New Used Tub

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CDC

CDC

Well-known member
May 27, 2019
81
North Alabama
We just bought a used tub that I purged with Ahh Some and refilled. But it set for 24 yrs without chemicals while on. It's kinda flaky with errors at times then resets. Control board on the way. Anyway using dichlor and calcium carbonate, muriatic acid. Checking last 2 nights with the Taylor kit. Everything was almost perfect except CH. I followed the math calculator with necessary adjustments. Now tonight PH is a dark purple and the gases are horrific! Water was cloudy. Since we didn't know where to go we are draining and starting over. This is a 2000 Sundance with an ozonator. Does anyone think it's still working and causing problems?

I've read the introduction in the sticky. But chemistry is not my forte!

Hopefully tomorrow we can get the water balanced. I ordered Gentle Spa but won't get here until Monday.
Will post levels after filling tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
What is Gentle Spa??

Did you hyperchlorinate with that last water fill after the Ahh-some treatment? I take mine to 50ppm for an hour than drain again.

I just used CYA and bleach in my hot tub before I got the SWG for it. A tablespoon of MA once in a while and we're good.

Maddie
 
I was in the same boat a few weeks ago. There seems to be some debate about how much CH you need. My water is really low on CH, don't quite remember exactly, but I think it was 50 or less. I have only put in CYA (granules in sock), baking soda and liquid chlorine. Oh, and a little MA as needed to lower PH. Have been debating about the borates also. I think I'll try it after my next purge before it gets too cold.
 
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YippeeSkippy said:
What is Gentle Spa??

Did you hyperchlorinate with that last water fill after the Ahh-some treatment? I take mine to 50ppm for an hour than drain again.

I just used CYA and bleach in my hot tub before I got the SWG for it. A tablespoon of MA once in a while and we're good.

Maddie
Click to expand...
No I did not because it was giving OH errors and then after running it would go to a too error. It was supposed to have a new board placed in it before we got it. But the tech said they had found a wide in the wrong place and it was running good. Not so! During my purge it went to OH. So I let it set over night and continued with the purge the next day. Which led to another OH. Drained and refilled and turned it on. But didn't coordinate until the next day because stores were closed.
 
CDC said:
No I did not because it was giving OH errors and then after running it would go to a too error. It was supposed to have a new board placed in it before we got it. But the tech said they had found a wide in the wrong place and it was running good. Not so! During my purge it went to OH. So I let it set over night and continued with the purge the next day. Which led to another OH. Drained and refilled and turned it on. But didn't coordinate until the next day because stores were closed.
Click to expand...
Gentle Spa was recommended from the spa introduction. It keeps PH drift and makes the water silky.
 
This is what my Sundance manual says about the OH error--

MEANING
overheat Protection (Heater is deactivated, filter/ circulation pump is activated). Water temperature
is above acceptable limits. Do not enter the water! Remove hot tub cover to speed cooling. See “Water is too hot” on page 6. If condition persists, contact your dealer or authorized service center.


But my Spa also has a Summer setting where it will filter but not heat. It was great for the kiddos who used the spa as their personal kiddy pool in the summers.

Maddie
 
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CuckooChris said:
I was in the same boat a few weeks ago. There seems to be some debate about how much CH you need. My water is really low on CH, don't quite remember exactly, but I think it was 50 or less. I have only put in CYA (granules in sock), baking soda and liquid chlorine. Oh, and a little MA as needed to lower PH. Have been debating about the borates also. I think I'll try it after my next purge before it gets too cold.
Click to expand...
CH 50
PH7.6
FC 0
TA 60
 

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YippeeSkippy said:
This is what my Sundance manual says about the OH error--

MEANING
overheat Protection (Heater is deactivated, filter/ circulation pump is activated). Water temperature
is above acceptable limits. Do not enter the water! Remove hot tub cover to speed cooling. See “Water is too hot” on page 6. If condition persists, contact your dealer or authorized service center.


But my Spa also has a Summer setting where it will filter but not heat. It was great for the kiddos who used the spa as their personal kiddy pool in the summers.

Maddie
Click to expand...
It wasn't over heating temp was 96 it's a bad board. But it can set for an hour with cover closed and restart it's cycle. We have a new board on the way.
 
CDC said:
CH 50
PH7.6
FC 0
TA 60
Click to expand...

