Northern Lights Cedar Tub User manual

Cedar Tub Care Manual
Rev 13 - Sept 2016
Table of Contents
1. The Advantages of a Wooden Hot Tub vs. the Acrylic Spa .................................................................... 3
2. Levelling .................................................................................................................................................. 3
3. Filling & Draining Procedure .................................................................................................................. 3
3.1 Initial Filling Procedure ................................................................................................................ 3
3.2 Draining Procedure ....................................................................................................................... 4
4. Seasonal Use & Drainage ........................................................................................................................ 4
5. Avoiding & Fixing Leaks ........................................................................................................................ 6
6. Tightness of Bands ................................................................................................................................... 7
7. Preserving the Wood Finish ..................................................................................................................... 7
7.1 Interior Finish ............................................................................................................................... 7
7.2 Exterior Finish .............................................................................................................................. 8
7.3 Cover Finish .................................................................................................................................. 8
8. Control Adjustments ................................................................................................................................ 9
8.1 Temperature ............................................................................................................................. 9
8.3 Jets and Air Control Valves ................................................................................................... 10
8.4 Pump Hi-Lo Control .............................................................................................................. 10
8.5 Light On-Off Control ............................................................................................................. 10
8.6 Hi Temperature Reset .............................................................................................................. 10
9. Keeping Wooden Tub’s Water Clear & Sanitary................................................................................... 11
9.1 The Hot Tub and Spa Challenge 11
9.2 Physical (Mechanical) Cleansing 11
9.2.1 Other Basic Tips ...................................................................................................................... 12
9.3 Water Balancing 13
9.3.1 pH ............................................................................................................................................ 13
9.3.2 Total Alkalinity ........................................................................................................................ 14
9.3.3 Calcium Hardness .................................................................................................................... 14
9.3.4 Controlling Foaming ................................................................................................................ 15
9.3.5 Stain-producing Metals ............................................................................................................ 15
9.3.6 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) .................................................................................................. 15
9.4 Micro-Organism (Bacteria) Control – Sanitation and Oxidation. 16
9.4.1 Bromine .................................................................................................................................. 17
9.4.1.1 The Use of the Two-Part System ......................................................................................................... 17
9.4.1.2 The Use of Brominating Tablets .......................................................................................................... 18
9.4.2 The Use of Metal Ions or Mineral Treatments ......................................................................... 20
9.4.2.1 Spa Frog Silver Mineral Cartridge ....................................................................................................... 20
9.4.2.2 Silver/Copper/Zinc Electric Ionization ................................................................................................ 20
9.4.3 Oxidation and Shock Treatment............................................................................................... 23
9.4.4 The Use of an Ozonator ........................................................................................................... 23
9.4.5 Algae, White Water Mold and Biofilm Control ....................................................................... 24
9.5 Too Many Choices- Just Summarize what to Use! 25
9.6 Water Trouble Shooting 27
9.7 Quick Water Treatment Summary Instructions 30
9.7.1 Tub without an Ionizer and Ozonator ...................................................................................... 30
9.7.2 Tub with an Ionizer and Ozonator .......................................................................................... 31
9.8 Replacement Chemicals 32
10. Controls Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................... 32
11. Warranty Claims ................................................................................................................................... 33

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General Safety Instructions/Warnings
FOLLOW ALL WARNINGS CAREFULLY!!
o Do not permit electric appliances (such as a light, telephone, radio or television) within 5ft (1.5
M) of this hot tub.
o Children should not use hot tubs without adult supervision.
o Do not use hot tubs unless all suction guards are installed to prevent body and hair entrapment.
o Pregnant or people under medical care (such as but not limited to heart disease, diabetes, blood
pressure, circulatory problems, obesity) should consult a physician before using a hot tub.
o People using medications and/or having an adverse medical history should consult a Physician be-
fore using a hot tub.
o People with infections or infectious diseases, sores or open wounds should not use a hot tub.
o To avoid injury, exercise care when entering or exiting the hot tub. Wet surfaces will be slippery.
o Do not use drugs or alcohol before or during the use of a hot tub to avoid unconsciousness and
possible drowning.
o Water temperature in excess of 100°F (38°C) may be injurious to your health.
o Before entering the spa or hot tub measure the water temperature with an accurate thermometer.
o Never walk, climb, play or jump on the cover.
o When Tub is not in use, cover must be properly positioned and secured
o Prolonged immersion in a hot tub may be injurious to your health.
CAUTION: DO NOT OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT WHEN THERE IS LITTLE OR NO
WATER IN THE HOT TUB.
PROLONGED IMMERSION IN HOT WATER MAY INDUCE HYPERTHERMIA READ
THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS:
The causes, symptoms, and effects of hyperthermia may be described as follows. Hyperthermia
occurs when the internal temperature of the body reaches a level several degrees above the normal
body temperature of 37° C (98.6°). The symptoms of hyperthermia include drowsiness, lethargy, and
an increase in the internal temperature of the body. The effects of hyperthermia include:
1. unawareness of impending hazard;
2. failure to perceive heat;
3. failure to recognize the need to exit the hot tub;
4. physical inability to exit hot tub;
5. fetal damage in pregnant women, and
6. unconsciousness and danger of drowning.
WARNING: THE USE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS CAN GREATLY INCREASE THE
RISK OF FATAL HYPERTHERMIA IN HOT TUBS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

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Cedar Tub Care
1. The Advantages of a Wooden Hot Tub vs. the Acrylic Spa
Although acrylic spas are by far more prevalent today than wooden hot tubs, it was the wooden hot tub
that began the experience of social bathing in America. Whether to purchase an acrylic spa or a wooden
hot tub depends mostly on personal preference and each individual situation. There are many reasons for
choosing a wooden tub over a plastic spa.
Because they are assembled on site, they can be carried through any doorway, stairs or other narrow access. With
a spa, you have a large one-piece which can be unwieldy or impossible to move into its final location.
The vertical walls and greater depth of the wooden tub surround the bather with more water than would be found
in a spa, so there is a greater effect of buoyancy in the hot tub. In addition, there is typically much more legroom
since you can stretch out under the bench, and taller bathers are more comfortably accommodated.
Because of a wooden hot tub’s greater depth, a smaller diameter hot tub will seat the same number of people as a
larger spa. For example, a 5’ (152 cm) round hot tub will seat as many people as a 7’ (213 cm) square spa. And a
smaller surface area means less heating expense.
And, of course, there’s the rustic look of a traditional wooden hot tub. From an aesthetic point of view, nothing
matches the appearance of a wooden tub.
2. Levelling
The tub should be placed on a leveled base. We recommend using 18 in x 18 in (400mm x 400mm) con-
crete patio blocks for this. The area should first be dug down to clay in such a way that there is a slight
slope. Place 4 mil (100 micron) polyethylene plastic over the clay. Then, using 1 inch (2.5 cm) plastic
conduit, arrange for any water to be able to drain out of the pit. Now fill the dug-out area with a small
aggregate gravel fill. Compact and level the gravel before positioning the patio blocks.
We prefer this method to pouring a cement base. Should the ground settle unevenly and the base becomes
tilted, the patio blocks can be re-leveled. This is not the case for a poured concrete base.
3. Filling & Draining Procedure
3.1 Initial Filling Procedure
If your tub has a skimmer, it will be equipped with a shut-off valve that can be closed. This (closing) al-
lows the level of the water to be low without air being sucked into the pump through the skimmer. The
pump and heater can be turned on once 5 inches (13 cm) of water are in the tub. Do not allow the heater to
be on, if the pump makes a surging sound. If the pump has not primed (no flow) do not leave pump on
more than 2 minutes and follow priming instructions provided in section 10.
Upon power up, a Balboa Spa Pack will display “Pr”, which stands for prime. This display condition will
last for 4 minutes. If, during this time, you push the jets button the pump will run at high speed until the 4
minutes expires or until you push the jets button again. This high speed mode is available to help drive
out air from the pumping circuit. When you first fill the tub in a gradual way, as described next, it is not
recommended you use the pump in high speed until the level is at least up to the seats.
As mentioned, the tub should be filled to at least 5 inches (13cm) above the floor or 2 inches (5 cm) be-
yond the bottom drain (suction) hole. However, you do not need to stop at this level, if you are not seeing
any significant leaks. Continue to fill the tub until leaks are noticeable. Close the skimmer valve (push
in) and then, with the cover on, both the pump (low speed) and heater can be turned on to raise the water
temperature to about 90° F (32°C). The higher temperature accelerates the swelling of the wood, and the
water spurting out of the jets helps wet the upper parts of the staves. If you have leaks, keep adding water,

