals! 

[mpkelley20]

Agreed. Don't stress over them.  They are easier than you think. 

baking soda is definitely used to raise your alkalinity.  Your PH will rise with it as well.  But if your alkalinity is in line, but PH is still low, you don't want to use anymore baking soda.  PH up or a household item like Borax will help you raise just your PH.

Did he mention anything about calcium?


And the Taylor kit you bought is probably one of the top rated kits you can buy.  Surprised he never heard of it.  The truly scientific "big bang theory" type pool people will only trust readings from this kit or ones from TFT (like the Tf-100). 

[Calisoldier83]

=
  Sounds like your dealer is really up on things.         Dichlor good, shock good, test strips good.    I am surprised their kit doesn't contain more products.      I would get a PH/ALK increaser or just use baking soda like mentioned.  You also might ask them if they will give you a Jacuzzi brand or Nature 2 mineral cartridge to go in your filter, (similar to spa frog) if they even sell them or stock them?  Calcium is good to add but I wouldn't worry about it yet, I would also get a product called Defender by Leisure time.

  I will say try not to stress over the chemicals!

Yes, it comes with a mineral cartridge (silver ion). I thought that was standard. He also threw in a rubber ducky as promised along with a filter cleaning solution.

Defender need to look into that. What about the calcium is that something that you supplement?

Did he mention anything about calcium?

Nothing specific about calcium other than there was build up sometimes at the water line.