Somehow my brain saw 8.5... 3.5 is a bit high.
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New hot tub owner with sanitizer and water chemistry questions
- Thread starter cpd5215
- Start date
Ok. Good. I thought I was losing it for a minute. Anywho, do you think I should just shocked to 10 every day and see if things work themselves out? Things are going so well now other than the free chlorine, I was so excited, but from all of my reading I know the free chlorine loss is not right. Suggestion?
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It is a bit high, but I don't think it indicates a problem. I would keep on. Starting at 10 is good. Did you add 30 ppm of CYA? If so, dose to keep FC at 3 or 4 the next time you check. If it creeps up a bit it is OK, it is safe to soak with FC up to 12 with CYA at 30.
I started with dichlor and added enough to get to 31.2 ppm cya. Test strips seem to indicate that range. I'm waiting on my drop test for the CYA to confirm. So how many times you think I should raise to 10
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Oh yes, I remember the 31.2. 
Just whenever you don't plan to check FC for 24+ hours.
Just whenever you don't plan to check FC for 24+ hours.Oh yes, I remember the 31.2.
Hilarious. I know that 31.2 was a bit particular. LOL. I will continue on as planned and see how things go. One more question. I think I read I need to add dichlor once a month for CYA loss. Is that right?
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Just a quick hello and welcome. Our "new to us" 325 gallon Hot Springs now literally takes 2 oz of bleach each use and 1/2 oz acid every couple of days. Its SO EASY. I test frequently for fun...not cause I'm worried. Our spa and pool are easier and cheaper than at any point since we've owned em. Trust the advice you get here...trust PoolMath...and "listen" to your water. You'll quickly discover it "tells you" what it needs. Don't overthink. You're biggest problem will be the wrinkles on your skin from enjoying your spa!
Randy
Randy
Thanks for the advice. The people on here have helped me tremendously and I agree the method is very easy to understand, once you read the ABC's. lol
The FC loss was something I couldn't account for after reading other threads about the same problem.
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Hey Guys,
Quick checkin. I have been monitoring the tub daily, checking pH and FC multiple times a day. I also have checked TA and CH at least once a week. pH is 7.5-7.7, TA-70, CH-125. These have remained very steady. Again, I followed the dichlor/bleach method so I assume my CYA is 30ish. I tested on a strip and it appears it is near 30. I usually soak every night from 7-730p. Sometimes my daughter is in there with me. After I(we) soak, I test FC and then raise to around 10ppm. I then test FC in the morning around 8am so roughly 12hrs after raising the FC. Consistently I have noticed the FC drops 40-50% overnight when I test at 8am. When I test about 8 hrs later the same afternoon, the FC usually has only lost 1ppm FC or so. I was waiting for the R-0003 to get here so I could test CC. I tested today at 8am like I usually do:
pH-7.7
TA-70
FC-5(from around 9ppm 12 hrs earlier)
CC-1(2 drops R-0003)
So.....CC is too high...Is that what is eating up my FC. This is my first CC test because I didn't have the reagent so I do not know how long my CC has been high. I believe I have followed all your guys instructions to a tee and have read and re-read the threads to see where i might have gone astray. Water is still very clear, blueish. Overall things seem to be going very well, but the high CC is baffling to me knowing the attention I have given the spa everyday.
What do you guys think?
Thanks again!
