1.11 Caring for your Spa Boy System
Spa Boy Maintenance
Question 1 How do I Replace the Spa Boy Output Electrode?
The Spa Boy Output Electrode should be replaced every 12 – 18 months. Doing this ensures Sanitizer will be produced and sanitizer remains in the required range. The App also shows a “ BATTERY” displaying the amount of life left in the Spa Boy Salt Cell. Accuracy of the display is dependent on the salt dosage being within the required range 2000ppm – 2500ppm.
The Spa Boy Output Electrode can be replaced without draining the spas water providing these steps are followed.
Steps:
- Turn the breaker off to isolate power to your Spa.
- Unscrew the Spa Boy Niche out of its housing.
- Raise the Niche completely out of the spas water and dry off any water on the Niche and Electrode.
- To help prevent galvanic corrosion, it is critical to ensure that spa water does not come into contact with the Spa Boy Electrode Electrical Pin or female matting connection located on the Spa Boy Niche when disconnecting the Niche from the Spa Boy Electrode.
* Keep them high and keep them dry, when replacing the Spa Boy Output Electrode!
- With a small Phillips screwdriver unscrew the set screw that secures the Spa Boy Output Electrode to the Niche.
- Remove the Spa Boy Output Electrode from the Niche by Unscrewing the Electrode anticlockwise and ensure the small O-ring has not dislodged from the Electrode and remained behind inside the Niche.
- Ensure the new Electrode has the small O-ring correctly seated into the groove that is positioned around the electrical pin.
- Inspect the male electrical connection plug in the Niche to ensure it is not corroded. If corroded the dealer will need to be contacted as the Spa Boy Niche Assembly will require replacement.
- Apply Dielectric Grease to the electrical pin on the new Spa Boy Electrode.
- Insert the Spa Boy Electrode back into the Niche and turning clockwise screw the Electrode into the Niche until tight and the locating hole has aligned (approximately 4 revolutions).
- Insert the set screw into the Electrode and using a Phillips screwdriver tighten the set screw.
- Tuck the wiring loom back into the Housing.
- Screw the Niche back into its Housing ensuring the Electrode points upwards when tight. This ensures maximum output from the Electrode.
- Turn the breaker back on to repower your spa.
Question 2 How do I Care for the Spa Boy Sensor? The Spa Boy Sensor must never be permitted to freeze and must always remain in contact with water. If the Sensor freezes or is not left in contact with water at all times the sensor will fail and will require replacement!
Question 3 How do I Care for the Spa Boy Sensor when Draining the Spas Water? As the Spa Boy Sensor must always remain in contact with water, when the spas water is being drained the Spa Boy Sensor Housing must be sealed before the water is drained. The Spa Boy Sensor Housing is usually located in the foot well or other area of the spa that is not in the way of bathers or impacted by water turbulence from jets. The Spa Boy Housing has a Grate screwed into the front of the Housing. Steps for caring for your Spa Boy Sensor when draining the spas water:
- Find your 2” (50mm) Spa Boy Housing Plug that was installed in the Spa Boy Sensor Housing when your spa was first delivered.
- Check to ensure the Spa Boy Housing Plug has an O-ring in place, which is used to generate a seal between the plug and housing when the plug is screwed into the housing.
- Turn the breaker off to isolate power to your Spa.
- Turning counter clockwise, unscrew the Grate located on the front of the Spa Boy Sensor Housing.
- Screw the Spa Boy Housing Plug provided with your spa into the front of the Spa Boy Sensor Housing. This will seal the water that is in the Housing and prevent the water in the Housing from draining when you drain your spas water.
Warning: The Spa Boy Sensor must never be permitted to freeze and must always remain in contact with water. If the Sensor freezes or is not left in contact with water at all times the sensor will fail and will require replacement! Such failures are not covered by warranty.
What do we do when winterizing a Spa?
- You can now drain your spas water.
- Clean the Spa shell with a mixture of water and white vinegar. Rinse the shell down with fresh water and then polish the shell with Arctic Pure, Reflection.
- When refilling your spa with water, leave the Spa Boy Sensor Plug secured in place until the water line is higher than the Spa Boy Housing.
- The Spa Boy Housing Plug can now be unscrewed from the Housing and the Housing Grate can be screwed back into the Housing.
- Once the water level has been reached the bottom of the pillow line you can turn the breaker back on to repower your spa.
Question 4 Does adding salt to the spas water impact pH? Yes adding salt to the spas water will increase the pH level. The chlorine that is produced by a salt chlorinator plays a role in the water chemistry of a salt spa. Salt is sodium chloride. When an electric charge is passed through salt water, the sodium chloride is turned into sodium hypochlorite. This is the same kind of chlorine that is sold by the gallon as liquid chlorine. The most important feature of sodium hypochlorite is a high pH. When the salt chlorinator produces chlorine, it raises the pH of the spas water. Strive to achieve a Low pH level 7.2. pH must not exceed 7.6.
Question 5 What do I do if my ORP Reading is below the Optimum Range? If Spa Boy reflects that the ORP is below the Optimum Range of 545 – 550 mV you must first consider that water chemistry may have been affected by recent bather load and spa usage, at times the ORP value will overshoot or undershoot the Optimum Range. If the Spa Boy Dashboard on My Arctic Spa reflects that the ORP is below 545 mV do the following:
- Check Spa Boy Dashboard through My Arctic Spa to see if the Dashboard reflects sanitizing YES, if yes Spa Boy is currently producing sanitizer. Re-check ORP in a few hours to confirm ORP is increasing.
