New Hot Tub start-up / Ahh-some / Ozonator

[rugadog]

Hello Spa peeps and chem gurus,

My new Hot Tub (Hot Springs - Flair - 310 gal.) was delivered just over a month ago and I finally have the electrical hooked up and now I am ready to fill it and start using it.

I've been reading through all the info. and I think I'm on the right track but would appreciate any input.

Because I have an Ozonator I'm going to follow Molson's Bormine instructions because I read Chlorine and Ozone destroy each other.

Amazon will be delivering some Ahh-some tomorrow. With it being a new spa, I'm going to make using the Ahh-some the 1st thing I do until all the crud is gone. I have a question about the Ahh-some instructions; "Rinse the tub with fresh water and wipe out the gunk with that will be sticking to the inside of the tub with a spray cleaner."
What kind of spray cleaner do you guys recommend?
Since the filter is new, do I still need to put it in the tub during the cleaning cycle?
Should I use the 1/2 cup of chlorine in this initial cleaning cycle or is chlorine not necessary because it is a new spa?

Hot Springs included the following in their start-up package:
- "Freshwater" Chlorine-free Oxidizer (32.18% Potassium peroxymonosulfate)
- "SpaGuard" Oxidizer Enhanced Shock (58.2% Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione)
- "Freshwater" Stain & Scale Defense
- "Freshwater" pH/Alkalinity Up (95% Sodium Bicarbonate)
- "Freshwater" pH/Alkalinity Down (95% Sodium Bisulfate)
- "Hot Springs" Continuous Silver Ion Sanitizer (0.92% Metallic Silver from silver nitrate)
- "Freshwater" Instant Filter Cleaner

I would appreciate opinions on the above chemicals.
Are any of the above compatible with Molson's Bromine instructions?
Should I throw out any of these?

Reading through owners manual, when filling the spa or topping off, it recommends using "Hot Springs - Clean Screen" pre-filter connected to the hose to remove contaminates (rust, dirt, detergents, metals, copper, iron and manganese). Link to Clean Screen instruction video
This item runs between $80 & $100 and I'm wondering if it is necessary since I'm a filling with city water, not well water.

I put my questions in BOLD to help identify them.

Any other advice on my start-up would be appreciated too.

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP!

I wouldnt use a spray cleaner.
No need to put the filter in the tub.
Chlorine or not probably doesn't matter.
The potassium non- chlorine is aka MPS and can be used to shock a Bromine tub
Skip the dichlor, stain and scale defense, silver ion stuff, filter cleaner and hose end filter.

 

[MPurcell]

Is this your first time setting up a hot tub? I did that a few months ago. I would suggest you avoid one of the mistakes I made in following @Molson's instructions. Use 100% sodium bromide to establish the bromide bank. The post says:

Some people crush about 6 of them up and put them in the water on each water change to achieve this but it really is easier and cheaper to add a packet or two of sodium bromide!

I had neglected to purchase sodium bromide, so when I had the tub filled, I decided to follow the above advice. Bear in mind that my tub is only about 230 gallons when full, but when I put the crushed BCDMH tabs into the tub water, the water turned a dark brownish yellow. Doing a little research, I learned that I had increased the concentration of bromine so much that I had created free elemental bromine in the water, which caused the color. I understand that free bromine is poisonous. We had to wait for about 24 hours for the concentration of bromine to come down to a level that the elemental bromine would recombine. After that happened, the water turned back to perfectly clear and sparkly. Another side effect of this is that you add a significant amount of dimethylhydantoin to the water right off the bat, which is not necessarily a good thing.

One other thing I would mention. Your post says your tub is 310 gallons. If that is the rated capacity, I bet the actual volume when full is a bit less. It would probably be helpful to figure that out before you use pool math.

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Your questions regarding Ahh-Some. Wipe the shell with a microfiber cloth immediately as the discolored water is drained. Rinse the shell with water to minimize any sticking of gunk on the acrylic. Problems occur when you allow the gunk that was purged to remain on the shell for a while before wiping and rinsing. If you are diligent about the wipe down and rinse you may not need a cleanser at all. If you do get some detritus buildup that is not wiping off we recommend diluting one teaspoon of Ahh-Some gel in a 32 ounce trigger-spay bottle with 31 ounces of water. Spray those spots and it should wipe clean in seconds. Secondly, since your filter is brand new there is no need to toss it in the tub while purging the plumbing. Don't use more Ahh-Some than what is called for in the instructions. More is not better in this case. Actually, using a little less than one teaspoon per 100 gallons of water is usually ok. Let the forum know what you discovered after the cleaning. Hope this helps you out.