All responsible hot tub owners know the importance of achieving the right chemical balance in their spa.
When you know how to balance spa water – when it has just the right amount of sanitiser, when the pH is perfect, and when calcium levels and total alkalinity are in the ideal range – you get to immerse yourself in water that is perfectly clean, clear and safe, that smells fresh and that feels soft.
But to perfectly balance your chemical levels you first have to accurately measure them, then you need to use those insights to make the appropriate adjustment. From chemical measurement to water maintenance, here’s how to keep hot tub chemicals balanced.
How to balance spa water
The process of how to balance spa chemicals depends on the equipment you have at your disposal.
Manual
The most common water balancing methods are quite manual. You measure the presence of individual chemicals using test strips or test kits, comparing colours on a spa pool chemical chart to understand whether levels are too high, too low or just right.
If adjustments are needed, you manually measure and add the necessary amount of chemical to balance your water, then test again. You repeat the process until the levels have been brought into the ideal range.
Semi-automated
A slightly more automated approach is to choose a spa pool with a cartridge-based water care system, like Hot Spring’s bromine-based FROG system or FreshWater Salt System.
You might still use manual testing methods to measure chemical levels, but you won’t need to add sanitiser by hand, as it is dispensed by the cartridge, and you have control over the output. Over time you can get to know the chemical usage of your spa pool and adjust the amount that these automated systems release.
Fully automated
The ultimate in spa water testing technology, FreshWater® IQ is a first-in-world technology that has been designed to automate the water balancing process.
This system, exclusive to Hot Spring’s Highlife and Limelight collections, conducts an ultra-accurate digital test of your spa water every single hour. FreshWater® IQ analyses levels of chlorine, salt and pH, and if your water can be made any more luxurious, it tells you exactly what you need to do to enhance it.
How do you measure spa pool chemicals?
Adding the appropriate amount of spa pool chemicals, whether chlorine, bromine, salt, pH up or pH down, can be a tricky task for the uninitiated, and not just because the raw chemicals can be hazardous.
When you rely on manual, analogue methods like test strips and loose chemicals, balancing your spa water can be a rather imprecise science. This is why it will often take a few rounds of testing to get the balance just right – you might add too little or too much, then the next round you might overcorrect the other way.
Alternatively you could choose a spa pool fitted with a smart monitoring system that does the science for you.
FreshWater® IQ works in tandem with the FreshWater Salt System. Once FreshWater® IQ has precisely measured your spa pool chemical levels, it will tell you exactly what to do to bring them into the ideal range.
Often this will be as simple as the press of the button, which will trigger the FreshWater Salt System to increase or reduce the amount of sanitiser in the spa. No test strips, no loose chemicals, no protective equipment: balancing your water has never been quicker or easier!
FreshWater IQ: the world’s most accurate spa monitoring system
Hot Spring’s FreshWater® IQ system is the world’s most accurate spa pool testing technology, using precisely calibrated digital sensors to paint a clear picture of your water. It also does so automatically every hour, greatly reducing the work involved in water care, because we believe your spa pool should take care of you, not the other way around.
If your water needs adjusting, FreshWater® IQ provides clear recommendations via a digital display. Say goodbye to manual test strips. Save money by using less water and chemicals. Relax in the knowledge that your spa will tell you when you need to treat the water and exactly how to do it.
Get ready to win back more time, which you can spend soaking with loved ones in the cleanest, clearest, softest and freshest water you’ve ever experienced.
