PattyABC

Yes! I am dealing with the same thing. I have made many phone calls and spoken to the manufacturer of my spa brand. No one seems to want to talk about it. I have tried to get help from my retailer but they just keep saying the exact same thing "it's bio film and you need to adjust your chemicals better." But they refuse to come to my house to evaluate it - even for a fee-which leaves me with the impression they are not being honest. My spa was installed 14 months before this all started. So what I've been able to find out is the cause is suspected to be the soy based plasticizer the tubing manufacturer changed to in 2014. This manufacturer is in Florida and I am told they supply most (maybe all) of the spa manufacturers so the problem is widespread. But it's a great cover up because no one (manufacturer, distributor, retailer, etc.) wants to be stuck with the cost of remediating it. Like you I have spent hundreds of hours and dollars on water, chemicals and filters. You're lucky Barefoot has integrity - so far my spa (Four Seasons/Mira) has taken the stand they have never heard of it and have no idea what I'm talking about and by the way don't bother calling them again. I did get a lot of help from a post on this site by Robbert as well as the maker of a product called Ahh-Some. They've been great. They gave me some instructions for a vinegar/Ahh-Some soak which I've done 4 times now. I've seen a little improvement but the spa is still unusable. I've also emailed a reporter from Pool and Spa News who might write look into it. I wish more consumers understood that this is not biofilm and that something should be done. The way I see it I have a several thousand dollar paper weight sitting in my backyard.

Did you ever try the Jet Dry idea?

Thanks for the advice. I haven't put a filter in lately because it catches so much debris I can't clean it thoroughly. I might put one in after the next flush and see where I'm at. When I did have one in it would leave a lot of accumulated particles in the well so I like how you blocked it so you could clean it out before it went back into the tub. I'm going to look at that. I'll have to revisit the CLR protocol - it seemed pretty complicated. I have a Mira tub manufactured by Four Winds in Tennessee. I spoke to the parts department. He adamantly stated he had never heard anything like I was describing but by the end of the conversation he admitted to "maybe hearing something about that". He called me back after he spoke to his manager who confirmed they have not had any complaints and don't know anyone it has happened to but to go ahead and try the Ahh-Some product. It's frustrating because the dealer and the manufacturer want me to believe I'm imagining it. I think they just want me to go away!

I have ordered some ph strips but didn't have them during this purge so I'm not sure what the ph was. I have a 400 gallon tub and used 4 gallons of cleaning vinegar with the 3 tsp. of Ahh-some. I called the manufacturer a few weeks ago and the guy I spoke to claimed to have never heard of it - I wasn't convinced because he said a few things that contradicted that - either way he was not interested in helping me. I am worried about using CLR because it is so corrosive to metal and I'm not sure if it would cause any damage if I used it. I read protocol 3 but it was a little over my head. I will try another purge. This time I will monitor the ph. Did the dust like particles eventually clear up for you? And now that it's behind you do you ever see a flake pop up?

I completed my third vinegar/Ahh-Some flush. I would've posted a few days ago but I was too depressed! a lot of material came out during the soak and I cleaned the tub top to bottom when it was empty and vacuumed out all of the jets. I was able to extract almost 10 extra gallons doing this. I was feeling very good. But as SOON as I put fresh water in large flakes started coming out of the jets. After the jets run I scoop all the big flakes out but there is still a very large amount of the small dust-like particles floating. I can scoop some of them but a lot of it is too small to get trapped in the net. Also, there is a soapy-like foam after the jets run and a slight oil slick on the top (which makes sense if this is a compound similar to soap scum). I feel like I have made no progress. I have spent 100s of hours on this (including the time spent before I realized what I was dealing with) and I can't imagine what my summer water bill is going to be. My spa dealer is no help - they say they have not heard of this and that I must be mistaken - they say it's not even possible that it could be caused by any lubricant during manufacturing. I'm planning another flush but has anyone left the solution in the tub to soak longer than a day or two? Will the cleaning vinegar damage the metal in the tub? If it's safe I'd like to just let it soak a week or two rather than empty fill empty fill etc.

I am on my third purge with the Ahh-some/vinegar combination. I figure the first 3-4 flushes were in vain since I did not understand yet what I was dealing with. I let it sit overnight. Today there are some more white flakes (not a lot) but mostly small globs of a yellowish foam. I can scoop these out but if I agitate the water too much they separate and leave an oil slick on the surface. The strainer net that I'm using has a waxy build up on it even after rinsing it. There is also the expected residue on the sides of the tub that is also yellowish and very waxy. I am wiping it off just to make the final cleaning a little easier but I can feel there is a waxy residue after I wipe it. A simple wipe down is not going to work when I drain the tub. I think I will need a cleanser but I'm not sure what to use.

Thanks for the replies. It helps remind me I'm not crazy and that this problem is real! I had to order Ahh-some on-line so I won't be able to flush for a few days. I'll keep on with the Ahh-Some/vinegar soak for a couple of days and then drain and repeat. Do you have any thoughts on repeating immediately or wait a few days before repeating the soak? Also, I haven't bothered putting a filter in at this point as I've already throw 4 away. No one is using the tub while I work through this. If you think I should have a filter in, let me know. Thanks. I'll post an update in a week or so.

I have been dealing with this problem for several months now. At first I just assumed I had let the chemicals get out of whack so I spent several weeks and 3 or 4 flushes just adjusting the chemicals as my spa retailer suggested - I brought my water sample in to be tested every week (sometimes more often) trying to get on track. The white flakes increased to an excessive (gross) amount and it became clear that it was not a chemical imbalance so after hours of googling the symptoms I finally came across your post. I am very grateful you shared your experience as I have hope now that this can be remedied. I called and spoke to Jerry at Ahh-some who was super helpful and encouraged the Ahh-some and vinegar flush. I have done the Ahh-some flush with vinegar twice (3 days the first time and 30 hours the second time) and I do not see the white flakes but I see what looks like dust (microscopic flakes?) and occasionally what looks like an slight oily film that is barely distinguishable. The most obvious symptom though is the cloudy water. I'm not sure how to proceed at this point. Do I use Ahh-some again or just keep emptying and refilling the tub? I'd appreciate any help.