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since you don’t want air to be sucked into the pump. (If the leaks are significant, then you need to keep the
pump and spa pack off, keep the staves moist by spraying water on them and then covering the tub. This
way the wood will moisten and start the expansion process, without continuously pouring water into it.)
After the above temperature has been reached wait until leaks have subsided significantly. Then slowly
fill the tub to a higher level where you again experience significant leaks. Wait to reestablish the tempera-
ture, for leaks to subside and continue the process until the tub is full. This method should minimize the
total amount of water that is initially leaked during the filling stage. If leaking continues, use the saw dust
provided. It will drift into the leaking holes and help plug them up.
If the staves have shrunk and there are considerable gaps between them, then water loss will be excessive
and some other remedial steps may need to be taken. These include spraying the wood frequently for
three days to keep it moist so the staves will expand. Then use the above procedure but additionally add
cups of saw dust to the water. The staves will expand around 4% between being perfectly dry and being
fully wet. Absorption of moisture takes time however, so you may need patience.
Initially use only the bromine tablets and occasional shock (Oxy-Pur) as you bring the water to the desired
bathing temperature. After the 1st filling, the water will absorb tannins from the wood and it will become
brownish. It is safe to use the tub. After 1 week or after the water is dark brown, drain the water. Carry
out any necessary maintenance and then refill the tub. Coloring of the water will reoccur for the 2nd and
third fill or in some cases longer. Some specific water conditions may cause the tannin to release more
slowly, in which case the browning will last longer than the normal 3-4 weeks. Once you are no longer
changing the water frequently, you can start using the full water balancing and sanitization procedures.
Experience will allow you to determine at what level to keep the water to account for the displacement
that will occurs as bathers enter the tub. The smaller tubs have the largest displacement effect per person.
The water level should stay above the skimmer intake. If you wish to use the tub below this level, close
the skimmer valve (push in).
3.2 Draining Procedure
The tub is drained using the hose bib valve located after the pump. When you wish to replace the water,
you can drain the tub either the slow way or the fast way. With the slow method you 1st turn off the
breaker. Then attach a garden hose to the drain bib (faucet) and open it. Place the other end of the garden
hose at a location where you want the water to drain to. About an inch of water will be left in the bottom
of the tub. If you also wish to get rid of this, you will need to use a submersible style pump or wet-and-
dry vacuum cleaner.
If you wish to drain the tub faster, you can use the pump to assist. 1st turn the spa pack to the minimum
temperature. Then close both the globe valve connected to the outlet of the filter and the skimmer gate
valve. The globe valve attached to the pump suction is left open. Again attach a garden hose to the drain
bib and open it. Then let the pump run at low speed to create extra pressure which will force water out of
the hose at a higher flow rate. Watch the level and when the pump starts to suck in air, turn off the break-
er.
When draining the hot tub for the season additional measures to prevent dry-out and to remove any
trapped water in the pump, pipes, filter and the heat recovery blanket need to be taken. See the 3rd para-
graph in the next sections for details.
4. Seasonal Use & Drainage
Our cedar hot tubs, with an insulating cover, are reasonably energy efficient. Equipped with a 3 kW or
higher heater you will have no problems maintaining a hot water temperature. In moderate winter cli-
mates, such as on the west coast of North America (including British Columbia), Central & Northern
Europe our tubs can certainly be used throughout all 4 seasons. In extreme winter conditions, such as ex-
ist in the interior of Canada and the Northern Central US, outdoor use becomes problematic although

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certainly not impossible. Water may freeze over the air valves and controls, heating costs will be high and
most people will find -30° air temperatures too extreme. Special insulation techniques would have to be
considered to keep a tub running in such extreme winter conditions, in order to keep the heating costs rea-
sonable. These including having the floor insulated (a standard option available at time of order), and
insulating the sides and pipes (see the Question and Answers section of Northern Lights Cedar Tub As-
sembly Manual). We also offer an “artic cover” with 50% better insulation coefficient than our regular
cover (R21 vs. R14). Never, however, insulate around the pump motor since it generates significant heat
that must be allowed to dissipate. It is essential to keep the pump running continuously on low speed in
the winter and not to use the timer or filtration cycle during the winter (set filtration setting to FC or 12).
Water in the pipes will freeze much before any water in the tub freezes and having the pump running
keeps the pipes warmer and the pump additionally adds some heat. Digital controllers have freeze protec-
tion sensing. This means that should the water temperature drop to in the range of 44°F (6.6C) the pump
is turned on, even if the filtration cycle is not set at continuous.
Persons having ordered a gas heater should not use the gas heater in freezing winter conditions, since spa
gas heaters are not designed to be run in freezing temperatures due to condensation problems. Northern
Lights Cedar Tubs now offers a hybrid gas/electric heating system. This allows the gas heater to be turned
off in sustained freezing conditions but the hot tub can stay heated using the electric heater.
When draining the tub for the winter season, it will be advantageous to wait for frost so the moisture in the
wood will freeze. This stops the wood from drying. Turn off the electric breaker and then drain the tub,
retaining the residual water that is below the drain hole. For all systems, know where water can get
trapped which are typically the low points and get rid of the water at these low points. Remove the filter
cartridge, clean it and store it. Loosen appropriate union
fittings on the heater and pump suction to drain the water
that is trapped in the pump and heater, which are two of
the low points. You also want to open the drain plug in
the pump, if it has one. If you also have a gas heater,
open the unions and let water drain from its pipes. The
water that remains in the tub can safely be allowed to
freeze. Add some algaecide, so the water won’t turn bad
should it get warm before you are ready to fill the tub
again. If you wish, you can also suck the remaining water out using a wet & dry shop vacuum cleaner or a
portable sump pump, to clean the floor. However, after cleaning, add an inch (2.5 cm) of clean water back
in and again add some algaecide. Attach the cover and ensure it is sealing good all around the tub.
In the spring you will find that the staves are still moist. First reconnect any open unions and plugs.
Check that all unions have been tightened and that the O-rings have been seated properly. Replace the
filter. Check that the isolating valves are open. If you refill the tub while freezing conditions still exist,
you need to apply external heat to any location that may have retained ice. This can involve placing a fan
style heater on the seat to thaw any ice in the bottom of the tub. Also the tub should be filled to the initial
3” (7.5cm) level (above the suction drain) through the top of the filter using warm water. This will thaw
any ice that may be in a low spot in the piping or equipment. Start the filling procedure, as per section 3,
paragraph 2. This will avoid the spa pack registering freeze conditions, which with some spa packs can
cause problems in quickly heating the water, especially if the pack is set to LOW current mode. Because
the wood may have shrunk a small amount (provided you didn’t allow it to completely dry out), a little
swelling may need to occur again to seal the tub.
Persons living in warm climates, where the tub gets used during the winter but not during the hot summer,
need to consider all options, before they decide to drain the tub and allow it to dry out. In a hot desert
climate, a drained tub will quickly dry and excessive shrinkage of staves may occur. It would be better to
keep the tub filled, with the spa pack set to sleep mode or, if the tub has no digital spa pack, keep the
pump running at low speed but with heater off. Of course sanitizer must still remain present and for pro-
longed no-use the Argenia Silver Water System would be ideal. It does not even need the pump to be

