General Spa Balance

Spa Start Up Directions

1. Soften Your Water:
   • Test your source water at Premier Pool & Spa before filling your spa.
   • Recommended calcium hardness range is 50 – 150. If the Calcium Hardness is above 150 ppm, you can fill the spa partly with soft water from the house or use our “On The Go” portable water softener. 
   • Do not fill the spa completely with soft water, we don’t want the Calcium Hardness below 50 ppm. If you fill it entirely with soft water, you will need to add some Calcium Hardness Increaser to your tub.
2. Balance Total Alkalinity (Alk):
   • After filling the spa and bringing the water temperature up to a minimum of 85 degrees, bring in a water test to Premier Pool & Spa, or test the water with a test strip/reagent kit.
   • Recommended Alkalinity 80-120
   • Recommended ph 7.2-7.8
   • If pH or Alkalinity is above the OK range, open pump one air diverter and turn on all pumps. Add ¼  cup Spa Down. Wait a half hour, test the water again & re-dose with a ¼ cup of spa down if the pH is still high. Once Alkalinity sits in the proper range it is possible that the pH remains high. If this is the case, add 1 tbsp. of Spa Down every half hour until pH sits in the proper range.
   • Most customers use 1.5-2 bottles of Spa Down/PH Decreaser to get the pH & Alkalinity balanced on a fresh fill.
   • If pH or Alkalinity goes too low, add 1 tbsp. Alkalinity Increaser, or add water to the spa to raise pH & Alkalinity.
3. Lock in your Alkalinity:
   • Once your pH and Alk are both in the OK range after 3 repeated tests, turn on the pumps and broadcast 1/2 bottle of Simply Soft into the spa.
   • This will lock in your alkalinity, help maintain your pH levels, improve water clarity, reduce eye & skin irritation, prevent scale formation, and give your water a soft silky feel.
4. Establish a Free Chlorine reading (FCI) / Bromine Reading:
   • Start the pumps and add 1 tbsp of chlorine to get an FCl reading of 1-5ppm to start.
   • Bring in a water test to Premier Pool & Spa, or test with a test strip to confirm your reading.
   • Leave the cover off the spa for 30 minutes anytime you add chlorine or shock. Your shock is meant to oxidize.  If the cover is closed during this process, you will trap the oxidized contaminants in the spa water.

Weekly Spa Balance:

1. Test pH and Alkalinity – then adjust using tbsp of increaser/decreaser.
2. Test Chlorine – if you are showing a reading below 1 ppm, increase your level by adding 1 tablespoon of Chlorine Concentrate.
3. If needed, add weekly maintenance chemicals such as Enzymes, Stain & Scale Control, Unique, or a Water Clarifier.  For especially oily water, Scum Balls can be used to absorb more than 40 times their weight in body oils and lotions. Just float it in the water for 30 days or until saturated, then clean and reuse it.
4. After heavy use on the tub, it is recommended you add a tbsp of a chlorinated shock to the water (Make sure to leave the cover open/propped, letting the contaminants oxidize out of the spa).  Shocking should be done after every other use. If you have a large bather load, with a long bathe time, make sure to shock right after.