self standing Spa and new pool

[csevel]

I too am wondering if I can maintain my free-standing spa with chlorine. Any tips on how to start? My spa is empty now because I repairing a light fixture but I would love to maintain it with the chemicals I've purchased for my pool.

[carolynn]

Thanks so much Waterbear for the reply. I think I will switch over to bleach soon, when I drain it. Do I keep the CYA at the same levels I keep the pool? Does this help keep the chlorine levels stable even in the high heat?

[waterbear]

Thanks so much Waterbear for the reply. I think I will switch over to bleach soon, when I drain it. Do I keep the CYA at the same levels I keep the pool? Does this help keep the chlorine levels stable even in the high heat?

If the spa is outside and exposed to the sun you will need CYA just like in the pool. I don't believe it will help with the heat so you need to run your cl levels about 2 ppm higher than in your pool from my understanding. I am currently running my pool at 3 ppm and my spa at 5 ppm. Do you keep the spa heated all the time or only when you are using it? Ditto for keeping it covered...is it exposed to the sun all the time or only when it is in use? This might make a difference. Every pool and spa is different and you will need to see what works for you. It's really not hard. Just stay on top of your testing (keeping a log of your test results is a good thing to do at first) and in no time you will know just how much and how often you need to add your sanitizer and ajust pH, etc.!

Like I said, if you are going to be draining and refilling the spa every couple of months you might want to consider using di-chlor granules in the spa. Di-chlor is a fast dissovoling stabilized chorine and then you wouldn't have to worry about cya levels getting too high as long as you drain it regularly. You could shock with either di-chlor or bleach.. just keep tabs on your pH...spas tend to drift downward becuase of all the sweat and body oils, from what I understand, and di-chlor is also mildly acidic so keep your borax handy!

Enjoy your spa and pool!