COLDTUB Icekube - Page 49

Denitions of Terms
TERM DEFINITION
Calcium Hardness
(CH)
Calcium Hardness is a measure of the total amount of dissolved calcium salts in the water.
CH helps determine how scaling or corrosive the water is. It is believed that calcium helps
control the corrosive nature of water.
Calcium has two major problems in Hot Water Chemistry:
1. CH has a tendency to precipitate (fall out of suspension in high temperatures).
2. High pH will cause calcium to precipitate. The problem with calcium falling out of sus-
pension is that it collects on the heater and pump, and shortens their life.
Any natural corrosiveness in the water can be combated by maintaining a slightly higher Total
Alkalinity Level.
Alkalinity
Total Alkalinity (TA)
A measure of how stable the pH is (a measure of the total levels of carbonates, bicarbonates,
hydroxides, and other alkaline substances in the water).
TA is referred to as the water’s “”pH buffer””. In other words, it’s a measure of the ability of the
water to resist changes in pH level.
If the TA is too low, the pH level will uctuate widely from high to low. Fluctuations in pH can
cause corrosion or scaling of the Tub components.
Low TA can be corrected by adding COLDTUB Cold Water Balance to the Tub water.
If the Total Alkalinity is too high, the water will be more susceptible to scale and high pH. High
pH may be difcult to bring down.
Note: Salt systems naturally drive pH levels to increase.
High TA can be lowerd by adding COLDTUB Cold Water Run Down to the Tub water.
Once the TA is Balanced, it normally remains stable, although some sanitizers, and the addi-
tion of more water with a high or low alkalinity will raise or lower the TA reading of the water.
Potential Hydrogen
(pH)
The pH level is the measure of alkalinity.
pH is measured between 0 and 14 denoting verious degrees of acidity or alkalinity.
Neutral water has a pH of 7.0 Water below 7.0 is acidic and becomes more acidic as it ap-
proaches zero.
Water above 7.0 is alkaline and alkalinity increases as it approaches 14.
When the pH of water is 7.0 or below, chlorine will act primarily as a sanitizer. At this level, it
is very effective at killing bacteria.
At 7.4, chlorine will act equally as a sanitizer and oxidizer.
Above 7.8, chlorine will act principally as an oxidizer.
The pH of chlorine is 11.7ppm.
Tub water is considered balanced if the pH level is within the target range, between 7.0pH to
7.6pH.
Adding chlorine either automatically through a salt system or manually, into Tub water with
high pH, above 7.6pH, will further increase the pH level and dramatically reduce the effec-
tiveness of the chlorine as a sanitizer. This must be avoided by rst reducing the pH level into
the target range 7.2pH - 7.6pH.
Maintaining a Balanced pH level between 7.2pH and 7.6pH is extremely important for:
• Optimizing the effectiveness of the sanitizer.
• Maintaining water that is comfortable for the user.
• Preventing equipment deterioration.
• Note: Salt systems naturally drive pH levels to increase, strive to achieve a balanced pH level.
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