Aqua Clarity weekly maintenance & flush....my experiences so far......

[duganderson]

I have been demoing the Aqua Clarity purge and weekly maintenance product for a few months and wanted to share my experience and hear about the experiences of others with this product. It is made by the same company as the Aww-Some purge which IS AWESOME. I know many folks on this site recommend Aww-Some and it seems to be the most effective purge for biofilms.

I did not do the purge with this product as recommended because I had done an Aww-Some purge and refill about 2 month before starting with Aqua Clarity.

I was curious if I would notice any changes with this product because I already had a pretty good routine of care with my SWCG (with additions of chlorine after use) and Nature2 stick. What I have noticed....

Pros.....
--After the first three weeks, I noticed that my chlorine demand has been significantly less. I check my free chlorine levels often (guess I'm kinda geeky that way and I like to know what's going on with my tub). The product is supposed to prevent any buildup of biofilms and it appears to be effective due to the reduction in my chlorine demand.
--I've also noticed less foaming after the first couple weeks.
-- I really like the idea of an additional level of safety and prevention of biofilm buildup (and it seems to be doing that) so I plan to continue to use Aqua Clarity.

Cons.....
--The product costs $89 for one year of purges and weekly maintenance. I'm guessing some TFP users would not find this product necessary if they have a good routine established. I, however, really like the idea of something to prevent biofilm buildup so it seems like a great value for me (and buying Aww-Some is not necessary anymore). I thought my routine was good enough but my tub does seem cleaner now.

Observations:
-- For the first week or two, I did notice more foaming as the directions had stated. Also, the Aqua Clarity FAQ indicated that you should check your filters more frequently in the first three weeks which I found to be important. My filters needed more cleaning in the first three weeks which I'm guessing is due to biofilms being flushed from the pipes.
--For the first month or so, I noticed a slight amount of light brown goo collecting at the water line where my bubbles collected on my tub for the first couple days after adding the Aqua Clarity. This goo looked the same as the goo from Aww-Some purges. I'm guessing that was residue from biofilms being flushed.

Anyone else using this product yet? Curious about your experiences.

 

[jseyfert3]

Not yet. My tub is currently empty until I swap out the heater. Hopefully doing that shortly...

 

[duganderson]

Not yet. My tub is currently empty until I swap out the heater. Hopefully doing that shortly...

Bummer.....good luck getting it fixed before it cools down too much!

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Experiencing the Aqua Clarity difference. Hello Duganderson: Thank you for posting your results and observations thus far while using our recently released Aqua Clarity program. Starting at the top.
Since you didn’t perform the AC flush with the newly mixed product, as you mentioned, the product did release some biofilm, even though you purged 2 months previously. This is why the AC program was created.
After the initial purge, using the same product, you simply add 1 ounce of the “AC” weekly for every 200 gallons. We even supply the measuring cup you can use. Initially, upon first use, the product may seek out bio-contaminants you didn’t know existed in the plumbing, jets and/or water. This is why you noticed the small-scale film and some frothy water. You MUST hose off the filters more often when the program is started. After 2 weeks or so, you will not have to do that as often. Your sanitizer level may also get used up a little more quickly until the product gets all the biofilm and gunk released. After the first few weeks the sanitizer use will decrease, as you have noticed. The “AC” is the backup quarterback we all need or should have in the water.
The $89.00 cost is a real bargain. In a 400 gallon hot tub you have enough AC to purge the hot tub twice, initially and 6 months later, and enough product to add weekly for a full year or 52 weeks. Remember, you will not need anything else for chemicals other than your sanitizer. No more Nature 2, no more Frog systems, Enzymes, no more anything except possible pH plus or minus And TA adjustments. Please note that we strongly recommend you begin the program with well balanced water. If a hot tub owner is following the TFP Bleach/Di-Chlorine method, your annual cost, all in, will be around $100.00. We now have a very substantial number of hot tubs on the program and the feedback has been excellent. This program works with all sanitizers including SWG’s. Hot tub rash should never occur with this program if adequate sanitizer is present. Crystal clear water will be 24/7x365. Water will feel soft and silky and have no malodors. You will no longer spend as much time on water maintenance. This product is so easy to use and performs a host of duties behind the scene. Thanks again Doug for using the product. Please keep the forum posted going forward on your results.

