| The Hot Spa Wizard |
| Hot Tub and Spa Information |
If you are wondering if it is wise to change to a salt system and are worried about what the salt may do to your spa, then worry no more! The amount of salt that you will be using to keep the sanitation of your spa is a lot lower then you think and is safe for your spa equipment. If you are having problems then your chlorine generator may not be working properly or you may have too much salt in the spa.
The wonder of using a salt chlorine generator system is that once the hypochlorous acid is used, the chlorine turns back into salt. So once you have added the correct amount of salt to your hot tub or spa, you will only have to take into account the amount of water that splashes out. This economical method saves you time and money!
When you hear of people using salt in their pools or spas instead of chlorine or bromine, they can make it sound as though it’s the chemical free method. This is a false interpretation. In the chemistry world, life cannot exist without chemicals and in fact water and salt are two common chemicals that we come in contact with daily. The salt chlorine generator systems are really there to make the most of the natural chemistry.
There are many people who find themselves with itchy and irritated skin when using a chlorine pool or spa but have found that they do not have the same troubles when using a salt system. A salt chlorine generator allows you to have more control of sterilizer output that frequently requires lower levels to attain pure water.
There are many ways to sanitize your hot tub or spa, how do you decide which one? There is chlorine, bromine, alternative sanitizers, chlorine generators, bromine generators, shock and so on. All have their place and some are better than others for a small water volume spa with hot water.
Sodium Dichlor
If you are going to use chlorine in your spa, this would be the choice. It is almost pH neutral (will not effect the pH of your spa) and dissolves quickly. However, it does have stabilizer (cynuric acid) which you don't want building up in your spa. If you drain your spa every 6 months then the cynuric acid buildup will likely not be a problem.
Trichlor
A great choice for pools, but for spas it disolves slowly, lowers the pH, has stabilizer, may cause bleaching of the shell if the trichlor tabls are in contact with the shell, and may leave a permanent water line ring.
Cal-hypo
Calcium hypochlorite is very popular for pools because it is relatively inexpensive. It includes calcium which can leave deposits on the spa equipment (heater and fittings) and can contribute to a calcium water line ring.
Liquid Chlorine
If you have it, use it but it raises the pH and is not the best choice for a spa with the water at higher temperatures.
There are a few things you can look for that will tell you it’s probably time to change the water in your spa. If you are noticing a build up of foam caused by your jets then you should do a partial drain. (THIS IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX)
If your water is cloudy then I would first make sure the chemicals are correct. In this case draining isn’t always essential.
If you use your spa often, one suggestion is drain your spa 12’’ every week. If not, 12’’ every few weeks would help to eliminate completely draining.
If you keep up the chemistry correctly, circulate the water often, clean the filters monthly and avoid drinking or eating in your spa, then you should not have to drain for three months. Quarterly draining must happen because the (TDS) total dissolved solids in your spa increase when you add chemicals. When the TDS is too high, it indicates that your chemical levels are too great and are unable to work proficiently.
But…
If you use salt chlorine generators or bromine generators, the salt in your hot tub temporarily creates a chemical to sterilize the pool. Once its job is done it turns back into salt thus creating this ongoing cycle. Leaving you with less build up of chemicals, less hazy water, less draining and more soft, clean water.
You must use non-iodized salt in your spa or pool. This pure salt prevents the water from yellowing over time. You will find that salt is sold in a variety of sizes and a wide range of scents. You can also use a water softener salt but it may take longer to dissolve because it is very similar to rock salt.
Chlorine Generators were created to assist you in having the least amount of maintenance for your pool or spa. Now you will still have to do some maintenance, but it will very on how often it is used and weather conditions. Simply add salt to the water, less than 2 pounds per 100 gallons. The chlorine generator will convert that salt to chlorine and they work all day, 365 days a year.
When you get a saltwater chlorine generator you are making a statement that you are going to be buying and using fewer chemicals, and part of the reduced maintenance is that you don't have to check your pool chemical balance very often. This isn't entirely true, you may still need to periodically shock the water and you should measure the chemical balance prior to use if it is a spa and at least once a week if a pool. Over time the chlorine demand of the water will go up as more and more organic material enter the water. A point may be reached where the chlorine demand for the water is the same or exceeds the chlorine output from your electronic chlorinator. You will notice that when the chlorine is low it takes longer over time for it to bring the chlorine levels back up. You may also have to increase the power level to make more chlorine as the water is consuming more chlorine than your chlorine generator can make at the lower power level. This is more likely to happen in a Spa that is used often and if you have a spa chlorine generator. A Spa chlorinator is designed to make much less chlorine than a pool chlorinator as you do not want to over-chlorinate your spa which could lead to corrosion.
