How to Use eco3spa

The first simple step in the process is to use Step 1 - Hot Tub Cleaner to remove biofilm, body fats and scale from the pipework and all surfaces of your hot tub. If you are starting with a brand new spa then there will be biofilm growing in the pipework from when the tub was wet-tested in the factory. Similarly, if your hot tub has been left empty it will have been damp, so you still need to complete this step. Ensure the tub is full of water to 50mm above all jets and air vents. Open all air inlet valves and centralise any diverter valves. Remove any fitted head rests and remove the filter(s) from their housing. Tip the bottle of eco3spa Step 1 -  Hot Tub Cleaner into the water, reserving a small amount of the product to clean the shell of the hot tub and headrests after the flushing process. Turn on all jet pumps and air blower, if fitted, and run for at least 60 minutes. It is normal for a lot of foaming to occur and dark coloured biofilm particulates to be seen. Allow the water to stand for at least 30 minutes and then turn on all jet pumps and air blower, if fitted, and run again for a further 30 minutes. Drain the hot tub. The drained water is safe to empty onto grass or plants. As the water drains down, wipe away any visible residue left on the acrylic shell and rinse the surfaces with fresh water. Wipe away any stubborn scum marks by sparingly using a small amount of the reserved cleaner on a soft, clean cloth. Rinse away the cleaner thoroughly or foaming may occur when the tub is refilled. When the tub is completely drained, refill with clean water and clean and replace the filter(s) and headrests.

Use eco3spa Step 2 - Water Conditioner immediately after cleaning your hot tub with eco3spa Step 1 - Hot Tub Cleaner and filling with fresh water. Turn on all air and water pumps, shake the bottle and add 300ml of eco3spa Step 2 - Water Conditioner (for spas up to 2,000 litres). Use in conjunction with eco3spa Step 3 - Multi-Function Water Sanitiser Tablets as described below. Add a further 300ml after one month and the final 300ml one month later. After 3 months clean the hot tub with eco3Spa Step 1 - Hot Tub Cleaner and start the process again.

Use the tablets immediately after adding eco3spa Step 2 - Water Conditioner and before each hot tub use. After the initial cleaning and conditioning the water add 2 eco3spa Step 3 - Multi-Function Water Sanitiser Tablets.  It is preferable add the tablets directly to the filter compartment or to the skimmer basket with a circulation pump running and ensure that the tablets have fully dissolved before using the hot tub. If it is not possible to add the tablets to the filter compartment then a fully open floating dispenser may be used, but ensure that the tablets have fully dissolved before using the hot tub. Prior to each hot tub use add an additional tablet to the water. If you haven't been using your spa you just need to ensure that you add at least 2 tablets each week. If the water ever becomes dull or foamy add an extra tablet daily until the problem subsides. Extra tablets may be required before and after heavy use.

With eco3spa you can still continue to use an anti-scale product expecially if you are in a very hard water area. Anti-foam products of any type are not advised with all forms of sanitiser as they can add non-organic contaniments to the hot tub's water, which can over time lead to cloudy water.  Water foaming is an indication of any or all of the following; dirty filters, bather contaminents (detergents, lotions, creams etc), aromatherapy oils etc, which is always best dealt with by treating the source and not the symptom.

eco3spa does not change the pH value of water, in fact it stabilises it, and it also works with the pH value of all tap water within the UK (the product has been tested between pH 5.2 and pH 8.5 with no drop off if efficacy). However, if the pH of your source water is lower than 7.0 it will be slightly acidic and this in itself can lead to skin irritation if you are very sensitive. If your pH is higher than 8.0 some scaling of your hot tub equipment can occur which will require the eco3spa Step 1 Cleaner to work harder. So we do recommend testing your source water when you first fill your spa and, if you are in a very hard water area, using a pH Decreaser to lower the pH below 8.0. If you have extremely sensitive skin and live in a soft water area then you might want to increase the pH to above 7.0. However, if you don't do this the efficacy of the product will not be affected. The eco3spa Step 2 - Water Conditioner contains a pH stabiliser which will minimise any pH fluctuations so, once you have adjusted your pH once there is no need to worry about again until the next water change.

You should clean your filters with a good quality powdered filter cleaning product (we will have one available soon, but there are many available on-line) before starting your hot tub on eco3spa and approximately monthly thereafter. When cleaning your hot tub filters you need to remove particulate matter and also bacteria, scale and biofilm.  Rinsing them under a tap, even a high pressure hose, dose not clean them adequately. Powdered filter cleaners are much better than liquids or sprays at removing scale and biofilm. If your filters are under a year old and have been regularly cleaned using a powder filter cleaner then you can re-use them with eco3spa. Most first time users of eco3spa tend to fit new filters at the same time as using eco3spa to give the hot tub water the best start with our water treatment system.

Aromatherapy products can be used if they are made from natural materials and without emulsifiers, perfumes and preservatives. The eco3spa range of aromatherapy crystals are made from naturally occuring Dead Sea Salt crystals with pur essential oils and will not affect thesanitising properties o eco3spa in anh way. Do not use any form of liquid fragrance/aromatherapy products.

If you have been using chlorine or bromine there is likely to be a build-up of biofilm in your hot tub plumbing system, which needs to be removed with eco3spa Step 1 - Hot Tub Cleaner. To start using eco3spa simply add the Step 1 - Hot Tub Cleaner to your existing water to remove the bio-film, drain it and refill with fresh water. Then just add the Step 2 - Water Conditioner and the Step 3 - Multi-Function Water Sanitiser Tablets and off you go!

Yes! You do not need either of these, but both are very good ways of helping to disinfect your hot tub water. Bear in mind that they both rely on consumable components (CD chip or UV bulb) that need replacing every 12 months or so in order to work properly. The eco3spa system is powerful enough to keep the water clean without the assistance of an ozonator or UV system so there is no need to replace your ozonator chip or UV bulb, if you have one fitted to your tub. But of course, you can do so if you wish and eco3spa will work happily along side any additional devices, which will only work to support and enhance the sanitisation process.

To understand why you need to change the water it is important, first of all, to understand what is happening to the water in the hot tub. The very act of you getting into the hot turbulent water in your hot tub contaminates the water. Over time the amount of bather waste builds up, in what is a very small volume of water. These wastes contain solids that accumulate and result in an increase in the Totally Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the water. eco3spa works hard to counteract this problem but, eventually, the hot tub's pipework, jets, pumps and blower etc will all accumulate a layer of TDS and also biofilm which naturally builds up in the pipework due to bacterial growth. Hot water evaporates over time, but only the water itself is removed by evaporation, not the solids and bacteria it contains, so topping up with fresh water doesn't help the TDS or biofilm situation. Over time the solids accumulate and reach unacceptable levels. As the TDS increases the water becomes cloudy or hazy and foaming can occur. The only way to reduce the TDS level is to drain the water from your hot tub and replace it with fresh water. This draining process represents the perfect opportunity to apply the eco3spa Step 1 - Hot Tub Cleaner to give the pipework a thorough cleaning and removal of the accumulated biofilm, keeping your hot tub clean and safe.

The eco3spa system is designed to work effectively in hot tubs with a water volume of up to 2000 litres. We do not recommend using proportionately reduced volumes of our products in smaller hot tubs with lower volumes of water as the bather and bacterial load in these tubs will be higher anyway.