A
Swim Spa is both a swimming pool and a spa or hot tub. And it's neither!
What?
Let's look at what makes them
unique to care for & treat.
Pool similarities:
"cooler" water - typically 85° - 95° F
"larger" bodies of water
"larger" surface areas & equipment
Spa / Hot tub similarities:
"larger" & more plumbing area
"smaller" body of water - compared to even a small aboveground pool -
usually between 1500 and 3000 gallons
"larger" bather loads - number of people per gallon using the swim spa.
"warmer" water - compared to the average swimming pool at about 80° F
"aerated" water - lots of bubbles & infused air into the water system
(leads to more gassing or aerosolizing of care chemicals)
water is typically heated MOST of the time (especially indoor swim spas)
need to be purged, drained & refilled on a regular basis Build ups of
bio-films leading to White Water Mold & Pink Slime are more of
problem in swim spas as opposed to algae. Cloudy water issues are
due to the accumulation of bio-films and bather waste (higher bather
loads).
Not only
those differences but you also need to take into consideration if the
swim spa is used indoors and year round or outdoors and seasonal.
Now, what do you use to treat it? Let's put it into a
simple table that should help:
| Chemical
Used |
Overall Effects |
Special
Notes |
| Chlorine - dichlor granular |
Good |
needs to be added multiple
times per week; can also be used as a shock treatment; ability to
"control" the amount of chlorine better; maintained at a level of
1.0 - 2.0 ppm |
| Chorine -
trichlor tabs/sticks |
Good |
may put a
drag or constant lowering of the pH; added using a floater or
chlorinator; maintained at a level of 1.0 - 2.0 ppm |
| Bromine tablets |
Good |
sometimes gives a "musty" odor; added using a
brominator or floater; maintained at a level of
2.0 - 4.0 ppm |
| Liquid
Chlorine |
Not so good |
significantly
adds to Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), resulting in more frequent
draining & refilling |
| Salt / Chlorine Generation |
Not so good |
High mineral levels, scaling of
surfaces, plumbing, heaters, etc. |
| Biguanides
(Soft Swim® or Baquacil®) |
Not so good |
significant
foaming, water can feel "gummy" if PHMB is allowed to be "high"
(over 50 ppm) |
| Ionizers (Nature2®,
Pool Frog®) |
Good |
may not provide sufficient
sanitizing when larger bather loads are encountered |
| Algaecides |
Not so good |
significant
foaming of the water; algae better controlled with borates and
solid chlorine levels |
| Cal Hypo Chlorine |
Almost bad |
significantly adds to Calcium
Hardness & Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), resulting in scaling and
more frequent draining & refilling |
| Borates
(Optimizer Plus®) |
Good |
controls
algae growth without foaming plus aids in overall water balance;
easy to maintain (at a level of about 50 ppm), typically added 1
or 2 times per year. |
| AquaFinesse® |
Good |
prevents & controls bio-film
build-up in plumbing lines and on surfaces; Pool Pucks are added
every 2 weeks |
| PoolNaturally® |
Good |
prevents &
controls bio-film build-up in plumbing lines and on surfaces;
sphagnum moss packets are changed monthly |
| Enzymes |
Good |
help "digest" excess swimmer
waste that will contribute to bio-films, odors, etc.; added weekly |
| MPS
(potassium mono persulfate) shock |
Good |
usually used
in combination with Ionizers; not a stand-alone product; a good
oxidizer but poor sanitizer; recharges bromine; breaks up
chloramines |
Household products? Stay away from
them. They are NOT pool or spa chemicals. Would you cook or do laundry
with pool chemicals? Didn't think so.
Remember that good water balance
(pH, total alkalinity & calcium hardness) is just as important for a
Swim Spa as for a swimming pool or hot tub. Good water balance
affects sanitizer efficiency, equipment longevity and swimmer or
bather comfort (red eyes, itchy skin, dry hair, rashes, etc.) and
health.
With all of this information, let's
put it all together for simple & effective care.
Click
here for the details.
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