First 6 Months Observation

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G

Gebo

Bronze Supporter
Aug 23, 2023
193
VA
Got my new tub purged with AhhSome in Nov ‘23. Followed TFP protocol as best as I could. I did end up adding enzymes every 3 months and SLAM’ing 4 times in 6 months. Unicel filter cleaned and changed every month. AquaClarity used every week.

CH 150, TA 60, pH 7.8, CYA 30, Borate 50.

Just my wife and I using 6 days per week.

Finished my 6 month purge with AquaClarity.
Virtually no biofilm. The most biofilm was behind 2 of the headrests. Very impressed!!

Now, here’s the interesting part. This “new” water is amazingly “cleaner”????
My wife said she couldn’t believe how much nicer the water looked. Less bubbles, cleaner smell, etc.

The water no longer fizzes like a Pepsi???

I raised my CH to 175 and TA to 70.

The water looked crystal clear before I changed it. Now it appears to be so much “cleaner”.

I’m considering drain and fill at 4 months and just doing a yearly purge.

My plan in the beginning was to do a 6 month purge and drain and fill.

I’m believing the simple water change produces the greatest positive results.

And, I had to add chlorine every day before my water change 5 days ago. Now, the chlorine level is much more stable. I don’t have to add every day.

Maybe this will help a beginner. You old pros are probably grinning as you already “learnt” this.
 
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I generally aim for 3-4 months or so to purge and refill - similar setup, 450Gal, used 6-7 times a week just by the wife and I.
During the winter months, that might be stretched, just because it is simply too cold to go out there and 'get wet' scrubbing and cleaning the hot tub ;) Mine is pretty much due, but the water is clear, blue and still feels great.

Over time, I think there are inorganics that are small enough to evade the filter, and it just builds up. The organics are for the most part dealt with by the chlorine, and there isn't much 'biofilm' because it never got a real chance to get established in the first place. As the build up is really gradual, you simply don't notice until you clean and change the water, and then its like "WOW!!"

JMHO :)
 
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The thing to remember with the hot tub is the 'bather load' is huge - 2 people in a 450gallon hot tub is the same as 106 in my pool.
If I had 100+ in the pool every day, that water would probably need some 'extra' attention too ;)
Also, the higher temps break down the sanitizers quicker, makes you sweat and so on . I think @Newdude said it first, "it's people soup!!".

Do not think of a water change as any sort of failure - the goal is to ensure comfortable, pleasant, sanitary water condition in between required water changes. Your specific 'water lifetime' is driven by your particular bathing habits (pre-use showering, fragrances, laundry practices, suit wearing, frequency, duration etc.).
For me, 3-4 months seems to be about right.
 
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+1. The first whiff of the water going south is your heads up its time. You can spend days and $$$ just to give up in the end anyway. The longer it's been since the last water change, the quicker I'd wipe the slate clean.

If it's only been 1 month with mild use, I'd feel better about my chances fixing it.
 
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I always feel the same way after a water exchange- its not that it wasn’t clear before but that it just gets gradually less perfect and you don’t really see it until it’s pristine again 🤩
I also feel like the water is less “heavy” which sounds funny saying it but it makes sense because there’s obviously less TDS after an exchange so it just feels better.
 
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Newdude said:
+1. The first whiff of the water going south is your heads up its time. You can spend days and $$$ just to give up in the end anyway. The longer it's been since the last water change, the quicker I'd wipe the slate clean.

If it's only been 1 month with mild use, I'd feel better about my chances fixing it.
Click to expand...
Yass 🙌🙌
In my opinion if a couple rounds of slam level fc don’t fix it - time to dump it!
 
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Mdragger88 said:
In my opinion if a couple rounds of slam level fc don’t fix it - time to dump it!
Click to expand...
I've occasionally missed a couple days of maintenance, and come back to cloudy, stinky soup. Usually, a couple days of HEAVY slam cleans it up, but if it doesn't, it's 450 gallons...even at a slow trickle to avoid blowing out the well, it's really only a one-day problem.
 
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BTW - having just gone through this today (because it was nice out, and it was at the front of my mind) - take the opportunity to test/clean/check all your safety systems etc when you're cleaning.

My spa has a 'Test GFCI' function via the control panel - and when I'm cleaning the tub, I always use that to shut the tub down, thereby doubling as a safety check. Today, it didn't work. The GFCI breaker itself worked, and it's own self test reported no issue. Once the tub was empty, and I'd removed my other pump and so on, I retested it and the panel-initiated GFCI test works again. I checked all the connections, retightened all the electrical connections, and I'll retest once the tub is full up.

Just your Wednesday PSA :)
 
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