First few weeks of spa - just a bit hazy

[mckinneymagnum]

So, we have had our new outdoor, hardcover spa for almost a month and today I noticed the water is a little hazy toward the bottom. The shallower water is crystal clear.

We use the tub every other night and the first few times I would put a couple of tablespoons of SpaGuard Enhanced Shock Oxidizer granuals in after our soak...per our spa dealers' instructions.

Here are my Taylor test results...

FC: 8.0
pH: 7.5
TA: 80
CH: 175
CYA: 50

The FC and CH are high and the CYA is borderline, I think. Would that be what's causing the haziness?

Is it time for our first water change already? Or are we still in the safe zone?

 

[JoeSelf]

Did you Awesome purge it when you got it? The FC is not high for your CYA. Don't worry about CH its in range and will help keep foaming in check. 50 CYA is on the high side. No more DiChlor, switch to bleach.
FC/CYA Levels

 

[mckinneymagnum]

Thanks @JoeSelf for the input. I ordered some Ahhsome and it should be delivered today, so I plan on using it this weekend on my first ever drain / refill.
When I have the fresh water in there, I'm assuming I will use dichlor for a day or so to establish my CYA (maybe around 30?) and then use bleach after each soak?

 

[SJPoe]

I'm assuming I will use dichlor for a day or so to establish my CYA (maybe around 30?) and then use bleach after each soak?

Thats what I typically do with mine.

Be aware - your bather load in a hot tub is way way higher than a pool, so don't be shy with the bleach, and aim for the top of the range when it comes to dosing. As long as you keep your FC/CYA ratio in line, you'll not smell any chlorine, the water wont be harsh etc. My wife and I use the hot tub pretty much every day - and we probably put up to a cup of 12% in every day - the heat, bather load and so on will chew through the FC

I would take a couple days with your FC/CYA ratio at the high end, and see if the haziness clears up before draining and re-filling if it were me, but I'm on a well and a 500 gallon refill is a planned activity involving totes and so on

 

[mckinneymagnum]

Usually it's just me and my wife about every other night in the tub (250 gallons EcoSpa E3) so I will give your suggestion a try.