Hot Tub / Spa Tech ???

[Boatwrench]

The house we moved into has a above ground spa. It is a Hot Springs 1987 model Prodigy. I didn't want to jump into a toxic soup and wanted fresh water so it would be my cooties so I paid a service to drain, clean, refill, and set up the initial chemicals to purify the water. It was costly.

Now my questions.

1. The service set the timer for the filters to come on every four hours for 15 minutes. The spa sits right outside my bedroom and I don't like the 1AM wake up call. The timer is easy enough to reset (the previous owners left the manual) If I reset it for 30 minutes at 8AM, 12PM, 4PM, and 8PM covering the same filtration time, but not evenly spaced over a 24hr cycle, is that OK?

2. This thing hasn't heated up yet. It's a 220v, outside temp has been in low 40s, dropping to low 30s at night. It has been running 24hrs and has come up in temp from 63F to 80F.

3. Chemicals. The service left a box of chemicals. Ph up, Ph down and strips I understand, same as the aquarium. The others:
All-Natural Water Treatment and Conditioner
Calcium Booster
Sea Klear Spa Sanitizing Granules ( I think this is chlorine)
Sea Clear Natural Clarifier All Natural Filter Soak

OK so which one is used for "Spa Shock" that I have read about?

4. They offer a bi-monthly service for $99 a month. Is it worth it? or is this all pretty easy once I get the correct instructions on how to use the chemicals?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[-xj]

Get yourself a good test kit. I use a Taylor test kit 5 functions. PH, Chlorine/bromine, Alkalinity, Hardness and Cyanuric Acid. Keep the chlorine between 1-3 ppm. keep Ph between 7.4-7.6. Alkalinity between 140-180 ppm, hardness at 200- 300ppm. and Cyanuric acid(stabilizer) should be at 40 to start. It will increase as time goes by with the addition of stabilized chlorine. when the Cyanuric acid gets in the 80-100 range its best to drain some water off. when the Cyanuric acid gets high it will make it nessasary to keep the chlorine higher to kill bacteria.
5 years as Inground pool tech.

 

[-xj]

Sea Klear Spa Sanitizing Granules ( I think this is chlorine)
That is your chlorine. make sure to let the spa breath for an hour or so after shocking so gas does not build up.

 

[ehall]

sell it while you have your sanity

 

[Jess]

I have had my hot tub for almost a year now and it is not costly or difficult to maintain. The filters I usually clean once a week with either the garden hose or pressure washer and about once a month soak them for a few hours in a 5 gallon bucket full of water and about a cup of bleach.


To "shock" it I use chemicals (oxidizer) from my local home improvement store (lowes, home depot, etc) and they cost about $25 for enough for about a month.

The rest of checking the chemicals is pretty self explanitory. Get a good test kit, check the water on a regular basis, and add the appropriate chemicals as needed. I usually drain and refill every 45-60 days.

About your heating issues, mine will heat from about 60 to 100-105 within about 8 hours if I keep the pump on. It helps to keep it covered to contain the heat, but even now (temps have not been above freezing in about a week) it will heat without the cover on. I was in mine last night when it was about 20 degrees here and it felt great.

I see no need in having a "professional" service the unit. It is not hard and you can save your money for the chemicals.

 

[Boatwrench]

Thanks.

I was in mine for the 1st time last night.