Ahhsomeguy
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Posts posted by Ahhsomeguy
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Ideally, you perform the purge with the filters removed and run the jets for 30 minutes after adding the cleaner. Be sure to wipe any of the released sticky gunk so it doesn't dry and adhere to the hot tub shell. This is very important. Silk Balance is a decent cleaner and I believe that they recommend a 30 minute purge time.
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Never heard of that brand but since you have it, use it. It can't hurt.
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Hello Scryden: Your vanishing free chlorine situation points to exactly what ratchet said. Your tub has biofilm issues. Every single brand new hot tub sold today needs their plumbing purged to remove the slime-forming microorganisms. In addition to purging a new tub it is imperative that you perform this plumbing colonoscopy on a regular basis, usually every 6 months. Small gallon hot tubs neeed to have this done every 4 months.
Swim Spas can go 12 months. Free chlorine decay rates is the red flag.
We have some dealers, one in particular in Victoria, BC, who purges every single hot tub upon delivery. He thoroughly explains why they do this and proceeds to educate the new owner about testing and maintaining healthy water. Unfortunately, very few dealers will take the time to do this important first purge before use. You need to do this. You will definitely see dramatic changes in your free chlorine readings. Performing regular plumbing colonoscopies is the single most important maintenance protocol you can do to ensure you soak in crystal clear and healthy hot tub water.All it takes is for a new user to get hot tub rash from Pseudomonas Aeruginosa biofilm bacteria or something far worse, and they become believers. Why won't manufacturers and dealers just tell consumers the facts? Scryden: Do the community a huge favor. Purge your hot tub with an effective plumbing cleaner soon. Remember, all plumbing cleaners are not of equal potency. Get one that works. Then, report back to the forum regarding your free chlorine decay rate. The community is trying to help you out so you can help all those new hot tub owners coming behind you.
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We do manufacture a formula for HE Washers and Dishwashers. The little 2 ounce container provides for 24 cleanings. So, typical users get 2 years worth of monthly cleanings for both appliances. Note: The washer and dishwasher may really stink after the Ahh-Some cleaning. You need to run a cleaning cycle with your regular cleaning detergent or dishwasher pod to eliminate the aromas we have stirred up. When using the product be sure the appliances are empty of garments and dishes. Short HOT cycle does the trick with our product for the bio-cleaning. The Ahh-Some isn't just for cleaning the insides, it is really used to purge all contaminants and gunk that is located where you can't see, typically where the drain is located.
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Lisa91: it does. Mix the gel, 2 ounces to 5-7 gallons of water. Use in sprayer to soak roof stains, mold, fungus or whatever. Leave it on without rinsing off similar to Wet And Forget. Works great.
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Thank You CanadianSpaTech: I am not comfortable telling people about our products in a forum like this. Thanks for mentioning it though. We will let the hot tub community come forth with how our new maintenance product is doing.
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Lisa91: No need to buy the filter cleaner. When yiu purge with our product you are going to place the filter(s) in the hot tub. We will deep-clean them. It is beneficial to always have a spare set of filters. Always start off with dry filters and you will get longer life out of them. Yes, yiu do need to drain all the water. When you see the gunk that we bring out you'll want to drain the tub.
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Hi Lisa91: Your images indicate contaminants that are probably a form of Biofilms. Every single hot tub, swim spa and swimming pool has biofilms. Nothing new here. One soak with your hubby for 30 minutes in 102-104 degree water will add over 2 million body secretions to the hot tub. These eliminations are greatly desired by Biofilms. The Biofilms are living under cover in slime formations in your plumbing system. Once in a while the biofilm eliminates pieces of the colony. These globules are probably part of this release as well as typical dirt, exfoliated skin and a host of other gunk that typically is found in hot water vessels. When is the last time you did a plumbing colonoscopy or purge to your hot tub? Smaller tubs, under 300 gallons need purging every 4-5 months. Larger tubs and swim spas cn go longer before the purge. People just simply hate to clean the plumbing. They will write on this forum all the excuses why they aren't doing it yet. They heard something from someone who told them they could just buy or do this and not drain the water. Folks! If you are reading this post. The single best thing you can do to eliminate lots of frustration and maintenance issues is to use a good purge product. They all do something. That image of the gunk on the filter is commonplace. No matter how many showers you take before soaking, it doesn't matter.
