teresajill

Thanks for your replies!

In a few days we'll close escrow on a bank owned home. It has a Beachcomber 550X that's (mostly) full and appears to have been neglected for quite some time. It has an ozonator. The pump looks like there's a buildup of stuff like you'd find on a battery terminal. When the cover is lifted, it looks black and moldy, but the water doesn't look that bad. However, when the jets were turned on for inspection, there were lots of little clear/white clumps of junk floating about. This was back when the tub appeared to be full. I'm guessing the pumps had been completely off prior to that and that it was left on after the inspection because the yard flooded for what seems like no reason at one point and the hot tub is now about 5 inches lower (40 days later). My guess is that it's leaking somewhere. It looks like there's hard water buildup all around the skimmer area. There's a floating dispenser in there. I contacted Beachcomber and they sent me directions for getting rid of white algae. They noted that I should get the chemicals under control before I dump the water out. Questions: I hear you shouldn't mix bromine and chlorine. How can I tell what's in there now? If I test the water and it appears the system is way out of wack, can I assume there's not enough chlorine/bromine in it to worry about mixing them? How much water would you expect a hot tub set at 72 degrees to lose in 40 days an area where the high temps are usually around 75-85 degrees? It has a very thick cover thats been locked down with chains. Has anyone had success with bleaching the mold out of a cover? I'm assuming I'll have to take the foam out and clean it seperately. The top of the cover also needs some love. Any opinions on what would be good to try? Can anyone suggest a good test kit that will work even with the chemical levels being far from where they ought to be? What should I use to clear the mineral buildup from the internals of the spa? or is that a concern? Any advice?