New hot tub setup process

[datadr93]

My new hot tub is slated for install tomorrow. Had a few questions on balancing steps to make sure I'm setting things up in proper order. Resident experts please comment and add/remove any steps.

1. Hot tub arrives and set into place
2. Begin filling while electrician connects 220v
3. Have a beer
4. Once filled, run Aqua Clarity purge for 60 minutes... drain and clean sides
5. Have another beer(s)
6. Fill hot tub and run heater once proper level
7. Lose count on number of beers
8. Add dichlor 0.4 ounce initially (based on PoolMath calculation for 6 FC level)
9. Check chemicals and adjust pH/TA after 24 hours fresh fill
10. Add dichlor in 0.4 ounce increments over many days until reach 30ppm CYA equivalent (and 5ppm CYA equivalent monthly to cover loss)
11. Convert to 10% chlorine once CYA target met when need to add additional chlorine demand after heavy bather load

Where I'm not sure to add in steps
- When to add borates
- When to add salt
- When to connect Saltron Mini
- When to add calcium... if at all (fill will be from ground well using inline mineral filter)

 

[Newdude]

When to add borates
- When to add salt
- When to connect Saltron Mini
- When to add calcium... if at all (fill will be from ground well using inline mineral filter)

So long as you have the bandwidth to focus on one task at a time, these can all be done at will. (Once you're purged and refilled).

Also remeber that when you lose the beer count, it's only 2 or 3 in dog beers.

 

[Ethan16]

Your hot tub setup plan looks solid! Here's a suggestion:

• Add borates after adjusting your pH and TA, ideally before introducing any chlorine.
• Add salt after achieving your CYA target, when you switch to chlorine, per Saltron Mini instructions.
• Connect the Saltron Mini after adding salt.
• For calcium, only introduce it if your water is low in hardness.

Enjoy your hot tub!

 

[datadr93]

• Add borates after adjusting your pH and TA, ideally before introducing any chlorine.

Suggesting to add borates after my CYA has been reached and I begin switch to chlorine? Or to not add any chlorine until adjust pH/TA?

Or are you suggesting once tub is filled, to balance pH/TA, then add borates, then start adding the dichlor?

 

[Newdude]

FC is king. (Any form of chlorine)
Ph is queen.

At will : (no particular order)

1) Lower the TA by managing the Ph if high, add baking soda if low. Then add borates.

2) Add CH if the fill water is low

3) Test salt for a baseline, Add 75% to target, mix well and creep up the rest of the way.

3a) Fire up the Saltron once the salt is well mixed and in range.

 

[datadr93]

That's in line with what I was thinking... add the borates after pH/TA is balanced.

Should the salt wait until CA level has been achieved or at anytime? Same for Saltron... do I want to be producing chlorine while still trying to establish my CA levels with the dichlor?

 

[Newdude]

The CYA is mostly for bather comfort as the hot tub will usually be covered with no UV exposure. The acid in the dichlor will lower the Ph some, but probably not that much in small batches and with quick Ph rise from insane aeration compared to a pool it might cancel itself out quickly.

The salt doesn't play into the Ph equation so that's handled when you have the time to focus on it. For example, you can balance the salt and not turn on the saltron immediately if you're still adding enough FC with the dichlor. If you're using more FC than the dichlor provides, the saltron can make up the difference. But the salt being well mixed is critical before using the cell.

 

[datadr93]

OK... that makes more sense with the salt. Will likely start that on Sunday and enjoy passing out in the tub the first night. LOL

Pool getting closed on Wednesday, so with the brisk 40 degree nightly temp... will likely take a plunge and then warm up in the tub. Have this weekend to do it.

 

[Newdude]

on Sunday and enjoy passing out in the tub the first night. LOL

Word of caution, alcohol hits different in a hot tub, where each drink is like several. I. am NOT the fun police. No sir. But ease into it until you know how you respond. The Mrs and kids would get woozy with no booze from the heat. I can only imagine if we added drinks.

 

[datadr93]

Word of caution, alcohol hits different in a hot tub, where each drink is like several. I. am NOT the fun police. No sir. But ease into it until you know how you respond. The Mrs and kids would get woozy with no booze from the heat. I can only imagine if we added drinks.

Sarcasm aside... I know that all too well from my younger years when I was more stupid and irresponsible than I am now. We owned a tub many many years ago. And wife and I were both idiots at times. Those days are past us. We'd both die if we drank even half as much as we did back then.

Plus, we have 2 birthday parties to attend late afternoon/evening (that I have to drive too). Now, will wife and I pop some bubbly and have a few drinks in the tub? 110%. Will we finish the bottle? Probably. Will we be stupid... likely... but after get out of tub.

