Cal Spas LES - Water Clarity; Understanding Water Chemistry

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4. Water Clarity4. Water Clarity
This section is intended for new spa owners with no experience with water chemistry. Everyone’s knowledge
with maintaining water quality is dierent, but there are some general concepts you need to know.
Water maintenance is not diicult, however, it does require regular attention. The most important thing to
understand about taking care of your spa water is that preventative action is much easier than correcting water
quality issues.
Before you begin, we recommend you become familiar with some water quality terms and their definitions (see
the section below).
Whether you’re filling your spa for the first time (see page 11) or refilling it aer draining it for regular
maintenance (see page 42), start and maintain your spa water by following the plan we describe in this section.
1. Chemical Balance
2. Sanitation and Shock
See page 32 to learn how to balance your spa
water.
See page 33 to learn how to use sanitizer and
shock.
You will need to test and adjust the chemical
balance of your spa water. Although this is not
diicult, it needs to be done regularly.
You need to test the level of calcium hardness, total
alkalinity, and pH.
Spa owners with a bromine generator also need to
check total dissolved solids and phosphates.
Sanitizers kill bacteria and viruses and keep
the water clean. A low sanitizer level will allow
microbes to grow quickly in the spa water. We
recommend using either chlorine or bromine as
your sanitizer.
You also need to add shock to the water to stimulate
the chemical sanitizer. How much you use and how
oen depend on frequency and intensity of use.
3. Filtration 4. Regularity
See page 35 to learn how to balance your spa
water.
See page 36 for the schedule of recommended
maintenance.
Cleaning your filter regularly is the easiest and most
eective single thing you can do to keep your water
clear.
A clogged or dirty filter will cause the heater and
pump to work harder than they need to, possibly
causing them to fail.
The spa’s heating system will only function with the
proper amount of water flow through the system.
Clear water requires regular maintenance.
Establish a routine based on a regular schedule for
your spa water maintenance.
Maintaining your water quality helps the
enjoyment of your spa and extends your spa’s life
by preventing damage from neglect and chemical
abuse.