- If Dashboard reflects Sanitizing NO: Trip the spas breaker to isolate the power to the spa and then turn the breaker back on to repower the spa. Check Spa Boy Dashboard through My Arctic Spa to see if the Dashboard reflects sanitizing YES, if yes Spa Boy is currently producing sanitizer. Re-check ORP in a few hours to confirm ORP is increasing.
- If Dashboard reflects Sanitizing NO: First, try pressing the Spa Boy BOOST button on the Arctic Spas App or myarcticspa.com dashboard under “Settings/Spa Boy Status” to manually activate the Spa Boy system for 30 minutes.
If the dashboard still reflects Sanitizing contact your Arctic Spas Dealer who will request a Master Technician to log onto your spa to determine the possible cause, such as depleted Spa Boy Output Electrode, Spa Boy Sensor issue or corroded Spa Boy Output Electrode electrical connections.
Question 6 If the Spa Boy System is not working, can I add Arctic Pure BOOST or other sanitizer to the spas water? Yes you can add Arctic Pure BOOST if needed. Arctic Pure BOOST or other chlorine sanitizer shouldn’t need to be added regularly to keep up with regular bather load. Adding Arctic Pure BOOST or other chlorine sanitizers will raise sanitizer levels above the Spa Boy Systems maintained chlorine/ORP optimum range (545mV-550mV) causing the Spa Boy System to shut down until the chlorine/ORP reading is below the optimum range, 545mV/ORP.
- Adding BOOST can temporarily “poison” the SpaBoy sensor for 24-48 hours. Do not trust the ORP reading until water has stabilized.
Question 7 Is it permitted to add Arctic Pure Refresh directly to the spas water? If your spa is not equipped with Arctic Spa Ozone such as Peak 1 or Peak 2 it is a good idea to add 1 cap full per week.
Question 8 How do I help prevent impedance increase at the Spa Boy Electrode? Maintain the pH level within the target range 7.2 pH – 7.6 pH. As salt systems naturally drive pH levels upwards, it is most critical to the performance/life of the salt system to maintain the pH within the target range. High pH reduces the effectiveness of chlorine.
- pH level of 7 makes chlorine 70% effective (30% loss of effectiveness).
- pH level of 8 makes chlorine 21% effective (79% loss of effectiveness).
Therefore, high pH causes your Spa Boy system to produce more chlorine unnecessarily thus increasing pH even higher and reducing the effectiveness of chlorine even further. Strive to achieve a Low pH level 7.2. pH must not exceed 7.6.
Question 9 Why is my water bright yellow, or bright green, or a rusty color suddenly? This can happen if the pH gets too high. Maintain the pH level within the target range 7.2 pH – 7.8 ph. Lower the pH using ‘Salt Water Balance’. If the color of the water does not normalize you may need to replace the water. If pH readings are 8.2ppm or above, a pH error will be displayed on the Top Side Controller every five seconds until the pH is corrected.
* Keep an eye on the pH and adjust it weekly to avoid this problem in the future.
Question 10 What happens if my water becomes cloudy?
- Check you pH level to ensure it is in the target range. If high, lower the pH using Arctic Pure Salt Water Balance.
- Check/Test the water with a drop test kit for chlorine content. If the level is below 0.5ppm or there is no reading the Spa Boy Output Electrode may be exhausted and require replacement. Check Cell Life Monitor on Arctic Spas App or myarcticspa.com dashboard under “Settings/Spa Boy Status”, remaining Cell life is displayed as a green colored battery. The green band on the battery will reduce in height as the Cell becomes depleted.
- Check that the Salinity reading is within the desired range, 2000ppm and 2500ppm. If salinity reading is below the range it can cause the Cell Life Monitor to display as Red, which implies the Spa Boy Salt Cell is exhausted when it may not be.
- Check your filters as they may require replacement.
Question 11 Should I use Best Defense or another scale remover? It is recommended that calcium be removed from the water in advance, during the fill process with the aid of a pre-filter and when establishing initial correct water chemistry, rather than adding a scale remover after the fact. Calcium readings below 150ppm should be maintained.
Question 12 What is the impact of phosphates on the Spa Boy system? High levels of phosphates (above 250 ppb) may reduce the effectiveness of sanitizer output.
Question 13 Can I use softened water with my Spa Boy system? Yes, you probably have a water softener because your water is quite hard. Your water softener removes calcium from your water and helps you achieve water with calcium content near the target range, between 50 – 150 ppm.
Question 14 Prior to draining spa water for refill purposes, should a system flush be carried out? Yes you can, Arctic Pure ‘Fresh Start’. Use in accordance with the instructions on the container. Flushing the system components and hoses is helpful when you get biofilm and calcium build-up. It is good practice to do this at least once a year.
Question 15 If I am going to have a very heavy bather load, is there a way to manually active the Spa Boy System to generate additional sanitizer (Increase ORP Level)? Yes you can. Pressing the Boost Button through the App or dashboard in myarcticspas.com will manually activate the Spa Boy System for 30 minutes. Boost button can be activated in such cases when you know you are going to have a heavy bather load.
CAUTION: Only press the Boost Button once.
When the Boost Button is pressed:
- The Lightning Bolt on the Boost Button will illuminate and then,
- The Spa Boy Generator will turn On and Off TWICE along with the Lightning Bolt, and then,
- The Boost function commences its 30-minute cycle. During this cycle the Lightning Bolt remains illuminated.
Pressing the Boost button more than once will cause the Boost function not to activate.