 

[Newdude]

I'm at that age where I'm finding out the hard way that my blood pressure / sugar / cholesterol/ etc isn't what it was 6 months ago.

 

[JoeSelf]

If your using AquaClarity regularly you might want the CH at 125 or above. You could get foaming if the CH is lower. Run it up to 100 and see what happens.

 

[datadr93]

Got 2nd fill completed near Saturday evening (ran a 30-minute purge with 1st fill using Aqua Clarity) and added 0.4 oz dichlor to get initial dose of chlorine (6.6 per pool math). Used a pre-filter on fill hose coming from well yard hydrant (we have a small amount of iron in well water).

Sunday morning, my pH was >8, TA was 220, CH 150 with FC down to 4 (CYA at 6 based on amount of dichlor added); added additional 0.4 oz dichlor (CYA now at 12), 2 oz MA, and 4 lbs salt (1874 per pool math).

This morning, pH >8, TA at 190... added 0.8 dichlor (CYA now 24), 2 oz MA, and 7.5 oz salt (2094 total).

I believe my CH is stable and salt is at a level for Saltron to be connected later today. Should have one more dose of 0.4 ounce dichlor to reach my CYA 30 goal... but is that level too low to be accurately detected with Taylor kit? I know to supplement monthly with dichlor to replenish the CYA.

Why on a fresh fill would my TA be so high? Should I anticipate this with each future fill or are there chemicals on new tub I need to cycle thru? Should I dose higher with the MA to crash the TA down not having accurate value of pH? I am holding off on adding the Borax until my pH/TA is stabilized.

 

[Mdragger88]

You have high ta fill water.
You can expect this at each refill.
You always adjust ph & keep ph in the 7’s- not adjusting ta directly.
As you lower ph the ta will fall. Aerate to raise ph again without raising ta so you can lower it again with acid. Repeat until the ta is where you want before adding borates. Most find 50/60 to be a good spot. With borates in the equation you must use more acid to get the same results so that is why it is recommended to wait.
You have some work ahead of you but the good news is that it’s pretty fast cycles in a hot tub since its so small & there’s lots of aeration.
Like 15-30 minutes if you’re running the jets.
It will seem slow going at first with the ta that high (like ta isn’t moving much) but as it lowers each acid dose will have a larger impact.
Work on it when you have time.

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.

www.troublefreepool.com

For adding borates we recommend using boric acid - its a more ph neutral way.
When using borax you have to offset the ph effects with more acid. You can use the borax in your laundry.

Borates in pool - Further Reading

www.google.com

 

[Mdragger88]

Also, do not guess or extrapolate about your ph if it looks higher than the highest comparator value.
Simply put the highest comparator value in PoolMath as your “current” & lowish 7’s as your “target” (7.2/7.4) and dose with the prescribed amount.
Repeat until you have a readable ph & can then dose more precisely.

 

[datadr93]

That's what I've been doing with the pH comparator value... plugging in as 8 and using amount of MA to bring down to 7 (7.6 target once balanced).

And on jet cycling... you're suggesting retest after a high jet cycle (30 minutes) and re-test? I'm good with that to bring down the TA more rapidly. I was targeting 70... but 50/60 before adding Borax just as well.

I used Borax for my pool and know to counter with the MA. I still have some boxes for next season and planned on using same for hot tub... but only after I get the pH/TA balanced.

 

[Mdragger88]

Yes its super quick in a tub - especially at first when the ta is so high.
Honestly 10-15 minutes is fine to retest. Nothing like in a pool where it takes days. You’ll notice the ph rise will get slower as the ta drops.

 

[datadr93]

Just tested... pH down to readable 7.8 and TA at 160. I'll reduce down to 7.

Once stable pH... do I then go back to daily for TA level since I wouldn't expect that to drop as rapidly? Obviously if TA is high the pH will creep but I'm understanding to stabilize the pH and then monitor the TA... is that accurate?

 

[Mdragger88]

Once the ta is in the 50/60 range the ph will be a bit more stable (won’t rise as quickly) but it will still rise (nature of the beast)
so when you need to lower it just aim for 7.6/7.8 (drops of 0.4 or less) as to not drop the ta too appreciably.
You’ll probably find that the ph will hang in the high 7’s or 8.0 for quite some time so don’t rush to lower it.
I would suggest checking ta every few times that you tinker with ph or at least once a week so you know you’re dosing your acid correctly.
If you get alot of splashout and have to add that high ta water regularly you’ll probably not have to worry too much about ta falling too low unless you have an overdose mishap with acid.