Original > Hot Tub Forum
Chemical Question
Gomboman:
If you shock with Dichlor you should wait until your free chlorine values drop close to zero. It usually takes a day or so for my spa to recover. If you don't want to wait you can shock with MPS which is a non-chlorine shock. Are you measuring your free chlorine with a Taylor test kit or test strips. The Taylor test kit is much more accurate until you build up your routine.
Your daily chlorine demand of 1 Tablespoon of Dichlor per day is pretty high. Mine is around a 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon so I can shock with around 1-2 Tablespoons of Dichlor for a 450 gallon spa. Your mileage may vary. Good luck.....
--- Quote from: Hoff70 on June 03, 2019, 05:27:46 pm ---
--- Quote from: Gomboman on June 02, 2019, 11:44:03 pm ---I would start here. This information was helpful when I started out.
https://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/forum/index.php/topic,24518.msg216024.html#msg216024
--- End quote ---
Thanks Gomboman... that was helpful! One thing that I'm still trying to get from the shock stuff... if I dose 7x my daily dose, I assume I have to wait for the chlorine to come back down to normal levels before anyone can use the tub, correct?
Also, let's say my daily dose is 1tb/daily. If the tub gets heavy use do I just add more dichlor based on measurements in addition to my 1 tb/daily? It seems that is correct?
--- End quote ---
bud16415:
It’s nice getting into a near zero ppm tub, but I don’t think it is necessary. Take a test strip with you next time you go to a public pool or hot tub and you will say Holy Shock Level Batman. It might not be the best for you or your swimsuit but it is also not a must to be zero.
As you said YMMV and that is true. When we first got our tub my goal as most peoples goal was to keep the tub sanitized but at the lowest levels possible. It is a daunting task and requires constant testing and adjusting to keep that very low perfect situation. Maybe the best way to do it would be with a salt gen system and very consistent usage patterns. For most people and with new tubs the usage is wildly up and down and if I was to error I found I would rather error slightly high. Not that I’m recommending going in after super shocking with chlorine. MPS/non-chlorine shock I think makes the best option for normal shocking and I leave the high chlorine shocks for if I find the tub really needing the help. Like after a party weekend of heavy use.
Hoff70:
Thanks guys...
I called my local dealer and got straightened out I think. I never actually received dichlor or bromine with my tub... only the 58% dichlor SpaGuard Oxidizer shock mentioned earlier. After speaking with my dealer they recommended the following:
Daily: 1/2 tsp dichlor per 100 gallons - my tub is 360 so I do 3.5 tsp
After use: depending on amount of people and time used - 1 tsp - 1+ tb of the SpaGuard Oxidizer shock
Weekly shock: Roughly 3 tb of the SpaGuard Oxidizer shock
I started this process today. Using test strips I tested the water and I was at 0ppm chlorine and 8.0+ pH. I added 1 tsp pH decreaser and ran my jets for a cycle. Then added my daily chlorine dose and ran my jets for a cycle again. I then tested and my chlorine was 3ppm, pH 7.6-8ish, alkalinity right on.
So... I think that's going to be my daily routine!
Does this seem reasonable?
bud16415:
3 tsp = 1 tbs. If I remember correctly and I use one tablespoon roughly per day for my 350-400 gallon tub. So that sounds about right.
The SpaGaurd Oxidizing Shock is 3 or 4 things in one. You are getting more dichlor along with non chlorine shock and some ph stuff also. I personally would keep it simple and have the individual items and add what I wanted for likely less money.
Just use your normal 1 tbs of dichlor a day or a little more if you have a gang in and once a week a cap full of non chlorine shock. If your ph goes off correct it with up or down.
Again if you are careful and clean about what gets in your tub you will need less. If you don’t use your tub at all you will need less. So keep in mind all these things are to counteract what goes into the tub. When you do your test strip think back to the day before and how it was used. After a doing this a few years I hardly have to test you will learn your tub and just know.
The only thing the dealer didn’t talk about is the stabilizer that’s in the dichlor. It keeps building and when it gets to high it makes your chlorine work slower. In an open air swimming pool sunlight takes it down. Covered hot tub not so much. So in a month from now your stabalizer will be 100ppm say you will start noticing your dichlor not being as efficient as it was when you first filled.
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