Baquacil - Brown Sticky Cement Like Glue on Waterline

[just_jeff7]

Good afternoon! I switched from a bromine/chlorine hot tub to baquacil, and was unfortunately sick for a few weeks and didn't check the hot tub. When I opened the cover, I noticed the waterline had a sticky residue, that wouldn't come off by rubbing with a towel. I drained the hot tub, put in a spa cleaner for 20 minutes, and no real change. After having been drained for a week, the goo is less sticky, but getting it off has been another matter. What hasn't worked - Magic eraser (destroys it), baking soda mixture (might have made some minor progress, but I was worried about abrasion), and CLR spray. It feels smooth and near impenetrable......

Anyone have any tips for cleaning this off?

Thank you!

 

[Mdragger88]

You need to purge with Ahhsome until you get no more detritus - cuz that’s biofilms , there’s likely more in your plumbing.

what is ahh-some?

What is Ahh-some?

www.troublefreepool.com

Then I suggest you ditch the baqua & follow one of these guides

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.troublefreepool.com

How do I use Bromine in my spa (or pool)?

Originally Posted by waterbear There is a lot of misinformation on the proper way to use Bromine so I hope this primer is helpful. First, you need to establish a bromide reserve in the water. Bromine tablets can do it by themselves but it can take literally weeks until enough dissolves. Some...

www.troublefreepool.com

This is a chlorine centric forum so you will likely get the most help when needed going that route.
Pool Care Basics

 

[Newdude]

+1. We have gained oodles of members from baqua. I can't recall losing 1 to it.

Welcome to TFP.

 

[just_jeff7]

You need to purge with Ahhsome until you get no more detritus - cuz that’s biofilms , there’s likely more in your plumbing.

what is ahh-some?

What is Ahh-some?

www.troublefreepool.com

Then I suggest you ditch the baqua & follow one of these guides

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.troublefreepool.com

How do I use Bromine in my spa (or pool)?

Originally Posted by waterbear There is a lot of misinformation on the proper way to use Bromine so I hope this primer is helpful. First, you need to establish a bromide reserve in the water. Bromine tablets can do it by themselves but it can take literally weeks until enough dissolves. Some...

www.troublefreepool.com

This is a chlorine centric forum so you will likely get the most help when needed going that route.
Pool Care Basics

Thanks, So the ahh-some will "dissolve" or dislodge that film?

+1. We have gained oodles of members from baqua. I can't recall losing 1 to it.

Welcome to TFP.

That seems to be what I saw searching the forums before posting!

 

[Texas Splash]

Don't be surprised if @Ahhsomeguy replies for some tips.

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Just_Jeff 7: I am not really certain as to what has caused the film. If you have been using Bacqua Spa for a length of time, say a year or so, you may be dealing with a mold issue along with what looks like a biofilm formation below the waterline that is visible. You say that you used a spa cleaner for 20 minutes. What was the cleaner? If it was used to clean the piping did you wipe all of the released brownish goo that may have been released? Biofilms contain sugar molecules and are very sticky when allowed to dry on acrylic or roto molded tub shells. These stickies can be frustrating to remove. Based on the limited amount of information you have supplied here is my recommendation. If you still have any of the pipe or plumbing cleaner left over, add the appropriate amount to the tub that has heated water. If you are now using chlorine, add a good dose and run the tub with the cleaner for 30 minutes or so. If the cleaner you refer to is NOT a plumbing or pipe cleaner, yiu need to get some. I recommend ours as it is the strongest and most effective one on the market but no need tomwait for the delivery if you have another brand available right now. Be sure to wipe any future released gunk,or discoloration remnants that you may see With an old towel. Do NOT use anything that would harm the tub surface. Drain the tub a few hours after the next purge and use acetic acid or white vinegar and baking soda on the hard to remove sticky remnants. When you refill the tub and you are using chlorine, keep the chlorine level elevated,say up to 6-10 ppm for 3 days. Your question as to whether or not Ahh-Some will remove the gunk is a good one. It may help but it does sound like that has now been fairly well attached for a few days. Elbow grease using an old cotton towel with the chlorine in the water will certainly assist. You will get it off, it just may take some time. Please let the forum know how it goes. Stay away from Bacqua Spa. Stick with chlorine and get a reliable test kit. Not dip or test strips. A professional and well understood test kit will pay you big dividends going forward.

 

[just_jeff7]

I used Total cleanse from my local pool supply company. I did not let the hot tub heat up at all, so that might have been a problem. When it foamed, I just used a hose to spray it out of the hot tub, but nothing special really came out, or anything super brown, just a decent amount of foam.

I went ahead and bought some ahh-some. It seems to be the gold standard. Hot tub is heating up now, should give it a cleaning this afternoon. Growing up, I always used the "old fashioned" test kits, and not these strips, and completely forgot about them. I'll be picking up a test kit soon.

Appreciate the feedback!

 

[Mdragger88]

I used Total cleanse from my local pool supply company. I did not let the hot tub heat up at all, so that might have been a problem. When it foamed, I just used a hose to spray it out of the hot tub, but nothing special really came out, or anything super brown, just a decent amount of foam.

I went ahead and bought some ahh-some. It seems to be the gold standard. Hot tub is heating up now, should give it a cleaning this afternoon. Growing up, I always used the "old fashioned" test kits, and not these strips, and completely forgot about them. I'll be picking up a test kit soon.

Appreciate the feedback!

Be sure you get a taylor k2006 (amazon or other online retailers)
or
tf100/pro (tftestkits.net)
the others that are easily available at retailers don’t contain the fas/dpd test which can cost about $30 on its own.
Test Kits Compared
Hopefully you’ll be sludge free soon!

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Just Jeff 7- Do not hose the foam out of the tub while purging. The foam is necessary and will aid in the plumbing cleaning process. Please note that much of the brownisk gunk hides within the foam. You may also get some whitish stuff as well since the tub was using Baquacil. Just give the tub a good purge and be sure to rinse and wipe the shell when done.

 

[just_jeff7]

Quick update - I've used Ahh-some as recommended twice. First time was a decent amount of yellowish sticky goo that was wiped off (not sprayed). After the first round, I was able to get the biofilm line off the waterline with some baking soda and vinegar solution. It took about a day between the first round and fill-up/heat-up, and there was a line of yellow already forming. 2nd round yielded less than the first, and an easier clean up.

Should I go ahead and start it up for normal use or do another round of ahh-some?

 

[Mdragger88]

You don’t need to drain & refill between subsequent purges. Just wipe the goo immediately (don’t let it sit or it will harden & be hard to remove) then after the foam dies down add another 1/2 dose, repeat until Nothing comes out then drain, refill & balance. This ensures your working with hot chlorinated water.

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Just_Jeff7- it seems like you did remove a substantial amount of gunk from the plumbing. Good Job!
Follow what Mdragger88 is telling you. The yellow film line you are mentioning will dissipate over time, like a week or so. Periodically, rub the area with a cloth and it should disappear. That film, as you now realize, is some sticky stuff. Get your tub refilled, balance the water based on TFP's directions, use and maintain appropriate sanitizer while checking the chemistry on a regular basis and you should have zero issues going forward. Please keep me posted.