Hot tub rash??

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Geargoesdown

Geargoesdown

0
Jan 4, 2018
48
Pearl/MS
Pool Size
20000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
CircuPool Edge-40
I have read and learned a lot in the last week or so from this site. A great resource! I just got a brand new hot tub about three weeks ago. I have been using the test strips the pool store supplied to test the water. Everything was looking good! However, reading info from this site, they are no good so I bought the tayler kit.

Fast forward... yesterday my other half used the tub for about 20 min and afterwards felt itchy and later developed some bumps. Well, my new tayler kit arrived and I did some testing. FC came in high, about 7 ppm (test strip showed almost 0). I could not do CC as I just used a MPS shock. PH was 7.5 and CH was about 130. When I got to the CYA test, it was well into the 100’s and the test max out at 100. So it has to be high. I would guess around 130.

Well, I thought I was using just regular chlorine (pool store provided). But it is dichlor, which now I know has the stabilizer in it. Could the itchiness be from excessive cya’s or something else like pseudomonas folliculitis??

Anyways, I’m planning on draining the tub tomorrow and refilling it.
 
Oh, and the water just started to get foamy when the jets are turned on but quickly dissipates when turned off. Don’t know if that has anything to do with it or not.
 
First off, no expert here. Just read a lot so far.

You can dilute the test water 50/50 and test CYA again to test higher CYA levels. Just multiply the test result by 2 to get the CYA reading.

Anyhow, CYA makes FC less effective. According to the CYA/FC chart, at 100 ppm CYA the FC needs to be minimum 8 ppm, but anything over 60 ppm is listed as "not recommended." Based on that, my guess is the clorine wasn't effective enough to prevent bacteria growth with such a high CYA level.

Spas generally shoot for around 30 ppm or so of CYA, and corresponding FC level based on chart.

Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

- - - Updated - - -

Forgot to mention, they are big on signatures here. They help because people always know what hot tub/pool/test kit/sanitation method you are using so you don't have to repeat that each time you make a post.

Also have you read the summary on using chlorine in a hot tub?

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?)
 
You have some good advice above. On top of that, especially with a new spa, you should run Ahh-Some through it to clean the biofilms out. You need to use it before you drain as you will have to drain after using the product. The water used to pressure test it at the factory is left in the piping and creates all kind of nasty stuff. Search for the product. There is member here on the forum that is part of the company if you have any questions.

Otherwise - follow the link provided above about using Chlorine.

Take care.
 
CYA does not cause rashes. Red itchy raised bumps = pseudomonas (from ineffective active chlorine levels caused by high CYA).

Stop using the tub for now and flush the plumbing with Ahh-some. Then refill and rebalance. Biofilms, once formed, cannot be gotten rid of through chlorination alone. And your tub now, very likely, has a reservoir of bacteria built up in it. You can drain and refill but the problem will still be there and as soon as the FC gets too low, the pauemonas will grow. Bacterial growth rates can have colony doubling times at under 45mins in hot tub water which means billions of bacterial colonies in under a few hours.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies! I bought some ahh some on Amazon and it will be delivered tomorrow. I’ll run that through and refill. Fingers crossed!
 
Run the appropriate amount in your hot tub. Be sure to remove the filters and pillows if removeable before you purge. Hose the filters off and place them inside the hot tub when you purge. Run the jets on high for 20 minutes or so, turn system off, drain hot tub, rinse and wipe clean, refill, adjust chemical parameters and enjoy. You will no longer be bothered by hot tub rash. We eliminate all the bad guys in the plumbing that cause these issues. Forgot to tell you, replace filters in the filter well before restarting. It s a good idea to add water into the filter well so pump(s) pick up a fast prime when you refill.
 
If the bumps and irritation happen immediately, then it's likely a chemical problem.

If the symptoms take at least a few hours, then it's probably bacterial.

Either way ahhsome followed by a drain and refill should work.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. I’m going to use ahh some today drain and refill.

Just one question though... I stoped at the pool store yesterday and mentioned my problems that we are having. He gave me one of the Nature2 spa mineral stick to put in the filter. He said it would take care of it. I’m kinda skeptical. I’m still going to drain and refill today and was planning on doing the dichlor bleach method listed on this site. What should I do:

1: just use the Nature2 spa stick and follow the directions on it.

2: just do the dichlor bleach method.

3: put the nature2 stick in and also do the dichlor bleach method.

Any input would be much appreciated!
 

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Hi there Gear- If you can, you should return that mineral stick and stick with decontaminating the tub of any flora and fawna left in the pipes from the factory, as well as getting it set up for a fresh fill.

This is a good read but don't be put off by the talk of bathtubs etc, http://www.ahhsome.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Instructions_Ahh-Some_HotTub_JettedBath.pdf

There is a guy named Nitro on some old hot tub forums that has a recipe of his own for decontamination of a tub... Google can help find it.

Maddie :flower:
 
Geargoesdown said:
Just did the ahh some. I should have taken a pic but there was lots of green slime everywhere! Gross.
Click to expand...

Yep. Most hot tub owners don’t realize the how much gross crud is lurking in their plumbing. I tell people who don’t know what is meant by biofilms to open up their kitchen sink or shower drain and look down it with a bright flashlight. Same stuff.... :pukel:
 
Good news Gearsgodown: Glad that you did the Ahh-Some “Purge” today. You WILL see a big difference starting Immediately. Water maintenance will be dramatically easier and the quality of your soak will be totally enhanced. The big news is that your rash should not return. Just be sure to maintain good water maintenance protocols, especially in the first 2 months of tub ownership. You need to become acquainted with your hot tub chemical demand(s). Many hot tub owners complain about the complexities of water maintenance. This is not the case for those hot tub owners who flush, drain and refill twice a year. Just so you know, TFTestkits.net now offers our Ahh-Some Hot Tub Plumbing & Jet Cleaning product. If you own a hot tub or a jetted bathtub, do yourself and your family a favor. Go to their website and get high quality hot tub and pool products at fantastic prices from people that really care about your needs. Super knowledgeable about Pools and spas.
 
Ahhsomeguy said:
Good news Gearsgodown: Glad that you did the Ahh-Some “Purge” today. You WILL see a big difference starting Immediately. Water maintenance will be dramatically easier and the quality of your soak will be totally enhanced. The big news is that your rash should not return. Just be sure to maintain good water maintenance protocols, especially in the first 2 months of tub ownership. You need to become acquainted with your hot tub chemical demand(s). Many hot tub owners complain about the complexities of water maintenance. This is not the case for those hot tub owners who flush, drain and refill twice a year. Just so you know, http://www.tfttestkits.net now offers our Ahh-Some Hot Tub Plumbing & Jet Cleaning product. If you own a hot tub or a jetted bathtub, do yourself and your family a favor. Go to their website and get high quality hot tub and pool products at fantastic prices from people that really care about your needs. Super people!
Click to expand...

CORRECTION - it’s

tftestkits.net
 
riley00dog said:
Glad you got all that gunk out! Is this a concern for pool plumbing as well?
Click to expand...

Not typically. Pool plumbing sees chlorinated water most of the time and the temperatures and bather loads are such that this is not a problem. Hot tubs are very small volumes of water with very high bather waste loads. Bacterial growth is the biggest issue because hot tubs run at the perfect temperature for creating a nice stew of human waste and pathogens :pukel:
 

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