Marquis de Spa

I do have an established bromide reserve. And I just checked the sanitizer level (Frog opened up to three yesterday, even though that initial setting sent the sanitizer through the roof) and sanitizer remains at zero. Added about a half tsp of dichlor and opened Frog to five, fwiw. But yeah, I'm going to Fleet Farm tomorrow to get a floater and tablets. I'm sure to save money, too. (Mineral cartridge, yeah, right, I'm gonna spend 20+ bucks a month for snake oil.)

All of those factors are constant. Temperature is set, same bather load, same filtration cycle. It's as if the new cartridges release ALL of the bromine within an hour of being installed. Ridiculous.

I posted this as a reply, but I think it might merit its own thread: The FROG. I've come to HATE it. I have the built-in one as well. (I used the 3-step bromine) FIRST, there's no way to really know how much bromine is left in the cartridge. You have to unscrew the cap, then the cartridge holder, and then remove the cartridge. There's still no way to tell if there's any bromine left, so you let it drain and then shake it. If you can feel some shaking around, you know there's "some" left but not how much. So, lather, rinse and repeat every couple of days after it's been in there a few weeks. Or just wait til the water turns funky at some entirely unpredictable time ... But NO, you can't just open up the cartridge and refill it every now and then, as you could with a floater. A hassle and a waste of time and bromine! SECOND, what's that you say? Why not just test the sanitizer level and replace the cart when it drops way low? Because it's near IMPOSSIBLE to keep the sanitizer within range even with a new cartridge. Snap in a new one, dial it to three or even two, and in a day or so the sanitizer level is off the charts and your skin is falling off. So you dial it down to one, wait a week or so, and the sanitizer level is still off the charts. So you continue to screw around with the "no hassle" spa frog, and simply REMOVE it altogether. After about another week, the sanitizer level is within range for a day and then drops off. So you put the cart back in at level one, and the sanitizer drops to near zero. Set it at two or three again, the sanitizer remains at zero. Set it at four, and no change. So you add dichlor. . . On and on. I have never had the sanitizer in the proper range for more than a day. I guess it was a BAD idea to buy a whole case of carts. I'm getting a floater: it must be easier to check (just fill it every few weeks) and it can't possibly be less capable of keeping the sanitizer in the zone. Or I might just go to dichlor/bleach. I use the tub daily, so how hard can it be to add just a bit of dichlor each time. All I know is that the FROG -- supposedly the hassle-free way of dealing with sanitizer -- is just the opposite. It's a MAJOR headache.

The FROG. I've come to HATE it. I have the built-in one as well. (I used the 3-step bromine) FIRST, there's no way to really know how much bromine is left in the cartridge. You have to unscrew the cap, then the cartridge holder, and then remove the cartridge. There's still no way to tell if there's any bromine left, so you let it drain and then shake it. If you can feel some shaking around, you know there's "some" left but not how much. So, lather, rinse and repeat every couple of days after it's been in there a few weeks. Or just wait til the water turns funky at some entirely unpredictable time ... But NO, you can't just open up the cartridge and refill it every now and then, as you could with a floater. A hassle and a waste of time and bromine! SECOND, what's that you say? Why not just test the sanitizer level and replace the cart when it drops way low? Because it's near IMPOSSIBLE to keep the sanitizer within range even with a new cartridge. Snap in a new one, dial it to three or even two, and in a day or so the sanitizer level is off the charts and your skin is falling off. So you dial it down to one, wait a week or so, and the sanitizer level is still off the charts. So you continue to screw around with the "no hassle" spa frog, and simply REMOVE it altogether. After about another week, the sanitizer level is within range for a day and then drops off. So you put the cart back in at level one, and the sanitizer drops to near zero. Set it at two or three again, the sanitizer remains at zero. Set it at four, and no change. So you add dichlor. . . On and on. I have never had the sanitizer in the proper range for more than a day. I guess it was a BAD idea to buy a whole case of carts. I'm getting a floater: it must be easier to check (just fill it every few weeks) and it can't possibly be less capable of keeping the sanitizer in the zone. Or I might just go to dichlor/bleach. I use the tub daily, so how hard can it be to add just a bit of dichlor each time. All I know is that the FROG -- supposedly the hassle-free way of dealing with sanitizer -- is just the opposite. It's a MAJOR headache.

I think I found my own answer reading the Taylor guide. I need to wait until the chlorine/bromine is in the normal range and then retest TA and pH. I'll repost if I still have problems.

I tried posting this in water quality forum but I keep getting logged out if I go there, so I'm posting here. Anyway, I just refilled my 265 gal tub. Followed the 3-step bromine protocol. My CH is 360. I lowered TA to 110 and aimed for 7.6 pH. Adding just about 1 TBS of dry acid at a time, pH kept rising to >8.0. So I figured my TA must be too high. Retested, and now TA is at 40. pH continues to go over 8.0 with aeration. (Also, I've shocked and bromine is over 11.0, so I keep aerating with the cover open.) Is it okay to have a TA that low with the CH as high as it is? Advice? (The Pool Calculator doesn't seem to be working for me.) Thanks! This site is indispensable for tub owners!

The heater is working and so are the jets. When the wind is calm, it maintains heat and can get back up to the set temp when the heater comes on. It was quite windy when the temp dropped, but others are saying that this shouldn't be an issue. I don't think it should be either. Spas are supposed to stay hot.

The title of the thread suggests it's new. jgrieve stated he hears a clicking sound when he pushes the jets button.

Try turning her on and letting it go through the PR mode (in which it won't appear to do anything) for several minutes.

Thank you all! Dealer is checking with Marquis. I'll keep you all posted.

SG, thanks. It looks like an entire new kit and heater tube would cost less. I need to beat up on the dealer over this. He is checking with Marquis to see if others have had a similar problem. I suppose it's possible it's just my (brand new) heater tube. dodgyswa, what outside temps? What wind speed? What temp are you set at? How long are you in it? Using jets, aerated, on high speed? It is a really nice tub. The idea that it can't hold heat at mild outdoor temps with a breeze can't be normal. I get that if it's 15 degrees out and the wind is at 20 mph, a tub probably will struggle to keep up. (I wouldn't probably tub in such wind anyway.) But this? Even last nite, 51 degrees out, mild breeze under 10 mph, and it could not keep up, going from 103 (set) to 101 in about 1/2 hour. Not drastic, but not acceptable either.

Thanks for your replies, SG. Yeah, walling it in is not an option. How hard is it to swap out the heater for a more powerful one (5.5kw? 6kw?)?

I checked, it set up properly, the heater works when the pump is on high. I wish I had known that "hot" tubs don't stay hot if there's a breeze. I mean, 55 degrees? Seriously? Do hot tubs only stay hot in the summer, when you don't even use them?

Hello! I have a 2011 Marquis Mirage. LOVE the spa but at times the heater can't keep up. E.g., 50 degrees F out, with 10 mph winds, and the spa temp dropped 3 degrees in about 15 minutes while the heater is on. The temp keeps dropping even with jets on low and aerator off. (It seems find when there's no wind -- so far: I haven't had a chance to use it in outdoor temps under 45 degrees F.) Is this normal? I'm concerned because I live in a northern climate and intend to use it in very cold weather. This spa is smaller, at 265 gallons, and has 240v. Apparently a 4kw Balboa. A penny. Thanks!

I had the same issue tonight. It was at 102 when I opened the cover and it went down to 99 in about an hour. Brand new Marquis Mirage, which is not a large tub, using 240 volt. Outside temp was 45 degrees F and wind was about 10 mph. This can't be right.