 

[Mdragger88]

I have been using it as well & plan to do a little write up on it.
So far i’ve just been adding it weekly without any initial purge & collecting data. It is about time for my normal purge/refill so I will be curious to see what that produces & if the data remains the same or not with subsequent weekly use after a purge.
So far I am mostly indifferent in my opinion. Definitely nothing negative thus far. I have not compared my current data with last year’s about this time yet - still compiling

 

[duganderson]

Mdragger88.....Excited to see you find out!

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Purging is so important before you begin the program. The AC instructions clearly state that you MUST purge before adding the weekly maintenance. Not doing this beginning step will always have the product playing catch-up. My recommendation is to purge now. Rebalance and begin the weekly additions. Now, you should see what the product will do for your water. Thanks for your comments.

 

[Mdragger88]

Purging is so important before you begin the program. The AC instructions clearly state that you MUST purge before adding the weekly maintenance. Not doing this beginning step will always have the product playing catch-up. My recommendation is to purge now. Rebalance and begin the weekly additions. Now, you should see what the product will do for your water. Thanks for your comments.

I realize that is the intention of the product (start clean- stay clean).
I am going to do my regular purge within the next week or so but my thought was to see if it helped with the low persistent cc that generally begins to happen when i get around the 6month old water mark (i can only assume this is due to biofim accumulation causing increased fc consumption & cc’s as a byproduct of that consumption) I am very curious if this time that i have used the product thus far will have an effect on how “eventful” my purge is. stay tuned….
- then i plan to compare that to the purge 6 months from now after starting fresh & using it weekly the whole life of the water. Kinda putting it through its paces u as a beta test. Imperfect conditions vs perfect conditions. There have been others that tested serum this way & I found the write ups informative.
So far no persistent cc & i am a dab over the 6 month water mark now. Life has been in the way a little.
I started the aqua clarity on August 25th (2 months before my scheduled purge/refill). I like to keep it on this schedule so i am not draining/filling in the middle of the winter & also i am not too busy with the pool so i purge right after i close the pool in the fall & then again right after i open the pool in the spring.
*disclaimer____ my tub’s fc level has never dipped below minimum for my cya level & it is not my intention to veer from the FC/CYA Levels recommendations regardless of any supplemental enzymatic product.. My goal is to reduce biofilm accumulation thereby lowering chlorine demand*

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Ok, your comments are understood. Great that you will be drilling down on all the variants that hot tub water and the chemicals we put into it can mean for overall maintenance and enjoyment. Thank you for your explanation and we await your analysis.

 

[duganderson]

Kinda putting it through its paces u as a beta test. Imperfect conditions vs perfect conditions. There have been others that tested serum this way & I found the write ups informative.

I think the idea of "testing" the product in this way is very interesting and helpful. I agree, the posts of the serum tests were very informative. They showed a decrease in chlorine demand with serum. I'd love to see the same test ran on the Aqua Clarity product.

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

The “AC” product will perform similar to Serum as their formulas are closely related. The first 2-3 weeks you may not see savings in chlorine or bromine. After that first start-up period though, you will begin to see sanitizer demand drop. Again, you need nothing else with this product other than a sanitizer and occasional pH control.

 

[Dirrby]

Interesting.... Any issues using this product with plaster spas?

The “AC” product will perform similar to Serum as their formulas are closely related. The first 2-3 weeks you may not see savings in chlorine or bromine. After that first start-up period though, you will begin to see sanitizer demand drop. Again, you need nothing else with this product other than a sanitizer and occasional pH control.

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

I own a plaster spa and have been using Aqua Clarity since August of 2020. This product actually helps plaster and marcite as it seeps into tiny porous areas and eliminates anything beginning to grow. Zero issues, plus the clearest water I have ever seen and acts as the best water maintenance quarterback ever.

