Ca dreamin Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 Hi. First, thanks to the experts on this forum. You've been WAY more helpful than those at National Pools where I purchased 2 spas. I have a Marquis Spirit, 2 person, 170 gallon still under warrantee. l live in a wooded damp area and have been battling white mold (confirmed by photos I have seen here but cant find now) for about 9 months. I followed the Decontamination procedure outlined by Nitro and event did the superchlorination 2x. Still the white mold came back. I used Swirl Away for the flush and in reading today, maybe I should try Ahhsome? I am also wondering if I didn't run the jets enough to get the gunk out of the pipes. Right now I am wiping the mold off the edges of the tub with a bleach solution. Water is clear and balanced. Before I do another decontamination routine, I am wanted to see if you have any other suggestions. Feeling desperate. Before this tub had a Sundance for 18 years, no problems. I am not a chemist but know more about ph then I had ever hoped. Thanks for any help you may offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 Helpful to post some photos of what you are looking at. Ahh-Some over Swirl Away any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted August 16, 2020 Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 I can't say that I've run into a white mold precisely. Is it like slimy flakes of gunk floating around? It seems more than coincidence that you didn't have this issue with your other spa. Does your new spa have ozone, uv, spa frog, or anything? What are your chemical readings and routine from fresh fill? Is your routine different than with the Sundance? How long before it appears after a fill? What are you testing with? If it is what I think, I would purge with Ahh-Some, maybe more than once, and get a mineral purifier to use with your dichlor/bleach. @waterbear, @dlleno, care to weigh in? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ca dreamin Posted August 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2020 @CanadianSpaTech Here is a photo. White and sticky. I can get more photos if needed. @RDspaguy Has ozone. No UV. Don't know what spa frog is, don't have it. I don't remember chemical readings from fresh fill. I use Insta Test strips by La Motte and keep it balanced. Sometimes have low pH. Use Diamond products, pH up and baking soda for alkaline.. Use Diamond Shock about once a month. No problems with Sundance. Same routine but used Shock only 4x year with refills. Thanks for your help. Going to get ready for another decon using Ahh-Some. Will look into mineral purifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 It's a small body of water so build up problems like this will happen quicker. Hit it with the Ahh-Some and run it for an hour on high speed with the air injectors off. Drain and clean. How often are you cleaning the filters? Are they paper pleated filters? I would be using Shock more often than what you have stated. New spas are often tested over and over with the same water and they can also sit for long periods prior to delivery (the good o'l days) with remnants of that water in the plumbing 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 3 hours ago, CanadianSpaTech said: would be using Shock more often than what you have stated. With a good ozone system you don't really need to shock that much. The ozone provides oxidation, just add enough sanitizer after each use to handle the contaminant level and shock if things get murky or there is any odor. Or you get THAT stuff floating around in your spa! 😉 If you are doing everything the same as with the Sundance, including ozone, then there must be another cause. I agree with @CanadianSpaTech, it could be nasties in the pipes. Do multiple purges until they no longer produce any gunk (yes, that's a technical term). Not sure quite what that is, but it isn't what I expected. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castletonia Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 Make sure that you are turning the diverter handles. Marquis uses a 3-way diverter and also make sure to have all jets open and the water fall open when decontaminating. I would chlorinate the crap out of the hot tub and make sure that the high chlorine level is there for at least 3 days then I would purge, drain, and refill. Toss the old filter. There may be dead white molt that is left behind that needs to be filtered out too, just an FYI. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ca dreamin Posted August 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 OK @canadianspa tech, @castletonia and @RDspaguy and @CanadianSpaTech We use paper pleated filters. Filters cleaned when we change the water, every 6 months. What do you recommend for a sanitizer? Not sure if you recommend products but a friend swears by; https://www.natureshottubtreatment.com. Any experience with this system? This tub was a floor model and when we saw it, there was no water in it but very possible it came with the gunk! I ordered the Ahh-Some. I have to wait for it and then find a time when I can focus on the purge. I will write out my protocol exactly and let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 Chlorine. Enzymes are not sanitizers, the ad even says you use with chlorine. I have never been a big fan of enzyme, but don't really have anything bad to say about it. It has been used to break down oily buildup (scumline) forever. I feel that if you reach the point that you need enzymes you should just change your water. As far as enzymes being "natures way of