Congratulations on your new hot tub from Mister Spas! Most of the care required focuses on maintaining water quality both to prevent microbial growth and to keep equipment healthy and functioning properly. This is an easy guide that you can keep near your spa or chemicals in order to know exactly what to do to ensure your spa stays running at full capacity for years to come. Here is a breakdown on Spa Maintenance:

• Test the water with Test Strips once per week to check water quality.
• Add PH Up as needed according to the Test Strips.
• Add Alkalinity Increaser as needed according to test strips.
• Add 1 Tbs. Chlorine per person per use OR 2 Tbs. per week.
• Add 1-2 cap fulls of Renew per week (+/- depending on spa size).
• Clean the Filter with a garden hose & degreaser every 2 weeks (bi-monthly). The Filter should be replaced after 1.5-2 years.
• Drain & Clean the spa and replace with clean water every 3-4 months
• Change your SunPurity Mineral Cartridge every 4 months.
• Replace the ClearRay UV Bulb annually (a notification light should appear when the bulb goes out).
• Wipe down your spa's Cover & Cabinet with 303 Protectant to ensure they stay looking great!

*All chemicals, parts, & accessories are available at the Mister Spas store, located at 618 N. Polk St. in Pineville.
Call Mister Spas at: (704)-889-7727            E-Mail Mister Spas at: MisterSpas@Gmail.com

​Visit the Mister Spas Website at: MisterSpas.com

We receive many questions about PH and Alkalinity. It is important to know about both in order to maintain your spa effectively. If the PH and/or Alkalinity get out of whack then the water can become too basic or, even worse, too acidic. It is rare for water to become too basic (usually it involves some kind of cleaning agent that hasn't been washed away thoroughly) but we encounter acidic water much too often.
To understand these concepts, we must first understand PH. 
PH, in its simplest form, is the measure of H+ ions in an aqueous solution. Acids, which lower the PH of a solution, donate an H+ ion (known as a proton). The lower the PH of a solution, the higher the number of these H+ ions are in a given amount of water. Common acids include Citric Acid (in lemons), Hydrochloric Acid (in our stomach and in pool cleaner), and Acetic Acid (in vinegar). These H+ ions can cause problems in a spa because they easily react with, dissolve, or degrade the materials used in spa equipment.
Bases, on the other hand, produce HO- (Hydroxide) ions. While high concentrations of these can also damage spa parts, it requires a strongly caustic chemical to produce these concentrations. These HO- ions react with the H+ ions, neutralizing them and producing pure water. Since HO- ions neutralize H+ ions, there will be much less H+ in a basic solution. Since pure water is perfectly neutral, any solution with a concentration of H+ less than that in pure water is considered basic.
​The ideal PH of a spa is between 7.2 and 7.8. This prevents bacteria growth, is the best for your skin, and preserves spa equipment.

Alkalinity is very similar to PH, but differs in some important ways. Alkalinity can be described as the ability of a solution to neutralize H+ ions (acidity) and resist changes to PH. Specifically, Alkalinity usually refers to the amount of dissolved carbonate (a weak base) in water. While this dissolved carbonate doesn't make the water very basic, it does stop the water from becoming acidic when an acid is introduced. The higher the Alkalinity in your spa, the more acids (such as the ones on your skin) can be added to the water without lowering the PH. So Alkalinity is basically (get it, BASICally?) the ability of the water to resist PH changes.
Now remember, too much Alkalinity means some of the dissolved carbonates can build up in the pumps/motors. The ideal range is about 80-120 parts per million in spa water. This is high enough to prevent drastic PH changes, while low enough to prevent carbonate buildup.