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running. If this is not an option then consider the Frog Mineral cartridge. If keeping water in the tub is not
practical, for some reason, and the tub must be drained and will dry out frequently, then your conditions
are such that a liner is the most practical solution. Contact us if this is the case.
A problem that can occur, if the tub is left with residual water in the bottom, is that a dark film can deposit
on the wood. The Argenia Silver Water System would best prevent this, but if it happens, you should gen-
tly scrub this off the bottom of the floor with a Borax solution and then suck it up with a wet & dry
vacuum cleaner. The filter and drain screen will catch the rest. You can also use a gentle diluted bleach
to get rid of the darker staining or you can simply wait. Over time the sanitizer you use will slowly bleach
out the stained floor.
5. Avoiding & Fixing Leaks
Indeed wooden hot tubs will leak when first filled or when refilled at the beginning of the season. The
amount of leaked water can vary from considerable to not even being noticeable. Once the wood has
swollen sufficiently leaks will usually seal, although we cannot provide a guarantee against this, unless we
shipped the tub assembled.
If the tub sealed well and then starts to leak, our experience shows that there is basically one common rea-
sons why this occurs, if the tub was not allowed to dry out. Without a doubt this is due to overuse of
chlorine (especially Tri-Chlor products) which will attack the wood, causing leaks. If a tub holds water
perfectly for months or years and then begins leaking inexplicably, this is usually indicative of over-
chlorination. If the problem is identified early enough, the damage can be halted and repaired with little
cost or time. This problem can be avoided simply by using a sanitizer system that significantly reduces the
need for high levels of chlorine. We use bromine for that reason and even better results are obtained if the
Metal Ionization system is used to avoid even bromine.
Much less common than leaks due to halogens are leaks in a hot tub due to an assembly problem. A tub
that never seems to seal at all is indicative of this. Our assembly method, if followed, is intended to avoid
this. However if these are not followed, to the letter, problems can occur. For example, we have had
some customers leave out an entire stave. If the tub was not test fitted and little attention was paid to
properly eliminating gaps, leaks above the floor between some staves can stay permanent unless the tub is
reassembled. If all the staves are not fully pushed against the floor edge, leaks through the stave dado can
occur. This may occur if you ended up with an extreme V and did not check that you had full floor con-
tact at all staves. We also require customers to use silicon caulking at the interface of the floor and staves.
If this was not done, some leaks through the dado may not fully seal. Should the tub continue to drip after
2 weeks, we first ask you to use the saw dust we supply. Be sure you remove the filter when doing so. If
the leak continues or reappears, we recommend carefully removing the adjoining staves corresponding to
each leak, inspecting them, and then repairing the problem. If it is a due to a poorly matching set of staves
or damage in a stave that was not previously detected, new staves may be required. If it was due to a
caulking problem, remove the old silicone caulking carefully and redo the job. If you feel you need to
apply silicone caulking between some staves, then you must do it all the way up the stave. Ensure when
the staves are repositioned, the back of the dado will touch the floor edge.
Some customers may not have the option of removing and inspecting the staves, because they have in-
stalled the tub in such a manner that they can’t get proper access to the outside portion. In that case a 2-
part marine epoxy can be beneficial, and some of our customers who have used it have reported good re-
sults. You will need to mix it and squirt it into the leaking joints using a hypodermic syringe. The syringe
you can obtain from a veterinarian supply store. The 2-part marine epoxy, AeroMarine 300/21 is availa-
ble from the following source: http://www.aeromarineproducts.com/. The tub does not need to be
completely dry. Allow the product to set, which may take 2 days.
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Remember to not over tighten the straps. They only need to be tight enough to prevent a leak. The gaps
between the top straps should be no less than that ¼” (6mm) of the gap in the bottom strap. Excessive
pressure will squeeze the staves such that the width will be reduced and the thickness will increase. The
wood, if it is then allowed to dry, will not return to the original dimensions it had when first assembled.
This will results in gaps between the staves. Such complete drying can ruin the sealing permanently and
must be avoided since the tub will then leak profusely for considerable time when refilled. It may in fact
never properly reseal. If this happens, a vinyl liner will have to be used.
6. Tightness of Bands
The bottom band will be tightened by the installers until a definite resistance is felt. The middle and up-
per bands will have a more spongy resistance, since there is no floor to stop further tightening. Do not
initially tighten the middle and upper band tensioners more than a ¼ inch (0.6 cm) past the gap in the low-
er band. After the wood swelling has stabilized, back off the middle and top tensioners, ½ turn every 2nd
day until the gap in these matches the bottom strap’s gap.
We place # 6 or #8 screws below each strap to assist in alignment of the straps. If the tub is left drained,
during the off-season, the wood may shrink. The screws serve to hold the straps in place.
7. Preserving the Wood Finish
7.1 Interior Finish
The interior of the tub is kept natural. As long as the wood stays wet the rich cedar appearance will come
through. With use, and oxidation, the wood will turn to a whitish-grey colour when dry. It may also be-
come mineralised, if the water is very hard or from adding Ca hardener when water is too soft. However,
even under these conditions the natural golden-brown colour will still come through once the wood is re-
wetted.
The nemesis of the interior finish is the tri-chlor type chlorine compounds and to a far lesser extent di-
chlor or bromine sanitizer. If tri-chlor type of sanitizer is used and/or tri-chlor-based shock is frequently
added to water, the surface fibres will, over time, break down resulting in a “pulpy” white surface. This is
an undesirable situation that is easily avoided by using bromine products or if you must di-chlor granules.
We have compared tubs used year around for 4 years. The tubs using only “tri-chlor” type of chlorine had
begun to have a pulpy surface after 1 year or earlier. The tubs that relied on ozone and used only reduced
levels of bromine sanitizers or some di-chlor sanitizer showed little evidence of pulping at all after 4
years.
Best, however, is avoiding halogens all together and using the metal ion system instead in combination
with an ozonator or MPS. This is also cheaper and less work over the long run.
Should the interior surface develop this cellulite or pulpy surface, because you used tri-chlor compounds,
you can remove this. Drain the tub and while the surfaces are still wet or damp, gently remove the pulpy
material using a plastic kitchen scouring pad. Do this to all surfaces including the bottom of seats. Suck
up all the loose scraped-off material, with a wet/dry shop vacuum. After you have refilled the tub, you
will need to frequently check the drain strainers, since the residual pulp will collect at these locations,
eventually plugging the drain holes. Also, frequently check the filter and clean and replace. After about
a week the water should be clear of further fibres. If you then switch to a bromine approach or better yet a
metal ion approach you can stop further fibre breakdown. You should quickly notice the beneficial effects
in that the suction screen stops getting plugged with pulp.