Purge, Maintain and Enjoy!-
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Wonkhester: Again, I would recommend that you review the Purge product that Waterbear made reference to in a previous post with you.
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Wonkhester: Glad that your water seems to be in balance as of right now.
It is unfortunate that you were not told of the incompatibility of the Spa Marvel and a Salt Brominator System. You seem to be quite concerned regarding bacterial growth in your water. My advice to you is to Purge your piping and jet system with a Non Enzymatic product on a regular basis, always maintain adequate sanitizer levels and follow the advice offered by Waterbear regarding your water balance levels. When it comes to eradicating Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (PA) bacteria from hot tub plumbing, you need a effective cleaner. Three words you need to understand and follow.
Purge, Test and Maintain.
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Well RD, I have worn and wear a great number of hats. My chemistry background led me into the swimming pool industry in 1969. I have sold and installed thousands of pools and hot tubs over the years. Sold a large business in 2007 and decided to keep the Ahh-Some product as a way to stay active in the industry. Because of the growth in the hot tub industry and recent awareness of Biofilms, our business has experienced rapid growth. So, yes, I am an old codger who just won't retire. I love the recreational water industry. I have dedicated my entire life to it and it has served me well. I do try to help people in this forum if they need assistance, as you do. When I feel I can help a questioner, I do it.
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Going way back in the 70's and 80's I used to get a product from Hayward that was called "schmear". I am not certain if Hayward still offers the product. It was used for field repairs on cycolac tanks, lids, chlorinators and a host of other products that needed repair. Basically, it was cycolac chips that are the same as what was used to mold the tank or associated parts of the same product and you simply needed an acetone, usually MEK, methyl ethyl ketone, mixed with the chips to form the repair paste.
You may want to ask some of the pool service people who make equipment repairs if they know where you can get it. As RD did say, the spot that needs the repair is in a vulnerable location for sure. We used to use the schmear on numerous occasions when out in the field. Within minutes, good as new. You may have to contact Hayward directly in New Jersey to get information on this product. There were not many people that knew about this product as it was kept pretty close to the belt..
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My guess is that you DO NOT have a calcium stearate issue. For the most part, that ship has sailed. If your spa was manufactured in 2019 it is very unlikely that it has this problem. My question to you is sanitizer related. What are you using, chlorine or bromine? Have you had sufficient levels of sanitizer over the previous 2 months or so? Your problem could be calcium related or white water mold. If your hot tub was not treated or chemically treated intermittently while the home was on the market, white water mold issues can become prevalent. If it is WMM, you can treat the tub accordingly. There are numerous postings on this forum that will certainly be helpful.
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To be sure that the nasties are attenuated we strongly recommend that you purge. If you think the maintenance is easier now it will be even easier after the purge.
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Don't empty the tub before you do a purge. Why waste water? Purge now with the same water.
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Hello ROM Lokken: Have you done a plumbing purge to get rid of any biofilm or bio-contaminants? This should be performed even on brand new hot tubs that have never even been used.
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Hi Scott: Typically, when the salt system will not maintain adequate free available chlorine levels it is apparent that a few things may be at fault. Is your pH within normal range 7.2-7.6? Has the hot tub had extra heavy bathing loads? Is your Freshwater cell still operating? Have you purged the plumbing infrastructure every 4-6 months? I suspect that you have a build-up or slime forming organic contaminants within the plumbing. This will cause a much higher sanitizer demand. The sanitizer is trying to get to the root cause and penetrate the bio lipid layer of the gunk. It tries and tries and uses itself up quickly with very little success in eliminating it.
