White Chips, Thin Film, Strong Smell

[TubOguts]

Greetings Spa People:

My 2010 Hot Springs Solana SX worked great for more than a year. Not so much as a ring would form around the edges and the water was always fresh, hot and bubbly. There is a corona dis. ozonator. The N/2 stick was replaced in early December of 2011 when the water was replaced. I regularly use the MPS shock and the chlorine from the dealership and the chemical levels when tested at home and at the dealer were always right on the money.

In early Feb. the water got slightly cloudy and thicker and got a strong, sort of cat pee smell to it. I attacked with chemicals and the water cleared up but the smell never went away and the water stayed thicker. Less "lively", for lack of a better description. The water was replaced again in early Feb. and while it stayed quite clear, it got thick and smelled bad again and made a pale yellow ring in about a day. Then, I noticed tiny, paint-chip-like pieces floating in the fliter compartment along with a thin, swirling film on the surface. This same film would coat the surface of any large bubbles in the tub. When I rubbed the paint chips between my fingers they would dissolve and leave no trace. All the while, the chem levels tested where they are supposed to be, like always. I also ran a pint of white vinegar through the ozonator, which sucked up the vinegar w/out any trouble.

The dealer came out, confirmed my chem tests, saw the white chips and gave me a bottle of "Spa Purge". The ozonator was also tested and showed to be working. I ran that purge stuff through there for about 20 hours, drained and refilled with a new filter and the same N/2 stick. So, the chips and are back but only sometimes, the water is clear but sluggish and the bad smell seems to rise and retreat. I shortened the filter cycles to reduce the amount of time the ozonator runs and interestingly, the smell is not as bad, for now. I have the strange notion that the ozonator is polluting my tub. Is that possible? Also, adding chlorine seems to aggravate the smell. Any ideas? Thanks so much as I am losing my faith in my once wonderful, reliable, easy to care for tub.

[Dr. Spa]

"chem levels tested where they are supposed to be" tells us ABSOLUTELY nothing!

You need to list what all these levels are and how you're testing them.

ALSO, list ALL the chemicals you're using, not the brand but the actual ingredients, how much and how often.

So far, you might as well be asking, "my car wont start, what's wrong?"

[Spa God]

Your description tells me allot... This is classic symptoms of white mold.

When you first open the cover there will be little or no white chips, then turn on the system and run it for a few minutes and the chips return right?

It is relatively harmless and a very common mold but it is very tricky to get rid of.

now this is overkill but it gets rid of it, other methods are hit and miss...

You need to use Aquafinesse spa clean pucks, they cause things to let go of surfaces and prevent adhesion to surfaces.

To clean your spa…

Make sure your diverter is set half way between the two sides and the waterfalls and water features, and all venturis are open.

Put two of these spa clean tablets in the spa (one will do but because this has been in the tub so long use two to be sure)… follow the instructions for the tablet running the spa for two full days (do not use the spa) but add this step… at the end of the first day open the drain in the side of the spa and run it for 20 seconds then close it again…

Now Hyper chlorinate the water to around 10 ppm (roughly 7 chlorine tablets) and again at the end of the first day open the drain in the side of the spa and run it fr 20 seconds then close it again. run it for another 24-48 hours. Drain your spa… (the water will be highly chlorinated so dispose of it responsibly) throw your old filter out and put your new one in.

Take a mixture of 1 cup of bleach to a half a bucket of water and wipe down the spa, remove the pillows and clean these and the shell thoroughly. Clean in around the jets and fittings with an old tooth brush and the bleach solution. clean the cover and everything you can get at.

Refill the spa and hyper-chlorinate the water again (lots of people will tell you this step is excessive but i have seen it come back if you skip this step), do not use the spa until the chlorine level drops to below 5 ppm.

[TubOguts]

Greetings and thank you for your friendly and useful replies.

Spa God, you got it right on the money. The chips only popped up after running the jets.

Not long after typing my original post, I went back down and sniffed and looked. Oddly, the smell was normal, the water peppy and bubbling and the chips no where to be found. Not a single one. No ring either. Got right in! I knew the water was back to normal when the fresh, tiny bubbles gathered on my skin. Like sitting in a giant, heated mineral water. With the jets really going I can smell traces of the Spa Purge. Like laundry detergent. In fact, my tub suit came out very clean!

The filter will be pulled, double soaked and scrubbed today. I'm gonna get the Aquafinesse tablets. I'll turn the water over again soon to get the Purge out and when I do that I'll run the pills to make sure all is cool.

Thanks for good help from a very helpful site, which by the way, looks great and works very well. I was really astonished and pleased by the truly eye-popping changes and managable searches and links.

[njmurvin]

So, I'm a bit confused. You put the Spa Purge in and ran for 20 hours, then drained an refilled. FIrst, you say you still had the chips (only after running the jets). Then, you say that "not long" after writing the first post, all was well (no smell, no chips, no ring). Did you do anything more than the Spa Purge, water change and new filter?