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7.2 Exterior Finish
As with any wood, sun and rain will take its toll on the appearance of cedar wood, unless attention is paid
to a wood preservation schedule. Northern Light can deliver assembled tubs with 1 to 3 coat of a Sikkens
Cetol 1 RE exterior protective translucent finish applied to the outside and the top end of the staves pre-
pared as discussed below. We use a cedar tint. This Sikkens Cetol 1 RE (satin finish) is a high
performing wood stain/preservative. When looking yourself to buy a suitable finish you want to select a
wood finish meant for exterior application. It needs to one that can “breath”. This is to allow moisture to
escape and not cause the finish to blister. Other examples are the Penofin Premium Red Label (Western
Red Cedar tint) or Penofin Marine Oil Finish (Transparent Natural). These are not the only manufacturers
of suitable finishes. We are not able to use and test them all.
Another surface that must be prepared and maintained carefully is the top rim. Since this is an end-cut
surface, that would tend to retain water, it is the surface most susceptible to bacterial rot over the long
term. To prevent this, 1st this surface of the newly assembled tub should be sanded with a belt sander to a
smooth and slightly rounded finish. The fine sandpaper helps to plug the end grain. Then very carefully
apply 1 application of a clear “end cut anti-rot” solution that often contains zinc naphthenate. An example
is the Armor All product “Clear Coat Wood preservative 33-721ARM”. An alternative is Copper Green
32001 Clear Wood Preservative. Once this has dried apply 1 or 2 coats of the exterior finish you use on
the outside surfaces of the staves, and once these have dried apply 1 coat of an exterior oil-based urethane
finish, or a 2-part clear marine epoxy (latter will look very shiny). This combination will completely seal
the end cut and will also prevent stain from transferring to the white underside of the cover. If this surface
finish deteriorates over time, refinish it.
With time, when the appearance of a wood surface becomes dried and pales, apply another coat. The de-
tails will depend on the stain you initially selected, so read the products literature. The discolouring of the
hot tub staves differs from that of wood that stays dry. The pressure from the interior water (moisture) in
the staves, migrates tannin and oils and even resin to the outside that can affect the colouration of oil
based wood preservatives. This can be quite variable from stave to stave or cedar batches, because nature
doesn’t grow wood as though it was a factory produced material. The fading of the finish is highly de-
pendent on the sun exposure. If the tub is in a shaded area, a maintenance coat will need to be applied
much less frequently than a tub that has a strong southerly exposure. Top surfaces, such as stair steps,
shelves, cover of an enclosure, tend fade and deteriorate faster than vertical surfaces because of the effect
of rain or water pooling on such surfaces. You do not want to skip applying the recommended number of
coats on such surfaces; in fact you want to apply an additional coat.
The stainless steel bands can be polished and then waxed. The threaded rod and tightening nuts should be
lightly greased with waterproof lithium-based greased. These latter items are not stainless steel and if not
treated as such can rust.
7.3 Cover Finish
Air born dust dirt and soot mixed with rain or snow will over time
deposit a dirty looking film on the cover. This can be removed us-
ing water and a product like Fantastik. Use a soft brush to help lift
the dirt and grime. The photo shows the cleaning in progress. A
pressure washer also works very well. A cover protective solution,
that provides uV protection, is available from Northern Lights.

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8. Control Adjustments
8.1 Temperature
The spa pack will be equipped with a digital control panel. It can take over a day to bring a large tub up to
temperature, especially if the water coming out of the faucet is very cold.
The digital temperature control system eliminates the trial & error process of setting the temperature and
keeps the water to remain at a much more constant temperature of +/- 1° F. The human body is very sen-
sitive to temperatures around 98.6° Fahrenheit (37°C). When the temperature is only some 3-4 °F (2°C)
above this, the time you can be immersed in the tub is limited. For safety reasons, all manufactures of
Digital controls are required by law to limit the upper temperature to 104° F (40°C). Below 98.6° F
(37°C) the water will still be comfortable however it will not feel hot. Since your body can now dissipate
heat you can stay in the tub for extended times, without becoming “drained”.
If the digital panel is switched from Standard to Sleep mode the control set-point will be
20˚F (11˚C) below the actual setting. This is useful if the tub will not be used for a while.
Our hybrid heat hot tubs, equipped with gas heaters use the spa pack to supply 230 volts to the gas heater,
and a normally open contact that closes when heat is demanded. The gas heater’s own thermostat is in that
situation disabled. The exception to the external temperature regulation method is if you are using one of
our cottage propane systems. In that case there is no external digital control and the gas heater’s own
thermostat is used.
8.2 Cold Water Start-Up
If a tub is being filled with quite cold water, which is below the “freeze protection” temperature of the Spa
Pack, the system may behave strangely to you (this is especially true if your spa pack is set to the LOW
current mode). The code for freeze protection (for example IC) should be flashing. In such a condition,
the spa pack will cause the pump to run at low speed and also turn on the blower circuit (even though no
blower is used). Then if the LOW current mode is set to be on (for example with a VS501Z, A10 up) the
heater will then not come on. This will result in having only the pump heat available to raise the water
temperature and this may not be enough. If you live in a cold winter climate, to avoid this condition, you
should use a 40 or 50 Amp breaker so that the spa pack can be set to HI current mode. This will allow the
heater to come on when a freeze protection condition occurs.
If your service is 30A and the low current DIP switch setting must be on, then to get around the problem,
temporarily switch A10 to Off (down), but be sure you don’t touch the jets button. This will allow the
heater to come on and not trip the 30A breaker. After the IC condition has cleared, the A10 switch can be
switched to ON (up) again.
If you are doing a fresh fill after the tub has sat drained over the winter, thaw any ice in the bottom of the
tub using a fan style electric heater placed on a seat, with the cover on. Then fill to the 5-inch level
through the top of the filter using warm water. Then replace filter top and close (push in) the skimmer
valve. Keep the cover on and then turn on the power. As the water is warmed by the heater keep adding a
little more water such that you can keep the sensors above 45° F (7° C).

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8.3 Jets and Air Control Valves
The air to the jets is turned on by twisting the air jet control valve knob. Be sure to turn air off when not
in use. Air will cool the water faster, so to avoid excessive energy use, turn the jet air only on when the
jets are being used for massaging.
8.4 Pump Hi-Lo Control
The pump has a high and a low speed. This is adjusted by pressing the “Jets” button on the digital panel.
When the tub is not in use the pump should remain in low speed. Digital Spa Packs can be set to a “filtra-
tion” time cycle. If such a cycle is set, the pump will not stay running in low speed when outside the
“filtration period”. If a tub is not controlled by a spa pack, such as is the case for Cottage systems, and
instead a pneumatic air switch is used to change the pump speed, then it is mandatory to keep the pump
running 24 hrs, during freezing temperatures.
8.5 Light On-Off Control
The light(s) are operated on 12VAC and are transformer isolated. This prevents the possibility of electro-
cution. The lights are turned off and on by depressing the air-button or the button on the digital panel
labeled “Light”. Bulbs (12Volt, 12 Watt) are accessible from the rear of the fixture. A twisting motion is
required to remove the socket to replace the bulb. If you have purchased the 22-bulb LED light, it is con-
nected by the same light socket that holds the regular 12-volt bulb.
8.6 Hi Temperature Reset
If heater high temperature trip engages, determine the source and after correcting the problem, follow the
reset procedure described with the Digital Spa Pack manual.

