Ozone

[tubbin]

I own an Arctic Spa and historically have had few problems maintaining crystal clear water for at least 2 months with 1x weekly use. After the two month mark, it's more work, but I usually can keep the water fairly polished up until the 3 month scheduled change.

Lately I can't get a month out of my water. It's a struggle to keep that 'haze' out of the water. Nothing has changed. Chemistry, hardness, chemicals, & use is the same. I have even been maintaining a slightly higher than average Bromine level.

Has my Ozonator packed it in? Do those things really do anything???

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 Filter may need cleaning??  Doubt its an ozone problem.

[TubsAndCues]

Jim's suggestion is likely the case and the filter is where I'd start first.  

It is possible though that if you have a UV ozonator, the bulb may be shot.

Also, how are you testing?  Do you have well or city water, hard water or soft?  There can be a number of reasons why you are fighting it, but more info will help us trouble shoot for you.

[tony]

Sometimes I get a haze where the water is clear but not crystal clear.  In these situations I add 2 oz of LeisureTime's clarifier and filter.  By the next morning I get perfect water.

[TubsAndCues]

One word of warning about clarifiers, though.  This is a product where a little is great but a lot can be bad.  

Clarifiers change the polarity of the particles suspended in the water causing them to attract each other and clump up in larger chunks if you will.  If you over dose, the opposit occurs and the particles will repel each other causing cloudy water to become cloudier or stay cloudy longer than had you not added any.

[tony]

One word of warning about clarifiers, though.  This is a product where a little is great but a lot can be bad.  

Clarifiers change the polarity of the particles suspended in the water causing them to attract each other and clump up in larger chunks if you will.  If you over dose, the opposit occurs and the particles will repel each other causing cloudy water to become cloudier or stay cloudy longer than had you not added any.

Absolutely.  I only use a clarifier as a last resort and usually only when hazy and not cloudy (persistant haze that won't go away with sanitizer and filtering).  In five plus years I have used slightly more than one 32 oz bottle.

[TubsAndCues]

Absolutely.  I only use a clarifier as a last resort and usually only when hazy and not cloudy (persistant haze that won't go away with sanitizer and filtering).  In five plus years I have used slightly more than one 32 oz bottle.

That's what I like to hear, not over doing it with the chems.  Don't get me wrong, I sell a lot of chems to my customers, but I never want them spending money without reason.

One other product you might try instead of a clarifier (and I like it better myself) is an enzyme.  There a bunch of them out there, but the one I sell is called Natural Spa Enzyme by SpaGuard.  Rather than clump all the little particles together so your filter can grab them easier, it breaks them down.  End result: clear water, less crap in your filter, improved filtration.

Check it out if you haven't tried it.  It does run a bit more, but I think it's worth it.

[tony]

That's what I like to hear, not over doing it with the chems.  Don't get me wrong, I sell a lot of chems to my customers, but I never want them spending money without reason.

One other product you might try instead of a clarifier (and I like it better myself) is an enzyme.  There a bunch of them out there, but the one I sell is called Natural Spa Enzyme by SpaGuard.  Rather than clump all the little particles together so your filter can grab them easier, it breaks them down.  End result: clear water, less crap in your filter, improved filtration.

Check it out if you haven't tried it.  It does run a bit more, but I think it's worth it.

I agree.  I like using the enzyme products.  They'll never hurt your water, keep your filters and water free of oils and soaps and your water will smell "fresher".

[Honorable]

I own an Arctic Spa and historically have had few problems maintaining crystal clear water for at least 2 months with 1x weekly use. After the two month mark, it's more work, but I usually can keep the water fairly polished up until the 3 month scheduled change.

Lately I can't get a month out of my water. It's a struggle to keep that 'haze' out of the water. Nothing has changed. Chemistry, hardness, chemicals, & use is the same. I have even been maintaining a slightly higher than average Bromine level.

Has my Ozonator packed it in? Do those things really do anything???

If you Shocking once a week, maintaining your chemical balance, and sanitizer levels, my first guess would be your TDS levels are too high. 

Personally, I would be interested in whether you have well water, softened water, or  treated city water.  It's highly probable (with softened water) that your TDS's (Total Dissolved Solids) are extremely high to begin with.  As your water gets closer to saturation, it becomes more difficult to balance properly and can develope a haze that cannot be chemically treated and filtration won't help as well.  

If you have been using treated well water in the past, there may have been a recent event that changed your ground water chemistry to include higher TDS's.  Similarly, if you recently changed the water softening salts - you could have higher then normal TDS's when you filled your tub.

If the previous suggestions have not been helpful, I suggest testing your water for TDS lvls.  Generally if it's above 1500, you could see a haziness to the water from the dissolved solids.  Test your source water as well, to see what those levels are as well.  

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Typically air is pulled through an ozonator. The ozonator converts part of that air into ozone. If the ozonator isn't working, air will still be pulled through it, and bubble out into the spa, but none of that air will have been converted to ozone.

How old is your ozonator, and is it UV or CD?

[TubsAndCues]

If your ozonator is still generating bubbles, it's likely still working fine.  

Not true.  The only thing the bubbles prove is that your check valve is open.

Ozone generators, both UV or CD can burn out and the bubbles will still keep coming.

[Honorable]

Not true.  The only thing the bubbles prove is that your check valve is open.

Ozone generators, both UV or CD can burn out and the bubbles will still keep coming.

thanks for the catch.. edited previous post.  

I was thinking more on the line of TDS's then the Ozonator.   In my mind, whether it's working or not, it shouldn't cause the water to become hazy.  If the water is balanced, sanitized, and shocked properly, the only things I know of that cause cloudy water is poor filtration (suspended solids) and high TDS's.  Though I'm sure there are more...

[tubbin]

My corona ozone is about 3 years old, and I fill with very hard municipal water....which gets me thinking...

Two things have changed. The last few times I have refilled the tub, I've used 50% hard water & 50% softened water instead of 100% hard water, and I have also changed from 1 Micron disposable filters to the regular pleated filters which I have been switching out every 1.5 (or so) months.

I also like the feel of hard water better, is it hard of the heater to run hard water (very hard water - 150ppm hardness)?

I going to dump the water and stay with hard water.

[Honorable]

My corona ozone is about 3 years old, and I fill with very hard municipal water....which gets me thinking...

Two things have changed. The last few times I have refilled the tub, I've used 50% hard water & 50% softened water instead of 100% hard water, and I have also changed from 1 Micron disposable filters to the regular pleated filters which I have been switching out every 1.5 (or so) months.

I also like the feel of hard water better, is it hard of the heater to run hard water (very hard water - 150ppm hardness)?

I going to dump the water and stay with hard water.

I'm thinking when you put 1/2 softened water & 1/2 hard water, that softened water is bringing your TDS's up.  With the High TDS's, you will reach saturation much faster and have a difficult time keeping it crystal clear.  

As for 150ppm hardness, that's fine..  just make sure you use some scale inhibitor per your manufacturer's specifications.  Usually, once a week.