That is about my exact chemistry, except for the FC, lol. And I went a little overboard on the CYA at 40, but I don't think it's a big deal. I'm only about three weeks into it and no problems yet with foaming or anything. Only things I really am monitoring closely are FC and PH. My spa is about the same age and was quite a project to get working. Ended up having to replace the pump and the controller. Only thing left is the wait for a new cover. BTW, I have an ozonator in mine also, but supposedly they only last 3 or so years so I didn't even hook mine up because it's the original (15+ years). Maybe someone here can confirm that? I suppose I would need to connect it and test for it, but idk.
 
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CDC said:
It wasn't over heating temp was 96 it's a bad board. But it can set for an hour with cover closed and restart it's cycle. We have a new board on the way.
Click to expand...
It could be a bad board, but it's unlikely. More likely is a flow restriction such as a clogged filter or a failing circulation pump, or a faulty sensor. Did someone look at it or is it your assumption that it needs a new board?
 
CuckooChris said:
That is about my exact chemistry, except for the FC, lol. And I went a little overboard on the CYA at 40, but I don't think it's a big deal. I'm only about three weeks into it and no problems yet with foaming or anything. Only things I really am monitoring closely are FC and PH. My spa is about the same age and was quite a project to get working. Ended up having to replace the pump and the controller. Only thing left is the wait for a new cover. BTW, I have an ozonator in mine also, but supposedly they only last 3 or so years so I didn't even hook mine up because it's the original (15+ years). Maybe someone here can confirm that? I suppose I would need to connect it and test for it, but idk.
Click to expand...
New ozonators can last longer, and their lifespan is in hours, not years, so it depends on how often the ozonator was actually running.
 
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The math calculator messed me up last time. It's warm by me to add 8.3 is
PH 7.8
FC 20
TA 70
CH 80
CYA 30

Based on the article The Sticky Targets are
FC 2-6
PH 7.2-7.8
TA 50
CH 130-150
IS anyone else having problems with the math calculator?
 
I would guess the temperature sensor is bad before the control board, honestly. I have had my get "too hot" and shut down just because it's Arizona and covered most of the time. I too am using a "calibrated splash of pool chlorine" every other day, about 20 PPM CYA (my tub is completely in the shade, I don't need more than that) and the tablespoon of MA about every other week or so. TFP on a tub is almost too easy, honestly. One thing I would look into in your case is seeing if you can actually snake any of the tubing on that tub to see if you still have crud in the lines. If it sat for that long with gunk in it, then even with the ahh some! treatments, I think some manual plumbing cleaning is in order. Hopefully your temperature issue is your board you are replacing, but I suspect it's the sensor. It could be the wiring from the sensor to the board or hopefully not a restriction that is happening also.

The good news is that if you got it for a decent price and you spend only in the high hundreds to fix it-- you still potentially have a good deal. I bought mine new and it's a bit of a ripoff to do that.

As for CH.... in a fiberglass tub, you only really need to worry about it if it is affecting your pH stability. CH 80 would eat my plaster pool, but it's pretty well fine in a fiberglass hot tub. TA of 70 is a bit on the low end... okay if pH seems acceptably stable... but an easy fix is a tablespoon or so of baking soda...

FC of 20 is SLAM territory (or almost) but in your case that's good for a couple of days... CYA 30 is ideal for a tub.

Like I said the hot tubs are easy (as long as you realize adjustments are teaspoons and tablespoon [not plural] full, and no more).

What you are looking for is the CSI calculation. You want to keep this to as close to exactly zero (or slightly above in a hot tub, but not more than +0.2) ... that indicates your balance. The ranges are a bit more deceptive in that unless one is way off then what matters is the CSI.

Adding borates is fine, but you don't need them usually... You'll get the thing going.. they really are not that complex. Good Luck!
 
All sensors have been replaced. A wide was found lying on tonight's heater so it was rerouted. No more OH since it was done. I bought this tub from a dealer/ technician who had it approx 2 months setting empty. Original owner supposedly was amaculate. The board was included in the price so no worries there. It will need new pillows and a cover. Skirt is in great condition and he rebuilt the frame.again
So my biggest thing is getting the water to balance. I did see a little bit of biofilm a couple of times after the first refill. There was a some more after it drained last night. I used a spray bottle with Ahh Some and refilled except for what didn't drain. We are close except the TA is 20 ppm above target. Just ran it for 20 minutes to check again. The only acid I have is muratic. Reading up on it that's a good idea.
 

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