Starter Chemicals

[39lasalle]

So, we have had out tub for about 3 weeks.   Thewayer is a little cloudy and I think(know) I haven't been treating correctly after use, I was only using aboit a tsp of chlorine where i probably shoild have been using more.    Anyway, we will be heading down to the hot tub store and want to get more chems.

This is what they gave us to start:
1. Test Strips
2. Frog Spa mineral stick
3. Spatique stain,scale, clarifier
4. pH additives for up and down
5. Chlorinating granules ( sodium dichloro s tria-somthing)

Anything else i should pick up. I see MSP come up in a lot of discussions about shocking, do I need this?

Thanks

39

[mpkelley20]

If you are sticking with chlorine, then the chemicals are pretty minimal.

1.  test Kit - skip the strips and google Taylor kits.  They are much better

2.  Chlorine - You need SOME stabilized chloring like dichlor but you want to keep the stabilizer levels at a certain point 30 to 50ppm (CYA test).  Once your levels are within that range, you need to switch to a non-stabilized chlorine.  The easiest and cheapest is plain household unscented bleach.  A tablespoon (or teaspoon) per person after a soak will do the trick.

3.  PH/alkalinity controller - Arm and hammer baking soda to raise alkalinity and PH.  Borax laundry booster to raise just your PH.  If PH is too high (which may happen from the aeration from your tub), you will need phosphoric acid.  I find PH down from the pool store is easiest. 

I am using bromine so the above is NOt what I am doing but it is the recommended approach fro chlorine based on many many forums.  I think Chem Geek is on here and can discuss in more detail. 

The only other chemical I have but have not used is one of those clarifiers or whatever that supposedly help cut the foam down after a lot of use.  Calcium can help with this as well.

[The Wizard of Spas]

If you're going to stay on Spa Frog OR Nature II:

MPS (Potassium Peroxymonopursulfate) is "spa shock" and is generally what I call the 'active sanitizer' in a Spa Frog or Nature II kit.  The spa shock (MPS) is what you add after you use, potentially after every usage, depending on how much you use the spa.

Chlorine is only necessary to activate the Spa Frog cartridge.  But you may need to add a dose weekly if you are using it heavily, or if it goes cloudy.   However, if it is going cloudy- you must ask "why"?  That is likely because of two things-  You're not using enough MPS (and in your case- it seems like you don't have any at all that came with the kit) and you're not testing correctly (either not enough, or in your case- you don't likely have the strips that detect MPS).

I wrote a blog about it for my website and I have broken down the sanitizers.  No- Moderators- I am not trying to promote my site or anything like that.  Just trying to make a post shorter to explain something.

http://www.prestigepoolsandspas.com/blog/hot-tub-water-chemistry-101

I hope this helps.  I have another spa chem blog I am posting next week likely and that discusses ancillary products that you may need as well.

Good luck moving forward.

[mpkelley20]

This is a great read as well.  Maybe more than you think you need to know but will help keep costs to a minimum.  I follow their recommendations for my pool and it has been super easy to maintain.  I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my spa frog bromine system but will probably move to this method when I do my first drain and refill.

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