Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Life with a hot tub or spa

When we purchased our hot tub, a sample of our water was tested and we were given an assortment of chemicals to be used for the maintenance of said tub. Things to raise and lower the pH, de-scaling junk, you name it. We were given a sheet of instructions on when and how to use all these. Cliff informed me that, since I'm the one who'll be using the tub the most, I need to take care of the chemicals. I agreed with that.

I blithely tossed in the first three or four ingredients to be used before we ever got in the tub. After doing so, I glanced again at my instructions and realized I was supposed to put the first thing in ahead of the others and wait awhile. Oops.

I was instructed to add two teaspoons of chlorine concentrate after every use of the hot tub, so upon getting out of the spa, I'd do that. A couple of weeks later, I noticed I was supposed to add it with the pump running. Oops.

The weekly maintenance thing didn't seem like such a big deal to me. Just add three chemicals in the proper amount. But yesterday, after a month of hot tub use, I realized that the pump is supposed to run for two hours after adding the de-scaling stuff. Oops.

Oh, and also yesterday I noticed I was to clean the filters before using that stuff. Oops.

One of the chemicals is to be added with the pump running but the aerators off. Hmmm. OK, I think I've figured out what that means... hit the "jet number 1" button once, not twice.

Something I figured out as soon as I read the manufacturer's book: there's virtually no guarantee on a hot tub. If you don't keep the pH right, that can mess it up and you are at fault. In fact, practically anything that goes wrong with it can be blamed on ME.

It isn't physically hard, but it's wearing out my brain. Are swimming pool chemicals this difficult to figure out?

On another note, when I got up this morning and turned on my computer, it wouldn't access the Internet. This is a common occurrence, and my first move is always to fire up the laptop so I'll know whether it's the desktop or my DSL connection that's failed me. Today, as usual, my laptop connected; the problem was with this computer.

My next move is to turn the computer off and unplug it for awhile. Often, when I plug it back in and turn it on, it works. Not today.

Then I tried "system restore". After all, I did install that new program yesterday. So I did a "go-back" to Saturday. Of course, Backstreet Browser was gone, but perhaps my computer would now connect to the Internet.

Nope.

OK, that leaves one other thing: turn off the computer, unplug the DSL box, and wait awhile. Come back, turn on the DSL, wait till the lights quit dancing, and turn on the computer.

That fixed the problem. I have no idea why. In fact, I don't know why any of these things works.

The world of computers is a mystery to me. Very much like this real world.

5 comments:

  1. The spa sounds too complicated for me! And I don't get computers either. That's what my husband is for!

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  2. I've had that happen too and the lady at the cable company just said all those things just get lost in space sometimes and unplugging it all helps to reset the waves... Oh dear, I don't even want to think about what is floating around in space.

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  3. My DSL goes out sometimes and I have to unplug everything and then replug.

    Likewise on my wifi. Strange.

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  4. At least when I'm gone, Monica has been trained to cycle the modem and router. I don't think Kevin would ever get it. *sigh*

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  5. Anonymous7:45 AM

    My router does the same thing, and like your spa, I have to do things a certain way. I was told it was because my router was too close to other electronics. Anyway I have to first turn off the modem, disconnect the cables, then turn off the router. wait 1 minute then turn on the modem, plug in the cables, wait til they stop blinking, then turn on the router! that generally works.

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