nitrous Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Hi guys, I need some help fast as my tub keeps losing chlorine lately and I don't know why..... Tub is approx 4 months old, we did the first water change about 2 months ago and another change about 2 weeks ago. Everything seemed fine until about a week ago we had some ppl over that must of had soapy shorts and we had a bit of foam. I shocked it a couple times and added some Polysheen (clumps smaller particles into larger one's to help trap in filter and clear water) and Renew (enzyme toeat up organics in water) After this the water seemed to clear up nice and foam was down. Let me add that I also cleaned the filter in chemical cleaner over night (filter brite I think) when the last water change was done two weeks ago. I gave filter rinse and put back. I have not cleaned or rinsed the filter since I have added polysheen and renew. Now my problem is my tub keeps losing chlorine, I just use the floater with tablets and have it set around #4. I had to shock a couple times last week with minimal use because chlorine almost falling to zero on test strips. Just tested the water today and here is what I got with strips, I did shock with spa lite about 2-3 days ago: (I have a Rainbow drop test kit I just purchased and will use it when I figure it out soon) Chlorine 0 to 1 PH 7.4 Alk 80 (I will be increasing this today also) Calcium hardness is around 300 I believe Hopefully someone can shed some light for me Thanks !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitro Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Hi guys, I need some help fast as my tub keeps losing chlorine lately and I don't know why..... Tub is approx 4 months old, we did the first water change about 2 months ago and another change about 2 weeks ago. Everything seemed fine until about a week ago we had some ppl over that must of had soapy shorts and we had a bit of foam. I shocked it a couple times and added some Polysheen (clumps smaller particles into larger one's to help trap in filter and clear water) and Renew (enzyme toeat up organics in water) After this the water seemed to clear up nice and foam was down. Let me add that I also cleaned the filter in chemical cleaner over night (filter brite I think) when the last water change was done two weeks ago. I gave filter rinse and put back. I have not cleaned or rinsed the filter since I have added polysheen and renew. Now my problem is my tub keeps losing chlorine, I just use the floater with tablets and have it set around #4. I had to shock a couple times last week with minimal use because chlorine almost falling to zero on test strips. Just tested the water today and here is what I got with strips, I did shock with spa lite about 2-3 days ago: (I have a Rainbow drop test kit I just purchased and will use it when I figure it out soon) Chlorine 0 to 1 PH 7.4 Alk 80 (I will be increasing this today also) Calcium hardness is around 300 I believe Hopefully someone can shed some light for me Thanks !! First, you should NOT be using a floater with tablets. That is Trichlor and not recommend for hot tubs. It's too acidic and will desolve too fast. Read my top link below for the correct way to use Chlorine. Second, do NOT raise your TA. Your pH is fine now. If you raise TA, your pH will rise too high. Again read the top link below for more info on Water Balance. Lastly, you have high Chlorine Demand (CD). You need to shock until you get it back down. Read the link below about CD for more info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitrous Posted November 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 Nitro your just the man I was hoping to respond. After reading many posts you have valuable info and I appreciate it. I have read your other sanitizing method and honestly I am afraid to use it but I think I just don't understand it completely and have to read more into it. So you figure I should shock more ? Iam using spa lite in the pouches for shocking is this okay for now? It's just weird because it was fine before and not using so much chlorine and we just changed water too. I will read your info on chlorine demand and go from there. Thanks again ! This tub is as bad as taking care of a child...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem geek Posted November 14, 2009 Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 If you've been using Dichlor or Trichlor as your source of chlorine, then your Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level could be high and that makes the chlorine less effective so could be more slowly trying to oxidize all the waste from your bathers. If shocking with unstabilized chlorine (bleach is the easiest) doesn't get your chlorine demand in line, then you may need to change the water again and strongly consider Nitro's Dichlor-then-bleach method -- unless you don't mind changing the water every 2-3 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitrous Posted November 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 Chem geek you suggest shocking with bleach to get demand down is this ok to use right now since I have been using the chlorine tabs and spa lite for shocking? Also if I switch to nitro suggested method does this have to be done with fresh fill or will my water be ok. I was just thinking of shocking with spa lite to get my demand down as suggested and then studying nitro method more and possibly switching soon Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem geek Posted November 14, 2009 Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 