What’s the difference between Pools & Spas? Can’t you just fill them, test them, and treat them the same?

No! Pool water and spa water must be cared for in different ways.

Spas or hot tubs operate at a higher temperature, and are much smaller than pools. These two facts change everything. That is why NSPI (the National Spa and Pool Institute in the U.S.) has established separate standards for spas and pools.

The two big differences — higher temperature and smaller volume — cause a number of other differences that need to be taken into consideration when doing maintenance.

The higher temperature of a spa will cause…

1. Faster chemical reactions
2. Faster evaporation rate
3. Increased scale formation
4. More organic waste in the water
5. Accelerated bacteria growth

The smaller water volume of a spa will cause…

1. Heavier bather load
2. More precise chemical dosages needed
3. Higher filtration (turnover) rate
4. Faster depletion of sanitizer residual
5. More abrupt changes in pH