Hi so I've shocked mine and after 2 hrs it all high on the strip my question is do I have to wait 24 hrs till I can use pH minus or use it on first test Many thanks .
@@lewissimmons2749 what the 'proper' procedure is on that I am not sure, but I just use it as needed. Works for me. Go easy with it though, you don't want to put too much in at once and then end up putting in pHplus, lol
Excellent instruction guide! Straight to the point, nice and clear. Thank you! All pros and cons explained simply. Recommend this guys video when you are a hot tub newbie. Went straight out into my garden and everything fell into place after watching this.
I live in a hard water area and after filling my Miami hot tub the pH and total alkalinity were off the chart. I had the chemical starter kit and instructions said to add 1.5 teaspoons of pH minus daily until levels were correct. I added 1.5 teaspoons and nothing happened, later added another 1.5, still no change. I found a guide and calculator online that said I need around 100g (14 teaspoons) to fix the levels. I added this large quantity and bingo! Everything was in the right spot. If I had followed the instructions in the kit it would have taken 10 days to get it right. If you live in an area with chalky hard water and be aware that you may need to add a lot of pH minus to bring down the alkalinity.
Your Chemical Guide is probably the best instructions I've seen in a long while. These tubs are not cheap and using chemicals, you just don't want to mess it up. Thank you! 😊
Thank you Melanie. It's quite a balancing act really. We want a pleasant experience and no skin problems. At the same time we don't want to ruin the fabric of the tub with the chlorine, nor be wasteful with it.
Absolutely love your videos. Clear, easy to follow, no crappy background music. Good job you don’t live next door; I’d be round every 5 minutes for advice 😀
We should receive ours today or Monday, was actually considering just selling it when it arrived as sounded like more hassle than it was worth. This video has changed my mind, good easy to understand info 👍
This has been really helpful for us! We are struggling to maintain chlorine levels - would be great to see follow up video discussed on longer term maintenance and keeping costs low.
I've done one on costs of running the tub, but "as it comes". I've been looking for a suitable insulation product/cover, but there isn't much available. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-faXmTUEuEiM.html
chlorine levels drop over time so if its on the high side then you will suffer skin complaints if you use it so if its low just add a shock treatment to the water and wait 24hrs and test. we dont bother testing anymore as we have a routine and every other day we use the spa so just pop a shock treatment in after use and then go back to it 2 days later and the levels are ok.water quality may differ for different areas so you need to find what works for you and frequency of your useage
I know so many people with these. U can Litrally run it with no problems, just using chlorine floater and chlorine tablets. Adding a couple more every 5 days or so and that’s it.
I melted my last lay z spa vegas with pH+ I added 50grams dissolved in boiling water as I got impatient with how little impact I got with 5grams and the whole tub started bubbling! 🤣 Be careful with PH+ and PH- Use in small doses!
Dead right about the dodgy advertising. You need a chemistry degree just to get round the water testing, which is no joke and there is no way you can take any shortcuts.
Utter total rubbish. Tell me why you would add foam remover (a synthetic silicate) to new water. As a marine biologist and reef chemist I would love to know.
Hi, we’ve set up our hot tub but can’t get the ph levels right. Keep having to add ph- and ph+ but it keeps going too high or too low. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
It should be pro-rated, so start off with half the amount for 1200 litres and as the days pass adjust up or down according to the readings you get from the test strips.
Everything I read says I should wait 24 hours after adding the chemicals. Ours has a chem-connect inside the tub. Should we not use that and mix it in a jug of water like you are?
Thanks for sharing this amazing video that simplifies so much of the vague instructions. Do you have any tips for maintaining the PH levels? I'm using ClearWater's 4 in 1 tablets, which I hoped would simplify things even further, but whilst the chlorine levels tend to read on the high end of the scale the ph levels always seem to ready on the low - not sure if there's a simple way to get them all balanced, I'm adding ph+ fairly frequently at the moment.
Yes, you're 'supposed' to shock for 24hrs if you can resist the urge to get in. The instructions say to add foamer at a certain dosage, but I've now reverted to only adding it if it needs any
So why are you telling people to add defoamer? Why are you not stressing that they leave their tub for 24 hours after adding the commissioning shock? Your advice is very unsafe
i have been setting up my hot tub following theses most excellent instructions . it is sited in an open garden and it rained and the lid filled up with water and sagged . I would be interested to know what others have to solve this problem ... suggestions would be most welcome ..thank you
hello Clare you have probably solved your issue months ago but just in case you havent , i bought an inflatable cushion which when i plonked it on the top of the cover and then put on the thermal cover gave the top a nice convex shape and the rainwater just runs straight off
Hello mate, Just bought vegas spa instructions are terrible I don't understand when or how to add chrncials does the hot tub have to be on and heated .... no information whatsoever You mentioned at the start about following instructions from clearwater but you don't follow the guide they say, I can't understand the instructions I've got, do I just follow this guide after filling up the hot tub with fresh water and get it heated to 40deg? Any help be appreciated thanks
Thank you for your videos because otherwise I’d still be sitting with no hot tub use. The lay-z spa instructions & even their videos are absolutely useless. Had I known this I wouldn’t have bought one. I’d have tried another brand.