 

[duganderson]

The “AC” product will perform similar to Serum as their formulas are closely related.

That's great news! The tests I saw (see link below) showed Serum helped with reducing chlorine demand, preventing a hot tub with 0 chlorine going bad (not that they were recommending 0 chlorine) and helping a tub recover from the 0 chlorine for multiple days (they were not recommending that either).

Pushing the limits of Hot Tub Serum - rvdoug.com

In the foundational materials on this site (see the Hot Tub home page) I highlighted that biofilms can survive chlorine concentrations of 1-3ppm -- levels that some authorities still promote for regular use. In addition to ahh-some as a purge product, Hot Tub Serum (or "Serum Total Maintenance")...

rvdoug.com

 

[duganderson]

I just purged my tub for the first time since using Aqua Clarity weekly . I did a purge with Aww-Some and then about 2 hours later added a 1/2 dose of Aqua Clarity purge before draining. I was shocked at how little gunk came with the purge (way less than ever before). My improved water care over time has probably helped but I'm pretty confident the Aqua Clarity has been a huge help too

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Hello Duganderson: I purged my 420 gallon hot tub yesterday after a little over 11 months. My hot tub is an in-ground Shot Crete type with a marcite finish. I usually purge every 6 months or so but I wanted to stretch it out to see if the Aqua Clarity I have been using since the last purge would mitigate the amount of gunk that is typically released. This was an “off-label” experiment as we always recommend purging every 6 months at most. Results: Like you, I did get some Gunk out but not anywhere as much as I typically would get when not using the AC. Plus, the color of the release was definitely a lighter tinge of golden brown. Past Purges prior to my using Hot Tub Serum and then the Aqua Clarity product, always produced a much deeper colored release and the feel of the gunk was much stickier and thicker. So, I can report with 100% confidence that the AC product is working as planned. Just so you know, my test and several others from hot tub owners who were given the product produced similar results as yours and mine.. So, we will be waiting for more reports from tub testers but are excited thus far. To date we have only had 1 tester out of over 100 that claimed that the AC product wasn’t working according to the program instructions. We did have two testers use a milk and water gallon jug for the mixed product but with temperature changes and the like those bottles “caved” and leaked. Other than these few incidents the product is doing what we knew it would do Doug. The idea for this product came to me many years ago and I have been tinkering with it ever since. I do feel that this program is a game changer for the industry. It Is pocket friendly, it maintains water clarity along with a constant presence of bio police sweeping all surfaces clean and it will be a great back-up quarterback when and if the maintenance protocols get derailed. In addition, I do think that once the hot tub is on the program that a time to purge may be extended. Of course we always have to be cognizant of TDS levels and such, but it would be great if we only need to purge annually. We are awaiting many test results to see if the sanitizer decay rates go down after the first 3 weeks or so. We’ll see. Bottom line is this: We don’t deal in hype. We want the results to be honest and accurate. I’ll keep you posted Duganderson.

 

[dlleno]

nice info folks! glad I am able to join the party and report my results as well. nice thread. I did a little math comparing the cost of AC with that of Spa Marvel, and it looks to me like Spa Marvel is about three times the cost, for one year. And, as I pointed out in the thread I just started, Spa marvel might put the bad guys on a diet, but it won't go after them directly like Aqua Clarity does. nicely done ahhsomeguy -- I like that you're not shipping water

I ran into an interesting detail as I mixed my first batch. I wrote this up on my hobby website but the bottom line is that the bleach jugs are 121 ounces! I get my Clorox from Costco and never really paid attention until mixing up my AC batch. but I was able to stuff 125 ounces of liquid into that jug, so that left me with a mixture that is 2% stronger concentration of AC, which is no big deal -- thats probably in the margin of error for regular kitchen measuring cups anyway!

 

[Newdude]

Bottom line is this: We don’t deal in hype. We want the results to be honest and accurate.

You sir, definately do NOT deal in hype. You all but beg any member you post with, to return and post their results..... 'good or bad'. Can't get much more honest than that.