Hi, I'm new to the forum and could use use some help figuring out how to best deal with a spa we have at a vacation home. The problem is we often have gaps of a month or so when we are not there to maintain the spa. When we are there, it's generally just my wife and me, so the usage is modest. We usually stay a few days or a week each visit. Is there any reasonable maintenance strategy that would be workable? One option is to drain the spa each time we leave, but I'm concerned about the water left in the pipes (more on that below). Another option is to bite the bullet and hire a professional pool company; costly for the amount of use we'll get from the spa. Is there any way we could leave the spa filled without having a mess when we return?
On the subject of residual water in the pipes, last year, we had the spa professionally winterized. I just finished hooking everything back up and filling it. When I started it up I saw some jellyfish like material with black spots shoot out the jets. I presume that is bacterial slime. Argh. After some reading on the forum, I dosed it with Clorox to 50 ppm, and let that circulate for 24 hours. The water looks clear. Next, I plan to raise the dosage to 100 ppm and run it for another hour before draining, cleaning the filter, and refilling. Anything other suggestions for dealing with residual water in the pipes?
On the subject of residual water in the pipes, last year, we had the spa professionally winterized. I just finished hooking everything back up and filling it. When I started it up I saw some jellyfish like material with black spots shoot out the jets. I presume that is bacterial slime. Argh. After some reading on the forum, I dosed it with Clorox to 50 ppm, and let that circulate for 24 hours. The water looks clear. Next, I plan to raise the dosage to 100 ppm and run it for another hour before draining, cleaning the filter, and refilling. Anything other suggestions for dealing with residual water in the pipes?