This advice is intended for personal backyard spas that are only used by a couple of people and stay covered all the time.
Get a test kit that can measure Bromine, pH, and Alkalinity. I prefer the ones that use drops, but you can also use strips. (I just have trouble discerning the colors on the strips and can see the color change with the drops better.) Test about once a week.
If the pH or Alkalinity is low -- add Baking Soda (a couple of tablespoons at a time)If the pH or Alkalinity is high -- add acid (dry acid is safer for spas) (a couple of tablespoons at a time)
For sanitizing, I recommend using 1" bromine tablets in a floater. (If your skimmer has a dedicated place for tablets, you can put them there.) Two or three at a time should be fine. They stay in all the time and provide slow and constant sanitizer.
Every couple of weeks you can add an oxidizer shock. Use potassium monopersulfate (maybe 2-3 Tbs at a time). Do not use chlorine shock.
On alternate weeks from the oxidizer I recommend using an enzyme called Spa Perfect. It gets rid of odors and body oils.
There will be many weeks that you won't need to do anything except maybe add another bromine tablet.
The spa needs to filter every day, but doesn't need much time--maybe an hour.
Taking care of a spa is pretty easy. Less is better. You can run the sanitizer on the low end of ideal since the spa has few people using it.
Taking care of a spa is pretty easy. Less is better. You can run the sanitizer on the low end of ideal since the spa has few people using it.
