I'm having a hard time balancing my PH in my spa. It seems to always be low. What causes this?

There could be many reasons why your tub PH is always low. The most common reasons would be that your alkalinity is out of range or the type of sanitizer you are using.

Alkalinity is a measurement most people do not pay attention to. It can be very important though. it works as a buffer for you PH to keep your PH from rapidly increasing or decreasing. Make sure to keep your alkalinity in-between 80-120 to help keep your Ph level in check.

Sanitizer is also a large contributor. I have found that many people use Bromine or Trichlor in thier tubs. Both of these sanitizers have a low PH around 3.5. Considering your tubs ideal PH level is between 7.4-7.6 you can see how the sanitizer can drop this significantly.

Dichlor is a common alternative to use as a sanitizer because it has a PH of around 7. This will not decrease your PH as much but is not as effective as Bromine is in higher temperatures above 90 degrees.

As you can see your best defense is to check your water chemistry regularly and adjust as neccessary. One of the best things you can do to your tub is add or replace your ozonator. They are only good for about 2 to 3 years but can save you a ton of money in the long run and make chemical balancing easier.

Feel free to call and have us perform a water analysis and set up a chemical program for your needs.