Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you certainly can. It is recommended to use Waterco spa minerals in conjunction with your Poppits Chlorine-free system to get the best relaxing feel to the spa water possible.

Yes, you will always need to keep an eye on the balance of the water. It is recommended that regular testing using either the Poppits Test Strips or taking a sample of water to your local pool professional, for a complete analysis of the water.

Evaluating the Spa water is an easy job. To test the Spa water balance (pH, alkalinity, and calcium levels) and the Poppits Sanitiser in the water, simply use your Poppits Test Strips.  Remove the strip from the vial and swirl it beneath the surface (at a depth of 15 cm) of the spa water 2 to 3 times. Then, line the strip up against the outside of the container.  (Do not shake water from the strip.) Readings should be taken within 20 – 30 seconds. Compare the colour for each measure on the vial (note: if using a standard test strip, the FCL (free chlorine level should be zero), Alkalinity 80ppm – 120ppm, pH 7.2 -7.6 and Total hardness 100ppm – 200ppm. The Peroxide level (Peroxsil and Poppit Sanitiser) should be at 100 ppm and must never drop below 40 ppm.

It is recommended for Spa filter maintenance that the filters be cleaned every 2 weeks; this also depends on Spa bather usage. Regular cleaning of filters will ensure maximum filtration of spa water and will prolong the life of your filter. Just hosing down the filter will not clean it. The filter traps body fats, greases, & Oils, which will hinder the filtration and circulation and needs to be treated and cleaned with Poppits Filter cleaner to dissolve these greases and fats. Use Poppits Filter Cartridge Cleaner and then hose down with high pressure from a garden hose.

This depends on the bathing load of your Spa.

Heavy usage (2-4 people every day)                                  4-6 weeks

Regular usage (2-4 People / 2 or 3 times a week)           6-8 weeks

Light usage (1-2 people / 1 or 2 times a week)                8-12 weeks

This is a guideline only and is recommended to replace the water at a maximum of 12 weeks.

On occasions, a spa will become infected with algae. This is more common with tank water. Should this occur, we would recommend the following:

Visit your local Pool or Spa shop and have a water test, and purchase a non-copper Algaecide. Follow the dosage for your spa size.

1. Circulate and filter for 8-12 hours. (The Spa will initially go cloudy; however, do not let that worry you.) Turn the air jets on and off during this time; this will clear the air lines of any algae spores. At the same time, using a soft cloth, wipe the inside of the Spa and around jets, under head rests, and the underside of the Spa cover. Rinse off the Spa cover and leave it exposed to the sun to dry.

2. Burn off dead algae with Quick Fix at 60grams/1000 litres and filter for 4 hours, then clean filter cartridges, thoroughly rinse and flush the filter cartridges until water runs clear through the filter cartridges. If required, balance water with Poppit Water Balance (alkalinity 80ppm -120ppm, pH 7.2 -7.6).  Finally, dose the Spa with Peroxsil / Poppits Sanitiser at the rate of 380mls / 1000 litres of water.

To assist in keeping algae at bay, it is recommended to use 50ml/1000 litres of Poppit Pool & Spa Complete Maintenance to remove the phosphates, which are a main food source for algae.

**Note: If the infestation is severe and the water is ready to be dumped/drained, remove the filter cartridges, add Poppit Spa pipe degreaser and circulate for 30 minutes and then drain the spa water, refill, test and follow start-up procedures.

Peroxsil and Poppit Sanitiser are compatible with ozone. Using Peroxsil or Poppit Sanitiser in conjunction with ozone maintains a “chlorine-free” environment. This also ensures that an APVMA-registered bactericide is used within the spa water.

Smelly Spa water can be the result of insufficient dose rate of Spa sanitiser, pH and alkalinity being out of balance, heavy bathing load without the use of Poppit Quick Fix or dirty filter cartridges. If all checks are fine, it can be that the Spa has been covered for a period, and a condensation smell can appear. Remove cover and wipe down with a damp cloth with Poppit Spa Pipe Degreaser (using rubber gloves), rinse off and leave it in the sun to dry. Peroxsil and Poppit Sanitisers have no smell, whereas others contain a chemical odour which masks the cause of the smell.

If it is time to replace the water, use Poppits spa pipe degreaser, drain the spa, clean the surface and refill and balance the water before use.

What we recommend in these cases (when there is something outside the normal) is that we go through a series of checks to try to discover the source of the problem, which could be:

• Contaminants in the Spa water (Creams, oils etc. on skin)
• Fragrances or oils added to the water.
• pH /Alkalinity imbalance.
• Insufficient filtering (sometimes, insufficient filtering struggles to filter heavy bather loads). Poppits Pool & Spa complete Maintenance will assist in this case.
• Filter cartridges that have not had regular maintenance or rinsed out thoroughly enough.
• Insufficient Sanitiser, i.e., below 40 PPM of Poppits. and needs to be dosed with Quick Fix, filtered for 4 hours and then dosed with a start-up dose again with Peroxsil at the rate of 380mls / 1000ltr or 1ltr /1000ltr of Poppit Sanitiser.
• Look at the surrounding areas. Sometimes you will find that there are plants or trees dropping matter in the Spa water
• When was the last time you refreshed the spa water? sometimes the water is simply ready to drain and refill with fresh water.

If you find you are dealing with some of the above.

• First, test the water and rebalance if required.
• Add the required dose of Quick Fix and filter for 4 hours, then dose with a start-up dose of Peroxsil at the rate of 380mls / 1000ltr or 1ltr /1000ltr of Poppit Sanitiser.
• Check the filters have been cleaned with Poppits spa cartridge cleaner.
• Add Poppits Pool & Spa maintenance Complete at a rate of 50ml per month.

This is a great question. Portable Spas should be emptied and left un covered. The spa water should be drained if the water is around 12 weeks old, and then upon return, follow the start up directions.  This is to be done if away for a lengthy period. If you are only going away for a few days or up to a week, test water to ensure balance is fine and add 380mls / 1000ltr of Peroxsil or 1ltr /1000ltr Poppit Sanitiser. Retest upon return.

An accumulation of body fats, greases and oils can build up on the internal wall cavities of the pipe work of your spa. These body fats, greases & Oils will absorb Spa Poppit and other sanitisers, causing excessive usage of the product. This can lead to breeding of bacteria in your Spa water (this is sometimes called Biofilm). You need to eliminate this from your system to prevent any buildup. Use Poppits Spa Pipe Degreaser as per instructions on the container before every water dump/refresh.

Cloudy spa water can result from a heavy bather load. If this is the cause, use Poppit Quick Fix as per instructions and filter for 4 hours. This will remove the excess organics added to the water from heavy bather loading.

 It can also be a result of dirty filter cartridges. Clean with Poppit Filter Cleaner. Soak as per instructions. Other causes can be insufficient filtering time, pH, and alkalinity out of balance or incorrect dose rate of Poppits or Peroxsil sanitiser and high levels of calcium hardness (particularly with tank water). Sometimes it is simply time to refresh the Spa water.

To assist in the spa water clarification, it is recommended to use 50ml/1000 litres of Poppit Pool & Spa Complete Maintenance monthly. this will also assist in keeping your spa Algae free.