SpaGuard Spa Lite is mostly Dichlor along with some non-chlorine shock. It will increase the CYA level. I would use bleach to shock right now so that you don't increase the CYA anymore. It will still take a while to get the chlorine demand under control because your CYA level is probably already pretty high. Using Spa Lite would only make that worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitrous Posted November 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 so how much bleach do you recommend? It's a 1500 litre tub. When I shocked yesterday to bring tub to 10 ppm this was around 4pm and today at 11am it was down to around 6-7 ppm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcw53 Posted November 14, 2009 Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 You can use The Pool Calculator to determine the amount of bleach needed to achieve a specific ppm of free chlorine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitro Posted November 14, 2009 Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 Switch to using only bleach now. You want to shock to 10-20 ppm FC depending on your CYA level. i.e. w/ CYA=20 raise FC to 10. /w CYA=40, raise FC to 20. Your water is only 2 weeks old so, your CYA shouldn't be that high (~50 or less). Though without measuring it's hard to tell for sure. I suggest getting a drop test kit anyway, then you can measure CYA precisely. Keep adding Chlorine (bleach) until CD is 50% or less. You can also add (1-2 oz) MPS (aka non-chlorine shock) to give it an extra kick oxidizing waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitrous Posted November 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 I'm not questioning your sanitization method but why do all the dealers push the tablets? I'm scared to use the bleach method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcw53 Posted November 14, 2009 Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 I'm not questioning your sanitization method but why do all the dealers push the tablets? I'm scared to use the bleach method. Ignorance. This is supported by the fact that you're on your 3rd fill after only 4 months using your dealer's methods. Personally, I'd stop listening to your dealer and start listening to Nitro and chem geek and many others on this forum who have benefited from their expertise. Both know more about spa water chemistry than any dealer I've ever met. Their only motivation is to help you and I to have a trouble-free and safe spa experience. I switched to Nitro's dichlor-then-bleach method 4 months ago and am still on the original fill. I was a little hesitant myself, but now regard my decision to use the dichlor-then-bleach method as brilliant. Go for it, you will be very pleased with how well it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quantumchromodynamics Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 why do all the dealers push the tablets? $$$$$$$$$$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxemily Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 why do all the dealers push the tablets? $$$$$$$$$$ Exactly! There is little margin in a gallon of bleach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OttawaGreg Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Chem geek you suggest shocking with bleach to get demand down is this ok to use right now since I have been using the chlorine tabs and spa lite for shocking? Also if I switch to nitro suggested method does this have to be done with fresh fill or will my water be ok. I was just thinking of shocking with spa lite to get my demand down as suggested and then studying nitro method more and possibly switching soon Thanks Just before doing my last refill because the water went to hell quickly (2-3 months) I did a test for two weeks using bleach. I too was skeptical. Look at the ingredients of the sanitizers you've been using then grab a bottle of Clorox bleach and read it. There are various forms of hypochlorite and bleach is simply that, minus all the CYA. Next best recommendation I got was to get a drop test kit. Get one, otherwise you are guessing. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bart6453 Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 I'm not questioning your sanitization method but why do all the dealers push the tablets? I'm scared to use the bleach method. Ignorance. This is supported by the fact that you're on your 3rd fill after only 4 months using your dealer's methods. Personally, I'd stop listening to your dealer and start listening to Nitro and chem geek and many others on this forum who have benefited from their expertise. Both know more about spa water chemistry than any dealer I've ever met. Their only motivation is to help you and I to have a trouble-free and safe spa experience. I switched to Nitro's dichlor-then-bleach method 4 months ago and am still on the original fill. I was a little hesitant myself, but now regard my decision to use the dichlor-then-bleach method as brilliant. Go for it, you will be very pleased with how well it works. +1 just dumped my water after 6 months on the nitro/chem geek program......it still seemed fine but winter is approaching in Minnesota so I thought 6 months was long enough. If I didnt have to worry about climate I would have kept going until my water was hard to balance or Chlorine demand was out of control. It works...it's simple...did I mention that it works? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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