When using an electronic saltwater chlorine generator you hope to buy and use fewer chemicals and enjoy reduced maintenance. You may still need to periodically shock the water and you should measure the chemical balance prior to use if it is a spa and at least once a week if a pool. Over time the chlorine demand of the water will go up as more and more organic material enter the water. A point may be reached where the chlorine demand for the water is the same or exceeds the chlorine output from your electronic chlorinator. You will notice that when the chlorine is low it takes longer over time for it to bring the chlorine levels back up. You may also have to increase the power level to make more chlorine as the water is consuming more chlorine than your chlorine generator can make at the lower power level. This is more likely to happen in a Spa that is used often and if you have a spa chlorine generator. A Spa chlorinator is designed to make much less chlorine than a pool chlorinator as you do not want to over-chlorinate your spa which could lead to corrosion.
Pool or spa shocking is the addition of a sufficient dose of chlorine: calcium hypochlorite (cal-hypo), liquid chlorine, sodium dichlor or non-chlorine shock (potassium monopersulfate or MPS). The purpose of a shock treatment is to break-down organic waste contaminants which cause odor, cloudy water, and a decrease in the efficiency of chlorine generators. After treatment, water quality and clarity are often completely restored and you may be able to lower the power level of the saltwater chlorine generator.
When a spa is used every day there can be a quick buildup of organic material, and the water may look just fine and not smell, but the spa chlorine generator is having a harder time keeping up as the days go buy. If you increase the power level of the spa chlorinator that will also decrease the life span of the chlorinator as it will be on longer each day. Shocking the spa is a better alternative and you have to decide on a chlorine or chlorine-free shock.
- If you don’t want to add chlorine, then the chlorine-free shock is the way to go. Just follow the directions on the container.
- If you don’t mind adding chlorine the spa chlorine generator will not mind. This will shock the spa water, and give it some chlorine which is less chlorine that the electronic chlorinator has to make. We recommend using a chlorine shock that doesn’t have stabilizer.