This is quite normal and happened to me. This is why we 'shock' a new tub. The initial dose has to clean all the materials in the tub/pump/etc and deal with any impurities left by the manufacturing process. It's a similar thing to why car dealers valet all new cars that come straight from the factory. Not because they are dirty as such, but neither are they 'clean'.
Hi, great video !! Beings that you know what you are talking about I’m hoping you can help me. Basically I have the ph smack in the middle but my chlorine level is low and my alkalinity level is high. Do you have any idea how to level them up? Thanks in advance.
Be a bit more 'generous' with the chlorine, maybe shock it for 24hr. I've stopped getting hung up on 'the numbers' as long as the water is clear and clean. Just be careful not to be too generous with the chlorine - we managed to bleach one of the wife's swimsuits, lol
Hang on a minute... only last month you showed me how to stop the water ingress in the footwell of my Saab 9-3 cabrio, now you’re teaching me how to set up my Spa chemicals!? Heroes don’t wear capes, they make instructional RU-vid videos 🦸🏻♂️🦸🏻♂️🦸🏻♂️🦸🏻♂️
Ah ha! So, you've come over to the Dark Side, eh? Yes, I'm a Professional Automotive Engineer by training and trade, but I'm also a qualified Electrician (was SE Spark for 8 years when it looked like JLR was going down the toilet under Ford). I'm an old skool hands on type of Engineer and know loads of people I can get advice of all sorts from.
i did 2½ teespoon Chlorine for 677L spa, and the PH and Chlorine level was off the chart lol i just added some 32g PH minus to see if i can get it lowered a bit, its over 8.0, so probably have to add another 32g or fill little more water
Very good video. We have just bought a Lay Z Spa and are setting it up today. This may sound like a really stupid question, but do you do this wilst the water is cold, or once it has heated up? Thanks in advance
Technically you could set it up and have a spa in the fresh tap water (but it will be cold lol) however I’ve used the warm tap to fill it before and just chemical it later and before your next one ☝🏻
Great video, thanks. Do you really need to test every day?…. That’s an extra £5 a month just on test strips before you even think about chemicals and electricity.
Hi Kristian, the instructions say to test daily, but I reduced to testing every other day and that seemed okay. I'm trying out using tablets now and am testing only every 3rd or 4th day. I still need to use granules for boosting levels or at a water change.
Great video and so helpful but I'm a bit daft and still unsure. So i have drained my hot tub and refilled with fresh water. Do I add the 25g or 12.5g of stabilised chlorine granules?
Hello again ^^. Great and clear instruction again, plus some good humor there :P. I am curious also wondering that I am using the Chlorine Free tablets for the tub, so the test strip shows the levels of chlorine 0, is that healthy good? I have been doing some research but seem like 99% people use chlorine -,-. So I end up using the tub when the pH and TA are good. Would be nice to see you give it a try too ^^.
Some people get reactions to chlorine, sometimes skin, sometimes eyes. Hence the chlorine free tabs for those people. As you say the majority use chlorine anyway. In this case I would expect the chlorine indicator to show '0'.
I didn't know that tap water was so dangerous. Next time I freshly fill up my bath to have a nice warm dip I will make sure it is all chemed up and ready to go lol. No way does a new spa need all that first. Just get in and do the chemicals later after all the fun.
@@AbouttheHouse0 I have the chemicals to care for my hot tub. It just seems crazy to wait so long before you can get in for the first time. Enjoy first and then let the chemicals go to work after.
Great videos they have helped me out lots as i have never used a hot tub and as you say i agree instructions included by Lay Z Spa are rubbish. I would like to ask, what do you do with the heating jet unit, is there such thing as a Lay Z Spa cover to protect it? Also, second question, you said testing and adding chlorine everyday, what if you not using it or away on holiday? Would you add an additional dump of chlorine if you away for a week?
Why are you telling people to add foam remover? It's not needed unless you have excessive foam, even then you should find the cause of the problem and not just mask it.