Quick checkin. I have been monitoring the tub daily, checking pH and FC multiple times a day. I also have checked TA and CH at least once a week. pH is 7.5-7.7, TA-70, CH-125. These have remained very steady. Again, I followed the dichlor/bleach method so I assume my CYA is 30ish. I tested on a strip and it appears it is near 30. I usually soak every night from 7-730p. Sometimes my daughter is in there with me. After I(we) soak, I test FC and then raise to around 10ppm. I then test FC in the morning around 8am so roughly 12hrs after raising the FC. Consistently I have noticed the FC drops 40-50% overnight when I test at 8am. When I test about 8 hrs later the same afternoon, the FC usually has only lost 1ppm FC or so. I was waiting for the R-0003 to get here so I could test CC. I tested today at 8am like I usually do:
pH-7.7
TA-70
FC-5(from around 9ppm 12 hrs earlier)
CC-1(2 drops R-0003)
So.....CC is too high...Is that what is eating up my FC. This is my first CC test because I didn't have the reagent so I do not know how long my CC has been high. I believe I have followed all your guys instructions to a tee and have read and re-read the threads to see where i might have gone astray. Water is still very clear, blueish. Overall things seem to be going very well, but the high CC is baffling to me knowing the attention I have given the spa everyday.
What do you guys think?
Thanks again!
What's your water temp currently at? 5 ppm loss over 12 hours is certainly a bit high and the 1 ppm CC is concerning. Is the spa cover on at all times when not in use? Getting a little sunlight on the spa in the afternoon can help burn off some residual CCs. At this point, it looks like you're doing everything right. Maybe a little more detail will help.
Water temp was 100 since I filled it but I recently dropped it to 98 since its been so humid out. It's been at 98 for a week. The spa is covered all day except when we use it.
Should I try MPS? How much, how often?Leave uncovered, how long? Raise FC high?
Thanks again!
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MPS can be used as well, but MPS can show up in your testing as CC interference for a day or so after you add it. If you already have some, you could use it. Just don't test for CCs for a day or so after using.
If the spa "breathes" for just a little bit in the sunlight each day after you use, that will help burn off CCs and should be enough.
Keep doing what you're doing, dosing up to 10-12 ppm after use. The high temp of spas tends to give more daily chlorine demand but I would hope that yours would be less. If unused, the spa should only drop 3 ppm per day at most in your situation. If it is used, that chlorine demand can vary wildly depending on bather load, length of use, etc.
If the spa "breathes" for just a little bit in the sunlight each day after you use, that will help burn off CCs and should be enough.
Keep doing what you're doing, dosing up to 10-12 ppm after use. The high temp of spas tends to give more daily chlorine demand but I would hope that yours would be less. If unused, the spa should only drop 3 ppm per day at most in your situation. If it is used, that chlorine demand can vary wildly depending on bather load, length of use, etc.
Gotcha. I have MPS but I will hold off on that for now. I will let the spa breath a little over a few days and see how it goes. I will let you know. Thanks.
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dndrich
Silver Supporter
I just saw this thread, and it brings back memories. I have a Marquis spa I bought in 2008, and it has the spa frog cartridges for minerals and bromine. I have never been happy with them. Too hard to calibrate. Never was right. Water would be good after a change for a short while, and then just not great. I too had that brown scum at the waterline when new. Never sure what it was! Fast forward to this year, and I have changed to the dichlor/bleach method. Absolutely terrific. Water is perfect, and I understand the chemistry. I have a TF-100 test kit for the pool, and I use it for the spa also. So, you made a good choice getting rid of the cartridges and going with the chlorine. Much better.
You got that right!! The frog cartridge is a pain in the rear. So far the dichlor bleach method has been working great and I understand the chemistry of the water and the maintenance of the water thanks to the helpful people on this site!
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Thank you all for such a useful thread. we've been using frog cartridges and adding Spa Essentials Brominating Concentrate for almost two years now, and I'm just not happy with the water. We added an ozonator last year and I'm still not happy.
It's not so much that the water has ever changed, I think it's just that our standards have risen a lot since my wife went full TFP with our pool last summer. We just changed the water in the tub and I'm once again getting smacked with how unhappy I am with the bromine, so I'm looking at changing over to chlorine at the next change. More reading for me, I guess.
I probably need to mention this over in Complaint on TFPC Method.
