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Purging new Sundance Optima with Ahh-some is NEVER ending


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I’m looking for hope and guidance.  We got a new spa, having never owned one before, and had trouble keeping the water clean from the start.  Within two days of a fresh fill and one time sitting in it it started to get cloudy then smelled like a pond.  Through out the next month we tried everything we learned about, but nothing helped for very long.  Special shocks, different levels of sanitizer, mineral sticks, enzymes, clarifies, etc.  So after three refills in a month we learned about biofilm, ahh-some and started purging the water. 

We have performed 8 full flushes, 3 including an overnight soak after the president of ahh-some recommended it.  After recommendations from here and elsewhere we have done half doses hours after the initial full dose and then flush it.  We have done regular agitation of running the jets 4 or 5 times throughout the day ......cleaning the disgusting yellow/green scum EVERYTIME thoroughly and skimming the foam afterwards because so much scum is within it.  

It does not feel like it’s getting better.  After one of the runs it turned more green, so we thought we were on our way.....but no.  The next refilled had lots of yellow too.  It seems the half doses are more green then the initial runs.  

Am I doing something wrong?  Will this end?  I can’t imagine using this thing until it comes clean, but it seems like that isn’t happening.  

 

We have very very soft water here, so I’m not sure if that matters.  I’m not balancing the water before hand because the president of ahh-some said I didn’t need to.  

I have been heating it to 90 or 95 after testing cold water, that seemed like it got less out.  However the president said that was unnecessary.  

I’m using chlorine in every new fill, but maybe not enough?  I’m not actually testing the level, should that matter?

It takes SO much work to drain it completely and clean it completely to just have to keep doing it.  And having a toddler to watch at home makes it very hard to do all this work, especially now that it’s dark so late in the morning and early at night.  

Any advice would be appreciated.  This is such a nightmare.  

I have tons of photos, but I can’t imagine it’s helpful.  Just evidence for when we address this with Sundance legally.  

PLEASE HELP!

Thank you for any advice!

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Updates:  I have read the entire decon thread, but I’m looking for any advice on what I could be doing wrong or how to make these purges more efficient since I'm on #9 today.  

I tested the FC this morning and it was 8ppm, so I bumped it up to 10ppm.  

I just got a pump last night to help make the draining go faster.  Currently it takes about 4 hours and 15 min to drain each time, so the pump should help make that part go faster.  

Thanks again for any advice!!  

 

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  • 2 months later...

I wish I had advice for you, but I am dealing with an extremely similar challenge with my new Sundance, only I haven't gone down the decon route yet. My brand new Sundance Edison behaved almost identically to your Optima - foul water within days of a new fill and then a nightmare cycle over the last few months. I haven't taken the decon/ahhhsome route yet, but am thinking it might be the only recourse. One reason I've persevered is that this is a replacement tub, and I had no trouble keeping my Sundance Hartford balanced and clean (this was supposed to be a close replacement, but it's been nothing like my other tub.) We use our tub very little, so it's not bather load that is the challenge. The trouble seems to have started at the initial fill, so like you, I think I'm going to have to start from scratch - although your experience makes me question whether even this will be effective! We even had our dealer come out for 4 weeks of maintenance, and while they managed to get/keep the tub relatively clear, with so little use this still didn't seem normal. I'm sorry I don't have any help to offer, but I certainly can commiserate - and wonder if there wasn't some warehouse somewhere with a few "dirty" tubs...

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  • 2 weeks later...

I can offer some perspective here.   First of all you are not alone.   Many spas (including mine)  are delivered from the factory contaminated with biofilms.   Its a problem that most mfgs and dealers choose to ignore:  that wet testing at the factory,  followed by storage and transportation delays can and does produce biofilm contamination. (Queue forehead slap).  I learned this the hard way but understand it clearly now.

Secondly you are using the right purge product.   I have tested on the order of 10 such products (since 2013) , and dumped thousands of gallons of water into my back yard and the results clearly show that nothing comes close in effectiveness 

Now i will take the liberty to post this and edit, to add additional information , as my phone produces unreliable behavior 

Third.  I implore you to adopt the saying , "s/he persisted "  .  This process takes PATIENCE.   This is because serious contamination problems are not solved by even several purges.  I have personally coached folks through as many as 15 purge cycles,  so believe me you are only getting started.   

Biofilms are nasty and smart littke  buggers.  They adapt and regenerate quickly and come back with VENGENCE.  

Here are some hints 

1.  Always dose with at least 20ppm  chlorine with straight bleach along with ahh-some.  Instead of simply attenuating biofilms (like a traditional decon) ahh-some breaks them up and releases them.   While ahh-some itself has been EPA tested to kill biofilms we know that the mfg also recommends a kill dose of chlorine .  This shows that they understand biofilms 

2.  Follow Dory's advice ("keep swimming...") and purge again and again

3.  Lengthen the soak time and jets on time

4.  You mentioned soft water.   By itself this isnt a problem but it could challenge you in the amount foam produced by the ahh-some.  Instead of adding calcium to each fill you can treat with an anti foam product.   In my experiments and for situations like yours i suggest doubling the ahh-some dose and controling foam with your favorite "foam down " type product.  

5.  Bring pH into reason before adding ahh-some and chlorine.   High pH destroys chlorine effectiveness .  Bleach is net pH "high"  so keep that in mind as well.  Other than this there is no real reason to balance your water prior to dosing

There is also no major benefit to warming the water. It helps a little but its not worth the cost in time and electricity

6.  Purge again.   Purge again.  Then again!   Don't give up until you have a ahh-some dosed spa producing no new release 

7.  Did i mention this takes patience?

8.  Keep your filters out and throw them away.   If you have triX or ceramic (expensive) filters then we can talk later .  They can be saved.  🙂

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