Total Hardness is PURPLE

[xrdirthead]

Hi,
I used an AquaChek test strip to check my tap water. The total hardness seems to be off the chart.
Could someone tell me what this is telling me and what will I need to offset this in the tub.
The PH and the Total Alkalinity seem to be fine.
Thanks,
Ed

[Chas]

Your water is simply too hard. It's not usually a problem unless you are seeing hard water deposits or a scale line at the waterline.

If you are, you can mitigate with "Spa Defender", "Stain and Scale Defense" or similar product.

Or you can add some soft water if you have a softner available. Go easy here: if you lower the water level about four of five inches you have about half the volume of your tub. So start with two or three inches and refill with soft water.

There are some who advocate filling a tub with soft water, and then adding Calcium Hardness Increaser until the correct level is reached. I don't do that, but I'm sure it works as well. I guess I should start recommending it since I would sell more chems. Hmm.

I always say, "water is the cheapest and most effective chem you can add to your spa." How long has it been since you changed the water?

[xrdirthead]

Hi Chas,
That water was from my tap.
Below is taken from spadepot site.

Although there is no practical way to reduce high hardness levels, it is easy to increase levels which are too low by adding Hardness Increase

[Chas]

That's very true. That's why there are products like the ones I mentioned - they don't soften the water, but they minimize the hard-water-related problems.

I have a customer out in Ojai (very rural) on a well which offers up extremely hard water. They have a car detailer deliver a tankful of water when they change the tub. The detailer has a two-hundred gallon tank on his little truck, and he just comes out, washes a car or two, and then empties the tank into the wating spa for them. Then they top it off with their well water, and it's been working great. The guy doesn't charge them much for this little extra service - and he has a huge commercial softner/deionizing plant at his home to keep his tank full so it's not really a big deal for him...

I don't know if your cities are flooded with car detailers like Southern Cal is, but you might give a few of them a call. Most buy their water from a local 'Water Store" around here, others have the big softners/de-ionizers.

[poolboy34]

word of advice....take your tap water to your dealer and have them analyze the hardness of it.  The Aquacheck 5 in one test strips are ok for ball park readings, but the scale for the hardness level is quite broad, and the colors for each range are very similar.  For the most accuracy have your dealer test the water you'll be filling the spa with.

Jason,
Store Manager for a D-1 & Caldera Dealer

[stuart]

Are you on a well or is this a municiple water system?

[xrdirthead]

This is town water.
I did order some "spa defender" and a Taylor test kit...
Thanks for the info Chas....

[tonyp]

My water is extremely hard from my well.  I use scale inhibiter weekly.  I also drained some water the first time and added some softened water.  On my recent refill I put about 25% softened water in.  This is the max that HS recommends.  

My PH and alkilinity are also very high so I slowly adjust the PH and after 2-3 weeks it's fine until the next refill.

[stuart]

This is town water.
I did order some "spa defender" and a Taylor test kit...
Thanks for the info Chas....

I would be really interested if you do get a test at the dealership in knowing what they find. That really sounds off for a municiple water system.....

[xrdirthead]

I hope to have my Taylor test kit this week.
I don't have a local dealer to bring my water to.

[stuart]

Really!? No local dealer with an Alex system? PM me and let me know where you are and I will see if I can find someone close. If not I would be happy for you to UPS me a sample in a sealed container at I will test it.

[poolboy34]

Find a local dealer that sells baquacil products, as they will have pinpoint water analysis, but also more importantly they SHOULD have a titration lab setup, which will give you the most accurate reading for your calcium hardness.

[xrdirthead]

I'm in Avon, MA 02322.
It's 20 miles South of Boston.
I did a Yahoo search on hot tubs in the area but nothing close to home came up.

[stuart]

There is a D1 dealer on Providence Hyw in Westwood,  MA about 15 miles away depending on where in Avon you live. I will get in touch with BioGaurd and see if they have anyone closer.

[stuart]

There is a D1 dealer on Providence Hyw in Westwood,  MA about 15 miles away depending on where in Avon you live. I will get in touch with BioGaurd and see if they have anyone closer.

Try this link and see if any of these are close;

[link]http://www.spaguard.com/cgi-bin/mqlocator.exe?screen=find&link=results&linktype=results&smap=map&queryUseOrigin=1&queryCenterOrigin=1&queryIconid=31&queryMax=10&closestn=10&sqlcol1=SiteId&sqlcnd1=%3D&sqlcmb1=or&sqlval1=BG&sqlcol2=SiteId&sqlcnd2=%3D&sqlval2=SG&zip=02322&queryRadius=25&country=US&SUBMIT=Submit+Query[/link]