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Congratulations on the purchase of your new Sundance Spa!

Now that your Hot Tub is in the backyard, you've filled it with your garden hose and your electrician has wired it up, it's time to get it ready for use.

The Sundance Spa Store has used its years of experience in the Hot Tub industry to carefully select a range of products that make Sundance Hot Tub maintenance simple.

In this blog, we will give you our step-by-step guide to maintaining your Sundance Hot Tub's water.

Filling Your Spa

• While filling your hot tub with cold, fresh water, add 60ml (4oz) of Prevent II to prevent stain & scale build up.
• For all Select, 780, 880 & 980 Series Models, Place the Sun Purity Pak in Skimmer Door (In front of the filter). 
• Once the hot tub water level is above the top of the highest jet, switch the power on to the hot tub (switch the GFCI breaker on to power up your hot tub). Use the temperature up button to select your desired temperature, and the spa will begin to heat up. Close the hot tub cover to allow the spa to heat and avoid any debris from entering the hot tub.
• Let your hot tub heat up for at least 5 hours.
• Use one of your AquaChek 6-in-1 Test Strips to test the balance of the water. If Alkalinity, followed by pH levels are not correct, adjust accordingly with either Alka-Plus, pH Booster or pH Reducer. (See Water Balance section below for more information).
• The "Total Hardness" level (the bottom square on your test strip) is generally in the okay range unless you use a well to fill your hot tub or have a water softener system. If the water is too soft, use "Cal Rise" to increase levels. Contact us for more information on hard/soft water.
• When the water is hot and properly balanced, you should add 30 grams (1 Capful) of Sun-Boom directly to your water to sanitize it. Leave your hot tub cover open for one pump cycle (pump cycle is 20 minutes) Your Hot Tub is now ready to use!

Regular Care

With just a little bit of regular maintenance, you can keep your hot tub water clean & clear, so it is always ready for you to enjoy.

• Once a week, use an AquaChek 6-in-1 Test Strip to check the water balance and sanitizer level.
• Balance your water as required (see below for more information).
• Add Sun-Boom (30 grams / 1 Capful) as required (When the Total Chlorine reading on your test strips is at 0). Most people will add Sun-Boom 2-3 times a week (based on average use of 3-4 times per week). Your Sundance Spa is equipped with the ClearRay UV-C Water Purification System, so you are aiming to keep the Chlorine level at just 1ppm (light green on your test strip). The Sun-Boom level (the top square/first line on your test strip) will fluctuate. Sun-Boom it is not meant to stay in your water for a long period of time, It will disipate in a day or two which is normal and to be expected.
• Add Spa shock (100 grams / 4 Capfuls) at least once a week, twice if the spa is used frequently or you have a large number of people using the hot tub. Spa Shock breaks down organic material in the water that can cause bad odors and cloudy water. Spa Shock works together with Sun-Boom to maintain water clarity.
• Add 30ml (2oz) of Prevent II once a week to prevent stain, scale and calcium build up.

When you are adding chemicals to your hot tub water, don't add multiple chemicals at once. Your chemicals are more effective when they are added separately.

After you have added chemicals to the water, always leave your hot tub cover open and run your jets for 20 minutes so the chemicals can mix with the water properly. This also helps prevent a build up of unpleasant odors in your hot tub.

Water Balance

Having healthy, sparkling clean hot tub water requires that your water is balanced. having balanced water is equally as important as adding sanitizer and spa shock to keep your hot tub water clean & clear.

Unbalanced water can result in staining, scale build up and green or cloudy water.

If the Alkalinity & pH levels are out it will also make keeping your sanitizer levels where they should be more difficult, and you might find you are adding Sun-Boom more frequently because it is less effective in unbalanced water.

• When balancing your water, always get the Alkalinity level right before adjusting pH level.
• After making an adjustment to the Alkalinity or pH, wait at least 12 hours before re-testing and making another adjustment.
• One Capful of product (pH Booster, pH Reducer & Alka-Plus) adjusts 1 color square on your AquaChek test strip. Only make adjustment if it is obviously necessary (if you aren't sure if it is too high/low, don't make an adjustment, and re-test at a later date or bring a sample of the water in to the store for testing).

Helpful Hints

• For cloudy or foamy water, check sanitizer level is correct, and adjust if needed, If level is good, add 100 grams (4 Capfuls) of Spa Shock. For immediate but temporary foam reduction, add 15ml (1oz) of De-Foamer.
• Sun Purity Pak (Select, 780, 880 & 980 Spas) should be replaced every 3-4 months to maximize water quality and minimize water problems.
• Drain & refill your hot tub approximately every 3-4 months or if the water ever becomes to difficult to control.
• ​At least once a year clean and flush out your hot tub's interior plumbing with Whirlpool Rinse. This will help clean and de-grease the plumbing lines and help prevent the build up of calcium.
• ​We recommend that you drain & refill your new spa after 2-4 weeks of use. (Your new spa gets a lot of use in the first couple of weeks, and you are still getting the hang of treating the water). After this first water change you will go on to the regular schedule for draining and refilling - every 3-4 months.

​Initially it may seem that looking after your hot tub water is a somewhat daunting task, but give it a few weeks and it will be so easy you will feel like a pro! 

We are always hear to answer any questions you might have, and all of our stores offer free water testing if you would like another set of eyes to look at it for you.

Enjoy your new Sundance Spa!

The Sundance Spa Store Team.