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Yellow hot tub ring


Sarah M

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Hi- new hot tub owner here. Can anyone tell me what this substance is along the ring of my tub? We had a MUCH bigger ring problem and I learned my PH was not balanced and we got that mostly cleared out except for this that I can't seem to kick. My test strips tell me different things but generally it appears my PH and alkalinity are ok. My total hardness always appears on one strip to be high and on the other one to be in range. Help! Thanks!

hot tub ring.jpg

hot tub scum.jpg

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This is what I see in my tub when I don't use enough MPS Shock (non chlorine shock), or if the chlorine/bromine level bottoms out even for a short while.

Which brings me to what I've been thinking about lately, is there such thing as "too much" MPS shock? Doesn't seem like there is to me, or I haven't run into it yet.

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13 hours ago, PNW Soaker said:

is there such thing as "too much" MPS shock?

Yes, MPS adds sufates to the water (as does dry acid) which can nessesitate more frequent water changes as they build up. Also, MPS is acidic and will cause TA to drop over time so TA needs to be closely monitored.

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20 hours ago, Sarah M said:

what this substance is along the ring of my tub?

Looks like scum from the bathers. What sanitizer are you using? This is important information that you left out. What are you shocking with?

Get rid of the test strips, they are useless. Get a Taylor K-2006 test kit if you are using chlorine or a Taylor K-2106 if you are using bromine. They are available online from various sources and Amazon and worth every penny. If you think they are too expensive consider how much you paid for your spa  in relation. A good test kit is probably the most important spa necessity you can buy.

21 hours ago, Sarah M said:

My test strips tell me different things but generally it appears my PH and alkalinity are ok. My total hardness always appears on one strip to be high and on the other one to be in range.

This tells us nothing. We need numbers to know what is going on. Also, tell us which strips you are using since there are differences.

As far as the scum line, make sure your sanitizer levels are correct and have people shower before entering the tub. Fun fact, every bather introduces feces, urine, and sweat into the small volume of water in the tub. Fun fact, urine and sweat are almost identical chemically. Fact, only chlorine and bromine have fast kill times against both d enteric pathogens (from feces) and viruses.

You can also get a scumbug or sunsorb (google them). They are oil absorbing 'sponges' that float in the tub and help prevent scum lines. They don't always totally eliminate them but they can reduce them. I would not invest in an enzyme product. While they do work to help reduce scum lines they are very expensive and the combination of making sure your santizer levels are correct and using a scumbut or similar product is just as effective and a lot less expensive in the long run.

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This is all helpful- thanks! I'll get a test kit online. I'm using WaterTrend Sani-Chlor and Spa Shock. On my aqua check strips the TA is 80 and the PH was 7.2 last night and is 8.4 this afternoon. This morning I added a weekly spa refresher, scum destroyer, and some Unique. I do have sponges in the tub. 

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