The Importance of Properly Balanced Spa & Hot tub Water...

All Customers ask, "why do I have to worry about testing & balancing my spa or hot tub water?  If it looks clear, everything must be good. Right?" 

The answer is, "Usually not." 

The short answer is if the water isn't properly balanced, you're not safe, the tub & its components just won't last long, and finally, you'll be wasting your money!

Here's what we mean:

Basic balancing for you & your body:  When the pH & Total alkalinity are out of balance, your chlorine, bromine or other sanitizer don't work as efficiently as they should.  When the sanitizer doesn't work efficiently, bacteria & other stuff you don't want in your spa start gaining control.  You could easily end up with skin rashes and eye irritations at least.

Basic balancing for your spa: Without proper chemical maintenance, you get water line scum build-up, shortened heater life (the heater either corrodes away due to low pH & Total Alkalinity as seen in the picture to the right) or scale build-ups (high pH, high Total Alkalinity, high Total Hardness as shown below) prevent efficient heating (scaling of the thickness of just 1 sheet of paper can easily cause you to use at least 10% MORE electricity or gas), clogged filters and shortened filter life.  Left completely alone, we've even seen the spa cover become damaged because of it's constant contact with out-of-balance steam.  Built-in pillows get cruddy faster.  Lack of proper sanitizing causes icky scum or gusty foaming.  You didn't buy your spa for that mess!

Adjusting pH:  Adjusting the pH is one of the most essential elements to good swimming pool maintenance.  Almost more important than the chlorine, bromine or other sanitizer level.  When the pH is correct, the sanitizer works the way it was meant to.  Use SpaGuard pH Increaser to increase the pH and SpaGuard pH Decreaser to lower the pH.  Don't use baking soda (great for baking & cooking, lousy for spas & hot tubs) or any other household product that isn't made to treat swimming pool water.  SpaGuard pH Decreaser is a dry acid & is much safer than muriatic acid or sulfuric acid to lower the pH.

Wasting money:  I think you get the idea from the above paragraphs. You'll be purchasing more chemicals when you don't need them.  More frequent filter changes (proper cleaning of the filter cartridge should give a life of 2 to 3 years minimum).  We want you to have fun.  Proper water balancing, testing & care shouldn't take more than 15 to 20 minutes per week on average.

Good water balance & water chemistry is one of the 6 Keys to Spa & Hot tub Care.

If there is a question you need answered, please call or fax us, and we'll talk to you right away.

For your convenience, you may also email us your question and we will reply usually within the same business day. Please note that as the season becomes busier, we may not be able to answer it as quickly as you might need.

Most of the questions you need answered are found on the following pages. Please choose the category that best fits your question. Thank you for asking!

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