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9. Keeping Wooden Tub’s Water Clear & Sanitary
9.1 The Hot Tub and Spa Challenge
There are several aspects to a hot tub or spa that make it a challenge compared to a pool. The
high water temperature causes pores on people’s skin to dilate allowing the water to carry away
the oils in the pores. The warm water also causes your body to sweat, even though you may be
unaware of this. In one hour you may actually lose 2 lbs (0.9 kg) of perspiration to the spa water.
Chemically there is very little difference between perspiration and urine. The rapid movement of
the water causes a scrubbing action on the skin resulting in removal of dead skin and debris. This
will increase the turbidity of the water as happens with water in a bathtub. The temperature and
turbulence of the water leads to rapid evaporation rates, which leads to concentration of these ma-
terials. Because the volume of water, per person, is low in a hot tub, compared to a swimming
pool, two people in a 500gal spa is considered equivalent to 80 people in a typical backyard pool.
Thus, the main load for sanitizer and water clarification systems in a hot tub comes from the peo-
ple who use it, the “bather load”.
While this definitely represents a challenge compared to pools, the challenge is equal whether the
hot tub is made from wood or plastic. It is a common misconception that wooden hot tubs are
harder to keep sanitary. In fact, wooden hot tubs are no less unsanitary than acrylic spas. Improp-
erly sanitized, both the wooden tub and acrylic spa can represent a health hazard, but there is no
evidence that the natural wood is more likely to harbour organisms as compared to the acrylic ma-
terial (in fact, in studies of kitchen cutting boards, it was found that while bacteria multiplied and
prospered on plastic boards, they died on the wooden ones). The important point to remember is
that, regardless of the material from which your tub or spa is made, proper sanitization is the key.
9.2 Physical (Mechanical) Cleansing
A key component in keeping the water clear is the mechanical cartridge filter. Turbid water is
usually a sign that the mechanical filtering isn’t doing its job. Check the filter and the filter bypass
valve (which should not stay partially open. When operating properly, the filter will remove all
but the tiniest particular particle matter from the hot tub. This includes particles of dirt and debris
coming from the environment or particles left behind by bathers. If left in the water these will
lead to turbidity (cloudiness), lead to foaming and odour problems and can substantially reduce
the effectiveness of sanitizers. Cartridge filters will give long and excellent service if properly
cared for.
Regularly rinsing off the cartridge will remove the larger debris, however deep cleaning must also
be done at some frequency, such as once every 1-2 month. Deep cleaning involves using a clean-
er liquid, especially formulated for spa filters. The filter is soaked in this liquid, according to the
directions. Deep cleaning will remove oily and greasy build-up as well as minerals that may have
been deposited. The life of a filter is limited and it must be replaced either when damaged or every
1-2 years.
While the filter, even if properly maintained, does a good job in removing a lot of particulate mat-
ter, it is common for the smaller particles to pass through the filter, leading in build-up of micro-
particles and turbidity. You may notice that after several large bathing episode the water’s turbid-
ity has increased. You may think this is the result of unsanitary water, but in most likelihood it is
from the micro-particles that have come off the bathers that are not filtering out. These particles
tend to develop like electrical charges so that they repel each other and do not clump together into
larger particles so that they will be trapped by the filter. The addition of a flocculent agent, a clar-
ifier, solves this problem. It will neutralize the charges on the micro-particles, so that they now
will clump together. The blue thick Sea Blue product in our starter chemical kit is such a floccu-
lent agent. If, after a heavy bathing loads, the water has turned turbid, and is not clearing up with
time, add 2-3 capfuls of Sea Blue. Keep your finger partially on the cap and swoosh it around so

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the thick liquid disperses well in the water. By the next day (12 or so hours) the water should be
clear again.
Accumulations of body oils, cosmetics and other bather wastes will result in the build-up of these
materials along the waterline and in pipes and filters. It causes the scum lines and interferes with
the performance of the sanitizer. These types of wastes are effectively controlled by special en-
zyme containing liquids. Enzymes are naturally occurring biological catalysts that help increase
the breakdown rate of complex compounds, such as the ones mentioned. They will take these
complex and difficult to control materials and break them down into smaller fragments that can
readily be destroyed by oxidizers such as Oxy-Pur (MPS) or an ozonator. The descummer product
Nature-Pur, that is part of our water treatment starter kit, is an enzyme product especially formu-
lated to handle the conditions imposed by a hot tub.
To clean the hot tub surfaces all one has to do is drain the water, and while it is draining use a
sponge-type mop with a long handle to clean the surfaces. In some circumstances a
Borax solution can help clean areas that have blackened above the water line.
Wipe all the top surfaces on which sediments tend to deposit. Most of the sedi-
ment that may have deposited on the floor surface or on seats will then be sus-
pended in the water and will be flushed out. Since the drain is above the floor, an
inch of water will remain. To drain and clean area, use a wet and dry shop vacu-
um cleaner. If necessary the tub can be gently scrubbed with a soft brush.
9.2.1 Other Basic Tips
Here are some other basic tips on using your hot tub or spa that are occasionally over looked.
They will help keep your water cleaner and clearer, and even save you some money!
People are by far the biggest producer of dirt and grime and dead cells and sediment. Your tub water will last
much longer if people go in clean and not use it as a substitute for having a bath or shower.
Never use regular household cleaners for cleaning your spa. These products contain soap or ammonia based
products and are very bad for your water chemistry and if you don't get the entire product out of the spa you
could wind up with a very large "bubble bath".
One of the most common causes of foamy hot tub and spa water is residual detergent in bathing suits. Try run-
ning an extra rinse cycle in the washing machine, or re-rinse swimwear by hand. Another cause is water that
is too soft. Add calcium water hardener.
When not using your spa, keep the air control valves closed. Besides these valves letting cold air into the spa
water and increasing heating costs, this air can also be full of air borne debris and algae spores that can cloud
your water and increases your chemical usage.
Personal hygiene products belong in the shower. Hair spray, hair mousse, styling gels, deodorant, anti-
perspiration, sun tan lotion, excess sweat, make-up, skin creams of any sort and excess soap or dyes in bath-
ing suits will cloud your water and clog your filter, reducing its life and increasing your maintenance time.
Floating oil-absorbing sponges are fantastic at reducing the amount of clogging oils that are sent through your
filter. Remember to squeeze them out occasionally and to replace them when they start to deteriorate or when
they no longer float.
Make sure your filter cartridge is fully seated in the filter compartment. This ensures 100% of the water passing
through the filter, rather than bypassing it.
If the tub is not used routinely the wood can get slippery. This has nothing to with the wood and happens with
all tubs. The reason this occurs is organic and inorganic matter precipitates out of the water and settles on the
seats and floor (as sediment). When the tub is used regularly these materials don’t get a chance to accumu-
late on the surface since they are rubbed off simply by sitting on the seats and the feet rubbing on the floor.
Use a sponge mop on the surfaces including on the floor under the seats when draining the tub to lift it off and
get it back into solution so it can be trapped by the filter. If you have severe sediment then you want to do
this while draining the tub.
One quick and easy way to vacuum debris from the bottom of your spa is to use a wet/dry shop vacuum to re-
move the residual water after the tub has been drained.

