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Why am I using so many pucks?


di0nysus

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Thanks right off the top for helping me get to this level of understanding.  This forum has been very useful so far.

I have had a jacuzzi j365 (1666L) for about 9 months now.  So I’ve gone through a few water changes already and feel more comfortable with the chemistry than I did 2 weeks before it arrived.  
 

At this moment my water is at around 

50TA

7.9 ph

6 ppm bromine 

160 calcium

Seems to me I’m fighting ph vs having a decent TA.

I also put in 8-9 tsp of sodium bromide in to establish a base at fill which was a month ago.  
 

But my main issue is I seem to need to have two floaters set at 9 and 6 out of 12 to keep my bromine levels in check. If I take one out it’s bromine is at 2 ppm the next day and zero the following day. This seems to be the case no matter the Chem balance.  I pour some bleach in, maybe a cup once a week for shock or additionally a little less throughout the week if one of the floaters is dissolving faster than I thought and the ppm drops to 2-3.
 

Last fill we used ahh-some which worked great minus the clean up so I’m assuming bio film is not a factor.
 

what am I missing here? Is having 7 pucks visible and dissolving too many? Certainly not cheap. 
 

I thought I should be shocking once a week and the floater(s) should keep bromine around 4 through the week. I check levels either everyday to every two or three.  Depends how busy work is. 
 

Thanks everyone. 
 

John from British Columbia 

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It’s not normal right?  I was reading some other posts and people put a couple in 1 floater.  I go through a whole stack pretty darn quick x2.  I’ve tried a few brands.  Same story.

Would adding more sodium bromide to have a bigger reserve be the right idea?  I’m 100% sure I put in the recommended amount from the label in because I weighted the number tsp on a digital scale and 7.5-8 tsp is what it said to do.  

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When you did do the purge before the water change did you remove the filter(s) from the filter well and compartment?  You mention that the purge released lot’s of gunk.  Was this a brand new tub 9 months ago.  Was this tub purged for the very first time?  If so, you may still have colonization of Biofilms in the plumbing.  I would consider another purge to make sure the plumbing has been scrubbed.  There are hot tubs that may need 2 or even 3 successive purges.  

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Yes, I removed the filters and let them float around during the purge, then I sprayed each perforation of the filter with water on both and then soaked them for a few hours in some filter cleaner.  It was a brand new tub that was 9 months old. I was so impressed with ahh-some but alas it was a long day of cleaning so I only did the purge once.  I will do it again for sure the next time I drain the tub.  Possibly twice.  Here's a pic of the purge.

IMG_9523.jpeg

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The purge image looks good.  Quite a bit of build-up was released.  You need to purge again.  To prevent experiencing a lengthy wipe down and clean up remember to wipe the sticky gooey stuff as it begins to accumulate on the shell at the waterline.  A wet towel works great.

Some people fill the tub almost to the brim and purge.  Much of the foam and released Biofilms simply run over the ledge and down the side of the tub to the deck or ground.  Use a garden hose to spray the shell and your wiping duties will be greatly reduced.  Here is a YouTube video with my Son Jim purging his own hot tub.

 

 

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Based on what you are saying regarding the rapid “decay rate” of sanitizer, I do think that an additional purge will be in your best interest.  When you ask, it that all, it is very important that your fresh water fill is balanced and set up to accommodate the appropriate sanitizer you plan on using.  
Yes, a submersible pump is handy to achieve a more rapid water drain after the purge.  If you spray the shell as it drains you will also be rewarded with not having the released bio-gunk stick to the shell. 

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3 hours ago, Cusser said:

Too-fast dissolution would come from too-hot water and/or too much agitation.

Too-fast degradation of available bromine is a water chemistry issue: contamination.

The rate of dissolution of the tabs is controlled by adjusting the floater more open or closed. It is not a chemical issue but is strictly an issue of floater adjustment. The floater is adjusted to maintain the bromine level in the desired range. This automatically compensates for the maintained water temperature and the normal turbulence of the water (combination of jet properties, aeration, and pump run time.)

However, the OP has a sanitizer demand issue.

The OP stated :

On 11/9/2021 at 12:59 PM, di0nysus said:

 

But my main issue is I seem to need to have two floaters set at 9 and 6 out of 12 to keep my bromine levels in check. If I take one out it’s bromine is at 2 ppm the next day and zero the following day.

This indicates that there is a high sanitizer demand in his tub and is most likely related to biofilm in the plumbing or other contamination

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Are you indicating that an additional purge was just performed in addition to the first one?  You don’t need to purge monthly.  That would be a waste of resources and your time.  We want you inside the hot tub enjoying what it can do for you and not slaving on maintenance.  Typically, hot tubs 350-500 gallons should be purged every 6 months.  hot tubs that are in the 200-300 gallon range should be purged every 4-5 months.  Everything is predicated on the number of users, frequency of visits, water temperature, sanitization levels and acceptable water balance.   Your first indicator to get you thinking about a purge are two fold.  Foaming and sanitizer decay rates.  There are other obvious tell tale signs such as water clarity, smell and feel.  We refer to a successful purge as a plumbing colonoscopy.  You need to do this or you will not enjoy the maintenance aspects.  You will and can also get sick.  So, use your noggin and purge periodically.  The benefits are huge and you’ll save on sanitizer as well. 

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