Natural UV (lid off) on a hot tub

[A.O.]

So browsing here on just miscellaneous stuff I read different things on UV, in a pool it apparently eats CC's , in a covered tub obviously it does not. My tub is doing fine chlorine, and it has a Ozone set up. Is there any advantage to popping the lid off for a couple hours during the sunny part of the day?
Also, side note.. seems like here lately my tub has been eating more chlorine than normal, I usually add 2 oz 10% chlorine after each use (2x a day) but lately to keep the FC where I like it its been taking 2 1/2 -3..... reasons?

 

[Mdragger88]

Uv can & does help dissipate cc’s in a hot tub as well. Also it’s good for your cover to air out in the sun occasionally. Those with indoor tubs don’t have that ability obviously but if u do - go for it!
As the water gets older it will require more chlorine. How long since a water exchange/purge? I go about 6months between purges/ refills & towards the end i notice a little more consumption as well as persistent cc’s of .5 compared to 0

 

[Mdragger88]

Maybe try bringing it to shock level for your cya after the next soak & see if that makes a difference vs just replacing what was consumed.

 

[A.O.]

Uv can & does help dissipate cc’s in a hot tub as well. Also it’s good for your cover to air out in the sun occasionally. Those with indoor tubs don’t have that ability obviously but if u do - go for it!
As the water gets older it will require more chlorine. How long since a water exchange/purge? I go about 6months between purges/ refills & towards the end i notice a little more consumption as well as persistent cc’s of .5 compared to 0

4-5 months maybe

 

[A.O.]

Maybe try bringing it to shock level for your cya after the next soak & see if that makes a difference vs just replacing what was consumed.

So I added more than normal last night, and blasted it after our soak this morning , need to go check levels as to where its at.

 

[A.O.]

OK, I bumped it up to 10 FC or a little more, put the lid back on and left it run, this afternoon I think I'll take the top off for a couple hours and let it soak in the sun.

 

[Mdragger88]

OK, I bumped it up to 10 FC or a little more, put the lid back on and left it run, this afternoon I think I'll take the top off for a couple hours and let it soak in the sun.

This is what i do if I’ve had a higher bather load than normal or had other people use the tub- especially kids, & the water just doesn’t sewer optimal.
Girls with conditioner in their long hair & people who use fabric softener when washing their suits makes it look dull everytime.

 

[A.O.]

This is what i do if I’ve had a higher bather load than normal or had other people use the tub- especially kids, & the water just doesn’t sewer optimal.
Girls with conditioner in their long hair & people who use fabric softener when washing their suits makes it look dull everytime.

Same two people as always, the wife and I, it doesn't look dull, looks clear and perfect as always... just seems to be eating more chlorine than usual.

 

[Newdude]

Hey A.O. !!! At 4-5 months it’s starting to tell you that a drain is in your future. Plan on an Ahh-Some treatment as well and ensure it’s a one and done.

 

[A.O.]

Hey A.O. !!! At 4-5 months it’s starting to tell you that a drain is in your future. Plan on an Ahh-Some treatment as well and ensure it’s a one and done.

Well there is ALWAYS a drain in my future.. sometime. I may even try that ahh-some stuff, I do have a container of it, it will be the first time in 30 something years that I will have tried it, we'll see.

 

[Newdude]

it will be the first time in 30 something years that I will have tried it, we'll see

Ooof. Promise me you’ll post pics. Once you’ve seen it in action you will swear by it too. Pro tip: Do it on an empty stomach to ensure you only see lunch *once* that day.

 

[Mdragger88]

Well there is ALWAYS a drain in my future.. sometime. I may even try that ahh-some stuff, I do have a container of it, it will be the first time in 30 something years that I will have tried it, we'll see.

Get a scooper/skimmer net ready! Since you have never done it I would suggest purge once with the recommended dose, run it 30 min- 1hr (or until the funk subsides), let the foam dissipate then hit it again for another round with a 1/2 dose. I also purge at shock level. It definitely makes me feel better about scooping out/wiping away nasties

 

[A.O.]

Ooof. Promise me you’ll post pics. Once you’ve seen it in action you will swear by it too. Pro tip: Do it on an empty stomach to ensure you only see lunch *once* that day.

See, and there in lies the problem, looks and sounds like a nasty mess. In all the years I've been doing hot tubs it doesn't seem like I've had the need, never had problems with any of them not sure on the necessity of it.
And the fact I cannot fill my tub with the hose, I have to transfer water from my pool makes it even more of a hassle!

 

[Mdragger88]

See, and there in lies the problem, looks and sounds like a nasty mess. In all the years I've been doing hot tubs it doesn't seem like I've had the need, never had problems with any of them not sure on the necessity of it.
And the fact I cannot fill my tub with the hose, I have to transfer water from my pool makes it even more of a hassle!

I bet just rinsing from the hose would be fine - then drain that out & refill your usual way.

 

[Newdude]

See, and there in lies the problem, looks and sounds like a nasty mess

All the more reason to want it out of your plumbing, no ? Like really really REALLY want it out ?

 

[A.O.]

All the more reason to want it out of your plumbing, no ? Like really really REALLY want it out ?

Is it in the plumbing, or is it in the Ahh-some?

 

[Newdude]

The ahhsome frees up the gunk from the plumbing. The ahhsome itself goes in like gel and comes out soapy. But what it brings with it...... you'll never use somebody else's tub again. Not at a friend's house, or vacation, nowhere. See if you can find @jseyfert3 write up. His pics were spectacular.

 

[jseyfert3]

Is it in the plumbing, or is it in the Ahh-some?

The Ahh-Some causes foam, but if your pipes are clean that’s it. The green or brown gunk a lot of people see is stuff that was purged from the plumbing. The pics @Newdude are talking about is when I took over a hot tub when we bought our house, hadn’t been properly maintained in who knows how long. Neighbors told us they hadn’t seen the previous owners of our house use the hot tub in the entire 5 years the neighbors lived there. Yet it was full and hot when we got it. So it might have been an extreme case.

jseyfert3’s Ahh-Some Purge: 26' Intex - Planning, Install, Upgrades, and Landscaping Thread

 

[A.O.]

I guess I'm just not convinced it is needed...

 

[Mdragger88]

Biofilms that build up & coat bacteria/body waste are resistant to chlorine - Ahhsome has surfactants & enzymes that break those down & allow the chlorine to do it’s oxidizing & sanitizing on the nasties. It’s not the only surfactant/enzyme product available but it produces results when others would have u thinking all was good.
Kinda like in the pool - algea forms biofilm to protect it from the chlorine so it can survive/proliferate so to eliminate it you must brush to expose it to the chlorine. The same occurs in some baqua pools along with the dreaded pink slime.
You can’t really brush your warm, dark, moisture holding spaghetti wad of pipes inside a spa so a surfactant & enzymes are needed to break down the film.

Ever wonder what biofilm looks like?

I picked up a 2002 Hot Springs Prodigy as a flip tub. It had been frozen, and has multiple leaks as a result. Hot Springs are the WORST tubs to do plumbing repairs on, due to the piece-built tongue and groove sides and extremely hard foam that channels water, making it a true joy to locate the...

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