It's not so much that the water has ever changed, I think it's just that our standards have risen a lot since my wife went full TFP with our pool last summer. We just changed the water in the tub and I'm once again getting smacked with how unhappy I am with the bromine, so I'm looking at changing over to chlorine at the next change. More reading for me, I guess.
I probably need to mention this over in Complaint on TFPC Method.
Thank you all for such a useful thread. we've been using frog cartridges and adding Spa Essentials Brominating Concentrate for almost two years now, and I'm just not happy with the water. We added an ozonator last year and I'm still not happy.
It's not so much that the water has ever changed, I think it's just that our standards have risen a lot since my wife went full TFP with our pool last summer. We just changed the water in the tub and I'm once again getting smacked with how unhappy I am with the bromine, so I'm looking at changing over to chlorine at the next change. More reading for me, I guess.
I probably need to mention this over in Complaint on TFPC Method.
This was our first hot tub and we had no idea what to do. The sales person gave his spiel to me and I read the manual but things just weren't working out with the frog cartridges. There never seem to be enough sanitizer dispensed and the mineral cartridges seem to this color the water no matter what I did. In an effort to fix the water, I would bring samples into a local pool store and in return they would sell me a lot of different things to "fix" my problems. Little did I know at the time that my test strips or their testing methods at the store were highly inaccurate. Like you and probably most people out there, I search the Internet for a easier solution because it did not seem right that I had it to add all these different things to the water. Then I found TFP! Getting my Taylor test kit was probably the best investment. Without accurate readings, you really don't have a baseline to start your treatment plan. The guys on here really explain stuff well and are very eager to help. The science behind it water treatment is amazing, maybe just for nerds like me. LOL. I am very glad and grateful I found this method to treat our spa and it is very easy.
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It's an old thread but for posterity I came across this post while trying to diagnose the exact same problem as the OP. In my case, the problem was "iron bacteria" that exists in my well water. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/wells/waterquality/ironbacteria.html
The short version is the iron bacteria holds iron in such a way that if you fill a gallon of water, it's crystal clear. But if you add chlorine to the water, the iron bacteria dies and releases the iron. Something else to keep in mind is if you have well-water treatment system, check to see if the pipe you are using to fill the hottub is bypassing the water treatment (sometimes garden spigots are not treated). Another possibility is that filling your hottub so fast can overload your water treatment system. In either case, the iron bacteria now is in your fill water.
Then, as you balance the chemicals and sanitize, the iron bacteria starts dying and releasing the iron, which turns the water greenish and forms a brown ring on the surface of the hot tub. Then, after trying various fixes you discover the brown ring stops forming but it may not be from the various fixes but rather that all the iron eating bacteria has finally died off.
When the iron bacteria dies, the deposited iron has a slimy consistency and can be rubbed off with the rag or a finger. It's misleading because it's not the kind of iron stain that is impossible to remove.
In the case of the OP, I'd love to know if this problem kept happening during each initial fill. Anyway, just thought I would share in case it helps someone else.
The short version is the iron bacteria holds iron in such a way that if you fill a gallon of water, it's crystal clear. But if you add chlorine to the water, the iron bacteria dies and releases the iron. Something else to keep in mind is if you have well-water treatment system, check to see if the pipe you are using to fill the hottub is bypassing the water treatment (sometimes garden spigots are not treated). Another possibility is that filling your hottub so fast can overload your water treatment system. In either case, the iron bacteria now is in your fill water.
Then, as you balance the chemicals and sanitize, the iron bacteria starts dying and releasing the iron, which turns the water greenish and forms a brown ring on the surface of the hot tub. Then, after trying various fixes you discover the brown ring stops forming but it may not be from the various fixes but rather that all the iron eating bacteria has finally died off.
When the iron bacteria dies, the deposited iron has a slimy consistency and can be rubbed off with the rag or a finger. It's misleading because it's not the kind of iron stain that is impossible to remove.
In the case of the OP, I'd love to know if this problem kept happening during each initial fill. Anyway, just thought I would share in case it helps someone else.