Water Treatment; Disinfectants For Spas And Pools; Characteristic Elements And Definitions - Jacuzzi delfi Uso-Mantenimiento

Water treatment

The water must be "inviting", that is, clear, limpid and free from tho-
se substances that, accumulating, can create a suitable environ-
ment 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 aspect
of a complicated topic such as water treatment. If special
problems or situations occur, it is advisable to contact spe-
cialised companies, who will unquestionably be able to pro-
vide the best solution.

Disinfectants for spas and pools

Certain disinfectants used in large swimming pools, such as ch-
lorine, calcium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite, are not sui-
table for spas.
Chlorine tablets permanently stain the methacrylate (af-
ter prolonged direct contact), calcium hypochlorite (normally
available in granules) encourages calcium deposits and sodium
hypochlorite (which is liquid) will permanently damage the me-
thacrylate 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 advanta-
ge 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 costly purifying
and it can even be used to water the garden.
Active oxygen is especially indicated if the spa is not used in-
tensively.
However, after a long period in which the spa is not used, you
should perform a super-chlorination treatment, also known as a
"shock" treatment, based on chlorine. The use of active oxygen
does not compromise this kind of operation, thus making chlori-
ne 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 sugge-
sted amount is about three times more than that used for nor-
mal maintenance treatment.
The water treatment kit offered by Jacuzzi® includes active
oxygen-based tablets and an activation liquid, which increases
the effectiveness 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 the skimmer
basket (see the chapter on cartridge filter maintenance) or in the
floating dispenser (available from authorized Jacuzzi® dealers).
For doses and methods of use, refer to the instructions on the
package.

Characteristic elements and definitions

Before beginning disinfection of the spa, it is a good idea to know
which are the characteristic components and how they interact; it
is essential to establish the correct values by using an appropriate
test-kit, so as to plan optimum treatment.
For the purchase of a test-kit and its use, contact Jacuzzi® autho-
rized dealers or specialized technicians.
A final consideration: the quantity of chemical additives that are
used for water treatment are expressed in various units of measu-
re; the most common are "ppm" (parts per million), "mg/l" (milli-
grams per litre) and "g/m
the same thing. An example will show more clearly the amounts of
the various substances required.
For example, if the spa can contain 700 litres of water 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 multi-
ply 700 x 2 we obtain the total quantity of disinfectant, that
is 1400 mg; on the other hand, taking into account that 1000
mg is equivalent to 1 g, dividing 1400 by 1000 we have 1.4 g,
and this means that to reach a value of 2 mg/l (or ppm, or
even g/m3) we must add 1.4 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 water,
measured on a scale from 0 to 14 (from 0 ÷ 7 = acid zone; 7 ÷ 14 =
alkaline zone).
The ideal value must be between 7.2 and 7.4; in fact, if the
water has higher values, the disinfectants become less effective,
while scale deposits increase, to the detriment of the spa surfa-
ces and its components.
pH values lower than 7.2 also reduce the effectiveness of di-
sinfectants; they promote corrosion of spa metallic components
and can cause irritation for the eyes and skin.
The pH level can be controlled by appropriate additi-
ves, that allow the values to be raised or lowered accor-
ding to each situation.
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" (grams per cubic metre), which are all