Water Treatment; Idisinfectants For Spas And Pools; Ifeatures And Definitions - Jacuzzi Experience Manual De Instalación

WATER TREATMENT

The water must be "inviting", that is, clear, limpid and free from
those substances that, accumulating, can create a suitable
environment for the growth and spread of bacteria; for this
reason, as well as being filtered continuously, the water must
be chemically treated by using appropriate additives.
There are many products on the market for water disinfection
and they vary in terms of cost and method of use.
The suggestions provided here cover only the general as-
pect of a complicated topic such as water treatment. If
special problems or situations occur, it is advisable to
contact specialised companies, who will unquestionably
be able to provide the best solution.
I
DISINFECTANTS FOR SPAS AND POOLS
Certain disinfectants used in large swimming pools, such as
trichlorine, calcium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite, are
not suitable for spas.
Trichlorine tablets permanently stain the methacrylate (after pro-
longed direct contact), calcium hypochlorite (normally available in
granules) encourages calcium deposits and sodium hypochlorite
(which is liquid) will permanently damage the methacrylate if poured
onto it directly.
"Chloroisocyanurates" are chloro-organic derivatives that are
more suitable for spas; moreover, these products are particularly
suitable if the spa is located outdoors, as they act as stabilizers and
prevent sunlight from depleting the action of chlorine.
Another type of disinfectant is bromine; this has an advantage
over chlorine, in that it is less of an irritant, has less influence on
the pH level and has no smell. Furthermore, unlike chlorine, bromine
does not separate into "combined" and "free" forms.
Water disinfection also using active oxygen makes the water
pure, clear and pleasant when in contact with the skin and hair.
Active oxygen is a delicate alternative to chlorine and may sub-
stitute it as a disinfectant. It is also effective in preventing the
formation of algae.
Jacuzzi ® offers a kit for water treatment based on active oxygen,
which along with the aforementioned benefits, offers another
which should not be underrated: when the spa is emptied, the
water can be drained into the sewers without the need for cost-
ly purifying and it can even be used to water the garden.
Active oxygen is especially indicated if the spa is not used in-
tensively. At any rate, after a long period during which the spa
is not used, it is advisable to carry out a super-chlorination treat-
ment, also known as a chlorine based shock treatment. The use
of active oxygen does not compromise this operation, thus mak-
ing use of chlorine necessary only in this case.
A shock treatment can be carried out using active oxygen,
even if this is not as effective as chlorine. In this case, the sug-
gested amount is about three times more than that used for
normal maintenance treatment.
The water treatment kit offered by Jacuzzi
gen-based tablets and an activation liquid, which increases the ef-
fectiveness of the treatment and ensures action against algae. These
products are to be placed directly into the water of the spa, even if
it is preferable to place the tablets in a floating dispenser (available
from authorized Jacuzzi
For doses and methods of use, refer to the instructions on the
package.
I
FEATURES AND DEFINITIONS
Before beginning disinfection of the spa, it is a good idea to
know which are the characteristic components and how they in-
teract; it is essential to establish the correct values by using an
appropriate test-kit, so as to plan optimum treatment.
To purchase a test-kit and to learn how to use it, contact spe-
cialized service engineers or your dealer.
A final consideration: the quantity of chemical additives that
are used for water treatment are expressed in various units of
measure; the most common are "ppm" (parts per million), "mg/l"
(milligrams per litre) and "g/m
are all the same thing. An example will show more clearly the
amounts of the various substances required.
For example, if the spa can contain 1500 litres of wa-
ter and the level of chlorine must be 2 mg/l, this means
that each litre of water should contain 2 mg of chlorine.
Therefore, if we multiply 1500 x 2 we obtain the total
quantity of disinfectant, that is 3000 mg; on the other
hand, taking into account that 1000 mg is equivalent to
1 g, dividing 3000 by 1000 we have 3 g, and this means
that to reach a value of 2mg/l (or ppm, or even g/m
we must add 3 grams of chlorine in the spa.
pH
This parameter represents the concentration of hydrogen ions
(H + ) dissolved in water and the acidity or alkalinity of the wa-
ter, measured on a scale from 0 to14 (from 0 ÷ 7 = acid zone;
7÷14= alkaline zone).
The ideal value for a spa must be between 7.2 and 7.4; in fact,
if the water has higher values, the disinfectants become less ef-
fective, while scale deposits increase, to the detriment of the s-
pa surfaces and its components.
pH values lower than 7.2 also reduce the effectiveness of
disinfectants, they promote corrosion of spa metallic compo-
nents and can cause irritation for the eyes and skin.
The pH level can be controlled by appropriate ad-
ditives, that allow the values to be raised or lowered
according to each situation.
47
® includes active oxy-
® dealers).
3 " (grams per cubic metre), which
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