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9.3 Water Balancing
While there are many products to greatly help reduce the amount of “chemical” use and maintenance time,
NOTHING will make your spa totally maintenance and chemical free. If the truth were told everything we
breath, touch and eat is chemical, be they simple elements or compounds or complex organic chemical
compounds that form biological life. One aspect of water chemistry is the “water balance”. This is the
water’s tendency to be scale forming on one extreme or being corrosive on the other extreme. In between,
where it is neither, the water is considered “balanced”
There are four common chemical factors that affect the water’s chemical balance:
o pH
o total alkalinity
o calcium hardness
o total dissolved solids (TDS)
The first three, along with the temperature of the water, are what determines the overall “water balance”.
9.3.1 pH
pH is a measure that tells us how actively acidic or basic (alkaline) the water is. 7 is neutral and below 7
the water is acidic with the strongest possibility being 0. Above 7 the water is basic (alkaline) with the
strongest possible reading being 14. A normal range of pH for hot tubs would be 7.2 to 7.6 or neutral to
very slightly basic. Water that is either too low or too high in pH will be out of balance and will have the
following adverse consequences:
pH – Normal 7.2-7.6
High pH Low pH
• Poor sanitizer efficiency includ-
ing ionizer action
• Cloudy water
• Frequent filter cleaning
• Scale formation
• Skin and eye irritation
• Poor sanitizer efficiency
• Corroded metals/equipment
(early heater tubing failure)
• Skin and eye irritation
• Destruction of total alkalinity
Because normally the desired pH is slightly basic, pH adjustment is often done by adding a “total alkalini-
ty” product like Alka-Rise which raises the pH but not excessively and forms a reserve or a “buffer”. This
tends to hold the pH at some level, even if acidic products are added, until it is all used up. Beyond this,
there are pH Booster and pH Reducer products in our starter chemical kit.
All things being equal, bathers tend to make the pH go up in time, although when halogen sanitizers are
used, these make the pH drop. Always make adjustments by adding small quantities at a time. Then allow
the water to completely mix, before testing and adding more. Otherwise you can drive the adjustment too
far in the opposite direction,

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9.3.2 Total Alkalinity
Changes in pH can be caused by many factors and one significant cause is sanitizer use. Halogen sanitiz-
ers can have a significant impact on pH and water balance. However, changes in pH, due to such sanitizers
or shock, can be minimized by controlling the total alkalinity. This is a bit of a confusing term in the pure
chemical sense. Total Alkalinity refers to the ability of pool and spa water to resist changing in pH. A
product is added that essentially keeps the pH in the ideal range and it has reserve or pH holding capacity.
pH will drop only after the total alkalinity reserve is all used up. If you used distilled water at ph 7 and
just added a drop of acid, the pH would plunge. But with water that has a total alkalinity reserve, the pH
would only drop after sufficient quantity of acid was added to have neutralized (used up) the entire alka-
linity product. Total Alkalinity is adjusted upward using Alka-Rise (sodium bicarbonate) to a particular
ppm value, usually in the range of 80 -120 ppm. Usually an adjustment should not be made until total al-
kalinity is below 80 ppm. Downward adjustment requires an acid forming product, such as pH Down.
Water that is either too low or too high in total alkalinity will be out of balance and this will result in the
following consequences:
Total Alkalinity - Normal 80-120ppm
High total alkalinity Low total alkalinity
• Hard to change pH
• Scale formation
• Cloudy water
• Skin and eye irritation
• Poor sanitizer efficiency
• Poor ionizer operation
• Rapid changes in pH or "pH bounce"
• Corroded metals/equipment
• Skin and eye irritation
9.3.3 Calcium Hardness
The term “hard water” originally came about because water with high levels of calcium does not clean
clothes well (hard to clean). The term hardness is now used only to refer to the level of calcium in the wa-
ter. Soft water refers to water with lesser or no amounts of contained calcium.
There is a balancing aspect to the amount of calcium desired in spa water. High levels tend to result in the
calcium wanting to precipitate out, especially at higher temperatures on heater surfaces (form scale) and
also at high pH or total alkalinity levels. Scale build up on heaters can lead to premature failure and in
decreased efficiency. Soft water on the other hand is aggressive and tends to attack metal parts such as
heat exchanges, heaters, heater tubes, etc. resulting in their premature destruction or in pinhole leaks. Well
water often is hard and lake or river water often is soft.
Some calcium is very desirable in spa water. The acceptable range of calcium in “balanced water” is 150 -
400ppm. There is no easy way to reduce water hardness except dilution with softer water. However, scal-
ing can be prevented by adding a sequestering agent, which ties up the calcium and prevents it from
precipitating. The product Prevent II that comes with our chemical kit, is such a sequestering product.
However, if you are using an ionizer, such a sequestering agent will also sequester to Cu, Ag and Zn metal
ions and prevent proper operation of the ionizer. In that case, either put up with the hard water or put the
fill water through a water softener. To increase calcium hardness calcium chloride is used. This is the
compound in the Cal-Rise container provided with in chemical kit.

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Water that is either too low or too high in calcium will be out of balance with the following consequences:
Calcium Hardness - Normal 200-350 ppm
High Hardness Low Hardness
• Cloudy water
• Scale formation
• Skin and eye irritation
• Poor performance of Ionizer
• Corroded metals/equipment( early heater
tubing or heat exchanger failure)
• Foamy water
9.3.4 Controlling Foaming
As indicated above, foaming is often associated with water that is too soft (too low in calcium). Therefore
1st check the hardness level and adjust if required. Foaming can also be associated with soap and other
products that have entered the water form bathers and failing to completely rinse the filter after changing
water. When foaming occurs you can add Anti Foam to the water, which will quickly make the foam dis-
appear.
9.3.5 Stain-producing Metals
Stain formations or coloured water are associated with the metals iron and copper. While iron in fill water
is colourless, it will react with oxidizers to produce a rusty red colour in water or produce orange coloured
staining. This is often confused with tannins leaching out of the wood especially if the tub has been in op-
eration for over ½ year. If after numerous refills and more than 6 month use of the tub, the water is still
turning brownish, the cause is likely iron oxidizing, not tannin leaching. Copper on the other hand causes
green water and stains ranging from blue-green to black. Copper is responsible when fingernails or hair
turn green. Copper can be in the fill water or can come from galvanic action with heat exchangers or if
leaving copper ionization electrodes on too long.
The best way to remedy the iron oxidation problem is to run the fill water through an iron water treatment
system. The sequestering agent, Prevent II, which stops calcium from precipitating, also helps prevents
the metals Iron and Copper from precipitating (but it does not stop the oxidation). However, such a se-
questering product may cause other effects such as interfering with the proper operation of an ionizer and
possibly initially turning the hard water milky.
9.3.6 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Total dissolved solids are the sum of all the solid materials dissolved in the water. The measure normally
runs above 2500 ppm. TDS is comprised of many different chemical compounds from calcium, to salts, to
soap residue, to dead organic products, etc. Their effect is not alike. However, when the TDS levels get
above the 2500 range problems is likely to start occurring. For example salt water bromine generators
loose effectiveness. Water will more easily become cloudy, it will be difficult to maintain water balance
and sanitizer effectiveness and there can be foaming problems. The solution is to drain the water and re-
place it with fresh water.

