Water Care BasicsUpdated a month ago

1. For the Next Couple Weeks: Test Often

For now, test the water twice per day (morning and evening).

The goal of this is to learn your baseline, meaning how quickly your water chemistry changes based on:

• How often the tub is used
• How many people use it
• Sweat, lotions, oils, etc.

Once we see a pattern, we can reduce testing.

For example:

• If you notice that you only need to add chemicals every 3 - 4 days, then it’s safe to start testing every 3 - 4 days instead of twice daily.

Testing frequently at first helps catch small changes early, because the longer water drifts out of balance, the harder it becomes to correct.

2. Cold Plunge Chemical Tip

Granulated chemicals don’t dissolve well in very cold water.

For the cold plunge, do this:

1. Fill a glass jar with water from the hot tub side.
2. Add the granulated chemical to the jar and let it dissolve fully.
3. Pour that dissolved mixture into the cold plunge.

This ensures the chemicals are distributed properly.

Step-By-Step Testing Process

Always balance the water in the same order:

1️⃣ Balance pH first
2️⃣ Then adjust chlorine

Step 1: Check and Adjust pH

1. Dip a test strip.
2. Look at the pH reading first.

The target pH is:

7.4 (ideal)
Acceptable range: 7.2 – 7.6

If pH is too high (above ~7.6):

• Add pH Decreaser according to the directions on the bottle.

If pH is too low:

• Add pH Increaser.

After Adding pH Chemicals

1. Turn on the jets.
2. Let the water circulate for about 5 minutes.
3. Test again with a new strip.

Repeat until the pH is as close to 7.4 as possible and holding.

Step 2: Adjust Chlorine

Once pH is correct, move on to chlorine.

1. Test the water again.
2. Add chlorine according to the directions on the bottle.
3. Circulate water for a few minutes.
4. Re-test.

Target chlorine level:

4 ppm ideal
Minimum acceptable: 1 ppm

Two Very Important Rules

Never let pH drift too far

Try not to allow pH to move outside:

7.0 – 8.0

The further it drifts, the harder it is to correct.

Never let chlorine hit zero

This is the most important rule.

If chlorine drops to 0, contaminants take over and the water can quickly become cloudy or difficult to recover.

Always maintain at least:

1 ppm minimum chlorine

Ideally 4 ppm.

Think of it Like a Small Game

The goal is simply to:

• Keep pH around 7.4
• Keep chlorine between 1–4 ppm

If you stay in those ranges, the water will stay clear, safe, and easy to maintain.