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Hi TMC: The big issue we have is that the size of the label is pretty small and we do try to get as much information as we can on it. This is why we place the sticker on the top lid in case people wish to read more about the product and cleaning instructions. Hope you are enjoying your hot tub.
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Jengen72: Each time you purge you are getting another layer of bio-gunk from the plumbing. You will win the war against biofilm. Keep purging. Start with hot water, add just what we say, no more. More does not do a better or faster job. Open all,jets. Let the foam build. Do not remove the foam while purging. Run 20-25 minutes. Wipe up all the brownish sticky stuff you see on the waterline, especially in the filter well area. Be sure to remove the filters as well. I assume you have read our directions. Let the tub set in the off position overnight without draining. In the morning, add one or two level teaspoons of the blue gel to the same water. Run the jets another 10 minutes. You should see a good delivery of more gunk. Drain, rinse wipe and refill. Balance the water and always add appropriate amounts of an approved sanitizer. Use the tub for a few more months before you do an additional purge. You may even go 6 months before you need an additional purge. Keep us posted as to how you are doing. The single most important thing you must do while purging is to wipe the gunk as it builds. Biofilms are comprised of sticky substances. Don't let the gunk that is released dry on the acrylic or you will work harder to remove it.
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Hi Aero: So glad that the Freshwater Salt System is now granting you the extra time and chlorine production time. It is really amazing how Biofilms can raise so much havoc in all aspects of hot tub maintenance. Please enjoy the hot tub. Watkins is a very good company. So glad that they took care of your issue.
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Hi TMC: as we say on the container lid, go to Www.Ahhsome.com for more complete information and instructions. Some of the gunk that the Ahh-Some pulls from the plumbing can be comprised of millions of sugar molecules or polysaccharides. These guys are sticky stick and stickier.
We stress to take a wet towel and wipe the residual brownish, blackish, greenish and yellowish goo as you see it form at the waterline. A good purge product will release this sticky substance that many people call biofilm.
The number one thing that people do wrong when they purge with the Ahh-Some is add too much of it and not wipe the residual gunk that is released fast enough. In addition to this I would say that many people leave the filter(s) in place (wrong) and forget to remove any pillows or headrests that are removable.
.If you want to do an overnight soak with the Ahh-Some you MUST not allow any pumps to operate while you are not present to wipe away the gunk. If you do an overnight soak just unplug the entire hot tub or hit the breaker until morning when you can run the jets for 5 minutes and then drain the tub.
Hope this helps.
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Hi TMC: One way to help eliminate the goo that is adhering to the shell is to mix some baking soda into a paste and place it in a small area at a time. Let is stand for 10 minutes and them take an old towel and soak it in white vinegar. Rub the area where the baking soda was placed. This will definitely help you out. People have no idea just how sticky this gunk is. Polysaccharides contribute to this because it is a bunch of sugar molecules. Please let the forum know how it works for you.
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No, you can skip one. Fortunately, you are obviously aware of how effective a purge can be on allowing for lower maintenance issues. I would bet that there are over 2 million hot tubs or more that have never had their plumbing and jets chemically cleaned or purged of gunk and goo. You are an informed hot tub owner. Keep up the good work.
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Hi Mscdman: Your question regarding using our purge product after using the Marlin Fix-A-Leak is a good one. It is also one that I cannot answer with complete confidence. Based on my understanding as to how the fix a leak works and what is in it I would recommend that you do NOT purge with our product within 2 weeks or so after using the product. To my knowledge we have never experimented with that situation. So, I say not to use our Ahh-Some right after the leak sealer. Ideally, you purge first to get the plumbing clean of organics and other clinging particulates so that the Marlin will get into places it normally would not be able to come in contact with.
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Chlorine levels hot tub
in Portable Hot Tubs & Spas
Posted
Thank you for that information. We are very much aware of the "hanging chads" so to speak. Most times the purge gets the low hanging fruit of bio-gunk on the first cycle. Letting it set for a few minutes and turning on the pump intermittently will usually cause enough water flow propulsion to knock loose Biofilms that were still hanging on for dear life. Very good information you have shared.