Have I damaged anything?

[Andrew Montreal]

Hi all,



This is my first post here. I will be as thorough and precise as can be.



I am a new spa owner… Jacuzzi J-475 to be exact. I have had it for three months. For those three months I had only been using dichlor as my sanitizer. Mostly only two people using the spa.



My routine:

• Daily (or every two days) use of dichlor granules to keep up my FC levels. The Jacuzzi has the Clearray system that uses UV rays and ozone… a possible source of depletion of the chlorine levels, resulting in more frequent addition of granules.
• Weekly rinsing of filters as well as a weekend non-chlorine shock. Sometimes on weekends, a larger extra dose of chlorine.
• Monthly switching out of the filters with soaking in a solution.
• Very regular (if not every day, every second day) upkeep of chemicals, using of Ph- or alkalinity increaser if, and when, needed. I use strips to check but Taylor K-2006C is on its way.

The only thing that I didn’t realize was essential were the CYA levels. It’s only been a week that I have been paying attention to that. So I began by half-emptying the spa, then refilling, using dichlor until the CYA levels were around 20-30ppm. Then I switched to liquid chlorine… adding it one tablespoon at a time, diluted in a measuring cup filled with spa water first. Basically taking every precaution to not damage the spa.



Now here is where it gets strange, and why I am coming to you for help. Since beginning with the liquid chlorine, a few odd things have happened:

• My body (like armpits) noticeably has a stronger chlorine smell.
• A strong odd/new chemical smell when I turn on the jets.
• Two nights ago, I sat in the spa for twenty minutes. This was twelve hours after the last addition of chlorine. I came out and within about thirty minutes my lungs were hurting. The next day, they continued to hurt. Two days later, the pain was slight but still there.
• For the first time ever, I suddenly have a VERY sticky faint white layer of something on the acrylic that doesn’t seem to come off. It can only appear to be smeared around.
• Similar situation with a plaque-like substance at the top of the filters.

Have I damaged anything with the liquid chlorine? I don’t see how that is in away possible but I must ask. Can the sticky substance be removed? Is it melted finish? Why did this all sudden start?



Thank you.



Andrew

 

[Bperry]

Hi all,



This is my first post here. I will be as thorough and precise as can be.



I am a new spa owner… Jacuzzi J-475 to be exact. I have had it for three months. For those three months I had only been using dichlor as my sanitizer. Mostly only two people using the spa.



My routine:

• Daily (or every two days) use of dichlor granules to keep up my FC levels. The Jacuzzi has the Clearray system that uses UV rays and ozone… a possible source of depletion of the chlorine levels, resulting in more frequent addition of granules.
• Weekly rinsing of filters as well as a weekend non-chlorine shock. Sometimes on weekends, a larger extra dose of chlorine.
• Monthly switching out of the filters with soaking in a solution.
• Very regular (if not every day, every second day) upkeep of chemicals, using of Ph- or alkalinity increaser if, and when, needed. I use strips to check but Taylor K-2006C is on its way.

The only thing that I didn’t realize was essential were the CYA levels. It’s only been a week that I have been paying attention to that. So I began by half-emptying the spa, then refilling, using dichlor until the CYA levels were around 20-30ppm. Then I switched to liquid chlorine… adding it one tablespoon at a time, diluted in a measuring cup filled with spa water first. Basically taking every precaution to not damage the spa.



Now here is where it gets strange, and why I am coming to you for help. Since beginning with the liquid chlorine, a few odd things have happened:

• My body (like armpits) noticeably has a stronger chlorine smell.
• A strong odd/new chemical smell when I turn on the jets.
• Two nights ago, I sat in the spa for twenty minutes. This was twelve hours after the last addition of chlorine. I came out and within about thirty minutes my lungs were hurting. The next day, they continued to hurt. Two days later, the pain was slight but still there.
• For the first time ever, I suddenly have a VERY sticky faint white layer of something on the acrylic that doesn’t seem to come off. It can only appear to be smeared around.
• Similar situation with a plaque-like substance at the top of the filters.

Have I damaged anything with the liquid chlorine? I don’t see how that is in away possible but I must ask. Can the sticky substance be removed? Is it melted finish? Why did this all sudden start?



Thank you.



AndrewView attachment 539166View attachment 539167View attachment 539168

It’s likely the test method using those strips. They’re referred to as guess strips.

The liquid chlorine isn’t hurting anything in itself, but it isn’t possible to know what’s causing that without reliable test results. I’d wait for your kit to get there and test the water with the kit and report the results here. I’d for sure want to test it to know what might have happened.

Then I’d dump the water, purge it with the awhsome stuff, and refill.

 

[Mdragger88]

I think what you’re seeing is biofilms that have accumulated in the plumbing whilst your tub was under sanitized - you’re not melting your spa Having adequate fc now is starting to expel them but chlorine alone will not remove it all.
An Ahhsome purge as suggested will remove those.

what is ahh-some?

