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seabright_sc

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Everything posted by seabright_sc

  1. Thank you for the tips! That was exactly what I was looking for:)
  2. New refill and was hoping to switch to Dichlor then Bleach method based on my research... but my wife won't have it. No matter what she is convinced that Bleach is not a good thing to add to hot tubs (at least not daily)... especially since owner's manual and local dealer say so. Which is fine since we're used to Dichlor and it works for us.... except in one situation.... Dichlor granules need to be added with jets/pump on. Which is fine 80% of the time. However, once or twice every week or so I use our tub late at night for a long soak. Per my agreement with my neighbor, I do not turn on the jets after 10 pm. So... this means that I can not add dichlor granules after my late night soak. And from my understanding you should never let your FC levels to reach 0. Which is exactly what happens if I don't add sanitizer after each use. So I am thinking of using bleach for my sanitation one or twice a week after my late night soaks. My thinking is that if I agitate the water and slowly distribute the bleach around the tub, the 24 hr. circ. pump will do the rest and I do not need to turn on the jets to mix in the bleach (as opposed to definitely having to turn on the jets when I add dichlor granules.) So... i it okay to use Dichlor 90% of the time and add bleach on occasion when I can't turn on the jets (being respectful of my neighor's concerns about noise)? Or is there another liquid sanitizer I could use from time to time instead? I know that I should just switch to dichlor then bleach method and I'm working on that. But you can't argue with the mrs. Thank you!
  3. Of course this is a rough estimate, but my 300 gallon hotspring uses about 100 kwh per month based on historical usage data. We set it to 100 and use it for 30-30 minutes about 5 times per week. On months when I empty and refill, my electric usage shoots up by about an additional 75-100 kwh. Not enough historical date to quantify with certainty, but I bet most of that additional 75-100 kwh is due to heating from refill. Hope this helps a little.
  4. Most articles that I read says hot tub PH usually rises over time. We seam to have the opposite effect and I don't know why. Current sanitation is dichlor. 300 gallon tub used about 20-30 minutes per day 4-6 times per week by my wife and I. Jets run for probably 20 minutes per day. PH tends to drift down to 7.0 according to taylor test kit. Seems like it was drifting down every week when I checked. Also... side related problem. I have a heck of a time color matching the PH with Tylor test kit. I know it goes from light orang/yellow for low ph and red/purple for high ph. It seems like my sample will either be that light orange/yellow (7.0), but when I try raise it (baking soda) I only see darker gradients of orange and never really see the redish/purple colors. I read posts about matching up to northern sky/ white background, but this doesn't seem to help. What gives. Thanks for the help. -Happy New Year.
  5. I've been using dichlor in my hot tub for the past year with no issues, but I'm thinking of switching to the Dichlor then Bleach method. We have a little 300 gallon Hotspring tub (24 hour circ. pump). We also have a neighbor who complains about hot tub noise. We agreed to not turn on the jets after 10pm. This makes adding dichlor after soaks difficult since we often use the tub after 10. SO.... if we are adding liquid bleach and disperse is around the tub, could we get away with NOT turning on the jets and letting the circ. pump mix the water? This way we can add sanitizer after late night soaks without pissing off the neighbor. Also, could someone send an in-depth link to the Dichlor then Bleach method? Thanks.
  6. Well, the pump ran intermittently for a couple of days. Switching the breaker on/off or running the jets seemed to kick it in for a while. I had to pass on the news to my friend who owns the cabin. He wasn't concerned, hotspring dealer is local.
  7. Taking the filters out didn't help. Jiggling the circ. pump around actually got it to kick in for a bit, but after a while the pump would stop operating and the lights would blink again. Powering on and off got it to kick in for a bit too. But even if the circ. pump started working, it always stopped with blink lights after a short while. Sticking a hose and forcing water down the filter shaft didn't work either.
  8. Update.... With garden hose I pushed water through filter stem. Still no bubbles or circ. pump operation. I also momentarily unhooked both hoses leading to circ. pump. Water came out. Reconnected. Powered back up. I still get the blinking lights but now I could hear the circ pump straining to operate. sounds like it's sputtering. Still blinking lights and no air bubbles coming through the bottom vent where the circ pump normally does. What gives?
  9. At my friends cabin for x-mas. We filled up his tub and all was aok for about a day. Then we heard the circ. pump gurgle/strain... not sure how long that was going on for. We turned on the jets for a clean cycle, powered it on/off and it appeared to be fine. We came back a couple of hours later and the lights were blinking again, the circ pump was not operating. Jets and lights work. I believe there may be an air lock or obstruction. I remember this once happened to and hot tub and I ran water through the filter stem(?) to unblock it. But I don't remember the procedure. My friend is coming up on the 26th, so I'm hoping to resolve the problem so he'll have a nice hot tub to relax in. Any help is appreciated! Thank you and Merry Christmas.
