Splashman

You should always start with your Alkalinity first not Calcium. Also I like 200 ppm calcium for pool and spa water due to the calcium that is already in chlorine. It will stack over time. Yes carbonate will make the water cloudy takes a day to clear most of the time. PH moves very fast with carbonate than with Bi-carbonate. So I generally will stick with the bicarb because it moves them together unlike Carbonate in small bodies of water. Also note that sodium hydroxide (Caustic Soda or Lye) has a PH of 14 so be careful.

Hi Jghottub, I think you might have your reading wrong. There is 3 different factors when reading Chlorine. "FC" Free Chlorine "TC" Total Choline "CC" Combined Chlorine When you are testing your water with a reagent test kit using drops. You are testing FC & TC. The CC is what you get when you subtract the two together. For Ex.... FC = 2.0 TC = 3.0 : CC = 1.0 Now the problem you are having is your not reaching "BREAKPOINT". This is a chemical term used in the pool and spa industry that allows you to overcome the CC levels in pools and spas. The formula is a little more complex because you need to know the chemical numbers to match up. But here is the basics TC - FC = CC CC x 10 = Desired Free Chorine Level Desired Level - Existing free Chlorine = Adjustment Now that we have the basics lets get more complex. (A) Amount of chemical indicated by label x (B) Actual spa volume /(B2)Divided by product label gallons (most say 300 or 500 gallons) = (b3) x (C)Desired chemical Change aka adjustment / Divided by Product label by PPM (usually 1ppm) = (C3) (A) x (B3) x (C3) = your number If you do not put the right amount to over take the CC you will always fight the ever climbing CC. I hope this gets the wheels turning for you. It seems over whelming but it is not. But you know you can just wing it and just always add more than what your gut tells you. One thing to note is to make sure you leave your hot tub uncovered so the chloramines which is the CC burning off don't bake the underside of your cover. Give it like 30 min. Also anything over 10PPm in Chlorine is unsafe to bath in. Good Luck

Aaronmc52, From what it sounds like but I am still not 100% sure on this. But I think you have an air venturi problem. Because you lower the water allowing the air to be sucked into the lines creating more pressure. But when it fills up it can not. Just throwing something out in the wind maybe it might make sense. Do you have air valves next to the spa?

Hello, The only thing that would cause no power to the board but only to the connections would be I would the transformer. I have had one go out before and had same problem. I would also check to see if you are getting any power current to the heater legs. But I am leaning to the transformer. If that transformer is good than its topside panel.

Hi Mark, I understand your frustrated. Owning a new hot tub should be fun and enjoyable. A couple of things to know. Yes the yellow stuff is and can be from the body, oils, lotions....etc... I have also seen in hot tubs lately that they get stored or shipped with products in the pipes to prevent mold and issues. Some companies recommend that you purge the product out of your tub before use. Costco hot tubs are an example. The pictures are very helpful. I noticed your water is very cloudy is that been the case for three months? The product bright and clear from leisure time is a product that will bring the yellow stuff and the gunk to the top. If you over pour that product it will make it foam. I do not know what the spa protect product is I have not delt with that brand directly. Make recommendation is to purge the hot tub with a chemical like ahh-some and than deep clean the filters over night in a chemical bath. Using a filter cleaner for that. Scrub clean and refill and balance. Also my recommendation is get off the chlorine granular and get on to the @EASE PRODUCT from flippin frog company will provide link. It will help keep chemicals down and you want have to watch the spa as much. Less chemicals is always better for the water. https://www.amazon.com/Frog-SmartChlor-Floating-Chlorine-Sanitizingdp Remember that if you use the hot tub a lot your drain and refill could be a often as 4 months to 6 months.

