Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: wmccall on April 18, 2006, 12:57:21 pm
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Ok, in order to get a handle on people's water difficulties, I thought it would be nice to see what you are starting with. I was in my tub this morning, and I am a week away from my water being 3 months old and it still looks great.
My tub when first filled looks like this:
PH 7.0
Alk 70
Hardness - non-existant - no need to buy a water softener for the house here.
MY CYA is currently over 100, but I'm not worrying about that till the water change the 2nd week in May. I've never checked it right out out the tap.
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My water is:
PH - 6.8
Alk - very low (maybe 30)
Calcium - very low (maybe 10)
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Just had my tap water tested a couple of weeks ago before my drain and refill:
pH 7.0
TA 40
Calcium Hardness 53
Was instructed to add 4.5 oz Total Alkalinity Increaser and 22.5 oz. of Calcium Hardness Increaser to my 450 gallon spa. The best part is that after that, and putting in the Nature 2 thing, all I ever have to do is add dichlor after use. I love the fact that I never have to clean a filter or add lots of other stuff to the water. Very infrequently I have to adjust pH.
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"I love the fact that I never have to clean a filter or add lots of other stuff to the water. "
Why don't you need to clean a filter ... Do you use disposables? How much do they cost per year if you do?
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Hi Vinny - I do have a disposable filter - it is 9 months old and still working really well. I don't know how long they last - or how you know when it should be disposed of. I'm assuming when my water isn't crystal clear would be an indication that the filter isn't doing its job anymore. I'm not sure how much they cost because I haven't had to buy one yet - I have an extra one that I got with the spa so I guess I'm good for another year. Don't know how much people pay for stain and scale preventer, metal out, enzymes, clarifier, etc. - I don't use any of that - so I'm thinking that the disposable filter is a good value!!
Susan
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Tub when first filled:
pH 8.0
TA 70
Calcium 400-500
Having trouble convincing the pH to get down, but certainly dont have to add any calcium! ::)
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Out of the tap:
pH 8.0+
TA 70
Calcium 150
It's a bit*h to balance. :-/
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Out of the tap:
pH 8.0+
TA 70
Calcium 150
It's a bit*h to balance. :-/
Gomboman- how do you get your pH to stay down?
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Ph 8+
Alk 210
CH 210
and that's after 3 weeks of trying to lower it.
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From the tap:
PH 7.6
Alk 80
Calcium Hardness 70
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I'm betting for those of you with a high PH, but low alk that using the non-buffered MPS (2-4 ounces) will drive the Ph down, then just a little Baking Soda will bring it up and Alk too.
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Some baking soda to get the alk up a little and then some dry acid to get the ph down. It takes a few weeks for the water to settle for some reason. I try not to micro manage the water any more.
Gomboman- how do you get your pH to stay down?
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Yes, I want to try some non-buffered MPS. I'm assuming the MPS I got with my HS kit was buffered? Does that mean the PH is more neutral?
I'm betting for those of you with a high PH, but low alk that using the non-buffered MPS (2-4 ounces) will drive the Ph down, then just a little Baking Soda will bring it up and Alk too.
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Yes, I want to try some non-buffered MPS. I'm assuming the MPS I got with my HS kit was buffered? Does that mean the PH is more neutral?
Yes, it is probably buffered to keep it from affecting the PH. If you look at the ingredients it probably says something like INERT INGREDIENTS 55%.
The stuff that is 100% MPS will drive the PH down considerably. I use about 2 ounces of it once or twice a month in my 425 gallon tub.
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From the tap:
PH 7.6
Alk 80
Calcium Hardness 70
Why do you adjust anything except Cal since you're close to perfect?
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Alk - 40
ph - 7.4
Calcium - 50
Moving soon so it'll be interesting to see what the new water will be like. It's going to be from a community well instead of city water we have now.
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Why do you adjust anything except Cal since you're close to perfect?
I only adjust calc. I raise it to about 150. My TA stays at about 80. PH fluctuates a little...generally drifts down. I am fortunate to have good water.
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I only adjust calc. I raise it to about 150. My TA stays at about 80. PH fluctuates a little...generally drifts down. I am fortunate to have good water.
Sorry ... I mixed you up with tonyp just above you ... I thought you did a tub vs tap comparison. Even my new glasses don't help - LOL!!
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From the tap:
pH 8.0+
TA 50
CYA Low via strip but the Bioguard 1200v kit doesn't have a test for CYA or hardness/calcium.
Since I drink the stuff I assume it is safe to sit in...
In my one month old tub I have ozone, N2 and use only dichlor post use and to shock. pH in my tub is maybe 7.4 at most although I think it is right between 7.2 and 7.4 on the scale (after having used some bicarb AND pH up at different times in the past). TA is 120ish and CYA appears to still be low despite all the dichlor.
Would like to get the pH to 7.6 ish on a regular basis and was told I should try to bump up the TA a bit more before the pH would be stable. I have both sodium carb and baking soda. Presume baking soda is better for TA and sodium carb better for pH but not sure what, if anything, to add next.
I presume the dichlor is driving the pH down as I used a fair amount early on but don't use as much now after each soak (heaping tsp at most for 550 gallon tub) and shock maybe every two weeks at most.
Still, it is surprising my tap pH is so high yet my tub pH tends to run low.
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Still, it is surprising my tap pH is so high yet my tub pH tends to run low.
That is interesting, as I also have water out of the tap @ pH 8.0, and use dichlor daily (with each tub use) and have added Spa Down MANY times, and my pH is still 8.0. I have only had it full 3 weeks, shocked once with dichlor and once with MPS. Wish you knew your secret so you could pass it on! :-/
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Alk - 240+
pH - 8.2
Hardness - off the charts high
That's what I got to deal with upon freshly filling the tub. DOH! I realize softened water contains a lot of "extra stuff" that adds to the TDS....but would that be worse than, say, the acids to lower the TA into a workable range?
Should I look at filling the tub with half softened water, half hard? Maybe all soft? Hmmm....