What is Ahh-some?

www.troublefreepool.com

You’re likely smelling cc’s because you are actually able to have some now that you have adequate fc to work on the organic load. The answer to elevated cc’s is more chlorine.
Before you had little disinfection capability due to high cya. CC - Further Reading
Your strips cannot differentiate between free chlorine (good stuff) & combined chlorine (bad stuff) they only measure Total Chlorine & they don’t even do that very well.
Fc+cc= TC
Your chlorine additions sound very low. I generally add about 2oz of 10% after each soak. That yields me about 7- 8ppm fc in my roughly 225 gallon tub. Your tub is 2x’s the size of mine.
A splash More if it wasn’t just me. This is enough to make up for the bather load I created if I started in a good place before soaking (usually 5ppm to start). I have a swcg that takes care of my standby fc so if you do not have that you may need to dose a little higher so you don’t broach minimum before your next check.
Leave your cover open for a little while after soaking/dosing to allow the cc’s to escape. (15-30min or so)
You do not need to dilute the liquid chlorine- just pour it in slowly infront of a running return away from the shell.
I have a small $1 plastic measuring cup I use for this purpose. I then rinse the cup in the tub a few times.
Use PoolMath to calculate additions based on your volume & follow the
FC/CYA Levels.
You never want fc to fall below minimum for your cya at any point in time lest nasties will grow

 

[Andrew Montreal]

It’s likely the test method using those strips. They’re referred to as guess strips.

The liquid chlorine isn’t hurting anything in itself, but it isn’t possible to know what’s causing that without reliable test results. I’d wait for your kit to get there and test the water with the kit and report the results here. I’d for sure want to test it to know what might have happened.

Then I’d dump the water, purge it with the awhsome stuff, and refill.

Sadly I’ve already emptied and have restarted. But I believe the problem has been solved by the post below yours.

 

[Andrew Montreal]

I think what you’re seeing is biofilms that have accumulated in the plumbing whilst your tub was under sanitized - you’re not melting your spa Having adequate fc now is starting to expel them but chlorine alone will not remove it all.
An Ahhsome purge as suggested will remove those.

what is ahh-some?

What is Ahh-some?

www.troublefreepool.com

You’re likely smelling cc’s because you are actually able to have some now that you have adequate fc to work on the organic load. The answer to elevated cc’s is more chlorine.
Before you had little disinfection capability due to high cya. CC - Further Reading
Your strips cannot differentiate between free chlorine (good stuff) & combined chlorine (bad stuff) they only measure Total Chlorine & they don’t even do that very well.
Fc+cc= TC
Your chlorine additions sound very low. I generally add about 2oz of 10% after each soak. That yields me about 7- 8ppm fc in my roughly 225 gallon tub. Your tub is 2x’s the size of mine.
A splash More if it wasn’t just me. This is enough to make up for the bather load I created if I started in a good place before soaking (usually 5ppm to start). I have a swcg that takes care of my standby fc so if you do not have that you may need to dose a little higher so you don’t broach minimum before your next check.
Leave your cover open for a little while after soaking/dosing to allow the cc’s to escape. (15-30min or so)
You do not need to dilute the liquid chlorine- just pour it in slowly infront of a running return away from the shell.
I have a small $1 plastic measuring cup I use for this purpose. I then rinse the cup in the tub a few times.
Use PoolMath to calculate additions based on your volume & follow the
FC/CYA Levels.
You never want fc to fall below minimum for your cya at any point in time lest nasties will grow

BINGO! This makes perfect sense. I was testing religiously my pH, alkalinity, free chlorine, total chlorine (they show both), CYA… though I didn’t recognize the importance of keeping the CYA down.

If I am getting it right… As a result, though there was free chlorine available in the spa, it wasn’t able to do what it had to do. Finally, for the first time this week after a half-emptying of the spa and finally keeping my CYA down, the chlorine was able to it’s job and all this junk came up. Is that it?

 

[Bperry]

BINGO! This makes perfect sense. I was testing religiously my pH, alkalinity, free chlorine, total chlorine (they show both), CYA… though I didn’t recognize the importance of keeping the CYA down.

If I am getting it right… As a result, though there was free chlorine available in the spa, it wasn’t able to do what it had to do. Finally, for the first time this week after a half-emptying of the spa and finally keeping my CYA down, the chlorine was able to it’s job and all this junk came up. Is that it?

Maybe, but without test results it’s only an educated guess.

 

[Andrew Montreal]

Maybe, but without test results it’s only an educated guess.

Certainly. And by the end of the week I will have a proper testing kit. But I at least can reason that all of what transpired (transpired… see what I did there) makes sense and that I didn’t just destroy my newly purchased 2023 Jacuzzi! Which honestly being new to this, was a consideration last night.

 

[Bperry]

Certainly. And by the end of the week I will have a proper testing kit. But I at least can reason that all of what transpired (transpired… see what I did there) makes sense and that I didn’t just destroy my newly purchased 2023 Jacuzzi! Which honestly being new to this, was a consideration last night.

The spa is fine, but watch out for your lungs and skin. Fiberglass is way more durable than people.

 

[Andrew Montreal]

The spa is fine, but watch out for your lungs and skin. Fiberglass is way more durable than people.

