I think it's one of the more important topics if not the most important topic in hot tub ownership. Chemical maintenance! It's probably the most asked question we get, How do I maintain my hot tub water chemistry properly? Followed by the statement "I'm confused". Most hot tub owners are misinformed or poorly informed on the correct procedures to balance their hot tubs water chemistry. A lot of people find out about water chemistry when they get their first repair bill for a corroded pump replacement or even worse, after a trip to the doctor for a rash that won't go away. What we are attempting to accomplish when balancing water chemistry is normally lost in some sort of sales pitch to get someone to return to a website or a storefront to purchase more chemicals. We've had a number of new spa owners near the point of giving up on the hot tub experience because of the amount of contradictory information leaving them at a loss on what to do. Sometimes hot tub owners will have a print out from their local hot tub dealer that has instructions saying"add this much of these chemicals". They live by that print out not understanding that chemicals shouldn't ever be added to the water without performing a water chemistry test first. The in store water test is great for testing your water chemistry at that moment in time, after a few days the water test is no longer valid. In all actuality the in store water test should be replaced with a bottle of test strips. There are two main goals that we want to accomplish when balancing water chemistry. The first would be to ensure that the water is safe, clean and bacteria-free for users to enjoy. Second would be to ensure the chemical corrosion does not damage the equipment systems in the hot tub itself. Our recommendation to anyone trying to wrap their head around hot tub maintenance is test and test often! Consistency is extremely important as well. If water test lapse for even a week bacteria can start to flourish making the water even more difficult to get back into the proper range. Every test is an education on water chemistry. If you are not able to test your water frequently then you should budget for a service program from your local service professionals. The more you test the water balance the more information you get back on where your water chemistry is now and what you did to get it there. Taking into consideration how much use the hot tub may have had since the last test, you can start to understand the ever changing levels of hot tub water chemistry. Eventually after practice and consistency, water chemistry tests can decrease in frequency. We recommend having a consultation with a service professional to help you get on the right track with your water chemistry. Don't hesitate to ask your trusted service professional for help, we all benefit in helping the consumer understand hot tub maintenance.