W
ater Clarity
22
OC Hot Tubs Owner’s Manual
LTR50001045, Rev. N
Starting and Maintaining Sanitizer Levels
Sanitizing your spa with chlorine or bromine is very similar.
Each sanitizer has its advantages and disadvantages.
Bromine:
Whereas chlorine can sometimes cause
offensive odors and skin irritation, bromine is less likely
to do so. Additionally, unlike chlorine, when bromine
combines with bather waste and other contaminants in
the water, it remains a very effective sanitizer. Bromine
is also far less pH-dependent than chlorine.
Always
remember that bromine by itself is not a sanitizer,
and it needs to be activated by shock in order to
be effective.
Chlorine:
The most commonly recognized sanitizer is
chlorine. However, the effectiveness of chlorine depends
heavily on the pH level of the spa water. In order to get
the most effective and economical benefit of chlorine, you
must maintain a consistent pH level of between 7.2 to 7.6.
A disadvantage of using chlorine is that when chlorine
combines with bather waste and other contaminants in
the water, not only does it lose its sanitizing ability, it can
cause odors and irritate eyes and skin.
After you choose a sanitizer, you will need to establish a
baseline and maintain it regularly.
Starting with fresh water:
1. Establish a baseline by adding either granulated chlorine
or bromine.
• Use half an ounce of chlorine for every 500 gallons
of water.
• Use half an ounce of bromine for every 100 gallons
of water.
2. Run the jets for 10 minutes.
3. Test the water. Make sure the pH, TA, and CH levels
all fall within the ranges shown on the previous page.
Make adjustments where they are needed.
4. At this point, if you use bromine, it is not yet activated
and
it will not sanitize the water
. You need to
shock-oxidize the spa water. Depending on the size of
your spa, add one to two ounces of shock. You can use
any kind of shock you want.
5. Test the water again. When the water is balanced, your
spa is ready to use.
Note: If you choose to use bromine, we do not recommend
using a floater. You have more control over the bromine level
by adding bromine as needed. For more discussion on this,
see page 25, “Common Water Chemistry Questions”.
Sanitizers kill bacteria and other organic waste by breaking
them down to non-harmful levels which are filtered out.
Before you fill your spa, you need to decide which chemical
sanitizer you wish to use. Consult your dealer for the right
decision with regards to your lifestyle and spa usage.
We recommend either
bromine
or
chlorine
as your
sanitizer. Both work well when maintained regularly.
DO NOT use Trichlor. Trichlor is very acidic and
the hot temperature of the spa causes it to
dissolve too quickly. It will cause damage to
your spa and will void your warranty.
Whichever plan you decide on, follow it completely and don’t
take shortcuts. It will provide you with clean, safe, clear
spa water with a minimum of effort. Spa owners with an
ozonator still need to use a chemical sanitizer. See page 27 for
a description of how the ozonator works.
2. Sanitation and Shock
Whenever you test your chemical levels, your test strip will
likely have a test for chlorine or bromine. Make sure your
sanitizer falls within the range shown below.
Testing For:
Ideal Range (ppm)
Minimum
Maximum
Chlorine Level
Without ozonator
With ozonator
3.0 5.0
2.0 4.0
Bromine Level
Without ozonator
With ozonator
6.7 11.0
5.7 10.0