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9.4 Micro-Organism (Bacteria) Control – Sanitation and Oxidation.
The previous two topics dealt with keeping the water clear and non-corrosive. Biological organism con-
trols, such as disinfection, sanitization, oxidation or shocking are terms associated with controlling
bacteria, viruses, algae and the dead biological wastes produced by bathers. You may be able to avoid the
use of halogens such as chlorine or bromine, but another product will then need to take its place. Some-
thing has to do the “dirty deed” of destroying the bacteria. Whether you think of the alternative product
as being “chemical free” is often a personal perception or how the product is marketed.
The process of controlling microbes including bacteria and viruses is known as disinfection or sanitiza-
tion. To avoid further confusion, we will call it sanitization. This sanitization is critical since the high
water temperature along with the aeration make this water an ideal environment for the growth of harmful
bacteria. Added to this are the bathers’ wastes (which form food for the bacteria) and altogether this com-
bination must be attended to in order to keep the water healthy. As we have indicated, the bathers leave
behind a lot of organic wastes (food for bacteria) and bathers are also the main sources of the initial bacte-
ria that contaminate the water. It is best to control both the micro-organisms and the wastes right after
bathing is completed. In doing so, we control the population of these organisms while they are at their
lowest numbers. We don’t give them a chance to multiply. If we don’t control them, with a sanitation
method, they can grow and multiply using the dead organic wastes as food. If allowed to multiply they
become a hazard to the person who uses the tub next time. However, if they are destroyed after the bath-
ing episode is completed and the cover is left on the tub, the water will stay healthy. If the microbe
population is allowed to multiply the water can also become turbid. Turbid water, after a bathing episode,
is usually just caused by particles that are not filtering out, not due to excessive bacteria.
While a wide variety of methods exist, for sanitizing a spa/hot tub, Northern Lights has limited the choice
of what we supply to bromine, metal ionizers, ozone and none-chlorine oxidizer known as MPS. This is
still a large variety and which combination a customer should use is governed by factors such as effective-
ness, convenience and cost. You will notice we have not mentioned the most common sanitizer used in
the industry, chlorine. This is because certain chlorine products especial common bleach and tri-chlor
tablets and chlorine produced by salt-water chlorinators, will attack the wood. Rather than attempting to
deal with the nuances of various chlorine sanitizers, we have simply made a point to avoid them in wood-
en hot tubs and declared them “Not Safe for Wooden Hot Tubs”. If chlorine is used, for some reason, be
sure it is the Di-Chlor granular type, not Bleach such as Chlorox or the Tri-chlor type found in tablets or
pucks or Chlorine Salt Water Generators
Before we describe the pros and cons of the various methods lets try to obtain a common understanding of
the term sanitization and oxidation. Sanitation, as mentioned, is simply the term used to describe a pro-
cess that destroys or kills live bacteria and viruses. Let’s use several analogies. You are a farmer and are
trying to get rid of a nuisance coyote. You have choices such as the use of poison, a trap or a gun. All
these would be the equivalents of what sanitizers do to germs (kill them). Now you have a dead coyote
and you know this will be food for other critters, such as rats or flies. If you don’t want this “dead meat”
around, because the rats and flies are even worse pests, then you could burn the carcass. This “burning” is
equivalent to what oxidizers do to dead organic matter, in the spa situation. But we also know that if the
coyote had been caught in a fire, he would also have died. Thus, oxidation can under certain conditions
destroy dead food matter as well as live organisms. So oxidation can in some situations also sanitize.
The terms oxidizer and oxidation suggests they have something to do with a chemical reaction involving
oxygen. However, in modern chemistry oxidation is defined in terms of a reaction where the substance
(being oxidized) gives up electrons to the element or compound that take away the electrons (the oxidiz-
er). Of course, in doing so the original form of the substance being oxidized is destroyed. Common
oxidizers (elements or compounds that easily attract electrons) include the halogens (chlorine, bromine,
etc.), oxygen, ozone, potassium monopersulfate (MPS), to name some. Common reductants (elements or
compounds that readily give off electrons) are the active metals, hydrogen, carbon, carbon monoxide, to

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name some. In the hot tub situation, the important thing to note is that organic compounds, including oils,
lotions, as well as living microbes, contain hydrogen and carbon. Depending on the oxidizer, its concen-
tration and factors like contact time, temperature and pH, these organic compounds are susceptible to
being broken up or destroyed by the right oxidizer. A strong oxidizer in the pool and spa industry is often
referred to as shock, such as potassium monopersulfate (MPS). The term shock, however is a throw-back
from when chlorine was used to “super chlorinate” or shock pool water to oxidize the dead organic waste
materials. Nowadays MPS or ozonators are substituted for such super-chlorination.
Bromine will react with amines (nitrogen- based compounds) to form smelly compound s known as
bromamides. While these still have some sanitizing effect they are not nearly as effective as free bromine,
HOBr, that is not smelly. Oxidizers such as MPS and Ozone will react with these bromamides converting
them back to the more effective free bromine and removing the smell.
9.4.1 Bromine
Bromine, like chlorine, is a member of the halogen chemical family. Bromine has gained wide acceptance
as a sanitizer especially on spa/hot tubs and has become the dominant sanitizer because users do not expe-
rience the same level of odours and skin irritation as they often do with chlorine. In addition, bromine is
far less pH dependent than chlorine. It is the only sanitizer that we use (chlorine we don’t use) that is offi-
cially approved as a full-spectrum sanitizer when a certain residual (base line of active bromine) is
maintained. When added to water, bromine forms Hypobromous acid (HOBr) and Hypobromide ions
(OBR-). These exist together in an equilibrium state that depends on the pH. Only HOBr is the effective
sanitizer and while the OBR- is a weak oxidizer, it exists in small quantities at the normal required pH lev-
els, as the following table shows:
Percent Active
pH HOBr OBr-
6.0 100% 0%
7.0 99% 1%
7.5 94% 6%
8.0 83% 17%
9.0 30% 70%
HOBr is the bacteria killing agent, if at the right concentration and if the bacteria are in contact with it for
the right amount of time. HOBr will also combine with waste products and if these contain nitrogen (such
ammonia from sweat and urine) then bromamides are formed. Unlike the equivalent chloramines, formed
in the case of chlorine, these do not produce the same level of odour (not to imply they are odourless) or
skin irritation. The bromamides still are effective as a sanitizer, and, as mentioned above, if oxidized will
separate to the free bromine, HOBr, again.
We provide Bromine in two basic forms:
1) 2-part system (recommended to be used) consisting of part 1- Mineral-Aid (35% NaBr salt solu-
tion) or Bromine Booster (100% NaBr salt) is added to the water and part 2 – Oxy-Pur (pH
stabilized MPS which is a chlorine free oxidizer) is added after each bathing session.
2) Brominating tablets used in a floating feeder that stays in the water in combination with an oxi-
dizer treatment (MPS or Oxy-Pur) added after bathing. Not recommended for continuous use
because it degrades the wood.
9.4.1.1 The Use of the Two-Part System
If used correctly, this approach does not expose the bather to any significant amounts of smelly nitrogen
based bromamines or high levels of bromine while actually bathing. The first part, Mineral Aid (35%
NaBr salt brine naturally present in sea water) or Bromine-Booster (100% NaBr in powder form) is added
at fill-up time in specific quantities as outlined on the bottle (125 ml/1000 l of Mineral-Aid or 50
gms/1000 liters of Bromine Booster. Then, if a new fill, you add the part 2 –Oxy-Pur (pH stabilized

