mikef135

Hi All, It's week 2 and smooth sailing except for this slow leak issue I have. Loosing about 1/2" per week and I see minor evidence of water not drying under the tub / wood foundation so not the greatest way to leave things. Could not track this one down easily and have a fully foamed spa. I am planning another stop leak treatment but would like to let the spa dry out for a week or so, fill er up and then try again in addition to some re-caulking around the skimmer I am hoping may help if it is leaking there. Have been in this thing every day since the start up so not looking forward to this! Question is do I need to super shock to 50ppm for a hour or so and drain (because I left the tub unprotected for a week) or just shock to 10ppm every day for a few once the final water is in place. According to the spa depot leak stuff I have you don't have to drain if the water quality is good but I probably will. Thanks, -Mike

Yes to your first question ... I built that up over last week using dichlor. The CYA test is showing cloudy but I can still see that black dot when the tube is full. It is somewhere between pictures mid test and end test at that link you sent me.

Hi All, I'm on my first week of chemgeek/Nitro's dichlor then beach method after the decontamination. Just did a test on my 425 gallon spa: shocked to 10ppm FC with bleach yesterday night did the borox/acid last week (25oz borox/17 oz dry acid) tested just now: 8ppm FC TA = 80ppm ph=7.8 (maybe 7.9 - seems to stay on the high side for me) CH=160ppm temp is from 100-102 (my tub is set for 100 but is on the south side of my home in Southern California so is getting heated during the day up to 102 sometimes) ... I think the pumps are also heating it when using (heat from (2) 5hp pumps) I've added 37.5ppm of CYA with the dichor Tried to run the CYA test in my taylor k-2006 kit ... could still see that black dot even with the tube filled all the way up Tried an Aquacheck chlorine test strip and that is showing 0 CYA although tough to read Is it pointless trying to test for CYA? Is my CYA getting burned off or something due to my environmental conditions of the tub itself (south side of home in the heat) ... the cover is in good condition (previous owner said it was an upgraded one - looks pretty solid) So far it has been happy tubbing with clear water ... just checking in for any tips Also, during the decon process I stuck some seal-a-leak in from Spa Depot (after the spa flush and drain but before the 50ppm FC step). It fixed one leak I saw but still have a slow seeping leak somewhere. I added 1" of water approx yesterday. Not sure how much of that is due to evaporation or leaving thru bathing suits (have used the tub everyday this week with wife) ... I have a 7'x7'x39.5" tub Thanks, -Mike

I bought a used 7'x7'x39.5" cal spa on craigslist and am planning to use this maintenance strategy after the decontamination process. I have the referenced Taylor kit on order. I suspect the tub is between 5-10 years old ... don't know for sure but based on what I have read online the original ozonator should be dead as they don't last that long. Any recommendations here? 1) unplug it so it isn't wasting power? 2) leave it plugged in? - maybe I am missing something here 3) buy a retrofit model for around $100? 4) get some of this MPS stuff instead/in addition? Will an ozonator help as a "buffer" so the FC is less likely to drop to 0 should maintenance go lax for a few days? IE: there is a backup oxidizer still working in the background if a bleach dose is missed for example? Thanks, -Mike

I am getting a used hot tub and planning to perform decontamination. Why in step 3 does the filter go back in? Doesn't seem right that you would want a new one put in and then proceed to soak it in heavy bleach water while it is still being decontaminated. Can the high bleach concentration shorten the filter life? Read this somewhere else. Why does it need to go back in when the spa flush part has it out? Please advise.