Wash with Enzyme solution?

[Pool_Kid]

how often are you guys doing a wash using an enzyme solution for your standalone manufactured spa? my spa is now just a tad over 1yr old, not used that much, water well balanced the whole time (refilled every 3-4mo). is there a need to do a enzyme wash to clean pipes out? i'd rather not do it unless needed, etc.

 

[chem geek]

You should clean out your plumbing periodically, but that isn't done with (only or primarily) enzymes but rather powerful surfactants as found in Ahh-Some. You can use that product just before every water change, if you want, or you can use it less frequently if you don't think there are issues with your plumbing and you don't notice any higher chlorine demand after a refill compared to the previous refill.

 

[Pool_Kid]

mine is 385 gal, that video on their site tells us to fill it back up and drain again. so for me its 770gal of water just to clean it. i am right, you need that 2nd fill to get rid of the surfactant & remainder of the bio films? why do they remove the filter? w/o filter wouldnt that allow more goop into the pumps? my filters are micro cloth over basket, i wash them in the washer, etc.

 

[chem geek]

If you are at the end of your water change cycle there is no need to change the water before using the product. That saves you from wasting water. You only need to do yet another drain/refill if you get a lot of junk out and want to do another round with the product. The video assumed the tub hadn't had a treatment before which is why it might need more than one.

They keep the filter in its chamber when first using the product and then remove the filter from its chamber but have you put it into the spa where it again gets exposed to their product. The Instructions for Use says the following about this where I put in bold what we are discussing. Note that you initially add the product WITH THE FILTER installed. You then take the filter out and put it in the main spa area.

Purging Hot Tub/Spa Plumbing & Jets
Every 4-6 months you should purge your hot tub (SPA) of exfoliated skin, harmful bacteria and other gunk that is clinging inside the plumbing infrastructure. This is a simple process. Add about 1 tablespoon (3 level teaspoons) of our gel to a 300 gallon hot tub just prior to your maintenance purge. Use less or more according to your hot tubs water capacity. Run the pump(s) and blower to attain maximum circulation. Be sure to open air intake valve(s). Foaming will appear quickly inside the vessel. This is NORMAL. Remove and rinse the filter(s) and place inside the hot tub water. Run the jets and blower (if equipped) up to 30 minutes. Shut the system down and drain and rinse the hot tub with fresh water. Remove the filter(s) from the tub and rinse off with a hose. They’ll be deep cleaned as never before. Many filters harbor bacterial biofilm if not cleaned properly. Place the filter(s) back into the filter cavity. Wipe the hot tub as clean as possible, getting the sticky gunk off the interior finish. Be sure to dump as much of the dirty water as possible after doing this cleaning purge. Ideally, you get all the water out of the tub after this cleaning. Use rubber gloves and a good cleaner when you rinse and wipe the shell. Mixing 1/8th of a level teaspoon of Ahh-Some Gel to 32 ounces of water in a trigger spray bottle will make a wonderful cleaner for the acrylic shell wipe down. If your spa has a blower with air channel (holes in the bottom), this will be very difficult unless you can literally lift the spa so that the water in the channel flow to one area that you can scoop out. Some people use a shop vacuum to suck the remaining water out of the air channel system. That’s it! Fill the hot tub with water to proper level. Add balancing chemicals and a sanitizer as usual. Remember to do this clean-out purge every 4-6 months so your water maintains a clear, fresh and balanced look. Water can hold only so much particulate matter before it begins to look cloudy and stressed. It is perfectly ok to drain the hot tub/spa Ahh-Some treated water on grass, flowers or plants.

Now in the video at around 1:00 she takes out the filter first, but prior to doing that she says at 0:32 that "I'm going to take to take the filter out and set it aside because later on I want to clean the biofilm from that as well by placing it in front of the jets." Unfortunately, they split the video up and had another person do the 2nd half where they didn't show putting the filter into the main spa area with the jets running. So yes, the video is confusing, but if you follow the written instructions you should be OK. Either keep the filters in initially but most certainly put them in the main spa area when the jets are running.

 

[ant 83]

We just did an ahh-some treatment during our first water change. I wasn't all that impressed with the amount of gunk that I wiped out, but our daily chlorine demand has dropped significantly. I'd estimate 50%. That alone makes it worthwhile to do it from my perspective.

Also, there are potential health benefits to consider. That scum in the pipes acts as a safe harbor for bacteria, where they wait for chlorine levels drop. At that point they can multiply exponentially.

Hot tub rash, hot tub lung, listeria pneumonia.....

It's just good basic hygiene to decontaminate on a regular basis.

Reading about this stuff makes me wonder about shower and sink heads, garden hoses and the like.

 

[Pool_Kid]

i dont need to put my filters back in the water, i have a 2nd set. i am also thinking about a way i can feed my 3 filter inlets with water from two garden hoses to do the final rinse-out vs having to refill the whole thing. even with the refill the product and scum will still be in the water (some of it).

thanks for the info, i think i have a plan now.