Maintenance
Water Quality and Water Chemistry
Maintaining water quality and water chemistry in your spa is extremely important and should be a regular part of
your spa maintenance program, as a neglected spa can be a breeding place for dangerous bacteria.
The water quality of your spa is maintained by a combination of filtration and chemistry. The spa’s integral filter
system helps maintain the water cleanliness and clarity by trapping most solid materials such as body oils, hair, and
other debris resulting from normal use. However, the most important part of maintaining water chemistry is keeping
the proper level of disinfectant in the water at all times. This is accomplished by adding chlorine or bromine (but never
mix the two!) to the water, which will control particles too small to be trapped by the filter, such as bacteria and algae,
and will oxidize any organic materials. Follow instructions provided here and with water quality products for the health
and safety of spa users, as well as to make your spa bathing as enjoyable as possible.
MAINTENANCE
Filtration
The filtration system of your spa will keep your water
clear and clean if used properly. We recommend that
you run your filter system for at least two hours each day.
The filter cartridge elements will trap most solid materi-
als and debris in the water. However, the presence of
materials such as body oils or other particles which are
too small to be captured in the filters may bring about
various undesirable water quality conditions. These
conditions can be corrected with the use of spa treat-
ment chemicals which are available from your Jacuzzi
Whirlpool Bath dealer. Such conditions include the fol-
lowing:
Foaming: A defoamer is available to minimize foaming
of the water. This condition is usually caused by the
addition of soaps or oils, or other fatty substances to the
spa water. The interaction of these with hot water,
especially at high pH (more alkali), will cause the water
to foam. (See Water Quality Definitions.)
Oil Film or Cloudy Water: Add clarifier to congeal oil
film on the water surface into globules sufficiently large
to be trapped by the system’s filter. Cloudiness is caused
by particles that are too small to be trapped in the filter.
and is also due to the presence of human body oils,
lotions, and cosmetics. During normal use, these mate-
rials can accumulate on the filter element and clog its
pores. The addition of clarifier will make the water
clearer, but clogged filters must be cleaned as pre-
scribed under the section entitled “Filter Maintenance” in
this manual.
Hard Water: Add a de-mineralizer to break down or de-
ionize mineral particles present in the spa water.
Follow the “Filter Maintenance” procedure described in
this manual to ensure optimum performance of your
spa’s filtration system.
Water Chemistry
You can ensure better water chemistry by testing your
spa water every day and adjusting the chemical balance
frequently. Obtain a water quality test kit, designed
especially for spas, from your Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath
dealer. The test kit must be of the type which allows you
to test for the disinfectant (chlorine) level, pH, and total
alkalinity. Make sure, also, that chemicals used in your
spa are especially for spa use, and not for swimming
pools, as water quality maintenance of spas and swim-
ming pools is very different.
Set up a daily program at first to check the disinfectant
level, pH, and total alkalinity of the water to familiarize
yourself with the amount of chemicals to add and to
determine how often to make chemical adjustments
during normal use. Remember that the more heavily the
spa is used, the more often you should check the water
chemistry.
When adding any chemicals, always run the filter sys-
tem to ensure complete dilution with the water. Do not
add chemicals directly into the skimmer opening.
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