The reason I'm curious is that I have a similar issue (the chips only). Mine doesn't smell or have a ring. But, I'd like to address this before it gets any worse.

Also, if your spa is "back to normal", why are you going to get the Aquafinesse tablets and drain/fill again? And, didn't you get rid of the Purge when you originally drained the spa?

Sorry for the questions, but I need to do something and I want to make sure I get the steps right.

Spa God, I have a feeling I'll be going through your procedure soon ...

[TubOguts]

Greetings njmurvin:

Thank you for your interest in my previous post. I thought I lucked out and got rid of the problem. The thick water and smell are back. No chips or ring, yet. I'm gonna look over the different ideas for sterilizing tubs that are on this site. Mr. Nitro has a good one in here somewhere. My tub is going on dialysis and chemo-therapy!

Looking back over the forum I can see mold/biofilm has been bugging you for a while.

For those who are intetrested, once I choose a cleaning method, I'll post updates.

[njmurvin]

Yeah. I seem to be growing black mold on the inside of my cover. I've washed it with bleach three times and it keeps coming back. I had a Sundance spa for over 20 years and never had mold on the cover and I'm much better about managing the chemistry on this tub than the previous one. I bought a spa blanket. Hopefully that will help with the mold growth.

I don't think white water mold is related, but who knows? I didn't notice the white chips until I did a water change about a month ago. First I saw something suspended in the water with the light on ... then I noticed stuff floating. I have a tiny bit of foam and the chips but no slime and no smell. I think I'm going to go through Nitro's decontaminatin process in the chemistry forum (spa flush and hyperchlorination) and see if that helps. I'm also going to do my best to get all the water out of the spa this time on the water change.

[TubOguts]

No offense Spa God but Nitro's decontamination looks good. It requires that I only run the jets for a couple of hours instead of as much as several days. Also, I can get bleach and peroxide at the store. I don't mind putting in the time and the work but I don't want to keep spending more money to decon the tub. The current filter is not even a week old ($30) so that will be bleached instead of replaced. The bottle of Spa Purge was $17. Since I just purged the spa and there are no chunks or chips, so far, I might just skip the purge and go right to the topping off and bleaching, followed by Nitro's scrub down and the final diclor shock in step 11. Any comments from the resident forum experts about this plan are certainly encouraged.

Good luck with your tub Mr. njmurvin. Thanks a lot Mr. Nitro.

[RyanMZ]

Just to throw in my two cents;

It's important to remember that just because your water looks clear, and smells fine, is not indicitave of whether or not your water is clean. I'm sure you got that when you had that brief clean spell TubOguts!

As to the filter, I'm not so sure about re-using it; after all, part of the reason you replaced the last one was due to this very problem. It would just be unfortunate to go through all this effort to sanitize and clean your spa, only to have the mold reintroduced through that filter.

Regardless, best of luck to you with your tub and the clean!

[Spa God]

No offence at all mate!

Nitro's decontamination might be a great solution but i cant say first hand.

There are likely lots of great solutions from the old hands and young bucks alike.

I had so many issues over the years and found this to work 100% of the time because it is so, so... overkill... But white mold is a bitch and frankly sometimes your first loss is your best loss :-)

Best of luck,

[TubOguts]

Thanks all for responses to previous post.

Found a big 'ol honkin' jug-o-clorox in the garage and got a quart of peroxide for 89 cents at the store. Then, bit the bullet and bought another bottle of Spa Purge and yet another new filter. Tomorrow: shock and awe for the tub.

Does anybody know how to paste pictures to these posts?

[TubOguts]

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Completed the first parts of Nitro's decon process today: The Chemical Warfare is on!

After Spa Purging with the enzyme for two days, draining, refilling, bleaching with jets on and draining again, the side panel was removed for a peak at the gizzards. What I originally thought were opaque, white colored tubes turned out, in fact, to be tubes so caked with white goop that they only appeared white, instead of clear. I know this now because there are some small spots in some of the tubes that have actually cleared up. It was like looking at Paula Deen's arteries. Or Jimmy Dean's colon. The brand new filter installed before bleaching turned a dingy, plaque yellow after being in there for only an hour. Then, when I checked the mail box, there was hate mail from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

The tub is empty now and the shell is as clean as it was when new. The last step is to fill, superchlorinate and monitor for chlorine changes. I don't want to fill it again. The goop is in the tubes, waiting to leech back into the once pristine tub. I might just sit in the dry shell and enjoy the cleanliness.

Notes:

-The bleach process did not fade the plastic parts in the tub, or make them look worn.

-After using 32 oz. of bleach in 300 gals. of water, 32 ozs. of hydrogen peroxide really did knock the chlorine back down to zero.

-Inkberry hedge bushes are one tough shrub.

-So far: 2 filters = $60. 2 bottles of Spa Purge = $35. Messed up N/2 stick = $40. Look on my nasty, nosey negihbor's face when she found my

hose draining in her roses: Priceless!

My question for the forum is this: should I try something stronger to get the goop out? Maybe Spa God's Aquafinnese pucks? White vinegar?

Thanks all.