Hi all. Have had my spa for about a year. Everything is going fairly good but always looking to optimize. Typically all I do is add 0.5 ounce of dichlor every other day. My levels are always great. And anytime Ph starts dipping I will raise it with spa up and then alkalinity and ph get back in line. At about 3 months I dump the water and start over. My water is usually always clear and crisp looking and when(if) it gets cloudy I would just shock. Cya level getting way up there and I wanted to get another month on this batch of water so I tried MPS and shocked with 1.5 ounces. Went in spa the next day and I’m getting these wierd gunky bubbles that cling to side of tube, never get scum line using just dichlor. Is this scum just oxidized material and should I just shock with dichlor as well to clear it so it stops coming back? Water looks great and levels are all in line but don’t want this gunk in my tub.
MPS shock gunk
- Thread starter MSLOANE
- Start date
That sounds unpleasant.
I personally don't use mps, but it sounds to me like oxidized organic contaminants. Infrequent treatments and low chlorine or too much cya from the dichlor I suspect. It seems you are aware of the dichlor/cya issue, but don't use liquid chlorine (bleach)? Do you have ozone or use a mineral (silver ion) purifier? Are you familiar with Ahh-Some spa purge?
If it were me, I would purge it and start fresh. If cya reaches 30 switch to bleach and treat after each use. Watch your ph.
I personally don't use mps, but it sounds to me like oxidized organic contaminants. Infrequent treatments and low chlorine or too much cya from the dichlor I suspect. It seems you are aware of the dichlor/cya issue, but don't use liquid chlorine (bleach)? Do you have ozone or use a mineral (silver ion) purifier? Are you familiar with Ahh-Some spa purge?
If it were me, I would purge it and start fresh. If cya reaches 30 switch to bleach and treat after each use. Watch your ph.
Just to add....
You should never have to add PH up to your tub. When you need to raise it up, simply run your jets to push your PH up. What test kit are you using?
You should never have to add PH up to your tub. When you need to raise it up, simply run your jets to push your PH up. What test kit are you using?
With TFP methods that's true, but the OP was using dichlor for 3 months straight. Assuming they started with moderate to low TA, it's almost a certainty they would have to use something to raise the pH, since extended use of dichlor will lower TA to the point that aeration won't increase pH.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,934
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I Def 2nd what @RDspaguy said.
Here’s the write up:
www.troublefreepool.com
Here’s the write up:
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
True. If his TA is 50 or under, it would be very difficult to push up PH through “normal” methods. That’s why I’m curious to see what test kit the OP is using, I’d like to see a full set of results.
HTH dropper kit. Added dichlor this morning and ran jets on high for 20 minutes-no gunk bubbles. I got in and there is a lot less gunk but not zero. Wierd. Not sure how I feel about MPS. Familiar with dichlor bleach method but doesn’t bleach add salt?
All forms of chlorine you add to the water add salt, including dichlor. Having some salt in the water isn't an issue. Is there a particular reason you thought it would be an issue?
The bigger issue, I suspect, is cya interfering with your chlorines ability to sanitize or oxidize the contaminants in the water, but mps is still working fine. You will want to purge if you are seeing what you describe. I believe that Ahh-Some requires a high chlorine level, and you will need to get past your cya for it to be effective I would think. @Ahhsomeguy might have some insight on cya and purging. Or maybe one of these guys in this thread knows the link for the cya/chlorine info...
We strongly recommend having at least a minimum amount of sanitizer in the hot tub or swim spa when using the Ahh-Some since some of the released particles and slime is something you want oxidized. Some biofilms can harbor serious pathogenic bacteria and can adversely affect users who may have compromised immune systems. We also request that you wear protective gloves so the released gunk does not come in contact with your skin. After you purge with the Ahh-Some you should enjoy extremely clear water without the myriad of maintenance protocols for many months until it builds anew. Keep it simple! Balance the water, use the appropriate amount of sanitizer and test your water using a reliable test kit (not test strips). Upkeep is easier when you rid the system of the bio-contaminants that place immense pressure on the maintenance chemicals. Purge brand new never used tubs too. We have numerous dealers who purge every single tub before or at the delivery location. Most dealers are deathly afraid to let you witness what happens in plumbing systems sfter the manufacturing and storage process. Responsible dealers purge at the initial start-up. Their customers are the beneficiaries of a clean hot tub and will be rewarded with easy maintenance without biofilm issues for many months. It is absolutely amazing to me that even after all the information about how biofilms can affect your health that most hot tub owners still have zero clue about it. They think that just dumping the water periodically is what they should do.
Here's a great analogy that someone shared with me years ago. Just dumping the water without doing a plumbing colonoscopy is like eating off dishes, just rinsing them thoroughly and placing them in the cupboard to await their next use. Not exactly the same thing but you get the picture. We are happy to assist anyone with their questions regarding our family of products. A big thank you to RDSpaguy and the rest of the moderators for helping so many thousands of hot tub owners with their questions. I tip my hat to you aNd for the help and expertise you provide.
I am quite sure that the forum users appreciate your efforts in a big way.
Here's a great analogy that someone shared with me years ago. Just dumping the water without doing a plumbing colonoscopy is like eating off dishes, just rinsing them thoroughly and placing them in the cupboard to await their next use. Not exactly the same thing but you get the picture. We are happy to assist anyone with their questions regarding our family of products. A big thank you to RDSpaguy and the rest of the moderators for helping so many thousands of hot tub owners with their questions. I tip my hat to you aNd for the help and expertise you provide.
I am quite sure that the forum users appreciate your efforts in a big way.
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I have used MPS as a shock treatment when using a low-chlorine cartridge system as discussed on another thread. When I tried MPS as a weekly shock, I started getting these milky / slimy bubbles. I wasn't sure if it was related to the MPS, accumulated soap from pre-soak showers, or coincidence of just never having a high enough active chlorine level to really clean the water. I ended up purging with Ahh-some, dumping, and starting over with the TFP Dichlor / Bleach method for hot tubs.
Everything good now. Water crystal clear. No slime no gunk. As far as adding liquid chlorine I thought salt raised up TDS faster. Could be wrong there. I use ahhsome before every purge. Good product. So far things have stabilized themselves. Might try dichlor bleach method next batch to compare but overall dichlor with 1 or 2 monthly mps seems to work great too. Have been keeping track of my water and treatments and it’s about 4$ a month lol sure beats 40 a month on “frog”