Spa Owner’s Manual 685 Old St Rt 74 • Cincinnati, Ohio 45245 • 513-528-4141 Service Hot Line 513-528-8878 http://www.eastgatepools.
SPARCO & EASTGATE POOLS The SPARCO Distribution Network and Eastgate Pools: two great names in swimming pools and spas. Since 1967, SPARCO member stores have been providing customers throughout the Northeastern and Central United States with quality pools, spas, patio furniture, billiard tables, pool chemicals, and accessories. By working together, SPARCO members combine the buying power of over 50 stores with years of experience.
Table of Contents INTRODUCTION! 1 SPA CHEMISTRY! 2 SCHEDULE OF SPA MAINTENANCE! 10 SPA SKIRTING! 15 SPA COVERS! 15 SPA SAFETY! 16 FILTRATION! 17 DRAINING AND CLEANING ! 18 Rev 11/11
A Warm Welcome! Ahhhhhhh....There’s nothing quite as relaxing and fun as soaking away the stresses of the day in your very own spa. You are to be congratulated for providing yourself, your family, and your friends with the physical and mental benefits of hot water therapy. Everyone at Eastgate Pools & Spas would like to thank you for placing your confidence in us. In order to help make spa ownership as easy as possible, we have put together this spa owner’s manual.
Spa Chemistry Spa Capacity How many gallons of water does your spa hold? This seemingly simple question is extremely important when you consider that the most common spa models will hold anywhere from 150 to 550 gallons of water. A 400 gallon variance on a 20,000 gallon pool is hardly noticeable, but on a spa, what a difference. To make life easy, we have assembled the chart shown below. This chart lists the gallonage for each of the spa models that we carry.
Water Testing While your spa’s water capacity is important to know, it is also important to know what the chemical levels are for the spa water. Proper chemical levels in the spa helps to ensure that the water is clear, clean, and healthy. To save time and money, there is nothing more important than testing your spa water. It is regular testing that helps ensure that the water is of exceptional quality. Failure to test the spa on a regular basis will result in extra work and expenses for you.
pH! pH is a measure of whether something is acidic, basic, or neutral, and it is always measured on a scale of 0 to 14. Everything has a pH value associated with it. A pH of 7.0 is neutral, a pH under 7.0 is acidic, and a pH over 7.0 is basic. Your spa’s pH is important for many reasons, and as such, it cannot be neglected without problems occurring. On a spa, the pH should be kept in the following range: ! ! ! Recommended pH Range - 7.2 to 7.
TOTAL ALKALINITY: No discussion of pH would be complete without looking at total alkalinity. In water, there are minerals which act as buffering agents. Total Alkalinity is the measurement of these alkaline materials. While this does not mean much to most of us, what is important is that these alkaline materials play a significant role in helping to maintain the spa's pH. These alkaline materials help prevent changes in the spa’s pH. At proper total alkalinity levels, the pH will be more stable.
CALCIUM HARDNESS: Calcium hardness is a measure of dissolved calcium in the spa’s water. While calcium hardness is important to water balance, it is not as frequently tested as pH and total alkalinity. In fact, most consumer test kits do not test calcium hardness. As such, periodically have your water tested by Eastgate Pools so that we can advise you as to what treatment, if any, is needed.
Clean Water While Balanced Water is determined by pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness, Clean Water is determined by the spa's sanitizer. When we talk about clean water, we are referring to more than just water that looks nice. We are referring to water that is safe for the users of the spa. Clean water is free of both visible debris as well as invisible debris like bacteria. SPA FROG: This is our primary sanitizer and has proven to be our most popular customer choice.
BROMINE: While nearly everyone is familiar with chlorine and its role with swimming pools, they may not be as familiar with bromine. Chlorine and bromine are in the same chemical family, but most experts feel that bromine is better suited for the hot water application of a spa.1 Bromine Level - 3.0 to 5.0 Parts Per Million The role of bromine in spa water is two-fold. The bromine is both a sanitizer as well as an oxidizer.
NATURE2 SPA PURIFIER: As an alternative to bromine, a Nature2 Spa Purifier may be included with your spa. The Nature2 Spa Purifier uses natural minerals to sanitize the spa’s water, coupled with a very small dose of chlorine sanitizer. (In fact, if your spa is equipped with a Nature2 unit, bromine cannot be used on the spa. As such, do not use SPA SODIUM BROMINE SHOCK or Brominating Tablets while using a Nature2.
