DaveR Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Any ideas on the source of the odor? Tub sat for about a year. HS Grandee. We did a decontamination before filling - spaflush, chlorine soak etc.. Filters were replaced with Tri-X filters before final fill after decontamination. Chemistry checks out and a SPA service confirms our numbers (we are using bromine), water is clear and feels fine. Odor was there even after a couple of months, doesn't get any worse and water is still clear. We are going to do another decontamination when we drain and refill due to a seal leak on one of the pumps. Could it be high metal content? Last time we filled with city water and did not use soft water. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Spa Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 "Chemistry checks out"..."Tests are good", is useless information for anyone to try and help you. POST ACTUAL NUMBERS AND METHOD OF TESTING The smell is probably from the cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveR Posted April 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 "Chemistry checks out"..."Tests are good", is useless information for anyone to try and help you. POST ACTUAL NUMBERS AND METHOD OF TESTING The smell is probably from the cover. The cover is new but I wondered if it could be the cover. My bad I knew after I posted someone would ask. Test method(s) we have both the Taylor 2106 kit and a Lamotte ColorQ 7 I also kept my Octa-Slide I run the tub all jets on about 5 minutes before testing my targets TA between 90 and 125 - I always adjust first PH 7.4 to 7.8 Calcium 150-350 - I don't test this very often TB 6 Adjust based on what numbers are out of whack run tub for 15-20 minutes retest After heavy use I shock and hit the timer but don't test until we use again. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 what kind of oder, Mildew? fishy? Did you also replace the filter and pillows? new cover should not smell bad, should smell like new plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterbear Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 My bad I knew after I posted someone would ask. Test method(s) we have both the Taylor 2106 kit and a Lamotte ColorQ 7 I also kept my Octa-Slide I run the tub all jets on about 5 minutes before testing my targets TA between 90 and 125 - I always adjust first PH 7.4 to 7.8 Calcium 150-350 - I don't test this very often TB 6 Adjust based on what numbers are out of whack run tub for 15-20 minutes retest After heavy use I shock and hit the timer but don't test until we use again. Thanks. What are your current test results? What did you test with? The range of test results you gave is not really useful. You stated that they are you targets, not acutal test results. How often have you been out of the target range and on which tests? Test your water with the 2106 and post the results please. How often do you shock the tub and when you do does the tub run uncovered with all aeration going afterward for at least 30 minutes?\ What are you using to oxidize (shock), chlorine, MPS, ozone, combination? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endorfin Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 Hey Waterbear, related question - what exactly happens if you don't aerate for 30 minutes after adding MPS? I know the aeration will increase PH but else is going on? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 Hey Waterbear, related question - what exactly happens if you don't aerate for 30 minutes after adding MPS? I know the aeration will increase PH but else is going on? Thanks. it does not get a chance to gas off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveR Posted April 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 My bad I knew after I posted someone would ask. Test method(s) we have both the Taylor 2106 kit and a Lamotte ColorQ 7 I also kept my Octa-Slide I run the tub all jets on about 5 minutes before testing my targets TA between 90 and 125 - I always adjust first PH 7.4 to 7.8 Calcium 150-350 - I don't test this very often TB 6 Adjust based on what numbers are out of whack run tub for 15-20 minutes retest After heavy use I shock and hit the timer but don't test until we use again. Thanks. What are your current test results? What did you test with? The range of test results you gave is not really useful. You stated that they are you targets, not acutal test results. How often have you been out of the target range and on which tests? Test your water with the 2106 and post the results please. How often do you shock the tub and when you do does the tub run uncovered with all aeration going afterward for at least 30 minutes?\ What are you using to oxidize (shock), chlorine, MPS, ozone, combination? Thanks in advance I am draining and repairing the seal and will follow the decontamination procedure and start from scratch. Given our schedules it might be a couple of weeks before we are up and running again. My sniffer isn't that great it smells metalic to me to my wife its like mildew. Not out of range that often and usually just barely. I tried to keep it in the middle of the range I gave. Last readings before drain were TA 100 PH 7.6 didn't take calcium reading the time before it was 200 Bromine 4ppm We use MPS - during the winter I shut the cover right after adding MPS still ran it for 30 min though - possible issue? tub temp 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endorfin Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 Hey Waterbear, related question - what exactly happens if you don't aerate for 30 minutes after adding MPS? I know the aeration will increase PH but else is going on? Thanks. it does not get a chance to gas off. I was looking for a more technical explanation. I assume the chemical reaction that oxidizes the combined chlorine still occurs, or is it that this cannot happen without the aeration? And if it doesn't happen without aeration, will the applied MPS be activated at a later time when aeration is applied or is it a "use it or lose it" kind of scenario. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem geek Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 The chemical reactions (oxidation) still occurs, but the products of those reactions remain in the water and in the air between the water and the cover. Some of these products are volatile and smell so if you don't keep the spa uncovered and aerate they will accumulate. This is usually more of a problem when doing chlorine oxidation of ammonia and urea from sweat and urine because one can get an accumulation of very smelly and volatile nitrogen trichloride. This doesn't happen with bromine, though you can get bromamines though those are usually handled chemically by sufficient shocking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveR Posted April 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 what kind of oder, Mildew? fishy? Did you also replace the filter and pillows? new cover should not smell bad, should smell like new plastic. Pillows were replaced last fall as well as the filters - Tri-X. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 well, it could be high metal, which has a strange smell that is hard to describe. mildew should be gone, and if your bromine readings are staying steady, not going to 0, i am going to guess it is. You could try another decontamination when you drain, turn jets on and off several times. Ahh, another thought. you said you are addressing a leak. a leak under the cabinet will make the foam and any wood framing wet and smell like mildew, and if it has been wet before, it may have mildew in the foam ect. The tub draws air from under the cabinet for ozone and the jets, thus it could be drawing in mildew smells from there also. Check under there, see if it smells. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.