Intex PureSpa cleaning

[Jim1590]

Got a nice free score of a Intex PureSpa with a E90 error. My research shows impeller damage, needing replacement. Sure enough the rod is broken and impeller falling apart. I already have a new one coming in. I have all the original parts that come with it and my limited testing shows it all works well.

So, my questions. There is what is probably some mold on it, best way to clean? There is a small air leak someplace, I plan on using some soapy water to locate it and patch it. I also plan on filling it out of my already treated pool water (250 gallons), what more do I need to do to have it hot tub ready?

 

[Mdragger88]

I would scrub the liner with a bleach water mix & rinse well. Not sure how many tubes/hoses there are in those but an Ahhsome purge is definitely recommended to remove biofilms from the plumbing.
I would do the purge after filling with hose water as u are going to dump it anyway.
Here’s the spa guide

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

 

[Jim1590]

I would scrub the liner with a bleach water mix & rinse well. Not sure how many tubes/hoses there are in those but an Ahhsome purge is definitely recommended to remove biofilms from the plumbing.
I would do the purge after filling with hose water as u are going to dump it anyway.
Here’s the spa guide

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

Some good reading there. So, after I clean it and patch the air leak, fill with hose water and do the Ahhsome purge. After that, fill from the pool that already has a CYA of about 50 and TA / pH stable, do nightly testing and chlorine adding similar to how I do the pool? Target level of 4-6 with a weekly shock to 12?

Thanks

 

[Mdragger88]

In a spa the bather load is intense due to the small volume as compared to a pool. You need to test & replenish fc with liquid chlorine before & after each use to ensure u don’t fall below minimum fc level for your cya FC/CYA Levels to prevent nasties & person to person transmission of pathogens
2 people in a small spa for 30+ minutes can use 2-4ppm of fc sometimes more. Spas are people soup.
Let frequent testing be your guide. Most account for this by raising fc to between target & slam level for their cya after soaking to account for remaining bather waste + standby consumption until the next use/check.
The same goes for standby chlorination during periods of non use. You need to add enough so that it doesn’t fall below minimum before the next time u check it.
Understand there will be a constant chlorine demand whether u use the spa or not. Did I mention it’s a big bowl of people soup?
In short- you want to ensure the spa fc remains above minimum for your cya at all times.
Maintaining cya of around 30ppm makes this task more achievable. That’s Enough cya to buffer the harshness of the necessary chlorine but not so much cya that it requires keeping fc levels above 10ppm constantly which makes ph readings invalid. A cya over 50 isn’t recommended in a covered spa. The cya isn’t there to protect the fc from the sun - just to buffer the harshness of the chlorine for people, equipment, & surfaces.
A weekly raise to slam/shock level in a pool or spa just “because” is not necessary if fc levels are always adequately maintained.
Slam/shock level for a cya of 50 is 20ppm not 12ppm FC/CYA Levels

Due to aeration, the ph rise in a spa is more frequent & must be monitored/adjusted frequently.
Lowering ta to 50/60 can help as mentioned in the sticky thread.