I don't have a ton experience with selling fiberglass pools. But what I have seen and read. Most companies now have lifetime warranties on the delame of the fiberglass or gelcoat. Also the builder should be responsible because he is the face of that brand he is installing. If there is a failure of the product under the manufacture warranty then he would be also the company to fix it. Typical warranties for plastered pools and range from 5- 10 years in the case the plaster was to fall off or something. I understand that chemicals can play a part in the surface of fiberglass pools I would also have a conversation with your pool maintenance guy. He could be doing something he is not suppose to do like leave chemicals sitting on the bottom of the pool. Have you contacted the factory directly to voice your concern or maybe find another dealer to get feed back that sells them. You do have a leg to stand on here. I would collect up your water tests results since you have had it. The water quality is the first thing they are going to hit you with. Good Luck

Before you buy just double check your model with what I gave you. I pulled my hayward book and looked but I don't come across that many Hayward sand filters in my area. You are right in both questions. When your in normal filter mode water is being pushed thru the sand to the bottom of the filter. And in backwash mode it is in reversed like you had mentioned. Pushing the sand up and stirring it up breaking up clumps and debris to be pushed out of the filter to the drain hose or pipe you have.

Hi Jonmarin, There is a couple of things to know when making a big descension on a pool and spa. Who is it for? Example: kids, just you, entertainment for guest.... etc.. How big or small? What features you want? Have you visited the deep rabbit hole of Pinterest for ideas What is it being used for? Example: Swimming laps, diving or slides, sport pool, etc... Where in the country you live? Weather can play important part in what design you should go with. I noticed that you live in Boston. I have never been but I was told that it gets cold there. Snow, rain, wind that defies gravity. Not knowing your city or state laws there. I would recommend that you consider a automatic cover for your pool. But that really limits the design to pretty much a rectangle. Adding a spa to the inside has a lot of benefits to it. Although it will jack the price up maybe another 20,000 - 30,000 dollars for the build. Depending on the builders. Good luck in your build. Post more questions if you need ideas. Send photos of build

Hi Simeon, The pictures did not come thru. But from what I understand what happened is you have gotten water mold in your hot tub. I have posted about this in another thread. Should you leave water in tub?? When the water is empty from a hot tub you can never really get all of it out of the pipes. So when it sits for a long time it gets water mold which looks like white tissue paper in the water. But water mold is actually a fungus. It is difficult to get rid of. You can do a couple of things. 1. Burn it out with extreme high levels of chlorine to try to kill it. But that can have other issues to your tub. I seen it work. 2. You can buy a purge system like Ahh-Some and run it thru. But most of the time its a long battle of purge clean use and repeat. Could take a couple cycles of that to get rid of it.

Hey Dave, You should not have sand in the pool in that area it generally is a indication of broken or bad laterals in the filter. It has been a while sense I have looked in a Hayward sand filter but parts catalog from them says that is a threaded lateral. #sx240dpak10 I do not think there is suppose to be holes there. Pool sand size #20 silica sand; 0.45-0.55 mm granules. So yes it will find a way to get out. #sx244da I think is the complete set with pipe. Hope it helps

I understand the concern with Bromide and or bromine as I think it has been proven that the gassing off of those chemicals has show to have potential cancer carcinogens in them. Based on articles I have read. But the Salt banned seems a little odd to me. If you are banning salt might as well ban all chlorine in the country. I think somebody in the house of Canada was a little ambitions with there bill. Plus you really shouldn't be using bromide in a pool outside.

If I remember right the temp sensor is tucked in the hot tub shell maybe on the left side. Memory little fuzzy on Arctic been a while. You can check the ohms on the sensor to see if that is the problem. To be honest I have replaced every single board at some point that I have come across from arctic. Are you getting any error codes? When I covert it over to Fahrenheit you are getting 104 degrees or more? When it gets to the temp did you check the water with a separate thermometer? To make sure the water is getting that hot. Also I have seen the temp sensor on the heater under a metal plate.

Yes! Always leave water in your tub. The biggest problem that I see is water mold "Which is actually a fugus" will develop when the stagnant water sits in the spa pipes for extended periods of time. It's hard to get rid of it. Also pumps tend to seize up due to moisture and sitting idle for long periods of time. Most Spas have a rest or a sleep mode. That will automictically set the tub to 20 degrees lower than you have set. You can also lower your filter cycle down as well. If your using chlorine in your tub I would switch to the @ease product just because it will keep chlorine in your tub up to 4 weeks with out you needed to do anything.