  10. We have a 300 gallon HS prodigy circa 1997 and it works great. We'll be going out of town for 10 days this month and the water needs to be changed. So I figured I'd turn it off/ let the chorine drop to zero, and drain and refill when I return. I'm 99% sure I don't have to worry about freezing damage since we rarely drop below freezing. But if we do, it's likely that we won't drop below 30F and even if it gets that cold it would only be for a few hours before dawn and after sunrise. Could this potentially damage the tub's plumbing etc? Thanks for the feedback.
  11. I've used the search but still can't find the enough info. I'm using Taylor test kit for hot tubs and I have a hard time with the PH test. On the test block the colors go from a yellowish orange to grades of pink/purple. But all of my samples are shades of orange. At first I thought that the PH was just a bit low so I added PH increase. It just seems to change the shade of orange in my test sample. Yes the regents are less than a year old and stored properly. What gives. The only thing I have been trying to do is to match the shade of the water sample as opposed to the color itself. I've held it up to a light colored background in natural sunlight etc. Doesn't help. Any advice?
  12. I've used the search but still can't find the enough info. I'm using Taylor test kit for hot tubs and I have a hard time with the PH test. On the test block the colors go from a yellowish orange to grades of pink/purple. But all of my samples are shades of orange. At first I thought that the PH was just a bit low so I added PH increase. It just seems to change the shade of orange in my test sample. Yes the regents are less than a year old and stored properly. What gives. The only thing I have been trying to do is to match the shade of the water sample as opposed to the color itself. I've held it up to a light colored background in natural sunlight etc. Doesn't help. Any advice?
  13. I recently purchased a very nice double wrapped cover from RH tubs. It's 6"-4" with 1# foam. We live on the central coast of CA where the temps rarely dip to freezing, but we do average about 25-40" of rain per year... 90% that falls from November through april. I'm wondering if all of this rain pounding from the outside can accelerate the water logging process of the foam. I know that most of the damage comes from the rising steam but I am wondering if throwing a tarp over the tub during heavy rains is worth while. Any other tricks for keeping a new cover lasting long? Generally how long can I expect a double wrapped cover to last for? Thank you!
  14. I finally went for a Roberts cover. 6"-4", double wrap, reflective bottom. But i did not upgrade to 2# foam. It has Standard 1# foam. Will 1# foam become water logged quicker? I hope not... Here's another question. For our usage, we generally add about a teaspoon or 2 of Dichlor for daily use. Should I leave the cover off for a while (to extend cover life)? If so for how long? The cover is awesome. Great quality.
  15. Ugh! Way to much info out there... way too many manufactures that all seem the same.... I'm looking for some info from those with experience. Have you bought a cover from and are you happy with it? What about foam thickness? We live on the Central Ca coast... mild all year, rarely above 80 or below 38. Is upgrading to 2lb. foam worth it? What about that extra hinge seal as an option? I'm assuming a double vapor wrap is a very worth while "extra". True? So many manufactures all within a very close price range I have no idea where to start? I was thinking purchasing from Spa Depot. Thoughts? Ugh... too much time spent on research has me even more confused! Help!! Thank you!
  16. Ugh! Way to much info out there... way too many manufactures that all seem the same.... I'm looking for some info from those with experience. Have you bought a cover from and are you happy with it? What about foam thickness? We live on the Central Ca coast... mild all year, rarely above 80 or below 38. Is upgrading to 2lb. foam worth it? What about that extra hinge seal as an option? I'm assuming a double vapor wrap is a very worth while "extra". True? So many manufactures all within a very close price range I have no idea where to start? I was thinking purchasing from Spa Depot. Thoughts? Ugh... too much time spent on research has me even more confused! Help!! Thank you!
  17. Thanks for your input everyone. I don't think these neighbors are making this up.... they are just very sensitive. Come to think of it.... it's always something with the wife (street lights too bright, too many cars parked on the street, the color the new neighbor painted their house etc.) They seem like pretty cool folks and we always have gotten along with them. But looking back on it, it seems that every time we neighborly touch base (once a month or two), they're always griping about something with the neighborhood. The interesting fact as these houses are 3 years new in CA with tough energy efficiency building codes (ie- lots of insulation, double paned windows, etc.) They did mention coming upstairs to hear/feel for myself. I'm not wanting to take that offer because A) I'll go up there and be like, "really, you guys should just move to the country with acreage. It's barely noticeable!" and/or Get more involved than I have to. I already mentioned that I wouldn't turn on the jets past 9, which is way more than comprising especially since we only turn them on for 10-20 minutes (sometimes up to 30 max) a night maybe 4-5 nights per week. We're not partying back there and ther's a circ pump so thankfully it's quiet unless we turn on the jets. They seemed appreciative, but still continued to talk about how bad it really is for them, but they also mentioned that they hate to complain because they don't like to bother people. Interesting enough, they also mentioned that they talked to other neighbors but one one else is bothered! I checked in with my closest neighbor and sure enough, he can't hear or feel a thing, though his bedroom is on the other side. So I do kinda feel that they are whiners about the situation. I don't want to be a jerk or bad neighbor though. I'll try some sound dampening material next refill, and let them know I at least addressed the issue within reason. I don't think I'm going to bend over backwards to satisfy them cause my intuition tells me that that complain regardless. I don't feel any significant vibration on the deck while the tub is running. I don't think they're making this up, just super sensitive folks I suppose. Last point, we've only had the tub for two months. It's like they have been trying to keep cool for the past 8 weeks and then just gave me an ear full.
