Following the recent shortage of chlorine tablets, Haviland Pool and Spa offers simple maintenance tips to save chlorine.
“Diligent hygiene and easy changes to your maintenance routine can reduce your sanitizer consumption up to 30%, ensuring clean and healthy water for your family despite potential difficulties purchasing chlorine tablets,” says John Bokor, director of sales for Haviland Pool and Spa.
Haviland’s three steps, to “balance, clean and remove” are easy ways to reduce consumption and stretch chlorine usage.
Step 1: Balance — Sanitizer works better in balanced water
Product needed: borate
Balanced water is the best way to ensure chlorine can keep your water sanitized. Invest in a test kit or strips to monitor pool water’s sanitizer level.
The key to maintaining this balance is boron, a mined mineral also known as borates. Borates can lower chlorine consumption because they have a buffering ability that allows pool water to remain at a more stable pH level for a longer period of time. Borates also inhibit algae growth, allowing chlorine to be more efficient and effective at sanitizing the water.
Step 2: Clean – Circulation and filtration clear the way for sanitizers to work
Products needed: filter cleaner and clarifier
The physical cleaning of surfaces, along with proper circulation and filtration, maintain the hygiene of the water, surfaces and users. Brushing spa walls, vacuuming debris off the hot tub floor, and chemically cleaning your spa filter are keys to reducing sanitizer consumption.
Step 3: Remove – For clean water, remove the “yuck” you can’t see
Products needed: enzyme and phosphate remover
High levels of phosphates can cause calcium phosphate scale. When it comes to calcium phosphate scale, prevention is the best solution. Maintaining a phosphate residual of less than 125 parts per billion (ppb) is the key to preventing phosphate-related issues. Phosphates are also a great food source for algae growth. Removing phosphates helps limit calcium phosphate formation, reduces algae blooms and ensures the optimal sanitizer performance.
Another helpful additive to lessen the demand for chlorine is the use of enzymes. As a part of regular maintenance, using a high-quality, broad-spectrum enzyme every week will help naturally break down the organics and contaminants hot tub users bring into the water, which will help sanitizers work more efficiently.
For more information on extending your chlorine this season visit bit.ly/haviland3ways or contact Haviland Pool and Spa at 800-333-0400 and on Facebook and Instagram @havilandpool.