steve r Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Some good advice on page 2, hahaha. Ok, I am gonna try and adjust from what Chris wrote since my tub is smaller and see where it goes from there. I have not used the Baqua lately and the cough has not been there, although I may be using a bit too much cholrine. I will cut it back. Everything the past few days have been within the ok range on the strips except for the sanitizer for some reason is way out of range and giving me the hardest time at this point. I cleaned the filter today, added some water and will tweak it a bit at the time to see what happens. I did install an exhaust fan which may have helped on the odor also but I didn't get the Taylor test get yet. I know how aggravating it is to try to teach folks something that you understand very well and they don't. Thanks for being patient and hopefully I will get there soon because it is really relaxing to kick back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve r Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 i know you all gonna close this thread, but i really gotta do something. everything today tested normal except sanitizer as always. my wife got in all was fine. turned the jets on and after about 5 mins it was cough, cough, and no, i wasnt in it. it happened to me yesterday too after the last reply. i am gonna drain the water out sometimes the next few days and start fresh. if you turn the jets on you can see the gases escaping on the water. i have been on a couple other tubs that i never saw that. i am at a lost but to get a swimming pool since its getting warm outside but dont think we would enjoy as much. anyway, will let ya know results in a few days and i wont add anything to the water without some good advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 i know you all gonna close this thread, but i really gotta do something. everything today tested normal except sanitizer as always. my wife got in all was fine. turned the jets on and after about 5 mins it was cough, cough, and no, i wasnt in it. it happened to me yesterday too after the last reply. i am gonna drain the water out sometimes the next few days and start fresh. if you turn the jets on you can see the gases escaping on the water. i have been on a couple other tubs that i never saw that. i am at a lost but to get a swimming pool since its getting warm outside but dont think we would enjoy as much. anyway, will let ya know results in a few days and i wont add anything to the water without some good advice. As I am reading back I noticed you said you have not put in Baqa latley, just chlorine....are you mixing baqa and chlorine? This a no-no!! if this is the case, this is where you are getting bad gasses. You can not mix Baqa with chlorine or bromine at all. It makes a BAD chemical soup!! Maybe I read things wrong but I thought I would check. Even if you had a Baqa tub and were switching over to chlorine, the tub should have been dumped, refilled and filters super cleaned to do so. Baqa does not play well with other chemicals! I hope I misunderstood.... Also, this could be your issue with not being able to read the strips. If you have Baqa strips they will not read sanitizer level correctly if you are using chlorine and visa versa...if you have chlorine strips they will not read the right sanitizer level for Baqa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyBubbles Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 Wow! Good eye hillbilly. I think you solved his problem. Never mix those chemicals. I think it's time for a drain and refill. Pick one sanitizer and then work with that. Thanks to hillbilly you should be well on your way to enjoying your spa in a healthy way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve r Posted March 13, 2008 Report Share Posted March 13, 2008 Well Hillbilly, thats what I did cause I listened to a friend that said just wait a few days before switching over to chlorine. I guess now the big question is what do I go with. Back with the Baqa and try it again or chlorine. I know all you folks have got your favorites as far as chemicals go but I am open for suggestions. That for the tip about the strips too and that makes since they are not reading correctly. The tub is draining as I am typing this and I will clean the filter good too and add a bit of water when it gets to the end to help flush it out. This thing is getting too much of a challenge, and enjoyable to give up on. I hope with a bit more help from you folks that all will be good and maybe I can share what I learn. Thanks Again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted March 13, 2008 Report Share Posted March 13, 2008 Well Hillbilly, thats what I did cause I listened to a friend that said just wait a few days before switching over to chlorine. I guess now the big question is what do I go with. Back with the Baqa and try it again or chlorine. I know all you folks have got your favorites as far as chemicals go but I am open for suggestions. That for the tip about the strips too and that makes since they are not reading correctly. The tub is draining as I am typing this and I will clean the filter good too and add a bit of water when it gets to the end to help flush it out. This thing is getting too much of a challenge, and enjoyable to give up on. I hope with a bit more help from you folks that all will be good and maybe I can share what I learn. Thanks Again. My personal and professional thoughts are to stay away from Baqa. There are too many issues with it if you read past posts and from my customers. I would go with chlorine (with or without Nature 2) or Bromine. Bromine is the simplest system to do, although if you use the bromine tablets that are mixed with chlorine (most are) it has a bit of a different smell. I have found that a pure Bromine system (we use the brand name Brilliance, I am not sure of other brand names of this type of system) does not have the smell. Chlorine works well but is more labor intensive. Thank god you did not have a medical emergency from mixing the 2 chemicals, it could have done some major damage to your lungs/skin! The other things you should keep an eye on, although you did not have this "soup" in the tub too long, check your pump seals to make sure they are not leaking. Bad water chemistry can damage these easily. If you see and drips coming from the pump address them so it does not "fry" your pump. Clean your filter SUPER good. