Regular maintenance and common sense will ensure the full benefits of your personal spa
A spa pool can enrich your life. The soothing warm water can ease tired and aching joints and muscles. By observing just a few simple rules you can ensure that you always feel better for the experience.
Spa owners must aways put safety first.Please refer to Fact Sheets 2 & 4.
HEALTHY GUIDELINES
- Keep your spa’s temperature below 40 degrees. A range of 26 to 36 degrees is ideal
- Children must be supervised at all times when either in or near the spa or hot tub
- Spa use should be restricted to approx 20 minutes to avoid stress
- Never put your head under the water
- If you have any physical ailments, see your doctor before using a spa or hot tub
- People with heart or blood pressure problems and pregnant women should seek a doctor’s permission beforehand
- It is extremely important to ensure alcohol is never consumed while using the spa
HEALTHY WATER
It’s best to change the water every three to four months, or replace about one-third of the volume every three to four weeks.
Being hot changes the treatment regime for spa pool water. Properly applied, chemicals will keep it clean and healthy eradicating all viruses, bacteria and algae.
Your Spa retailer or local SPASA Victoria Pool Shop can provide a test kit and advice on its use.
It’s best to test the water before each use or weekly when not used. Always allow one hour before using the spa after adding chemicals to the water. Regularly check Total Alkalinity, pH and sanitiser (Chlorine or Bromine) levels.
TOTAL ALKALINITY
The range is between 60 to 150ppm (parts per million), with 80 to 120ppm recommended.
TESTING pH
The pH level measures acidity or alkalinity and it is measured on a scale of 1 to 14 with 7.0 being neutral. Below 7.0 is acidic, and above 7.0 is alkaline. Incorrect pH levels can cause poor chlorine or Bromine efficiency, eye and skin irritations, corrosion of metal fittings, cloudy water and the formation of scale on the pool walls and fittings.
It should be above 7.0 when measured at room temperature to avoid possible corrosion of equipment, and lower than 7.8 to ensure sanitiser efficiency. The recommended range is 7.2 to 7.6. It can be increased by adding soda ash and reduced by adding acid. Always test again after one hour.
SANITISING
Chlorine or Bromine can keep your spa free from harmful micro-organisms. Ozone may also be used, but there is no residual, so chlorine or bromine must be used in conjunction with it.
Salt water chlorinators are generally designed to chlorinate swimming pool water volumes and may produce excessive chlorine when used in spas. If choosing a salt chlorinator, ensure it is designed and sized to produce the correct level of chlorine required to sanitise a spa.
CHLORINE FREE SANITISERS
For people who have developed an intolerance to chlorine, or who live with Asthma, there are sanitisers that do not contain chlorine and that are registered by the Australian registration authority (further details can be found at www.apvma.gov.au).
These products include Biaguanide, Hydrogen Peroxide and Hydrogen Peroxide with Silver Nitrate (the latter two are liquids and can be automatically dosed). The residual on Hydrogen Peroxide based products is several days.
CHEMICAL DOSAGE
The amount of disinfectant required depends on water temperature and on how many people use it and how often. Very hot water consumes the sanitiser very quickly so check the level regularly when in use. Chlorine must be kept at 2 to 3ppm. Bromine at 3 to 4ppm and Hydrogen Peroxide at 100ppm.
After heavy use, the water should be shock dosed with sanitiser or chlorine free oxidiser weekly.
Be sure to check the level again before use. And if the spa or hot tub is not being used, add sanitiser every day to prevent contamination.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
It is important to keep the filter and pump clean. Clean the filter regularly and empty hair and lint from the pump as often as required.
Store chemicals in a cool dry place and always OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
Never mix chemicals together and never add water to chemicals - only add chemicals to water.
