Softub New Liner Smells and Excess Foam

[Cybergy]

I recently had a brand new vinyl liner put on an old Softub (September). For a while everything was normal, but after a couple of months a smell started to develop in the water that has got stronger still. It's a powerful vinyl/plastic-y sort of smell. I can smell it on my skin hours after a soak.

Also there is lots of foam forming when the jets are on. The tub has seldom been used (I would say less than 10 x 20-minute soaks in 3 months) so the foam is surprising. There has been no sunscreen in the tub at all (due to late late fall season). Sanitizer is bromine. All levels have been checked regularly and alkalinity was reduced with vinegar a few times.

I feel like this thing is off-gassing from the manufacturing process. I need to empty it and clean it out completely. Not sure how though.

Any ideas on what this may be and how to neutralize it?


PS - I found another guy online complaining about the exact same problem, but that post is 10 years old now...

 

[kimkats]

Every spa should be cleaned before it is put into use. The reason is they put water in it at the factory to test it then drain it. That leaves some water in it that can get nasty. I have a write up to share with you: Ahh-some goes head to head with oh yuk

You can buy the ahhsome from the same place I get my test kit from. I have a link in my siggy below.

Kim

 

[Cybergy]

Thanks Kim,

This was a new liner on an old tub. The liner came from the factory and was installed at a little local shop. They would have used tap water to fill and test at the shop, and I went and picked it up when they were done.

The tub smelled normal for a couple of months.

 

[jseyfert3]

Why are you using vinegar to lower your TA instead of muriatic or dry acid?

This may be of interest to you, especially the last post in referance to what the acetate ion does (if it just hangs out):

Pretty much yes, though it will very slowly react with chlorine to form some chloroacetic acids and these haloacetic acids are regulated disinfection by-products in drinking water since they are potentially carcinogenic. Again, we generally recommend against adding anything to the pool that is not needed.

https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/55543-Vinegar-to-Lower-pH

 

[Arobbert]

Running a purge with ahh-some may help. It sounds like some kind of residue on the liner.

 

[Cybergy]

Why are you using vinegar to lower your TA instead of muriatic or dry acid?

It was just a matter of using what I had on hand.