OZONE: The use of ozone can help reduce the amount of other chemicals used in the spa. But what is ozone? Ozone is a form of oxygen that is produced when ordinary oxygen, O2 is exposed to an ultraviolet light which converts this O2 to O3. This O3 is an extremely strong oxidizer and sanitizer. Ozone is used in many parts of the world to purify drinking water. Some people call ozone "nature’s sanitizer" because ozone is produced by lightning during storms.
Once Mineral Remover has been added and allowed to circulate, you are ready to make any needed adjustments to balance the spa water. Always adjust the total alkalinity first, if needed. If the total alkalinity is less than 80 parts per million, add White River pH Buffer according to the instructions on the container or the chart found on page 5. If the total alkalinity is greater than 140 parts per million, White River Liquid pH Decrease will be used as per label instructions.
Finally, add 1 ounce of White River Oxidizer per 200 gallons of water. (1 tablespoon = .75 ounce of White River Oxidizer) White River Oxidizer is a crucial part of keeping your spa water crystal clear. Remember, run the jets on high speed for at least 10 minutes after adding chemicals to the spa. WEDNESDAY As you did on Monday, test the spa water and adjust, if needed, the total alkalinity, pH, and sanitizer levels. Next, add White River Stain & Scale Remover.
WEDNESDAY Test the spa water and adjust, if needed, the total alkalinity and pH. Next, add White River Stain & Scale Remover. Add this product at the rate of 2 ounces per 500 gallons. White River Stain & Scale Remover is very important in that it helps prevent scale formation on your spa’s heating element and other components. FRIDAY Once again, test the spa water and make any needed adjustments. Plan on making Friday the day that you check and clean your spa filter.
No matter how great of a job you do maintaining your spa water, the time will come when you must drain the old water and refill your spa. Typically, spa water can be maintained for approximately 60 days. Based on your spa usage, you may need to change the water sooner. Each time you drain and refill your spa, you will need to do the following. ! 1.! Drain all of the spa water according to the directions found in your owner's manual.
usually worsens the longer the water is in the spa. To remedy this problem, add a squirt of White River Foam OUT to the spa water. The bubbles will disappear for a short time while you use the spa. This product is not a permanent solution. Excessive foaming may indicate the need to drain and refill the spa. White River Spa Pizazz Even with regular maintenance, spas can develop a water line. Some people call this line a “bath tub ring.
Spa Safety The time you spend in your spa should be relaxing and enjoyable. But like many other things in life, there are certain precautions that you must take to ensure the safety of everyone who uses the spa. The following list is intended to be a starting point for the safe use of your spa. It is in no ways meant to be an all inclusive list. SMALL CHILDREN/PREGNANT WOMEN Under no circumstances should small children or pregnant women use a spa without prior consultation with their physician.
Filtration The filter of your spa is one of the most important components to the spa and should be cleaned on a weekly basis. Fortunately, this is a very simple task. There are three specific housings and filter styles sold on spas at Eastgate Pools. The following are the steps you will need to take, depending on the style of filtration that your spa is equipped with. REFLECTIONS-SKIMMER HOUSED FILTRATION ! 1. ! Remove the skimmer face plate by lifting straight up. ! 2.! Remove the skimmer basket.
STRONG SPAS FILTRATION ! 1.! Lift off the drink cover. ! 2.! Unscrew the filter inside ! 3.! Use White River FC-5, per product directions ! 4.! Replace the filter and cover. ! A spa cartridge will usually last a year or two. The better it is cleaned, the longer it will last. Eventually, though, the filter cartridge will need to be replaced. Eastgate Pools & Spas carries these replacement cartridges.
Now that your spa is drained out and cleaned, you are ready to refill it. To refill the spa and put it back into operation, follow the steps listed below: ! ! 1.! Close the drain bib or on Reflections models, push the plug in and turn clockwise to the original ! 2.! Begin filling the spa. ! 3.! Keep filling the spa until it is at the desired level. ! 4.! Turn power on to the spa. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 5.! Check spa for water flow. IMPORTANT! If water is not moving through your spa when ! 6.
