All levels within range and still cloudy when turns on

[CareyB]

Hello out there!

I just purged, cleaned, and drained my hot tub to hopefully correct this issue... but it didn't.

Background-Hot tub is purged, cleaned, rinsed, filled enough to run the jets for a cycle, drained again, wiped down, and filled again. Filter is clean.

Hot tub was crystal clear when filled and when running on high remained crystal clear. The moment I began to adjust alkalinity and ph it became cloudy again when the jets are on. Aerator is OFF. It clears back up quickly and as soon as jets are turned off. All levels are within range and even on the low side with Alk, Ph, and Calcium due to my concerns with this.

I am at a loss! Please help.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome! To help answer your questions, we have some questions for your first:
1 - How are you testing your water? Can you provide a full set of water test results?
2 - How did you purge the tub? What product(s) specifically did you use?

We'll help you get through the issue.

 

[CareyB]

Welcome! To help answer your questions, we have some questions for your first:
1 - How are you testing your water? Can you provide a full set of water test results?
2 - How did you purge the tub? What product(s) specifically did you use?

We'll help you get through the issue.

Thank you for replying! I am currently using Easytest 7-way test strips to test the water. I use Ahhsome hot tub purge. As far as test results, do you mean a picture of the test strip?

 

[AlexPowell]

Thank you for replying! I am currently using Easytest 7-way test strips to test the water. I use Ahhsome hot tub purge. As far as test results, do you mean a picture of the test strip?

It is recommended on this site that you get a proper approved test kit:

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why not use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Texas Splash]

I use Ahhsome hot tub purge. As far as test results, do you mean a picture of the test strip?

The Ahhsome products are ......... well....... awesome! Ha. So that's good. Test strips not so much. Those could be your problem impacting how accruate you are able to dose the water. We recommend either a TF-100 (link in my signature) or Taylor K-2006C test kit. Either of these drop-based kits will give you reliable results.

 

[CareyB]

I cannot find the link in your signature. Is the k2005 sufficient?

 

[Texas Splash]

Is the k2005 sufficient?

The K-2005 is missing the FAS-DPD portion for accurate FC/CC testing. It's a must. All of the TF-series test kits can be found at tfteskits.net.

If you don't see my signature and are on a phone device, you may need to turn it sideways to landscape to see the signature portion at the bottom of each post.

 

[phonedave]

The K-2005 is missing the FAS-DPD portion for accurate FC/CC testing. It's a must. All of the TF-series test kits can be found at tfteskits.net.

If you don't see my signature and are on a phone device, you may need to turn it sideways to landscape to see the signature portion at the bottom of each post.

It may be because your signature says "TF-100 w/Speed Stir" which even though you said in your post that the OP needs a TF-100, a person newly introduced to water care may not realize that a TF-100 is indeed a test kit.

 

[Methuselah]

Hello out there!

I just purged, cleaned, and drained my hot tub to hopefully correct this issue... but it didn't.

Background-Hot tub is purged, cleaned, rinsed, filled enough to run the jets for a cycle, drained again, wiped down, and filled again. Filter is clean.

Hot tub was crystal clear when filled and when running on high remained crystal clear. The moment I began to adjust alkalinity and ph it became cloudy again when the jets are on. Aerator is OFF. It clears back up quickly and as soon as jets are turned off. All levels are within range and even on the low side with Alk, Ph, and Calcium due to my concerns with this.

I am at a loss! Please help.

Clear is subjective, so with jets running and aeration, if it looks like a thin layer of bubbles on top that go away almost immediately when turned off, you might not have anything out of whack.

Just so you know, having calcium on the low side is not the range to shoot for to help with foaming. When you able to post test results let us know what your water source is...

 

[5tan]

"Adding calcium chloride in the hours before or after treating with soda ash (sodium carbonate) or baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will result in cloudy water. Never mix sodium bicarb or soda ash with calcium chloride. These chemicals are incompatible because they will bind together and cloud up. In fact, as a best practice, we recommend against even adding calcium on the same day as bicarb or soda ash, even on other ends of the pools."

You said you adjusted alk, pH, and calcium, and they still read low. I suspect you didn't wait long enough between adding alk, pH adjuster, calcium, and/or sanitizer, so they combined with each other or precipitated out, causing your numbers to read lower than they should.

I suggest a drain and refill, and next time, test your input water, and then write out a list of balancing agents in the correct order. For example, if your fill water is acidic AND soft, this would be very corrosive to metallic components, so you would want to add a basic agent to increase pH until it hits 7.2-7.4, and then you need to calcium to make the water less soft. I like having 180-200ppm calcium, as water that is too soft promotes foaming. However, you don't want to add a basic agent (pH increaser) anywhere near the same time as calcium, as the calcium will precipitate out of solution and make your water cloudy. The base (pH up) must be fully circulated and pH at 7.2-7.4 before adding calcium.

Another example: if your fill water is pH-adjusted by your municipality to low 9's, adding calcium first risks precipitation because the water isn't acidic enough, so you would need to lower your pH before adding calcium.

Circulate each agent individually with the pumps on low with aeration off for at least 1-2 hours AND wait overnight before adding the next balancing agent. This will help avoid unwanted interactions between your balancing agents. If your pumps are on high, it aerates the water too much and causes pH to rise when you're trying to balance it.

WIthout a drain and refill, and if you want to play with fire, you could lower your pH and make the water acidic enough to redissolve the minerals. If you have 0 CYA, as you said its a new fill, and want some CYA, some trichlor could kill 2 birds with 1 stone, as trichlor is very acidic and adds CYA. Note that using trichlor voids warranty with a few big spa manufacturers, but if you calculate and weigh your agents with high accuracy and precision, and scatter/predissolve effectively to prevent localized areas of excessive agent, it's more or less the same as adding acid. Use the calculator at the bottom of PoolMath to see the full effects of each agent.