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To lower pH/Alkalinity (which is typical in well water) add your reducer and allow the water to be calm. Do not agitate the water by turning on the jets. Calm water allows for the reducing agent to get better results, and faster. This does not mean that turning on the jets will negate the reduction process. It just wont work as well. I usually have my customers apply dry pH reducer to the empty tub (The amount needed varies per customer) and then fill the tub. Thus, by the time the tub is full the pH and alkalinity levels are reduced to the correct level. I am sure others can expand on this further but I just wanted to contribute to this site. This is my first post and I dont even know how to do my profile. But I have a lot of knowledge to share so I hope I was able to help. Good luck moving forward.
Quote from: The Wizard of Spas on February 08, 2016, 02:17:27 pmTo lower pH/Alkalinity (which is typical in well water) add your reducer and allow the water to be calm. Do not agitate the water by turning on the jets. Calm water allows for the reducing agent to get better results, and faster. This does not mean that turning on the jets will negate the reduction process. It just wont work as well. I usually have my customers apply dry pH reducer to the empty tub (The amount needed varies per customer) and then fill the tub. Thus, by the time the tub is full the pH and alkalinity levels are reduced to the correct level. I am sure others can expand on this further but I just wanted to contribute to this site. This is my first post and I dont even know how to do my profile. But I have a lot of knowledge to share so I hope I was able to help. Good luck moving forward.This paragraph is 100% wrong. After you add the pH down, or acid, you want to turn on the jets and circulate for a good 20 minutes. Aeration is the key here.I'm on well water, and when I refill my tub, the water is just plain ugly. I don't use any special metal sequestering agent or anything of the sort, just run the jets for several cycles, and eventually all the rust ends up in the filters. Hose off, and you're done. Try it once, and see what happens. Those spa stores love to sell all those pretty bottles of magic potion that are really not needed. Picture of my filter after 6 to 8 hours of water circulation.
I must not have articulated my point well enough. Having your pH and alkalinity balanced goes a long way to sequestering metals. The metals will be in your spa as it is in high content from well water. To have the best possible conditions for your sequestering agents to work at maximum effectiveness, it would behoove you to have your pH and alkalinity balanced prior to adding whatever you use to remove/sequester metals. I am not pushing a product, but rather the process. In my experience with well water I have found that the most effective way to lower your pH and alkalinity is to add your reducing agent (whether it be muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate) to calm water. Again, as noted in my previous post, if you were to turn your pumps on and agitate the water, you will get results. However, I have found that by having the water calm and still, I've seen better (and faster) results when lowering your pH and/or alkalinity in inground or above ground pools and swim spas and/or hot tubs. Thus, when you are fresh filling the tub, a way to expedite the process is to toss in (lets say 1# of sodium bisulfate, as an arbitrary number) your reducing agent to the empty footwell while your tub is filling. The filling process is calm enough that when you do turn your tub on and the water turns over after a short spell, your pH/alkalinity will be reduced in its maximum ability.Again- I understand that when adding chemicals to your spa its always good to have your water moving/pumps on. I am only speaking in this specific instance.Does this better convey my message? Sorry if it is confusing. This was something I was taught by the head chemist at a major pool/spa chemical manufacturer and I just wanted to pass it along to the forum.
Picture of my filter after 6 to 8 hours of water circulation.
Man I hope you filter your drinking water.