Hot tubs

Tchetek

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I might just pay someone to look after it for me. Im gonna try the bromine tablets first and change water often.

Its not real fun to do when its cold though
I don’t find it that hard to keep the water good, But if it gets away and goes hazy/foamy once , then she done! Water change or it just seams to eat chemicals.

Do you have the chlorine floater dispenser for the mini pucks? That keeps the chlorine pretty steady for us. Toss in a pinch if the test strip isn’t purple enough.

My ph and alky are always are slowly decreasing so I giver a shot of ph+ whenever the colour on the strip fades a fair bit.

that’s it basically. Our water lasts 6 months pretty easy.

The floater will keep the chlorine steady pretty easy if nobody uses the tub or we go away for a week.

The other item I like is the pre filters for the basket strainer. I change those every couple weeks and toss the old ones. With the pre filters I never clean the real filter. I just toss them when we change the water and buy a new one.
 

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lilduke

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I don’t find it that hard to keep the water good, But if it gets away and goes hazy/foamy once , then she done! Water change or it just seams to eat chemicals.

Do you have the chlorine floater dispenser for the mini pucks? That keeps the chlorine pretty steady for us. Toss in a pinch if the test strip isn’t purple enough.

My ph and alky are always are slowly decreasing so I giver a shot of ph+ whenever the colour on the strip fades a fair bit.

that’s it basically. Our water lasts 6 months pretty easy.

The floater will keep the chlorine steady pretty easy if nobody uses the tub or we go away for a week.

The other item I like is the pre filters for the basket strainer. I change those every couple weeks and toss the old ones. With the pre filters I never clean the real filter. I just toss them when we change the water and buy a new one.


No I don't have the floater or tablets. Just the granules in a jug, and pretty much have to add a tea spoon a day. Works fine unless you miss a couple days lol.
but will get one so I don't have to watch the chlorine every day.


I think my water is phuk'd now, but I'm not changing it when its 20 below. So Ill have to wait a couple weeks looks like and try to keep it from getting too gross in the mean time.
 
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bobsledder

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I love our hot tub. We still use it every day. Had one at my old place in Beaumont. Bought a new beachcomber for my place here. Have been happy with it other than the mice getting into it. For 10k they should make the damned thing completely mouseproof.

For the guys having problems keeping them clean.....do you have an ozonator? The reason I ask is I have one and I'm guessing it is the reason mine is so forgiving. I'm super neglectful with the maintenance and it is fine. If the kids are in it alot it can get pretty gross in a hurry.
I had an ozonator. After doing a crap job of managing PH the pump seals were leaking and we installed a new pump and spa pack when the tub was 10 years old. At the time the tub guy told me to chuck that ozonator in the garbage and change your water frequently. Best advice in my opinion and simplified things. I change water every 3 months regardless of use. Fill, adjust PH and keep bromine dispenser full is all I do.
Prior to this I remember constantly playing water chemist and constantly purchasing PH up, PH down spa shock chemicals.
 

bobsledder

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I don’t find it that hard to keep the water good, But if it gets away and goes hazy/foamy once , then she done! Water change or it just seams to eat chemicals.
I also found that once water gets cloudy and foams just change it or as you say it will eat chemicals without correcting it.
 

lilduke

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When It got foamy last time I sucked out all the foam with a shop vac, as per a you tube hot tub guys advice. It worked, and got the water back clean.

But it was a lot of fkn around
 

Bezzola

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Best thing i did was put my 9 person arctic spa salt tub in a gazebo
 

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Bezzola

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I would like a different cover my wife has a hard time opening this one.
 

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pano-dude

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When It got foamy last time I sucked out all the foam with a shop vac, as per a you tube hot tub guys advice. It worked, and got the water back clean.

But it was a lot of fkn around
You can just add a de foam product too.
 

Chump

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For the most part I use Harmony. Has everything needed in it less the chlorine. Takes some time to figure it out, but once you get it it's easy
 

lilduke

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You can just add a de foam product too.

the de foamer just mixs the crap back in the water. The vacum gets rid of it.

Thats what the hot tub guy said any ways. And makes sense to me.

The foam is a bio film according to this guy. And you want it gone. At least i do. Lol
 

niner

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Lilduke I think your in the red deer area. Get your water tested here. When we first set up our pool they helped us.
 

lilduke

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Lilduke I think your in the red deer area. Get your water tested here. When we first set up our pool they helped us.

Im all over, but the hot tub in question is in Red Deer.

Ill check them out. Thanks


🍻
 

TROLLCAT

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I don’t find it that hard to keep the water good, But if it gets away and goes hazy/foamy once , then she done! Water change or it just seams to eat chemicals.

Do you have the chlorine floater dispenser for the mini pucks? That keeps the chlorine pretty steady for us. Toss in a pinch if the test strip isn’t purple enough.

My ph and alky are always are slowly decreasing so I giver a shot of ph+ whenever the colour on the strip fades a fair bit.

that’s it basically. Our water lasts 6 months pretty easy.

