Hot tub buildup

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booboo

0
May 22, 2008
69
Marana AZ
What is this stuff and how do I get rid of it? The white looks like calcium buildup but
there also is some tan stuff that is like putty and very sticky. The tan stuff is also all
over the filters. The water looks and smells fine, the PH and chlorine are good.


Spa 1.jpg
 
booboo said:
What is this stuff and how do I get rid of it? The white looks like calcium buildup but
there also is some tan stuff that is like putty and very sticky. The tan stuff is also all
over the filters. The water looks and smells fine, the PH and chlorine are good.


View attachment 555760
Click to expand...
Bio contaminants in your plumbing and jet infrastructure.You need to do a purge with Aahhsome!! The white is calcium,most likely how do you test your water? @Ahhsomeguy is the best to ask on purging,look up how to purge your hot tub and you will find the info you need.How old are your filters?IMG_3209.jpeg
 
booboo said:
The Spa has a salt cell, the chlorine levels are stable. The filters are pretty dirty and need to be replaced. I don't want to replace them until I figure out how to clean this up.
Click to expand...
Your ph must always be pretty high,with that calcium buildup,with salt and aeration the ph will always be high.The filter should be chemically cleaned every month or two and soaked 3 times a year overnight.You need to keep the ph down you could also be damaging your heater and pump(s) with calcium buildup in the system.I would recommend getting a quality test kit and not use test strips if you are.What brand hot tub do you have?model?year?
 
Its a Arctic Spas Klondiker Legend 2016. The PH is monitord by the spa and it is reporting the PH is good. I have checked the PH with a good meter in the past and it seemed to be OK. I haven't checked it in a long time, maybe the spas PH meter is off. How do you remove the calcium?
 
booboo said:
Its an Arctic Spas Klondiker Legend 2016. The PH is monitord by the spa and it is reporting the PH is good. I have checked the PH with a good meter in the past and it seemed to be OK. I haven't checked it in a long time, maybe the spas PH meter is off. How do you remove the calcium?
Click to expand...
I would trust using a test kit the TF-100 or the Taylor Kit.You need to check the ph and alkalinity more often with a salt generator.
 
Last edited:
What does “good” mean to you?
Please share your actual test results to help us determine what’s going on here with the white stuff. Otherwise we’re all just guessing.
Fc
Cc
Ph
Ta
Cya
Ch
Salt
The ph rises frequently in a spa & should be tested frequently to prevent damage from high/low ph conditions. Ph probes should not be relied upon alone.

The tan sticky stuff certainly sounds like biofilms. Its time for an Ahhsome purge then drain & refill. Especially if you’ve never done one. This is a regular maintenance thing that should be done every 3-6 months or so anyway.

Does this tub have ozone or uv?

About the filters:
Filters should simply be able to be cleaned when dirty - with proper care filters can last years. One of mine is 5+ years old.

Cartridge Filter Use and Care - Further Reading

www.google.com www.google.com
 
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Have you been using non chlorine shock (mps)?
This often shows up as cc’s when testing.
That cya is out of control if it’s accurate at all. A cya over 50 ppm makes it very hard to adequately sanitize a spa.
See—> FC/CYA Levels
Time to purge, dump that water, & start over following this guide

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...
www.google.com www.google.com
Regular use of a proper test kit would prevent things from going off the rails.
Test Kits Compared
Your ch isn’t terribly high if it’s accurate.
But your tub is currently acidic. Although many ph tests are flawed once fc rises above 10ppm.
A continuous acidic condition (ph below 7) can wreak havoc on your surfaces & equipment & dissolve seals.
ORP (ph probes) are also highly sensitive to cya levels over 30ppm resulting in inaccurate readings.
For the white stuff-can you scrape a little off & put a little muriatic acid on it (in a safe place that won’t be damaged by the acid)?
If it fizzles it’s scale - if not you may have simply damaged the finish of your tub.
 
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What do you mean by cc's. I just figured you ment total chlorine as you didn't ask for it.

I am not adding any chlorine, it is all generated by the sale cell. At least since I replaced it a few months ago. While it was not working I added granulated chlorine as needed, for several months. I assume that is where the cya came from.

These results are from my local leslies pool store, they use a machine to test the water. I then confirmed it with my test kit, not strips. I am fairly confident of the results.

We have very hard water here so when I refill this I can refill it entierly or partially from a water softner to get the hardness down.
 

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booboo said:
What do you mean by cc's. I just figured you ment total chlorine as you didn't ask for it.
Click to expand...
Fc (free chlorine *aka* good stuff)
+
cc (combined chlorine *aka* bad stuff)
= total chlorine
We need to know the difference (how much good & how much bad stuff)
Total chlorine is not really that helpful of a metric.
In a spa especially, cc’s are an important indicator of water health.
As persistent cc’s above 0.5ppm are an indicator that its time for a water exchange.
booboo said:
I am not adding any chlorine, it is all generated by the sale cell. At least since I replaced it a few months ago. While it was not working I added granulated chlorine as needed, for several months. I assume that is where the cya came from.
Click to expand...
If you have been running fc that high for quite some time even when the cya was lower it’s possible that you have damaged the finish & its oxidized. We like chlorine around here but you can have too much of a good thing. Is this an inline cell?

booboo said:
These results are from my local leslies pool store, they use a machine to test the water. I then confirmed it with my test kit, not strips. I am fairly confident of the results.
Click to expand...
Leslies uses “adjusted” alkalinity which is your actual alkalinity minus some of your cya.
Unfortunately we see more inaccuracy from pool store testing than home testing. Its kinda like the lotto - you might get lucky but the majority don’t.
What test kit are you currently using?
booboo said:
We have very hard water here so when I refill this I can refill it entierly or partially from a water softner to get the hardness down.
Click to expand...
👍🏻
 
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Mdragger88 said:
Fc (free chlorine *aka* good stuff)
+
cc (combined chlorine *aka* bad stuff)
= total chlorine
We need to know the difference (how much good & how much bad stuff)
Total chlorine is not really that helpful of a metric.
In a spa especially, cc’s are an important indicator of water health.
As persistent cc’s above 0.5ppm are an indicator that its time for a water exchange.

If you have been running fc that high for quite some time even when the cya was lower it’s possible that you have damaged the finish & its oxidized. We like chlorine around here but you can have too much of a good thing. Is this an inline cell?


Leslies uses “adjusted” alkalinity which is your actual alkalinity minus some of your cya.
Unfortunately we see more inaccuracy from pool store testing than home testing. Its kinda like the lotto - you might get lucky but the majority don’t.
What test kit are you currently using?

👍🏻
Click to expand...
Oh the Leslie’s test !! Great explanation of this one @Mdragger88.
 
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