Common Water Chemistry Questions - HotSpring Landmark Owner's Manual

8. Run the spa until all 16 ounces of the vinegar are gone. This should allow an ample flow of vinegar to be run through
the injector and clear the blockage.
9. Disconnect power to the spa.
10. Remove the empty cup or bucket.
11. Reinstall the tubing to the bottom of the ozonator.
12. Plug the Ozonator into the control box.
13. Close the equipment compartment door.
14. Reconnect power to the spa.
DOS AND DON'TS
• DO add all chemicals slowly into the filter compartment with the jet pump operating for 10 minutes.
• DO use special care if using baking soda to clean either the interior or exterior plastic surfaces.
• DON'T use swimming pool (muriatic) acid to lower pH.
• DON'T use compressed sanitizers.
The use of bromine sticks or tablets in floaters, which may become entrapped in a lounge or cooling seat (or sink to the
spa floor), have been shown to cause discoloration of or surface distress to a spa's shell.
• DON'T use a floater type sanitization system as a low or no maintenance solution to your spa maintenance
program.
The spa shell easily can withstand the effects of a properly administered sanitizer. Floating dispensers can become
trapped in one area and cause an over-sanitization (or chemical burn) of that particular area.
If the dispenser setting is too high, the high concentration can discolor the spa shell and damage the underside of the
cover.
Automatic floating dispensers have a tendency to either over-brominate or under-brominate as the rate of erosion varies
greatly. Damage to the spa and cover can occur very quickly.
WARNING: Watkins Manufacturing Corporation DOES NOT recommend the use of any floating chemical dispenser.
Damage to the spa shell or components caused by a floating chemical dispenser is specifically not covered under the
terms of the limited warranty.
• DON'T use a sanitizer which is not designed for spas.
• DON'T use household bleach (liquid sodium hypochlorite).
• DON'T broadcast or sprinkle the chemicals onto the water surface. This method may cause chemically-induced
spa surface blistering (chemical abuse).

COMMON WATER CHEMISTRY QUESTIONS

Question: Why can't I use a floater to sanitize my spa water?
Answer: Watkins Manufacturing Corporation does not recommend the use of a floater for three reasons:
1. The floater is unable to control the rate at which sanitizer is dissolved into the water. When a floater is first placed in a
spa, the sanitizer level can be extremely high. High sanitizer levels can chemically burn or discolor the spa's shell or the
underside of the cover. Then, after a period of time, the sanitizer level dispensed by the floater will fall to near zero. A
low sanitizer level will allow viruses, bacteria or algae to grow.
2. Floaters tend to stay in one area of the spa most of the time (usually over the cool down seat), causing this area to be
exposed to extreme sanitizer levels.
3. The floater may allow pieces of the highly concentrated sanitizer to fall out and settle on the floor or seat of the spa
shell. These pieces of sanitizer will chemically burn (blister) the spa shell. Although your spa shell is specifically
designed to resist the effects of spa chemicals, no spa surface can withstand this type of highly concentrated
chemical. Remember, chemical abuse is specifically not covered under the terms of the warranty.
Question: When I open my spa, I smell chlorine. How do I get rid of this smell?
Answer: There are two types of chlorine in your spa. The first is the Free Available Chlorine (FAC), which is the chlorine
available to sanitize your spa. This type of chorine does not have an odor. The second is Chloramine, which is residue from
chlorine already expended. Chloramines have a strong chlorine odor. The smell from Chloramines can be eliminated by
"shocking" the water. If you smell chlorine in the water, your spa is reminding you to add a shock treatment.
Question: Why can't I fill my spa with soft water?
Answer: Soft water is essentially the same as regular water except that most or all of the calcium has been replaced by
sodium. Soft water may be corrosive to the heater and other components. Replacement of spa components damaged by
soft water is extremely expensive.
Water Quality and Maintenance Page 50