What is this grey goo?

[j_jones]

I was a month or two late cleaning the hot tub as I've been a bit overwhelmed lately. Anyway, I finally set about cleaning the tub today and found this incredibly weird grey beige stuff all up in the filter. It is odorless and has the look and consistency of papier-mâché (see photo)

I scraped about a half cup of this stuff out of the folds of the filter. I shudder to think how much might be in the pipes. Anyway, what the heck is it? Has anyone seen this before?

 

[reggiehammond]

In my industrial life, that looks similar to calcium precipate, mixed with dirt/dust. Not sure of what it is specifically, but the texture/consistency isn't foreign to me. With that said, consider dumping the water and running an Ahhsome purge.

Home – Best Hot Tub Cleaner - Ahh-Some - Jet Cleaner, Hot Tubs, Spa & more

America's favorite Ahh-Some hot tub cleaner, pipes & jet cleaning products clear biofilm buildup from pools, hot tubs, jetted tubs, swim spas, dishwashers & laundry machines. Order online from our website or our Ahh-some Amazon Store for great deals.

ahhsome.com

 

[j_jones]

Thank you for your quick reply, I am completely uninformed on hot tub care other than what the repair man taught me about it years ago when we bought the house. I will research the 'Ahhsome purge'. Meanwhile I think I will try SpaKlear System Flush since I happen to have some.

 

[j_jones]

I wonder if there is some place I can send a sample of this gray goo and get a chemical analysis of it?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Do you use any type of clarifier? Tell us what products you've used in the spa.

 

[reggiehammond]

Thank you for your quick reply, I am completely uninformed on hot tub care other than what the repair man taught me about it years ago when we bought the house. I will research the 'Ahhsome purge'. Meanwhile I think I will try SpaKlear System Flush since I happen to have some.

I wouldn't bother with anything else - order Ahhsome.
There's even an Ahhsome rep here on the forum that might have more info. @Ahhsomeguy

 

[j_jones]

Do you use any type of clarifier? Tell us what products you've used in the spa.

So, I do the same thing every time. I turn off the power, drain the tub, clean the filter with the hose, reinstall the filter, fill up the tub, add about a thirdish cup of hTh chlorine granules, a thirdish cup of SeaKlear 'balanced shock oxidizer', a 'lil splash' of hTh 'metal control', a thirdish cup of hTh 'calcium plus' and then turn the power back on. It's been a good working formula for the last 7 years since we bought the house. However, looks like skipping just 1-2 months of cleaning has really messed up the chemistry somehow.

The lid is always on the tub except when we venture to use it, maybe once a week for a few hours. I do notice that pine tree needles do tend to accumulate around the vents at the bottom of the tub, and I usually just pull them out by hand when I'm in the tub. The only other substance is probably some of the conditioner I use on my hair, which I notice foaming a bit on the surface of the water when I am in it. But I don't think there have been nearly enough pine needles or hair conditioner to generate that much weird gunk! The fact that it is utterly odorless suggests it's not biological.

 

[j_jones]

Just for the record, someone in another local town forum tells me it's calcium carbonate, that our water is already hard and I shouldn't add calcium. Anyway, I cleaned the tub with the spa cleanse. I ordered some Ahhsome cleaner and when it gets here, I will do it again. Thank you!

 

[Mdragger88]

Kinda sounds like white mold - it can be white or grey & looks like tissue paper. It is a bacteria caused by inadequate sanitation.
Pics & test results would be helpful in diagnosis.
As mentioned do the Ahhsome purge then follow this guide to start up & maintain sanitary water

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.google.com

 

[BDY]

Add Vinegar to it - if it’s calcium it fizzles

 

[j_jones]

Add Vinegar to it - if it’s calcium it fizzles

Interesting, I will try that when I get home!

 

[j_jones]

Add Vinegar to it - if it’s calcium it fizzles

Ok, I mixed a small sample of it with cleaning vinegar... zero fizzles... hmmm

Another thing I noticed... I put the dishes that had the grey goo in it into the dishwasher and it somewhat resisted being washed out. There are streaks of the gray goo on the dishes still. It has to be thoroughly wiped out with a rag before it's gone.

I think I may drag out the microscope and look at it closely..

 

[Mdragger88]

Just a note- you always want to degrease your filters before using any acid to remove scale or it will harden the grease & possibly ruin the filters.
The same applies to regular cleaning (tiles,tubs & whatnot) degrease 1st (alkaline cleanser) rinse then use something acidic for the scale

 

[j_jones]

Just a note- you always want to degrease your filters before using any acid to remove scale or it will harden the grease & possibly ruin the filters.
The same applies to regular cleaning (tiles,tubs & whatnot) degrease 1st (alkaline cleanser) rinse then use something acidic for the scale

that all went over my head. Is Ahhsome something acidic?

 

[Mdragger88]

that all went over my head. Is Ahhsome something acidic?

No - it’s just a strong surfactant - it will remove oils, & biofilms .
When doing the ahhsome purge you can throw the filters in the tub (i rinse them off first if they are really dirty) then afterwards rinse the Ahhsome off of them & soak/spray them with vinegar or diluted Muriatic acid if there’s calcium buildup. Rinse them well before reinstalling.