So we change our filters out every 3 months. We get them from the spa store, I think the name is. They are supposed to be antibacterial. We are draining the tub bc we are going out of town. My husband took the filters out and he saw this. I am so grossed out. Have you ever seen this before? Should we awesome the pipes? We drain the hot tub regularly....ugh.....what should we do? Ugh.
Warning: gross. If you haven’t eaten breakfast yet, don’t look!
- Thread starter DMS2014
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,303
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
That's odd, and gross. In the relatively brief time we've had a hot tub, I've never seen anything like that. Almost looks like something got in the tub and trapped on the filters.
Did your FC level ever drop below the minimum for your CYA for significant periods of time?
Did your FC level ever drop below the minimum for your CYA for significant periods of time?
In 25 year in this business I have seen all kinds of nasty in spas. The white slime I have seen many times, but not the black. Purge it repeatedly until no more gunk comes out. Get new filters. Detail your maintenance routine.
Saturn94
Bronze Supporter
- Mar 11, 2015
- 1,746
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I'd have no problem re-using those filters- when you use Ahh-some you can first toss it in the filled tub with the Ahh-some circulating. Then rinse well and when you disinfect the tub with high chlorine, put the filter in the high chlorinated water again before you drain it again and refill for use.
No need to add more to the landfill that can easily be cleaned.
Maddie
No need to add more to the landfill that can easily be cleaned.
Maddie
Last edited:
That filter would freak me out, lol. I don't really know what to make of it, I'm only about two months into owning a spa. I am starting to "somewhat question" the ahh some purges though. I bought the ahh some before we started using our tub on the recommendation of this site. Once I got the pump and controller sorted out (replaced), I filled the tub and purged it with ahh some. All seemed great, it made a ton of foam and got out some gunk, nothing crazy. Drained and filled the tub and installed new filter. Took a little getting used to with the chlorine additions and testing multiple times a day, but all was going fine. After about two months the water just wasn't as clear and I was having to clean the filter every week or so because it was clogging and not filtering unless the jets were on high. So at about two months in I decided to do another ahh some purge. I pulled the filter and rinsed it off as best as possible and put the remaining ahh some in the tub (used half the container on start up and used the other half this time. More than enough for my <300 gallon tub). I threw the filter in the tub and turned the jets on high and let it circulate. I did several cycles on high, they are set to run for ten or fifteen minutes. All together I let it run about an hour with the ahh some and the filter soaking. After finished I skimmed the foam off the top with my shop vac and drained the tub. I then cleaned the greasy ring that was left at the top of the tub with some Clorox cleanup and rags. Filled the tub back up, rinsed the filter, installed the filter, put in my chemicals and I was good to go. The only things I added were cya, baking soda and chlorine. All was great for a few days, the water had never looked better! But then I could tell that the filter was already clogged after less than a week! So I'm starting to wonder if it's really that great for filters??? The spa is not overused either, in the week in question my wife and daughter were only in one time. I go in two or three times a day for ten to fifteen minutes at a time. My chlorine is never low, if anything it's always a on the high side. And don't even get me started about the ahh some treatment I tried in washing machine, lol.
It sounds like you sure used a lot of it! I use just teaspoons of it for my 340 gallon hot tub. 1/4 teaspoon in the washer and dishwasher.
26' Intex - Planning, Install, Upgrades, and Landscaping Thread
Preview, filling after first dump and wiping all walls with Ahh-some in a spray bottle. My hair is a bit wet as snow is falling. Supposed to get up to 6 inches tonight and tomorrow. This is a really nice spa. The dirt anf cloudy water was hiding some of that beforehand. I don't have filters in...
www.troublefreepool.com
Note I didn't actually clean my filters in the cycle though. I needed new filters as the previous owners didn't have filters, and I've just cleaned them in TSP when needed after that purge.
My hot tub taught me how disgusting people are without them doing anything wrong but living. Body oils, sweat, residual shampoos and conditioners, dead skin, etc. If my one daughter or my wife (the 2 with thick long hair) went in the tub it would foam like a rave party.
Then the bathing suits all had residual detergent and fabric softener. They foamed at times also and we started using the suits several times for each wash. That helped some.
If you are getting daily use, and multiple times a day, that’s a lot of sweat/oils/soaps, and add in a spilt beer or margarita on a Friday nighthave a lot to need to filter. Lol.