The cause of the problem is the built up oils from our body but ur right that when u first set it up u shouldn’t need it since no one was been in it yet so there’s no oils
Hi when you add the defoamer you mention running the jets and then 2 hours later doing a dip test does that mean you need to run the jets for the 2 hours
Fantastic video. Bestway’s building instructions were awful and the Clearwater info was just as bad, so this was very useful. Wish I’d watched this before setting mine up though! Have subscribed!
The Bestway instructions seem to indicate to do the chlorine first. I've found the chlorine raises the pH slightly, lessening the need for pH+. Yes, the chlorine works best when the pH is correct and stable. I suspect it's a circular relationship.
@@AbouttheHouse0 I struggle to lower the alkaline is it ph minus I use ? First 2 colours are perfect lilac and peachy colour but the green is too high up the scale .
My instructions for increasing the alkailinity of our inflatable hot tub was to add .25 c + 1tbsp of Increaser. And because the levels were below 50, they said to divide dosage into thirds and add an hour apart. Does that mean I need to leave the air jets on for 3 hours? That seems like I will lose all the heat.
I'm a newbie and this is the best video I've come across. ive really struggled to balance the water. my question is once the water is balanced do I put in multi function tablets in the float dispenser ?? wont this just send the chlorine levels too high
The chlorine will get used up, quite quickly when the tub is new hence the need to 'shock' load it. if your dispenser has a variable output start it off at minimum and increase it if the levels drop too low. It might be worth testing at least twice a day for the first few days as you juggle the output of the float to find that equilibrium.
Hello your video really helped ! Please could you help me with three main concerns i have can you put chlorine granules in first then after half an hour ph minus separately? I have high ph and high alkalinity test strip result all the time , I have used ph minus and still no hope , is there anything I can do ? Do i have to keep my lazy spa plugged in all day and night to keep the 40 degree temperature to use the next day?
Try using some bicarb of soda to reduce the alkalinity. Yes, keep it on or it'll go cool and then takes ages to heat back up. We keep ours on 38 and knock it back up to 40 an hour before we're going in it. Have you seen this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TaOaSbGCCuw.html
@@AbouttheHouse0 it was great, but more of a treat. I think if we purchased one we may not use it as much as we think… we would definitely hire one again in the future.
Hi, watch this video everyime I set up my hot tub! but I have a question I've never had this before.... my alkalinity is low literally the lowest on the clearwater test strip my Ph is fine also chlorine level, what would you suggest to raise the alkalinity?
I’ve just brought a lazy spa Havana. It comes with a Chen connect dispenser. Would you suggest putting 2 chlorine tablets in there or more ? I also have the starter kit with granules so will be using those up first.
Sorry about the delay: Yes, put 2x tabs in the dispensor and use granules if you need to add extra chloring after use (or non use). Also use granules for shocking and getting the levels up quick.
Hi great video just a quick question if you don’t mind, I followed your instructions in my new st Moritz and after 14 hrs and 3 tests the chlorine is between 5&10 the ph Is 6.8 & alkalinity 40. I’ve added 18g of the Ph plus and it’s still the same reading the day after, should I just keep adding 6-12g of ph plus and do you know if this will work, thanks in advance Phil.
As far as I can tell, there is no upper limit on how much ph plus or minus can be added to a tub. I'm surprised 18g hasn't touched it yet, but I'd add 10g at a time till it's good. It might be something in your water causing the pH to be low (you could ask your water supply company). So far I'm finding that once the pH is good it seems to stay stable. I don't know if this is typical though
Thanks for the quick response. I left it overnight and now the oh is reading 8 so a it higher I’ve started the minus process but the alkalinity is still staying around 40ppm should this alter with the ph plus & minus or is their another chemical that can raise the alkalinity thanks again for the great video.
@@philpym8605 Maybe it wasn't mixed in so well? That's quite a jump overnight. You have got the circulation running? I've found the alkalinity follows naturally on the heels of the chlorine and pH, so why yours is staying low is a mystery. Unless you've got really sensitive skin you should be okay to use it while it settles. I 'get' that new tub feeling where you're itching to get in (no pun intended). Do keep us updated
Hi thanks again after 3 days I finally got the readings close and it was worth the wait. I’ve just added 1/2 teaspoon of chlorine daily after use & topped the foam remover every 3 days 30ml and have had no problems. Looking forward to the cost video I leave mine on 38 degrees and it’s roughly costing £2.20 per day be interested to see how you have been testing thanks again.
