Jets, Jets, Jets

Your hot tub has become your place to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and truly relax. One thing that makes your hot tub different from your normal bath tub and much more enjoyable is your hot tub jets. The jets in a spa provide bubbling and massage action with the water that can sooth tired muscles and other aches and pains making your hot tub truly a heavenly oasis.

When your hot tub jets wear out or break it can sometimes be difficult to find the correct replacements for them. Depending on the brand of your spa, the manufacturer may have their own jets that you will need to use for replacements or some may use a more universal brand of jet like Waterway or CMP, these jets can be replaced with hundreds of options as long as they are the same size. The great thing about spas that use these to universal brands is it opens up choices for you in color and massage style.

There are many massage styles available and you will want to choose those by thinking about the area on the body which you are targeting. Large more powerful jets should be used in the areas targeting core muscle groups like the shoulders, back, legs, and feet. Soothing, soft flow jets should be considered in areas targeting areas such as the neck, hands, wrists, and calves. Many tubs will have an entire cluster of mini jets together for a more massage like experience. For special concern areas or for a more unique experience you can also consider, hand held jets, which are much like a hand held shower head in that you can use it to target any area of your body as you choose.

Many styles of hot tub jets are interchangeable as long as they are the same size. Most jets can be easily removed by turning them to the left and then they will pop right out. For example if you have one style of jet in a position for massaging your back but you would prefer it to be in a foot massage area as long as they are both the same size you can remove both jets and simply switch their places in the tub.

In order to extend the life of the jets in your hot tub you will want to drain and refill your hot tub at least every 3-4 months, maintain good water chemistry, and periodically use a product like Spa Purge that removes the buildup of organic waste from the hard to reach places in your hot tub like the inside of your jets.

No matter what brand your hot tub is or if it has 4 jets or 40 jets, they can be the key to maximum enjoyment. You can customize your hot tub just for you by selecting jets to target problem areas, selecting the massage type you prefer, and also switching around jets as you wish. With hot tub jet the relaxation and enjoyment possibilities are endless.

Spa Frog Systems

Spa Frog Systems allow you to keep bromine levels low in your spa when partnered with the Frog Minerals; the minerals destroy bacteria and reduce bromine use by up to 50%. Spa Frog Systems are much easier on you as far as spa maintenance is concerned. Simply set them and go for weeks at a time. Mineral cartridges will last up to 4 months and bromine cartridges only need to be replaced every 2-4 weeks depending on the use of the spa. No matter which Frog System you use it will make your water clean, sparkling, and soft.

Inline System

The Spa Frog inline system is factory-installed on selected newer spa models including: Emerald, Saratoga, Caldera, Marquis, Morgan, Watkins Hot Spot, Pacific Hot Tubs, and Leisure Bay spas.

The inline system is built directly into the spa, very easy to use with one bromine cartridge and a mineral cartridge. For easy top loading of replacement cartridges, simply open the cap, pull up the holder and snap them in.

Floating System

The Spa Frog Floating System will make your spa the perfect place for soothing relaxation, using up to 50% less bromine. Pre-filled mineral and bromine cartridges simply snap into a reusable floating holder and will work in any spa.

Mineral Spa Care

Mineral Care is a simple system that fits right inside your filter. All you need to do is simply supplements the minerals with a low level of bromine or chlorine.

Spa Frog Test Strips

The newest product from frog is the Frog Test Strips they are specially formulated for precise reading of low chlorine or bromine levels plus pH and total alkalinity. For use with Frog Mineral Systems that reduce chlorine or bromine use up to 50%. Pool Frog requires at least 0.5 ppm of chlorine while Spa Frog requires at least 1.0 ppm bromine.

Frog Test Strips Test For the Following:
Free Chlorine 0 - 3.0 ppm
Bromine 0 - 6.0 ppm
Alkalinity 0 - 240 ppm
pH 6.8 - 9.0
50 Test Strips

Frog Pool and Spa test strips are also great for any application in which accurate low range bromine or chlorine test results are needed. Experience the mineral benefits of using up to 50% less chlorine or bromine with Pool Frog and Spa Frog test strips.

