Taking Care Of A Spa

There's more to owning a spa than just jumping in any time you feel the need to rest and relax. Like pools, spas must be maintained using sanitising chemicals and other forms of routine maintenance. Otherwise, they can become filthy, cloudy and all-around unpleasant; learn more by reading on below.

Basic Maintenance -

Firstly, you need to make sure that you take care of the basics. Changing the water is something that you're going to want to get into the habit of doing; how frequently you do so depends on how much of the water you switch out. If you'd prefer to completely drain your spa and refill it with fresh water - which is much easier to do with spas than with swimming pools Brisbane - then you can do so every three to four months. Alternatively, if you would prefer to complete this process in stages - approximately 30% of the water at a time - then you should do so approximately every three to four weeks.

Sanitising The Spa -

One of the most important parts of maintaining a spa is sanitising it. You have two basic options at your disposal: chlorine or bromine. A few different things will determine how much sanitiser you'll need to use; these include water temperature, the number of people who regularly use it and the frequency with which it gets used. Check with your local spa store for specific suggestions.

Total Alkalinity -

The alkalinity of the water affects it's pH levels, these inturn significantly impact the number and amount of chemicals you will need to use. Optimally, the total alkalinity of your spa should be between 90 and 150 ppm, or parts per million. If it falls below that range, you can raise it up by using sodium bicarbonate; if it exceeds that range, you can lower it by using hydrochloric acid. To measure those levels, you can pick up a handy test kit at your local pool and spa store.

pH -

The final piece of the spa maintenance puzzle is pH. pH is the measure of alkaline and acid levels in your spa's water. For best results, the pH of your spa should be between 7.0 and 7.8. When your pH is out of whack, various unpleasant things can occur; these include scale formation, cloudy water, irritated eyes and skin, the corrosion of metal and poor chlorine efficiency. For these reasons, it is essential to keep the pH of your spa within the appropriate range. If it's too high, it can be reduced with acid; if it's too low, it can be raised with soda ash.