Great video I'm a newbie to using hot tub chemicals explained them very well, could I ask is it good idea to use them chem connect with tables along with the starter kit to help maintain hot tub I'm using the hawaiian 6-8 person 928ltr
Wish I’d seen this a fortnight ago - my little boy got a skin infection from our hot tub! This was much easier to follow than the given instructions. I’m gonna empty our tub and start again - thanks
Did starting over do the trick? If it didn't, it might be worth switching from chlorine to bromine. Here's a blog that might be helpful if you're considering that www.thecoverguy.com/en-gb/backyard-blast/bromine-vs-chlorine/
These are excellent videos. I am a person who like to learn through seeing and doing. Having just bought a Lay-z-Spa I have found it so easy to set up after watching your videos.
E01? That's a flow issue. Blocked filter usually. If it persists with th efilter removed, try slapping the side of the pump unit with your palm. Sometimes the sensors dislodge.
I use ‘ liquid chlorine ‘ ( sodium hypochlorite solution ) , and get the alkalinity level sorted with ‘pH up’ ( sodium bicarbonate solid ). Then I adjust the pH to a suitable level with hydrochloric acid after a few hours. If you don’t have the bicarbonate ions in the water you will find it very difficult to get your pH balanced . If I need to shock the water I will drop the pH using hydrochloric acid and add more hypochlorite solution, as this releases more of the active ingredient, the hypochlorite ion , into the water. I don’t like using a lot of stabiliser as this leaves a funny taste in the mouth, and also, my spa is under cover so very little sunlight falls on it.
Hi i can't seem to raise the ph and alkalinity its always low i have a chem connector on my hot tub , chlorine seems ok what am i doing wrong i am adding 2 and a half teaspoons of plus as seen in your vid but its hardly moving up on the colour dip tests . Its driving me bonkers lol .
I dip test my lazy spa Bahamas 800Lts every day And I have to top up with chlorine every time about 8gr every day Is this normal the spa is in sunlight for 8hrs a day
Have the Miami Layz spa, husband set it up and without reading instructions properly did not shock the spa first. I have since added chlorine granules and then added ph plus but the chlorine ppm level is still showing 0. The ph and alkalinity look ok though. Do I need to keep adding more granules to bring the chlorine ppm up? Many thanks, I wished I'd seen yr video before he set it up 😁🙈 am using the Clearwater strips
The first 'shock' dose and the next two or three get used up real quick. So, yeah, add two heap teaspoons of granules and test 2hr later. Add 2tsp more if needed. You should be able to get it into the OK range within a day. Don't forget to predesolve the granules - use hot tap water, it disolves quicker
Thankyou for your reply, you were spot on after a day I was getting a nice mauve reading. Great video thankyou for sharing, really enjoying my new spa 😍
Thank you for this great video! So if the levels are all correct you can use the hot tub? just wondering because i thought i read you had to wait 24hrs? would be handy if i didn’t have to wait that long 🤣
I've read that too, but don't believe it. I cleaned and refilled ours recently and managed to fill it to max with 39C water (by juggling hot and cold taps). I did all the chemicals before it was half full. An hour after filling I tested again and all was good so in we went. Worked out fine.
Hi just bought one filled it left ot 24 hrs just about to start this process does it havto be heated or cold when doing this proces and if so what temperature do i set ot at . Kind regards Seb
If you've just filled up the tub with fresh water, surely it can be used right away, since it's essentially bath water, you could then add chemicals for next time.
Hi David, your point seems perfectly logical and sensible, however, conventional wisdom suggests otherwise. I haven't sussed why yet, but will work on it.
Great videos..followed all yours and my tub is perfect now..but what I want to ask is how long do you have to wait after adding you chemicals like ph+/- before you can add more if needed thanks
Great tip, but fitting it to the output spigot is a good place to store it for when it's needed, so it won't get lost. It also helps the water mixing by producing more of a 'jet'
Brilliant couple of videos. If the product has a flaw it is the instruction manual!!! A question, well two questions. If you do the various treatments in this vid, chlorine etc, do you need to put anything in the chemical dispenser that screws above the filter. And on that dispenser, the manual(??) says to (page 30) “remove the chemical dispenser when the spa is in use”. What does this mean, I can’t visualise it yet, does it unscrew and nothing there or does one of the caps go back on but surely this blocks the pump ? Confused
Hi Steve, you're quite right, the instructions are diabolical. Not exactly comprehensive (❗), in tiny print and written in Chinglish. The dispenser is for using tablets. There's a 'mesh' outlet behind it. I don't use it myself because I'm using granules at the moment. I don't see the logic of taking it off when using the tub. It's likely to get forgotten and not put back on afterwards - then you end up with no chlorine and dirty water.
