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Author Topic: PH Balance products  (Read 5418 times)

Spiderman

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PH Balance products
« on: March 04, 2007, 12:44:53 pm »
Do they work and what are the pros/cons?
People suffer one of two pains in life:  the pain of discipline, or the pain of regret

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PH Balance products
« on: March 04, 2007, 12:44:53 pm »

hottubdan

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2007, 12:47:14 pm »
Quote
Do they work and what are the pros/cons?
If you are talking about products like pH Perfect, that are supposed to maintain pH without having to balance the water, I am told not to use them with smaller circulation pumps.  They will gum up the works, so i have been told.
Award winning Hot Spring dealer for a gazillion years.

Vinny

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2007, 01:59:44 pm »
My question to you is what problems are you having balancing your PH?

Personally, I'm not a fan of "locking" products. Then again I'm not a fan of a lot of products! ::)
« Last Edit: March 04, 2007, 02:00:00 pm by Vinny »

Spiderman

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2007, 02:40:31 pm »
Quote
My question to you is what problems are you having balancing your PH?

Personally, I'm not a fan of "locking" products. Then again I'm not a fan of a lot of products! ::)

I'm not having any problems, but I do have to up the PH every week or so.  It seems to drop to around 7.0 so I add some to get it back up.  I was browsing around today and saw the PH Balance product from Leisure Time, I think, and was curious about it.  It seems like a good idea, but I'm always a little skeptical.
People suffer one of two pains in life:  the pain of discipline, or the pain of regret

tony

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2007, 03:04:17 pm »
I've never tried one but have heard or read to stay away from them.

Vinny

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2007, 04:00:38 pm »
Quote

I'm not having any problems, but I do have to up the PH every week or so.  It seems to drop to around 7.0 so I add some to get it back up.  I was browsing around today and saw the PH Balance product from Leisure Time, I think, and was curious about it.  It seems like a good idea, but I'm always a little skeptical.

Do you know your alkalinity? Maybe its too low. What products do you use that has a low PH? When you up the PH what do you up it to?

I tend not to worry about alkalinity but I also know my PH and alkalinity rise and fall together. I use one product - baking soda and it adjusts both to the proper levels. What I have found is that with higher alkalinity PH tends to be locked in, as alkalinity drops PH drifts down.

If you're using PH up, give baking soda a try. I usually wait until the tub is at 7.2 or so add about 4 oz and that'll bring it up to 7.8. I can go about a month or so before the PH drifts down where I have to adjust it. The only low PH item I use is MPS which has a PH of about 4.

Spiderman

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2007, 04:22:30 pm »
Quote

Do you know your alkalinity? Maybe its too low. What products do you use that has a low PH? When you up the PH what do you up it to?

I tend not to worry about alkalinity but I also know my PH and alkalinity rise and fall together. I use one product - baking soda and it adjusts both to the proper levels. What I have found is that with higher alkalinity PH tends to be locked in, as alkalinity drops PH drifts down.

If you're using PH up, give baking soda a try. I usually wait until the tub is at 7.2 or so add about 4 oz and that'll bring it up to 7.8. I can go about a month or so before the PH drifts down where I have to adjust it. The only low PH item I use is MPS which has a PH of about 4.

I'm using baking soda to up the PH/ALK.  I also use HotSpring's dichlor as my daily sanitizer and weekly shock.  The only other product I use is Rendevous stain and scale.  My ALK always seems to be the bare minimum when I check it, which isn't too often.
People suffer one of two pains in life:  the pain of discipline, or the pain of regret

Garyjr

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2007, 02:12:36 am »
I am not trying to step on ANY toes, and Vinny, you have ALWAYS provided me and many others with GREAT advise, but I have been using Ph Balance for the past several months, and swear by it.  Unlike many others, I tend to fight high Ph and low Alk, and since I started using Ph Balance, except to get my initial settings right, I never have to balance Ph or Alk.  Before, I was using between 2-3 bottles of Spa Down and about the same amount of Alk up between changes, so the price ($12.95 around here) for Ph balance is a non factor.  I change my water about every 90 days, so I cannot say how much longer the stuff will keep things balanced, but I can attest that it will maintain for at least 3 months.
As for long term effects to the circ pump, I cannot speak, however, my spa tech was fixing a leak for me back in December, and said his parents have used the stuff for years.
I am not promoting, nor do I sell spa products, but I can say the stuff works as advertised.

Jr

PS Vinny, you are still the best...

wmccall

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2007, 07:39:14 am »
My PH isn't that hard to keep in range, but when I tried one of these products, I was alarmed by the amount you have to add.  It was at least a couple of pounds for my 425 gallon tub.  
Member since 2003.  Owner Dynasty Excalibur 2003-2012.   Sundance Majesta from 2012-current

Chas

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2007, 10:36:45 am »
I have replaced several heaters and many many circ pumps for customers who used these balancers incorrectly.

The label specifies a limited range of hardness, pH and TA. All of the folks who cost themselves all of that money had not read the label and/or had not measured all three of these parameters.

I stopped selling it.

 8-)
Former HotSpring Dealer - Southern Cal.

Im-A-Duck

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2007, 02:16:29 pm »
I have been thinking of using these products also. I have been having issues with my pH and Alk. When I have my pH in line (7.4-7.6) my alk runs around 60. If I add alk up to to get the alk to 100-120 my pH is 8.0+. I then have to add pH down and then my alk goes right back down to where it started...60. Hey Chas, is this normal? Should I worry about the alk if my pH is staying in line? Or should I attempt to use a pH balancer and increase my alk after I have the pH locked. I just changed the water last week and I am having the same issues with my alk.

Chad

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2007, 02:18:49 pm »
Quote
I have been thinking of using these products also. I have been having issues with my pH and Alk. When I have my pH in line (7.4-7.6) my alk runs around 60. If I add alk up to to get the alk to 100-120 my pH is 8.0+. I then have to add pH down and then my alk goes right back down to where it started...60. Hey Chas, is this normal? Should I worry about the alk if my pH is staying in line? Or should I attempt to use a pH balancer and increase my alk after I have the pH locked. I just changed the water last week and I am having the same issues with my alk.
If your pH remains constant, don't worry about where your alk is.





Chas

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2007, 02:23:21 pm »
Quote
If your pH remains constant, don't worry about where your alk is.

Agreed.

 8-)
Former HotSpring Dealer - Southern Cal.

Garyjr

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2007, 06:49:10 pm »
Chas,

Question for you.  Is it better for the tub and components  to add 1 bottle of whatever products go into making up PH Balance, or several bottles of Ph Up and/or Down along with Alk adjusters over a 3-4 month period of time?  As I said in an earlier post, I was adding no less than 2-3 full bottles of Spa Down and approximately the same amount of Alk increaser between water changes before discovering Ph Balance.
I am not questioning your knowledge, but it would seem logical that the less product you have to add, the less gunk you have to contend with down the road.

Thanks,
Jr

Vinny

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2007, 07:04:35 pm »
Gary,

I would think that if you're following directions and not winging it then adding less is better. I think that some people will have a PH of say 8.4 and think it'll correct this high PH.

Having water that's ready to be easily balanced out of the tap makes me not need it but I probably would try a different approach if I had difficult water.

As far as disagreeing with me ... I really don't know everything, I just act like I do! 8-)

Vinny
« Last Edit: March 05, 2007, 07:04:51 pm by Vinny »

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Re: PH Balance products
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2007, 07:04:35 pm »

 

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