Truly. I think my little incident on Wednesday night will take a little time to fully get over… especially as I have asthma. That will not happen again. I will be far more careful. Thank you for the word.

 

[Mdragger88]

Please understand that even brand new tubs can contain biofims as they are all wet tested at the factory & things grow in the plumbing while in transit to you. This means if you don’t purge your new tub you can also have higher fc demand right out of the gate both of which only gets worse over time. (Biofilms & fc demand)
It is recommended to purge, drain, & refill every 3-6 months anyway depending upon usage. Some can go longer if impeccable sanitation is maintained.
So it is time anyway- get some Ahhsome, purge until clean & then drain & refill with a fresh start using your kit so you know where you truly stand.
Here’s the guide incase you haven’t read it

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

It is also conveniently pinned to the top of this subforum

 

[Andrew Montreal]

Please understand that even brand new tubs can contain biofims as they are all wet tested at the factory & things grow in the plumbing while in transit to you. This means if you don’t purge your new tub you can also have higher fc demand right out of the gate both of which only gets worse over time. (Biofilms & fc demand)
It is recommended to purge, drain, & refill every 3-6 months anyway depending upon usage. Some can go longer if impeccable sanitation is maintained.
So it is time anyway- get some Ahhsome, purge until clean & then drain & refill with a fresh start using your kit so you know where you truly stand.
Here’s the guide incase you haven’t read it

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

It is also conveniently pinned to the top of this subforum

I did a major purge at the beginning and had no problems for two and a half months till I brought my CYA levels down and used liquid chlorine. Seems clear now what the issue was, as you pointed out in a previous post.

As it is, I have now done a pipe cleaning, emptied completely, washed down all surfaces, and refilled with drag water. It’s looking great up till now. Also just received my Taylor K-2006C kit.

Is pipe cleaner the same as AhhSome? We don’t have that in our stores in Canada. But I did use the Pipe Cleaner from Club Piscine (I’m in Quebec and they are the only dealers of Jacuzzis.)

 

[Andrew Montreal]

Just received my Taylor K-2006C kit. I imagine it is supposed to have a mild chemical smell coming from inside even if all vials are closed? The thing is it quite strong. It is especially pungent in the booklet! Everything seems sealed though the box was in bad shape though and was poorly packaged.

Also, two of the containers have an expiration date of less than a year… is that normal?

 

[Bperry]

Just received my Taylor K-2006C kit. I imagine it is supposed to have a mild chemical smell coming from inside even if all vials are closed? The thing is it quite strong. It is especially pungent in the booklet! Everything seems sealed though the box was in bad shape though and was poorly packaged.

Also, two of the containers have an expiration date of less than a year… is that normal?

Was it from Amazon? Some sellers have old inventory but the general recommendation is to refill at least every two years, some do more often.

 

[Andrew Montreal]

Bought on Amazon from a store called Layger. I believe they are in Washington State. Seattle perhaps?

 

[Bperry]

Bought on Amazon from a store called Layger. I believe they are in Washington State. Seattle perhaps?

Amazon is kinda hit or miss on that stuff. The tf-100 from tftestkits.net is supposed to be guaranteed fresh.

Which reagents are old? Some age better than others.

 

[Mdragger88]

I did a major purge at the beginning and had no problems for two and a half months till I brought my CYA levels down and used liquid chlorine. Seems clear now what the issue was, as you pointed out in a previous post.

As it is, I have now done a pipe cleaning, emptied completely, washed down all surfaces, and refilled with drag water. It’s looking great up till now. Also just received my Taylor K-2006C kit.

Is pipe cleaner the same as AhhSome? We don’t have that in our stores in Canada. But I did use the Pipe Cleaner from Club Piscine (I’m in Quebec and they are the only dealers of Jacuzzis.)

Great Ahhsome does sell their product in Canada- may have a different name though let’s ask @Ahhsomeguy
Here it is on Amazon Canada
Ahh-Some – Hot Tub/Jetted Bath Plumbing and Jet Cleaner for Jetted Tub - Purges 400 Gallon Water Tub 4 Times (2 Oz) Amazon.ca

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Ahh-Some is the exact same product in USA & Canada.

 

[Andrew Montreal]

a sa

Amazon is kinda hit or miss on that stuff. The tf-100 from tftestkits.net is supposed to be guaranteed fresh.

Which reagents are old? Some age better than others.

What about the fact that the container smells of chemicals to high heaven? That is worrisome. I already have sensitive lungs with my incident. I am considering returning as it is ridiculous. Doesn’t smell safe.

 

[Bperry]

a sa

What about the fact that the container smells of chemicals to high heaven? That is worrisome. I already have sensitive lungs with my incident. I am considering returning as it is ridiculous. Doesn’t smell safe.

Hard to say just by describing the smell. Could just be the plastic container of something leaked.

 

[Andrew Montreal]

Hard to say just by describing the smell. Could just be the plastic container of something leaked.

The booklet itself wreaks of a chemical. Reminds me of something from my childhood. Trying to remember. WAIT… I know. It smells like vintage black markers. What is that? Xylene or something like that?