The floater will keep the chlorine steady pretty easy if nobody uses the tub or we go away for a week.

The other item I like is the pre filters for the basket strainer. I change those every couple weeks and toss the old ones. With the pre filters I never clean the real filter. I just toss them when we change the water and buy a new one.
nailed it pretty much doo the same here

can get 2 months easy before water change, no swim suits
 

TROLLCAT

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the de foamer just mixs the crap back in the water. The vacum gets rid of it.

Thats what the hot tub guy said any ways. And makes sense to me.

The foam is a bio film according to this guy. And you want it gone. At least i do. Lol
the foam is laundry soap , make-up , body spray
 

smokinD

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Best thing i did was put my 9 person arctic spa salt tub in a gazebo
I as well bought AS Swcg tub no ozone as those are pointless with a salt cell. Use a pre filter to fill then wait for TA/PH to adjust itself then add my salt req'rd and set up onzen system according to use. I would never use a floater nor launder our suits and everyone pre rinses prior to entering our HT period. I also have a real drop test kit for weekly checks and have been enjoying the best water for 4 months crystal clear and no chemicals. Steep learning curve at first but with pro's/friends that have pools/Ht's in the USA and a friend that has been in business for 30+ years it was a decent learning curve, considering the $$ we put out for ours along with it being covered with a roof/walls. I never took there software bs either and there spa school was a joke to say the least. I went armed and the young fella had to sit down with what i was saying to him as he did not know any of this lol. All i am gonna say is if members on here don't have Swcg they can buy a drape over 1 and they work well, also try and use a prefilter when filling and Always purge your tub first when new prior to use then drain/refill and check water chemistry. When draining/refilling give it a purge as well prior to draining for 30-45 mins then clean it up when empty. I am on a regimen weekly and never have to add chems unless of course wife has her friends over then i just turn up the onzen for 12hrs or so, because 20 min soak by 1 or 2 people will eat up chlorine pretty quick, ie, 1.0-1.5 per person so the system has to rebuild that and that takes time. You can add shocker which will get your FC up there in no time after a party sure, but it is not good to add always as it's hard on swcg. I think some people think it's alot of work but in essence it is not once you get the hang of it. It will only take me 5 mins to check my water and add my regimen for the water and all will be good, i never add and store chems they try and sell ya. A Saltron mini is the way i would go if i did not have a swcg, floaters are not good for arcrylic tubs and to unpredictable and harsh, but i get that some people need some sort of sanitizer, if it were me though i would go to the dichlor/bleach method after establishing a FC/CYA level. Ozone/Swcg on the same HT are counterproductive and will annihilate each other, not to mention ozone will eat up FC in no time. When i showed this explanation to the CEO of AS in Vancouver he was blown away and did not know what to say lol. 👇

Basically chlorine is a powerful oxidizer that undergoes hydrolysis when it dissolves in water and splits up into hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypochlorite anion (OCl-). Ozone (O3) is also a power oxidizer. HOCl and O3 are both about the same oxidation potential but hypochlorite is lower. So ozone attacks the hypochlorite and mostly converts it into chloride ion and oxygen gas (with a small fraction of chlorate ClO3- formed). Because HOCl and OCl- are in equilibrium, the constant destruction of OCl- leads to increased chlorine demand. Peroxide has a similar effect.
 

armascott

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Try changing treatment brands we used to use a more economical priced brand, it worked well when it was just the wife kids and I using the tub a couple times a week. My kids are both early teens now they use the tub lots with a few friends. The freshly laundered suits, make up etc does mess the water up quickly. We switched to a higher end product and it made a huge difference. I do also change the water every 3 months now instead of 4-5
 

smokinD

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Try changing treatment brands we used to use a more economical priced brand, it worked well when it was just the wife kids and I using the tub a couple times a week. My kids are both early teens now they use the tub lots with a few friends. The freshly laundered suits, make up etc does mess the water up quickly. We switched to a higher end product and it made a huge difference. I do also change the water every 3 months now instead of 4-5
The phosphates from laundry soap in suits is not good at all for HT,s neither are shampoo's etc.. as they will mess water up quickly, hence pre rinsing b 4 entering and air drying suits. Woman are especially bad with all the creams/perfumes they wear. Had a woman party here had to crank up the onzen and wait for a day even with pre rinsing as they ate up alot of FC and neede HT to recover.
 

lilduke

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Well ive been scoping foam out for an hour and added 25gallons of fresh water and its almost looking good enough to get in.


Hopefully this holds me over until it warms up a bit.

Then i think ill change the water and try the bromine tablets and dispensor setup.


Thanks for all the advice!
 

smokinD

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Well ive been scoping foam out for an hour and added 25gallons of fresh water and its almost looking good enough to get in.


Hopefully this holds me over until it warms up a bit.

Then i think ill change the water and try the bromine tablets and dispensor setup.


Thanks for all the advice!
Better have a good CYA set up be fore doing bromine.
 
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