apostlej2015

Here it is Dr. SPA another testimonial AGAINST King Technologies. Just trying to help folks out. Everything in this forum is based on personal experience. If you have a really, really bad experience with something, it goes to say the other brands associated are probably junk. Case in point: Walmart->Sams Club (the difference here is Walmart is a necessary evil for me).

King Technology products are the worst. They do not work too well (I used a @ease and had many issues till I found this board and started the nitro method). I am on month three today of Nitro! Funny enough a week ago was the first time in 2.9 months I had to mess with my TA (pH was 7.0). Put in 1oz baking soda and my pH is locked at 7.6. With Nitro I simply add dichlor when CYA is low and bleach everday. Spa never has scum lines. Water is always xtal clear. I would read the Nitro sticky. Its gold.

What is your anti-bleach comments based on? I would read Nitro's thread before making judgement about liquid chlorine.

I leave the spa cover off for 15-30min when I add bleach. Should I be running the jets with air on or off? I would think infusing air would help the oxidation of waste but I also think that may oxidize the FC too fast. I only run the jets for 15 minutes. Thoughts?

After your fill, measure pH and TA. If the number you measured out of the hose stay consistent after you fill the tub, you need to run the jets with air (aerate) till the pH is 7.4. Then add the borates. If you add the borates before balancing, it will require more TA up/down to stabilize. Note that the aeration will take a couple hours to get from 7 to 7.4. Run it an hour...measure. Repeat till 7.4. Do not test your CYA. Just add dichlor per the calculator and record the resulting FC*0.9 and keep adding dichor till you've added 35-40PPM CYA. You can then go get your water tested 4 free to see if CYA is perfect (it will be if you measure based on poolcalc and do not keep the spa water exposed to the sun for a long period of time). I say don't test your CYA...record based on dichlor dispensed, because the taylor kit is worthless if your CYA is below 40PPM (readings less than this fill the vial). Plus you will useup that CYA solution real fast. Once you have switched to bleach, note that your CYA WILL DEPLETE in a month. Mine went from 40PPM to less than 10 in three weeks. Just shock or swap dichlor for bleach and rerecord till your levels are back.

I mainly use it for knocking pH down. Just curious as to its overall ulitlity (and i have 3lbs of the stuff). Thx chemgeek.

Just like Nitro mentions in his awesome writeup, I use MPS (small amount) with bleach to keep my pH at 7.4. Chemgeek has stated about a million times that MPS IS EFFECTIVE at oxidizing some types of waste that chlorine cannot. Wouldn't it make sense to use a small amount of MPS (like 1/2 oz) with the same amount of bleach everyday to make sure MOST of the waste is oxidized?

Like most of us that buy hottubs, I have a plethora of chemicals before I found the nitro method. I do find myself SLOWLY going through all the other chemicals when needed (MPS, Shock, Defender, clarifier, etc). So.... I also have a huge bottle of Leisure Time Enzyme that simple smells great. Ive used this when I had issues pre-nitro method so didn't really pay attention...it did remove the scum line caused by the SmartChlor system the dealer had me on not working. Yesterday I simply had an itching to use this up so I added 1oz in my tub and let the jets circulate for 15 minutes. I did not notice anything unusual. This morning I was showing the hot tub to a friend (not using) and turned the jets on and a ton of foam started. Some of the bubbles looked like what water clarifier does but there were no coagulate particulates. I scooped most of this foam out but didn't get all of it. 8 hrs later I used the tub and the water was superb. There was even LESS effervescent foam than before. I have 3 theories on what happened: 1. Leisure Time enzyme is a junk product that foams and I simply scooped most of it out and the FC ate the rest. 2. Since I always have 3-8PPM FC on hand and no one had used the tub after I put Enzyme, several hours later, the FC started oxidizing the enzyme. 3. The enzyme was decomposing the small soap residuals in the tub and when I aerated I got a water clarifier effect. The scooping removed whatever it was decomposing and the FC started oxidizing the enzyme leaving me with really nice water. Any thoughts/ideas? I am tempted to combat soap foaming with enzyme+scooping from now on BUT I am not convinced this particular enzyme is not a foaming agent.

I just had my 2nd kid last week! The stork who delivered her was super nice.

My parents are in for a visit. I thoroughly rinsed their swimsuits out (no naked business with parents guys jeez). And the foam began. Water clarifier reduced the foam to white beads that smelled like....body wash. A super chlorination + scooping also reduced it to the normal efflorescence foam. I always FULLY SHOWER before a soak..so did my parents. But some soaps have oils added (almost all of em). Do you guys fully shower, or rinse only with water or neither before soaks? Any recommended body wash brands?

Yes. Dichlor or smartchlor based systems will introduce too much cyanuric acid.

That really sucks dude. Quit your job is the best solution and enjoy your spa. Floater will be the only way. Time release bleach capsules would be a great idea!

I have that stuff and really like it!. It has exactly what you said plus water clarifiers. Before I did the nitro method (which everyone should do my god what a time saver and just relief my family is safe) the lack of sanitizer and smartChlor turned my water a tinge of green. I 'shocked' with spa essentials and BAM...water was super clear. The clarifiers cut the foam down too. Now unfortunately I have 6lbs of it and I do not need it. What I will do is once my dichor runs out (if it ever does), I will use the spa essentials up. With the dichlor-bleach, you only have a weeks worth of dichlor usage (6tablespoons total) until you start using bleach. So 4oz every 4 months for a drain+fill will take a long time to use it up. I do plan on shocking with it (double dose since its only 1/2 dichlor) every month to keep my CYA between 30-40PPM.

Thanks for the cheap source links for the reagent.

No Need to purge w/o water. Use a shopvac to suck the lines out when its drained. Then flush the upper jets with you hose nozzle (keep drain open).