treasurespast Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I am fairly new at this spa chemical thing. My spa has had it's first water in it for about 6 or 7 weeks now. At first, the water was clean and clear. Now I notice when the spa is running, the water looks cloudy. When I look at the still water in bright sunlight, it looks like there are hundreds of tiny white specks floating on top, as well as oily swirls. I use AquaChek test strips and everything tests OK. My filter is clean - it runs to clean for two hours a day. Mine is a very small spa - only about 150 gallons. I have used Renew shock treatment several times, but it doesn't seem to help. Should I just empty and start over? But what did I do wrong, and how do I make sure this doesn't happen again? Thanks for any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 I am fairly new at this spa chemical thing. My spa has had it's first water in it for about 6 or 7 weeks now. At first, the water was clean and clear. Now I notice when the spa is running, the water looks cloudy. When I look at the still water in bright sunlight, it looks like there are hundreds of tiny white specks floating on top, as well as oily swirls. I use AquaChek test strips and everything tests OK. My filter is clean - it runs to clean for two hours a day. Mine is a very small spa - only about 150 gallons. I have used Renew shock treatment several times, but it doesn't seem to help. Should I just empty and start over? But what did I do wrong, and how do I make sure this doesn't happen again? Thanks for any help. The oil you see is because it is a new spa. Oil comes off the plastics. Most people dump the tub after the first month because of this. It is hard to remove the oils. As far as the white you are seeing, it is probabley small unfilterable particles. The filter will only pick up to 10 microns. Anything smaller will pass through the filter. Being this is a small tub, they will add up quickly. I would suggest using a water clarifier. This will collect the small particles together, making them large enough for the filter to trap. After the water clears up, pull your filter out and rinse it out really well. Remember, each person that uses the tub for a 20 minute session sweats a pint, plus if you use swimsuits it will add contaniments along with deaderent, shampoo ect. Being that it is only 150 gallons, depending on use, you may have to change water every couple of months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treasurespast Posted May 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Hillbilly, where can I buy the clarifier on line? I looked on eBay but only saw pool water clarifier, and I assume this is not the same to use on spas. I'm sure my spa dealer has it, but I can't get there anytime soon, since their hours are the same as my work hours. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplarsen Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 You can get it here http://www.rhtubs.com/ But honestly, I'd just dump and refill. I've been avoiding the clarifiers as they'll clog up the filter a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 You can get it here http://www.rhtubs.com/ But honestly, I'd just dump and refill. I've been avoiding the clarifiers as they'll clog up the filter a bit. If you get the all natural clarifiers such as Sea Klear, they do not clog your filters at all. They actually help make filter cleaning easier. You have to get the right clarifer, thats all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whoneedsavacation Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 You can get it here http://www.rhtubs.com/ But honestly, I'd just dump and refill. I've been avoiding the clarifiers as they'll clog up the filter a bit. If you get the all natural clarifiers such as Sea Klear, they do not clog your filters at all. They actually help make filter cleaning easier. A clarifier is supposed to make the particles large enough to get caught in the filter, so by definition, enough of them will "clog" the filter... that's it's job, to catch particles! Either way, it needs to be rinsed frequently and cleaned with a solvent/detergent periodically. I believe spa and pool clarifiers are the same formulation. This isn't true for most chemicals, but I think the flocuulants work fine in the warmer water. A floating gunk catcher like a ScumBall or Dirty Duck might help with the oily residue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 A clarifier is supposed to make the particles large enough to get caught in the filter, so by definition, enough of them will "clog" the filter... that's it's job, to catch particles! Either way, it needs to be rinsed frequently and cleaned with a solvent/detergent periodically. I should have been more specific, if you do not rinse/clean your filters even the natural clarifiers will eventually clog them. Some clarifiers out there cause a nasty sticky goo on the filter after the first use. The are actually made with an oil based product which is why this happens. The natural clarifiers do not cause this nasty goo that is like vasoline. The filters rinse off very easy. In 8 years of using Sea Klear, I have never had a complaint from anyone about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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