  18. You think you find it hard to believe? I can't F*&%in' believe it either! If I can barely notice it running in my own house I can't understand how they can. And they agreed that it doesn't seem to make sense, but they sure it heck drove their point into the ground. The crazy thing is, is that my wife and I rarely have the jets on for more than 20 minutes at a time and hardly ever after 10pm! Ideas for cheap and simple sound dampening?
  19. We have these neighbors that have always been reasonable and not uptight. But they claim that when our hot tub is running is vibrating their house and they can hear it! Here's the details: We have an older hs prodigy 1 horse power. We run the jets for maybe 20-30 about 5 times per week. Usually we go in sometime between 9-11pm. Our tub is right next to our house (2 feet away) on a deck that sits 18 inches off the ground. Their bedroom sits about 50 feet away on a second floor. No obstructions between my tub and their house except for a 6ft wood fence. I've checked in with other neighbors, no one can hear it. We can barely hear inside our own house! They claim that it vibrates their whole house/bedroom in particular, and drives them nuts. They were cool about it, but definitely emphasized how major of a disturbance it is for them. The drone sound and vibration, etc. I apologized and said that I won't turn on the jets after 9pm. They were cool with that and appreciative , but continued talk about how much of a nuisance it is. I'm a friendly guy who understands the importance of getting along with neighbors. I kind of question how loud it really is for them (note: their windows are always closed). Regardless, is there any simple solution that will lesson the vibration/sound? I'm not going to stop using my tub or spend a ton of money on solutions. Moving my tub isn't an option. any ideas or thoughts? Thanks!
  20. Ok.... JUst went for a soak last night and said to hell with it. Measured today..... CC-0 FC 3ppm alk110 ph7.3 CYA (measured for the first time) estimated at 120-150 using taylor kit. I know this is high, not sure if it's a concern. Water isn't cloudy, but not crystal clear. has sort of a dull slight yellowish tint (not urine). Water is about a month and a half old. Any ideas on next steps? This is all new to me. If at all possible I do not want to drain and refill. oh ya... no ozone or Nature2 Help please!
  21. So I purchased a Taylor kit and read the directions meticulously, or so I thought! I was getting my chlorine readings using a 10 ml sample based on each drop counting as .2. I should have been using a 25 ml sample. Essentially this means that my chlorine levels have been about 150% higher than what I thought for the past 3-4 weeks! We've been using the our spa with the free chlorine levels around 7-14 ppm! Ugh. No harm no foul I hope! OUr skin hasn't been irritated or any other effects that we notice. So the FC levels, now that I am measuring correctly, is about 12 ppm and it's been dropping only about .5ppm per day. We want to use our spa! Heck we've been using it with high levels, should we just go for it? Any harm to our water chemistry for keeping the levels so high for the past 3-4 weeks? Any way to quickly lower the levels? Thanks!
  22. I know your looking for negatives, but here is another positive. We just purchased a single owner 1996 hotspring tub from the mild climate of the central ca coast with all service records. It still has the original heater and main pump. The circ pump has been replaced twice (last in 2003) and I just replaced the thermister. Looks and functions great. Not bad for 14 years old.
  23. There will be a increase associated to reaching the setpoint after a refill, but you will definitely use less energy maintaining the setting once it is reached. There will be slight fluctuations based on volume of usage and ambient air temperature etc., but I doubt that it would be double your baseline. I wouldn't think that leaving the cover 1/2 on would save much if anything, it like running the AC with the window 1/2 open or all the way open. But leaving it partially covered is not a bad idea; it won't save you a significant amount of energy though. Enjoy the spa...! Thanks for the replies! Of course this is not scientific and I understand that metering your spa is the only true way to gauge it's energy, but based on my historical usage over two years it appears that my tub is used about 250 kwh for 19 days of use (and initial heating). Our avg. temp was about 52F and we have used the tub daily for 45-60 minutes . It's a 300 gallon older hs tub. The problem is all of those extra kwh were above baseline so they cost .28 per kwh! Does my energy usage sound in the ballpark?
  24. Got my first electric bill and thanks to a tiered pricing system per KW, my energy bill is about double anticipated. I figure all of my tub use cost about .28 per kwh and could go to .40 if usage goes into next teir. This is opposed to .11 for my baseline usage. No a big deal, but many times I soak solo and was wondering if leaving the cover half on during soaks has a significant impact on the amount of heat loss. Also... does heating a tub after refill use significantly more energy than maintaining its heat once tub has been heated? Will this be noticed on electric bill?
  25. MPS is non-chlorine shock. The active ingredient of MPS is potassium peroxymonosulfate, KHSO5 (CAS 10058-23-8), commonly known as potassium monopersulfate, which is present as a component of a triple salt with the formula 2KHSO5•KHSO4•K2SO4 It is important to monitor CC. Reference 1 What should the CC level be? If it gets high how should it be addressed? Thanks.
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