I cleaned my filter like the pool filter with TSP and muriatic acid. I replaced it on the manufacturer’s schedule but looking back I never needed to. It was perfect after the soaks everytime. It probably would have lasted years.
How did it work in your washer? Front loader? Unfortunately it didn't work in mine, but I may have been hoping for a miracle, lol. I have a front loader that I have neglected for a while and had a buildup behind the seal. I ran the ahh some treatment three times and it didn't even make a dent in it. It did make the worst smell I have ever smelled though, lol. I got an instant headache from it. Ended up doing it the old fashion way of just spraying behind the seal with bleach and wiping off. Even after that and several cycles couldn't get rid of the smell from the ahh some.
26' Intex - Planning, Install, Upgrades, and Landscaping Thread
Preview, filling after first dump and wiping all walls with Ahh-some in a spray bottle. My hair is a bit wet as snow is falling. Supposed to get up to 6 inches tonight and tomorrow. This is a really nice spa. The dirt anf cloudy water was hiding some of that beforehand. I don't have filters in...
Note I didn't actually clean my filters in the cycle though. I needed new filters as the previous owners didn't have filters, and I've just cleaned them in TSP when needed after that purge.
I have read through your thread and that was some nasty stuff that came out of there!!! I will continue to use the ahh some when I'm ready to drain and clean again. I don't think it's hurting anything, lol. The only thing that has made me question anything was my last purge. I had a two month old filter that after rinsing off like usual (a good spray from a garden hose nozzle) and throwing in the tub with the ahh some treatment, it clogged within a week. It may be nothing, could be the residual ahh some left in the water from what I couldn't suck out just clogged it right up. Idk yet, but I will be keeping tabs on it.
- Nov 30, 2019
- 852
- Pool Size
- 8500
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Wow, never had a hot tub and never been in one but after reading this that won’t be changing anytime soon!
It's not that bad, lol. It's just like a pool, you have to maintain it properly. There's no "autopilot" imo. If you want it to be safe you have to put in a few minutes (less than ten) a day. I love mine and it's starting to take over my love for my pool. Can't wait to see what it's like to sit in it in the winter with snow around!
- May 23, 2015
- 24,381
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You certainly can use TOO MUCH Ahh-some. Follow the package instructions - in a 300 gal tub you only need half a teaspoon I think.
Ahhsome is a powerful clarifying agent as well as a surfactant. If you use too much it will stay in your plumbing and cause your filter cartridges to load up faster and, eventually, get plugged up with gunk. This is why you never run an Ahh-sone purge with the filters in place, the gunk will permanently load them up.
You probably need new filters now. My guess is your cartridges are compromised from the overdose of Ahhsome.
Ahhsome is a powerful clarifying agent as well as a surfactant. If you use too much it will stay in your plumbing and cause your filter cartridges to load up faster and, eventually, get plugged up with gunk. This is why you never run an Ahh-sone purge with the filters in place, the gunk will permanently load them up.
You probably need new filters now. My guess is your cartridges are compromised from the overdose of Ahhsome.
Yes, I'm pretty sure I used too much. I made two purges out of a whole container. Think it said it would do three. I didn't run the purges with the filters in place though. I pulled the filter, rinsed it off and threw it in the tub as directed. After the drain and refill and balance, I put the newly ahh some cleaned filter back in (after rinsing again). It lasted less than a week before clogging. So was it the water or the filter? That's what I'm questioning and will keep monitoring to see how things respond. There are two big things that I'm pondering. Did the ahh some pull the gunk out of the water or out of the plumbing? I can't help but wonder if it's just pulling the stuff out off the water, that would be drained out anyway. Kind of like a giant protein skimmer.
Trying to push through all these comments regarding ahhsome , But since when did hot tubs use CYA? Hot tub is in a screen room and covered.
Q: if you awesome, how do we know when it’s clean? I mean, we didn’t have any signs -0 Water wasn’t cloudy, we have never seen this before.
TFP has recommended CYA in covered or indoor hot tubs and pools for a long time. The chlorine sticky here written in 2008 recommended 20-30 ppm, I target 30 ppm for mine and see that as the most listed recommmendation here since I've been here. Essentially the CYA makes the chlorine less harsh, which is why it's recommended to use.