CHEMICAL STORAGE AND HANDLING

Most of the chemicals found around the house are labeled with warnings to keep them away from children. This is because they can be dangerous and are potentially hazardous. Spa chemicals are no exception. All chemicals used in a hot tub are concentrated and therefore can be very dangerous.

All concentrated sanitizing compounds are oxidizing agents. This means that they are capable of causing a fire or explosion if they come into contact with reactive organic materials, such as turpentine, kerosene, gasoline, and some other pool chemicals including certain algaecides. When Chlorine is involved in a fire, the fumes and smoke are toxic.

Chemicals used for pH control are potentially dangerous if allowed to contact your skin, hair, or clothing. Severe burns can result from the misuse of these chemicals. pH Decreaser, a dry acid, is much safer to handle than the liquid muratic acid.

A responsible adult should always handle chemicals. A child, no matter how mature, should never be allowed to transport, administer, or “play” with chemical containers. “Empty” chemical containers are dangerous. Small amounts of chemical residue remain in containers after they are emptied. For this reason, you should never reuse a chemical container unless you are absolutely certain you have removed every speck of the original chemical. It is just not worth the danger you may create when you try to reuse an old chemical container. Never use an old Chlorine container to store pH adjusters! The combination of any Chlorine and acid will release a toxic gas!

Read and then do exactly what the instructions on the container say to do. There are no short cuts when handling chemicals. Just reading and following the instructions can prevent a serious accident.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER mix chemicals together! The late night movie character of the mad scientist comes to mind – pouring this in and that in and then a little more of this. All this careless handling can get you seriously hurt! Always allow time to pass before you add different chemicals to a spa. You must allow the first chemical you added to dissolve and mix with the water before adding the next. Never mix any chemicals together! Add them one at a time.

THINK! – READ & FOLLOW THE LABEL!

CHEMICAL SANITIZERS

NaOHCl2 Sodium Hypochlorite - Liquid Chlorine Bleach

This product comes in 5%, 10%, and 15% concentrations and acid is normally required to reduce the effect on pH. It is unstable in storage and usually looses most of its strength before being used.

Ca (Ocl)2 Calcium Hypochlorite - A dry granular chlorine.

This product varies from 44 to 78% available chlorine and has a pH of almost 11. Acid is required to reduce its effect on pH. Because it dissolves rapidly, it is an effective Shock Treatment chemical. It is not stabilized and is easily removed from the water by the sun. This product contains insoluble Calcium and can cloud the water, clog up filters, and cause scaling with long use over time.

LiOCl Lithium Hypochlorite - A dry granular chlorine.

This product has 35% available chlorine and has a pH of almost11. Acid is normally required to reduce its effect on pH. Because it dissolves rapidly, it is an effective Shock Treatment. Because the chlorine available is about half that of Calcium Hypochlorite, it may take more Lithium for the
spa. It is totally soluble, but unstable in sunlight. It will not cloud the water and can be poured directly into vinyl lined and painted pools.

C3N3O3Cl2Na Sodium Dichloro-s-triazinetrione – a dry granular chlorine
(commonly called Dichlor).

This product has 62% available chlorine and a pH of around 6. pH increasers or soda ash may be required to reduce its effect on pH. It is stabilized and totally soluble with no residue. It dissolves rapidly and stores easily.

C3N3O3Cl3 Trichloro-s-triazinetrione – Can be a powder with 99% available chlorine but is usually found as sticks, tablets, or three-inch pucks. (Commonly called Tricolor)

This product normally has 89 to 91% available chlorine, stabilizer and a filler. It has a very low pH of approximately 3 and will usually require pH increaser or Soda Ash to adjust the pH. It is slow to dissolve, but does dissolve completely. It is the only product that is safe to put into any automatic chlorine feeder.

C5H6BrClN2O2 Bromo-chloro-dimethyhydatoin – Bromine

Bromine can be found in a two-part system using either a liquid or powder Bromine Salts and a Potassium Peroxy- monosulfate activator, or compressed into brickets or tablets using Chlorine as the activator. The only Bromine compounds that can be used in an automatic feeder are the brickets or tablets. Never mix the two-part system through a feeder. Bromine has a pH of around 4 and and pH Increaser or Soda Ash may have to be used to correct the effect of Bromine on pH.

Polyhexamethylene Biguanide Hydrochloride – PHMB – Biguanide

Biguanide is a man-made polymeric compound and works as a bactericide and algaestat. A PHMB molecule looks and works differently than does a chlorine molecule. It is a microscopic long, thin, and twisted shape. It attracts bacteria to itself instead of seeking out and killing the bacteria. It works like flypaper and holds the bacteria to itself puncturing the bacteria cell wall. Unlike chlorine or bromine, PHMB is not an oxidizer; therefore filter cleaning is essential. SOFTSWIM and BAQUACIL are examples of PHMB based systems. Halogen chemical compounds (Chlorine, Bromine, etc.) are not compatible with any biguanide system.

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