FreshWater Salt & IQ, explained.

Three different jobs

Know what is installed in your spa.

FreshWater Salt makes chlorine from dissolved salt. Smart Monitoring measures selected water parameters. Dosing adds specific balancing products. These components work together on compatible spas, but having the Salt System does not mean you have the other two.

Salt System: chlorine generation

A replaceable cartridge generates chlorine. You set its output to match the spa's chlorine demand and check the water. Supplemental chlorine may still be needed under the system instructions.

Smart Monitoring: readings and guidance

Chlorine, pH and salt readings update hourly at the spa's controls. You act on its guidance. It does not measure alkalinity, calcium hardness or phosphates; those need separate tests.

Dosing: specific chemical adjustments

On a compatible equipped spa, a command dispenses pH Up or pH Down. Phosphate remover can follow a programmed schedule informed by separate tests. Both Salt and Smart Monitoring must be operational first. Refill only with the products identified on each cartridge.

• FreshWater Salt owner’s manual304262 Rev. C (10/22), pp. 4–6, 11
• FreshWater Smart Monitoring manual305324 Rev. A (1/24), pp. 1–3, 5–7
• FreshWater Dosing manual304927 Rev. B (8/26), pp. 2–6, 13, 19–20

Before choosing a system

Ready is different from installed.

This is Hot Spring's current collection chart. Confirm the actual model, year, controls and installed components before ordering an upgrade or replacement. Optional components and their installation should be identified in your quote.

For older units, the manufacturer excludes pre-2019 spas from FreshWater Salt and spa launches before January 2024 from Smart Monitoring. Those dates alone do not prove retrofit eligibility or Dosing compatibility. Bring the model and serial information so we can match the correct instructions to your unit.

• Current FreshWater IQ compatibility chartCurrent collection readiness; verify the actual unit
• FreshWater Salt model-year guidanceManufacturer excludes models made before 2019
• Smart Monitoring compatibility FAQRev. A (06/24), p. 2; model-fit reference, not current app-feature guidance

A fresh fill

Start with tested, balanced fill water.

Use your spa manual together with the Salt startup guide. This overview helps you prepare; chemical quantities, fill levels and control steps must come from your actual equipment instructions and product labels.

1. Test the source water. Identify metals, phosphates and calcium hardness before filling. Treatment depends on the results.
2. Follow the fill and Salt startup sequence. The guide covers filling, adding salt, balancing, initial chlorination and calcium correction. Keep power off whenever the spa is empty.
3. Establish chlorine generation. The guide targets 5 ppm during initial chlorination, then checks that at least 3 ppm has held over the following 24 hours. Test and adjust as directed during startup.
4. Activate monitoring after startup is complete. Premature activation can produce incorrect recommendations. A newly activated sensor has a 24-hour initialization period before chlorine and pH readings appear.

If liquid metal treatment is needed, the Salt guide requires filter cleaning and a 24-hour wait before adding chlorine or turning the Salt System on. A pre-filter and calcium treatment serve different purposes; choose them from the water test, rather than assuming one product corrects every fill-water problem.

• FreshWater Salt startup guideU.S. startup instructions, pp. 1–4
• FreshWater Smart Monitoring manual305324 Rev. A (1/24), pp. 1–3, 5–7

FreshWater Salt reference

Salt has its own chemistry targets.

These are the U.S. Salt manual's targets and operating ranges. They are not a universal table for conventional chlorine, bromine or FROG @ease. Follow applicable product-label and equipment instructions, including circulation and re-entry directions.

Calcium is a frequent point of confusion: FreshWater Salt specifies 25–75 ppm, with a target of 50 ppm. Do not substitute another system's hardness instructions. Chlorine requirements can vary by country or local authority; the table is the cited U.S. manufacturer reference.

• FreshWater Salt owner’s manual304262 Rev. C (10/22), pp. 4–6, 11

Ongoing ownership

Test before use. Treat the reminder as an extra check.

The Salt manual recommends testing and balancing before each use. Its 10-day reminder adds an output confirmation; it does not replace those checks. Match output to actual chlorine demand as your use changes.

• With Smart Monitoring, follow the readings and guidance while continuing separate alkalinity, calcium and phosphate tests every two weeks, as its manual directs.
• Maintain filters using your spa's procedure. Filter type, usage and water condition affect cleaning needs.
• Follow cartridge-condition messages. The Salt manual describes typical replacement after four months, depending on use and care.
• Use water condition and the applicable instructions to decide when to refill. Up to 12 months of water life with proper maintenance is a possibility, not a fixed schedule.

• FreshWater Salt owner’s manual304262 Rev. C (10/22), pp. 4–6, 11
• FreshWater Smart Monitoring manual305324 Rev. A (1/24), pp. 1–3, 5–7

Before adding a product

Monitoring changes the approved chemical list.

Salt alone

The Salt manual permits chlorine, MPS non-chlorine oxidizer and silver under its instructions. That permission does not carry over to a spa equipped with Smart Monitoring or Dosing.

Salt with Smart Monitoring or Dosing

These instructions prohibit MPS, ozone, silver and silver nitrate products, including FreshWater Mineral Spa Sanitizer. They can interfere with readings or operation. Use the installed components' instructions when choosing supplies.

FreshWater instructions also exclude bromine and biguanide programs, calcium hypochlorite, trichlor tablets, and scented or splash-free liquid chlorine. Dosing cartridges require their specifically labeled products; they are not general chemical dispensers.

• FreshWater Salt owner’s manual304262 Rev. C (10/22), pp. 4–6, 11
• FreshWater Smart Monitoring manual305324 Rev. A (1/24), pp. 1–3, 5–7
• FreshWater Dosing manual304927 Rev. B (8/26), pp. 2–6, 13, 19–20

Budget for the actual equipment

Build a supply list for your spa.

Include Salt cartridges, testing supplies, balancers and any treatment your fill water needs. If fitted, add Smart Monitoring sensor replacement and Dosing supplies. Consumption varies with water, usage and equipment condition, so a cartridge pack does not establish a fixed annual cost.

Use current shop pricing and have the fit checked before ordering. If you are comparing new spas, ask which components are included, which are optional and how they will be started and maintained.

FreshWater questions, answered.

• FreshWater Salt owner’s manual304262 Rev. C (10/22), pp. 4–6, 11
• FreshWater Salt startup guideU.S. startup instructions, pp. 1–4
• FreshWater Smart Monitoring manual305324 Rev. A (1/24), pp. 1–3, 5–7
• FreshWater Dosing manual304927 Rev. B (8/26), pp. 2–6, 13, 19–20
• Current FreshWater IQ compatibility chartCurrent collection readiness; verify the actual unit
• FreshWater Salt model-year guidanceManufacturer excludes models made before 2019
• Smart Monitoring compatibility FAQRev. A (06/24), p. 2; model-fit reference, not current app-feature guidance