Hot Tub Water Chemistry

Why is water chemistry important? Good water chemistry is the key to a healthy and happy hot tubing experience. Because hot tubs are not drained after each use like your bath tub is, there are certain things that need to be checked and maintained in order to keep your water in pristine bathing condition. Keeping your water chemistry in check will also extend the life of your equipment by fighting against stain and scale build up, preventing clogged filters, and preventing algae and bacteria.

Warm water in spas and hot tubs can make a great breeding ground for microorganisms and bacteria. Those can be transferred into the water by the bodies of the bathers, as well as airborne items such as viruses, spores, and algae. When left in the water untreated these organisms can lead to excessive skin irritation and even illness. Thank goodness for sanitizers, these will kill the bacteria that are in the water and leave it clean and healthy for you, your family, and friends to enjoy.

Sanitizer

Sanitizers such as Bromine, Chlorine, Pristine Blue, and Spa Frog Mineral systems will keep your water clean as long as they are maintained at the appropriate levels. Whichever option you choose to use, you will want to be sure and test your water often to ensure levels are being maintained within the recommended ranges for that form of sanitizer.

These sanitizing systems will work great but you will want to be sure to also use a shock treatment with them. Shock Treatments like SpaPure Oxidizing Shock or ProTeam Multi Magic Shock will oxidizes or break-down the dead organic material left behind from your sanitizer system, as well as non-filterable material such as body oils, lotions, films, hair spray, dirt and perspiration. An occasional shock treatment is a must to maintain clean, clear water in you hot tub.

pH

It is also very important to maintain control of the water’s pH level in your spa. The measure of acidity and basicity in the water is called pH. The pH scale ranges from 0-14. Levels of pH less than 7.0 are acidic while pH levels greater than 7.0 are basic. The proper pH range for a spa is 7.4-7.6. In order to maintain water comfortable for bathers these levels need to be maintained.

pH levels over 7.6 can cause scale build up, less effective sanitation, and a prematurely dirty filter. To bring pH levels down it can be done simply by adding the recommended dose product such as Spa Pure pH Down or ProTeam Spa Liquid pH Down.
Low levels of pH under 7.4, can cause bather discomfort, corrosion of equipment, and rapid depletion of sanitizer. If you need to increase your spas pH levels we recommend either ProTeam Spa Liquid pH Up or SpaPure pH Up.

Total Alkalinity

Total Alkalinity is a measure of the amount of buffering capacity in the water. It acts as a shock absorber for the pH. If Total Alkalinity is too low, the water is acidic and can corrode equipment and hot tub surfaces. It also causes pH bounce. The pH will drift down and any adjustments made to it will bounce and be difficult to control. If Total Alkalinity is too high, the water is alkaline and scale buildup and cloudy water can result. The pH will tend to drift up and will be very difficult to adjust. For more detailed information on controlling your spas total alkalinity please refer to What is Alkalinity?

Calcium Hardness

Calcium or Total Hardness refers to a measure of minerals in your water such as calcium and magnesium. It is important for your water to have some level of hardness, if it doesn’t it will begin to draw metal off of other sources---like your equipment and cause corrosion. If the water is too hard it can cause scale formation and cloudy water. If your tap water is very hard the use of a pre-fill filter can help in bringing down the hardness before putting the water into your spa. There is no chemical way to lower hardness levels but you can use SpaPure Stain and Scale Preventer to help avoid build up. Hardness levels should be maintained between 100- 250 PPM's for acrylic finish, and 250-450 PPM's for plaster finish. If you need to increase your levels it can easily be done using SpaPure Hardness Increaser or SpaPure Calcium Up.

Changing the Water

Water chemistry can be effected by a number of different elements, including chemicals, airborne contaminants, and the number of people using it and how often. To maintain good water chemistry we recommend a water change every 1-4 months depending on the use of the spa. To drain the spa you will want to turn off the electricity to the spa, locate the drain spout and attach a garden hose, this method can take a while so if you are looking for a quicker way of draining we recommend the Little Giant Pool Cover Pump, this will drastically increase the speed at which your draining takes place.

When refilling the use of a Pure Fill Spa Pre Filter, which hooks right to your garden hose, will make your initial water chemistry balancing much easier as it is like filling your spa with bottled water.