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve r Posted March 13, 2008 Report Share Posted March 13, 2008 Ty HB, the only thing i do not understand is why the sanitizer level would be different from 1 strip to another. I just tested the levels afer refiillng the spa and all are within range even though i havent installed the filter nor any chemical which tells me my water from here must be ok. I dont know what kind of chemical they use but i would bet it aint baqa. Even the sanitizer level is in the middle range which i haven,t had in a few weeks. I got a new spa now so somebody tell me how to maintain it and it would very much be appreciated. I did check for leaks and all seems to be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Ty HB, the only thing i do not understand is why the sanitizer level would be different from 1 strip to another. I just tested the levels afer refiillng the spa and all are within range even though i havent installed the filter nor any chemical which tells me my water from here must be ok. I dont know what kind of chemical they use but i would bet it aint baqa. Even the sanitizer level is in the middle range which i haven,t had in a few weeks. I got a new spa now so somebody tell me how to maintain it and it would very much be appreciated. I did check for leaks and all seems to be fine. Which kind of test strip are you using to test for sanitizer level, Baqa? Chlorine? It should say on the bottle. Each kind of strip tests for different sanitizers, so one will not read correctly for another. If you are getting a sanitizer reading on the test strip and have not added any, it is from what was left in the tub. When you drain the tub it can leave 20 gallons of water left in the lines (this is why when people do not drain them properly in the winter they have broken tubs in the Spring) and has mixed in with the fresh water. The problem you have is what kind of sanitizer it is since you used 2 different ones. Decide which sanitizer you are going to use and then there are several people here that will help you get your tub right. It is not that bad once you get an understanding of the sanitizing system you are going to use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve r Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 I have Baqua Strips, bromine free, chlorine free with 4 tests --sanitizer, hardness, alkalinity, and ph. Other is Aquacheck test for bromine, ph, alkalinity. Both type of strips read the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve r Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 By the way, it is a Leisurebay P1 if it makes a difference on what kind of chemicals I use with the pump. I have read a lot of good and bad about this also. The dealer here does test water for free but it is a 30 mile round trip to get it done but I can if I need to. I would rather not use the baqua if it is gonna contuine to make us cough using these products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve r Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 nevermind on all the stuff on last post, i read back up and saw what folks was using, gonna get some and see where goes from there. guess i am gonna try the dupont stuff at lowes with the tablets, get a bit of it all. thanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve r Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Just an update to my last post. I guess it took Hillybilly to scare the wazoo out of me about mixing chemicals. I took the wrong advice from a friend. After draing, refilling, I added Spa Time because it was all that Lowes had at the time. The water has been perfect since and maintaing it has been so easy. No coughing, no irritating eyes. Cant ask for no better. We are really enjoying. Thanks you folks for all your input. Happy Spaing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Just an update to my last post. I guess it took Hillybilly to scare the wazoo out of me about mixing chemicals. I took the wrong advice from a friend. After draing, refilling, I added Spa Time because it was all that Lowes had at the time. The water has been perfect since and maintaing it has been so easy. No coughing, no irritating eyes. Cant ask for no better. We are really enjoying. Thanks you folks for all your input. Happy Spaing. Glad to hear, make sure you follow the directions on the bottle. Spa Time is a braand, read the chemical ingredients on the bottle and use the proper test strip for that chemical. Good luck...no more soups! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake the dog man Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 I'm glad it's working out Steve. I was gonna suggest going to your dealer to start, then going with what you felt was easier. Going with a product that is easily available to you & easy to use is always best. I think strips will be fine for you too. If you have problems, then refer to your dealer. I'm a big believer in keeping it simple. I got a hottub to relax, not become a professional or a chemist. The water maintenance will become 2nd nature in a month or two. Good Luck! BTW- For the record, I am a chlorine guy from way back, rarely needed anything more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi_outdoors1 Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 I am in my first 4 months of use - brand new user. My advice is to start simple, use test strips. Use chlorine or bromine as you see fit. You all the rest of your life to obsess over chemistry, if you ever get the urge. DO pay attention to using the"enzyme" product to get the body oils from forming a scum line. It ain't rocket science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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