cleaning water", that's hilarious. Go drink some pond water then tell me how the enzymes made it clean, and your stomach pain and bloody stool must be from something else. I use enzymes in my septic tank, but wouldn't go swimming in it. Natures way is distillation by evaporation and carbonic and organic filtration. And all of the pathogens we are worried about in our spas come from nature, just like the enzymes. Use whatever you like, but use chlorine too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 4 hours ago, Ca dreamin said: Filters cleaned when we change the water, every 6 months. Clean filters every 2 weeks at most IMO...Cleaner you keep the filters the cleaner the water. Change water 3 months at most especially a small spa like you have. Chlorine or bromine, Spa Shock, ph up, ph down, alky up, alky down and a stain and scale remover. test strips....and go. I have a flip tub I am getting ready for sale the previous owner only cleaned the filters every 6 mths (if that) and I am on the 4th round of Ahh-some. Shts like paste glue. Not even sure if the spa is going to make it to resale because of it. I can get it nice and shiny on the inside but fill and warm it up and run it for a day and it scum rings the spa again and again. Sad because it's mint in every other way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratchett Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 5 hours ago, Ca dreamin said: Filters cleaned when we change the water, every 6 months. Holy heck, I think we found our problem batman! Throw that nasty filter out and buy a new one. I can't imagine how many AhhSome purges it'll take to get your tub clean again, uuggh. Seriously though, never go more than two weeks without a filter cleaning unless specified by your dealer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ca dreamin Posted August 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 On 8/16/2020 at 11:53 PM, RDspaguy said: With a good ozone system you don't really need to shock that much. The ozone provides oxidation, just add enough sanitizer after each use to handle the contaminant level and shock if things get murky or there is any odor. Or you get THAT stuff floating around in your spa! 😉 If you are doing everything the same as with the Sundance, including ozone, then there must be another cause. I agree with @CanadianSpaTech, it could be nasties in the pipes. Do multiple purges until they no longer produce any gunk (yes, that's a technical term). Not sure quite what that is, but it isn't what I expected. how so I know if my ozone is good enough? using bromine for sanitizer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ca dreamin Posted August 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 On 8/17/2020 at 1:40 PM, CanadianSpaTech said: Clean filters every 2 weeks at most IMO...Cleaner you keep the filters the cleaner the water. Change water 3 months at most especially a small spa like you have. Chlorine or bromine, Spa Shock, ph up, ph down, alky up, alky down and a stain and scale remover. test strips....and go. I have a flip tub I am getting ready for sale the previous owner only cleaned the filters every 6 mths (if that) and I am on the 4th round of Ahh-some. Shts like paste glue. Not even sure if the spa is going to make it to resale because of it. I can get it nice and shiny on the inside but fill and warm it up and run it for a day and it scum rings the spa again and again. Sad because it's mint in every other way. OK. Do you have a filter cleaner and stain and scale remover that you like? Should I repeat the Ahh-some if the gunk keeps coming out? Getting ready for the BIG day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ca dreamin Posted August 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2020 On 8/17/2020 at 8:03 AM, castletonia said: Make sure that you are turning the diverter handles. Marquis uses a 3-way diverter and also make sure to have all jets open and the water fall open when decontaminating. I would chlorinate the crap out of the hot tub and make sure that the high chlorine level is there for at least 3 days then I would purge, drain, and refill. Toss the old filter. There may be dead white molt that is left behind that needs to be filtered out too, just an FYI. @castletonia 3 days? Won't this ruin the seals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castletonia Posted August 24, 2020 Report Share Posted August 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Ca dreamin said: @castletonia 3 days? Won't this ruin the seals? Nope. If 3 days high chlorine ruined seals every hot tub ever made would probably have been ruined by now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted September 11, 2020 Report Share Posted September 11, 2020 On 8/21/2020 at 5:00 PM, Ca dreamin said: how so I know if my ozone is good enough? Depends on the ozone generator. Some you can see the light (blue or purple) coming from it, others you can't. Post a pic of the ozonator and I can give you a better idea. On 8/21/2020 at 5:06 PM, Ca dreamin said: Should I repeat the Ahh-some if the gunk keeps coming out? Yes. Purge repeatedly until no more gunk comes out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted August 25, 2021 Report Share Posted August 25, 2021 My favorite quote, attributed to Samuel L Clemens, aka Mark Twain, though some say otherwise... "It is better to remain silent and appear stupid than to speak and remove all doubt." I'm sure there is a way to apply that to text as well... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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