Hot tub won’t hold chlorine

[NKSwick]

We have a Healthy Living Master Spa 7.5 and no matter what I seem to do, within one day the Ph will be low and it won’t register any chlorine. I’ve been focused on it daily now for nearly a week.

[Cusser]

Adjust the pH into range first. 

[RDspaguy]

Post complete set of readings and method of testing. List chemicals used and maintenance routine. 

Does your spa have ozone or uv?

Does it use smartchlor or frog@ease?

[NKSwick]

1 hour ago, RDspaguy said:

Post complete set of readings and method of testing. List chemicals used and maintenance routine. 

Does your spa have ozone or uv?

Does it use smartchlor or frog@ease?

Using AquaChek strips, my readings are primarily between 6.8-7.2 pH, 0-0.5ppm Free Chlorine, 240ppm Alkalinity and 300ppm Stabilizer. I was struggling with cloudy water and low chlorine. My routine was 2-3 scoops of Spa56 Chlorinating Granules per week with 2 capfuls of Spa Up, and 2 capfuls of Renew after each use. I cleaned the filter, got the pH up to the 7.2 range and added extra chlorinating granules, which made the water clear. However I've been adding Spa Up (2 or 3 capfuls) each day, followed by 2-3 scoops of chlorinating granules, but by the next morning the pH is back to low (6.8) and the chlorine reads between 0-0.5ppm.

I'm not familiar with ozone or uv. Just last night we added the frog spa @ease sanitizing system based on some recommendations. Our tub is the HL Master Spa 7.5, which holds 325 gallons of water. We set the frog to 2 and as of this morning, as usual, it registered 6.8 pH and 0-0.5ppm chlorine. I'm not sure what else to do, but I've been treating it daily with this routine to try to improve the readings, hoping it will eventually hold the pH and chlorine. 

[RDspaguy]

1 hour ago, NKSwick said:

Using AquaChek strips

Stips are notoriously unreliable. Get a test kit. I like Taylor.

1 hour ago, NKSwick said:

 between 6.8-7.2 pH

Acidic water. You are destroying your spa. That is a huge range as well. Please give us specific readings.

 

1 hour ago, NKSwick said:

, 0-0.5ppm Free Chlorine,

And total chlorine?

1 hour ago, NKSwick said:

My routine was 2-3 scoops of Spa56 Chlorinating Granules per week with 2 capfuls of Spa Up, and 2 capfuls of Renew after each use.

Read the sticky thread on dichlor/bleach method in tge chemistry section. Learn about cya (cyanuric acid, stabilizer). I do not recommend mps (monpersulfate, non-chlorine shock).

1 hour ago, NKSwick said:

I'm not familiar with ozone or uv.

If it's new it probably has ozone. Ozone will deplete chlorine and eliminate the need to shock.

1 hour ago, NKSwick said:

However I've been adding Spa Up (2 or 3 capfuls) each day, followed by 2-3 scoops of chlorinating granules, but by the next morning the pH is back to low (6.8) and the chlorine reads between 0-0.5ppm.

Yikes! Excessive dichlor (chlorinating granules) and mps will both lower ph and bleach out your test strip. Get a good test kit.

1 hour ago, NKSwick said:

we added the frog spa @ease sanitizing system

This gives low fc and and high tc readings. It's fairly new, and so far I am not a fan because of the testing difficulties.

My advice is to do some reading in the chemistry section and get a good understanding of how it all works. And find out if you have ozone or uv. It seems you are creating your own issues through a lack of knowledge.

 

[NKSwick]

17 hours ago, RDspaguy said:

Stips are notoriously unreliable. Get a test kit. I like Taylor.

Acidic water. You are destroying your spa. That is a huge range as well. Please give us specific readings.

 

And total chlorine?

Read the sticky thread on dichlor/bleach method in tge chemistry section. Learn about cya (cyanuric acid, stabilizer). I do not recommend mps (monpersulfate, non-chlorine shock).

If it's new it probably has ozone. Ozone will deplete chlorine and eliminate the need to shock.

Yikes! Excessive dichlor (chlorinating granules) and mps will both lower ph and bleach out your test strip. Get a good test kit.

This gives low fc and and high tc readings. It's fairly new, and so far I am not a fan because of the testing difficulties.

My advice is to do some reading in the chemistry section and get a good understanding of how it all works. And find out if you have ozone or uv. It seems you are creating your own issues through a lack of knowledge.

 

I obviously have a lot to learn about. I'll be reading up to learn more from the chemistry section this weekend and ordered new test strips. I currently don't have any way of reading the Total Chlorine but will soon. I've followed basic instructions from the store where we bought our spa, but that is obviously not working.

[RDspaguy]

2 hours ago, NKSwick said:

ordered new test strips.

 

20 hours ago, RDspaguy said:

Stips are notoriously unreliable. Get a test kit. I like Taylor.

 

2 hours ago, NKSwick said:

currently don't have any way of reading the Total Chlorine

That reading will tell us if your fc is being depleted by organic contaminants, ozone/uv, or if your test is bleaching out from too much chlorine and mps (my suspicion).