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MPS, a chlorine free oxidizer) in the amount of 125 gms/1000 l. Do not use the tub for 12 hours after
adding these two.
The NaBr, when added does nothing by itself until the oxidizer (part 2), MPS (Oxy-Pur), is added. The
MPS acts both as an oxidizer destroying dead organic compounds that came with the fresh fill water and
also reacts with the NaBr to produce the HOBr (sanitizer) and OBr-(weak oxidizer) killing any live micro-
organisms.
Thereafter, the regime is to add 30mg (1 capful)/1000 litres of Oxy-Pur at the end of the day after the
day’s bathing session. This will oxidize (break-down) the dead organic compounds and containments the
bathers introduced into the water and react with unused NaBr as well as bromide compounds that wer pre-
viously used to produce the active HOBr again to destroy any bacteria that the bathers may have
introduced. If the tub hasn’t been used, you don’t need to do this. Or, if the bathing session was short and
didn’t involve many people, you can reduce the amount added. You will discover that by the next day the
water is clear yet mostly absent of HOBr (test strip reading will be low or zero). If it is a personal resi-
dential use tub do not fuss when you test the water and you get no indication on your strips before bathing.
Do the testing after you have used the tub and after you have added the Oxy-Pur. This is when micro-
organisms that came off the bathers should be killed. If you try to keep the bromine reading at the 2-4 ppm
level all the time, you will likely over-brominate and end up with a rash. You will replenish the NaBr
occasionally (once a week for a highly used tub and once every 2 weeks for a lightly used tub) by adding
30 ml/1000 l of Mineral-Aid (or12 gms/1000 l of Bromine-Booster). If you use the tub sporadically, you
won’t need to add Oxy-Pur daily.
The following table provides the water volumes contained in the various sized hot tubs. The chemicals
quantities, indicated for the larger tubs is large, because the water contained in these tubs is large. How-
ever if the tub is not subjected to a high number of bathers the amount of bacteria and organic wastes
produced will be at a lower end and you will have to experiment by how much you can reduce the after-
bathing addition of Oxy-Pur. If you use Bromine-Booster instead of Mineral-Aid the quantities in grams
will be in a ratio of 2.5 less in grams as shown in ml for Mineral-Aid in the table. Also, if you are using an
ozonator, downward adjustments of the Oxy-Pur may be possible. This will also require some initial ex-
perimentation.
Small 1334 351 167 40 167
Re
g
ular 1819 479 227 55 227
Lar
g
e2378 626 297 71 297
Extra Large 3124 822 391 94 391
Oxy-Pur Added After
Large Bathing Load
(gms)
US GallonsTub Size Liters
Weekly
Mineral
Aid (ml)
Initial
Mineral Aid
(ml)
Initial
Oxy-Pur
(gms)
40
55
71
94
See Note below to measure Oxy-Pur without a scale
9.4.1.2 The Use of Brominating Tablets
This is an alternative, less preferred method to the 2-part method. It can be used as a backup to augment
the 2-part method. In this case brominating tablets, containing a combination of bromine and chlorine
compounds, are inserted into a floating or in-filter feeder dispenser. The tablets slowly dissolve and con-
tinuously release the bromine sanitizer to the water. In this case you will have a stronger concentration of
sanitizer in the water when you bathe. Be aware however the chemical makeup of bromine tablets is 1-
bromo-3-chloro-5, 5-dimethylhydantoin and thus this is not chlorine free. While the active ingredient is again
HOBr the chlorine component in the compound acts to regenerate the used bromine ions back into HOBr,
but it will also have some reaction with the wood (turning it pulpy over time), albeit less aggressively that
if chlorine tables were used. However, if the bathing load is too large, the residual bromine that this meth-

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od produces will be used up and you should treat the water with MPS (Oxy-Pur) to destroy the organic
bather’s wastes and give the bromine dispenser a chance to re-establish some bromine reserve. With this
method, it does not hurt to have some NaBr (Mineral-Aid) present in the water, so that when adding the
MPS, bromine will re-establish itself instantly. Sometimes the use of NaBr for such purpose is called a
“bromine starter”.
The setting of the dispensers will depend on the size of the tub. The desired reading on the strips of 2-4
ppm may be hard to establish on a continuous basis. Be aware that our larger tubs contain significantly
more water than does an acrylic spa for which the information is usually given. Even on our small tub you
can expect to have the dispenser fully open. For larger tubs, you may also need to keep additional tablets
in a 2nd dispenser or in a glass kept underneath a seat on the floor, where it won’t get knocked over. The
test strips tend to be notorious for not indicating well and if you have ample tablets in use and they are
dissolving at a good rate (cartridge lasts less than 1 week) and you are getting a rash, the likely cause is
too much bromine being present.
Note 1 – Millilitres of Mineral-Aid can be measured with a measuring cup. Powdered Oxy-Pur
has a density of approximately 1.5. So if you measure with a measuring cup, divide the grams in
the table by 1.5 to obtain the ml to add. Also 1 capful is approximately 30 gms.
Small 1334 351 167 167 7
Re
g
ular 1819 479 227 227 9
Lar
g
e2378 626 297 297 12
Extra Large 3124 822 391 391 16
See Note on previous page to measure Oxy-Pur
71
94
Bromine
Tablet
Weekly
Dissolve
Rate
Oxy-Pur Added After
Large Bathing Load
(gms)
40
55
US GallonsTub Size Liters
Initial
Mineral Aid
(ml)
Initial
Oxy-Pur
(gms)
If the tub is not subjected to a high number of bathers, the amount of bacteria and organic wastes produced
will be at a lower level and you will have to experiment by how much you can reduce the tablet dissolve
rate. Also, if you are using an ozonator, downward adjustments of the tablet dissolve rate can be made.
This will require some initial experimentation.

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9.4.2 The Use of Metal Ions or Mineral Treatments
Metal ions, such as Silver, Copper and Zinc, have long been recognized for their ability to keep water
fresh for drinking. Pioneers used to place copper and silver coins in their barrels of drinking water as they
travelled west. Now we see these metals being used by the spa industry to treat the water. Northern
Lights Cedar Tubs Inc provides a Silver Mineral Cartridge system manufactured by King Technology un-
der the Spa Frog brand. We also provide electronic Silver, Copper and Zinc ionization system
manufactured by Argenia. While these are effective at stopping the growth of bacteria and algae they are
not as full spectrum as is bromine and especially for public use hot tubs, bromine use cannot according to
the regulations be avoided.
9.4.2.1 Spa Frog Silver Mineral Cartridge
The Spa Frog Mineral Cartridges are formulated to work in a bromine environment, as opposed to other
brands (such as Nature 2) which are formulated to work in a chlorine environment. The in-filter version
of this cartridge system has the water which is passing through the filter, also pass over the silver mineral
purifier. The silver metals act to suppress both bacteria and virus in the water. Because these cartridges
do not control organic waste and do not assure control of all bacteria or algae it is highly desirable to use
them as a supplement to any of the previous bromine sanitizer methods, rather than the primary control
method. When used, the amount of work that the bromine sanitizer has to do is reduced allowing the use
of lower levels of bromine. The combination of bromine and silver minerals is a true synergistic action.
The Frog Mineral cartridge is effective of a period of 4 month and this is very convenient for the hot tub
owner. For the larger tubs two cartridges in a floating unit are recommended instead of the single in-filter
cartridge.
9.4.2.2 Silver/Copper/Zinc Electric Ionization
Theory
The Argenia “Copper” water treatment system actually produces 80% copper (Cu), 10% Silver (Ag) and
10% Zinc (Zn) ions. This system, combined with an oxidizer (Oxy-Pur and/or ozonator) and good filter
cleaning procedures, produces crystal clear water (in residential hot tubs) without the use of chlorine and
bromine. It produces this clear water with the least effort and operating cost. In commercial hot tubs,
regulations still require 1-2 ppm of bromine residual to be maintained.
Why is this ion combination effective? 1st electrically charged copper ions (Cu2+) in the water search for
particles of opposite polarity, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. The positively charged copper ions then
form electrostatic compounds with the negatively charged cell walls of micro-organisms. These com-
pounds disturb cell wall permeability and cause nutrient uptake to fail. Thus the copper ions cause many
micro-organisms to starve and copper is particular effective against algae. Copper ions further penetrate
the micro-organism’s cell wall and as a result they will create an entrance for silver ions (Ag+). These (sil-
ver ions) penetrate the core of the micro-organism. Silver ions bond to various parts of the cell, such as the
DNA and RNA, cellular proteins and respiratory enzymes, causing all life support systems in the cell to be
immobilized. As a result, there is no more cellular growth or cell division, causing bacteria to no longer
multiply and die out. The ions remain active until they are absorbed by a micro-organism. The third com-
ponent, zinc, stimulates healing of the skin and prevents stains and rings on the spa basins. While the
copper and silver ions are effective against simple micro-organisms reproduction, they do not react with
complex cells and are harmless to the skin.