Pool or spa shocking is the addition of a sufficient dose of chlorine: calcium hypochlorite (cal-hypo), liquid chlorine, sodium dichlor or non-chlorine shock (potassium monopersulfate or MPS). The purpose of a shock treatment is to break-down organic waste contaminants which cause odor, cloudy water, and a decrease in the efficiency of saltwater chlorinators. After treatment, water quality and clarity are often completely restored and you may be able to lower the power level of the saltwater chlorine generator.
When a spa is used every day there can be a quick buildup of organic material, and the water may look just fine and not smell, but the spa chlorine generator is having a harder time keeping up as the days go buy. If you increase the power level of the spa chlorinator that will also decrease the life span of the chlorinator as it will be on longer each day. Shocking the spa is a better alternative and you have to decide on a chlorine or chlorine-free shock.
In the 1960’s the hot tub became a popular way to relax for one to two people. They were easy to use and came in the form of a wooden, barrel-like tub. As this product grew they started using molded fiberglass or thermoplastic shells for the base. They decided to call this new improvement a “spa” to differentiate between the two.
The hot tub has come a long way since the 60’s and now features seating, jets, filters and sometimes even a light show. Now, the term “hot tubbing” is commonly meant as soaking in either a hot tub or spa.
Chlorine generators make chlorine from salt in your pool or spas water. You simply add salt to the water and the chlorine generator does the rest. The typical salt concentration is 2000 to 4000 ppm, at 3000 ppm that is about 2 pounds of salt per 100 gallons of water. Chlorine generators are very popular because they eliminate the buying, storing, transporting and handling of chlorine as well as provide a dramatic reduction in the maintenance demands of your pool or spa.
The chlorine generator has titanium plates with a special rare-earth coating that can have a build-up of calcium or other compounds over time. That is because during the electrolysis process current goes in one direction from plate to plate. Chlorine generators with the feature of self cleaning periodically reverse the direction of the current which helps to break up the compounds that have attached to the plates. If the hardness of the water is very high even self cleaning chlorine generators may still need to be cleaned, but not as often as those without self cleaning.
Chlorine generators typically operate at full power. To adjust the power they adjust how long they are on. A chlorine generator operating at half power may be on for 12 hours in a day, and off for 12. Chlorine generators without adjustable power usually need a timer added so you can externally control the amount of chlorine produced. Without controlling the chlorine production you can end up with too much chlorine. You can also adjust the chlorine production by increasing/decreasing the salt level but this can be a hassle.
Chlorine generators make chlorine slow and are usually rated in production terms of ounces per day or pounds per day. If you need to shock your water usually chlorine has to be manually added as a chlorine generator can’t make a lot of chlorine all at once.
Chlorine generators have less effect on the overall water chemistry than other forms of chlorine reducing the need for water balancing chemicals. Chlorine generators also make chlorine every day reducing the chance that there will be days without a sanitizer which also reduces the chances of green water. The electrolysis process of a chlorine generator does tend to increase the pH so with a chlorine generator you will need to measure and adjust your pH every week.
The titanium plates in a chlorine generator are expensive and the most expensive part of the generator. Units with higher chlorine production usually have more titanium plate area and are therefore more expensive. The most common chlorine generators are in-line, meaning they are plumbed into the piping of the pool/spa equipment. This also means they can only be on when the main circulation pump is on, or water is flowing across the titanium plates. If your chlorine generator has a low production rate you may have to run your pump longer to get the desired chlorine level.
This type of chlorine generator isn’t plumbed into the existing pool/spa equipment and isn’t tied to the existing equipment in any way making installation very easy. Usually, just plug in the power supply to a GFCI protected outlet, and then hang the chlorine generator cell over the side of the pool/spa into the water. This type of generator can have a lower production rate as it doesn’t require the existing circulation pump to be on.
The coating on the titanium plates determine the life span of the cell and it typically 10,000 hours of chlorine production. This life span is dependent on the current going through the plates and as the current goes up, the life drops.