2 months and my water when south????

[rphman]

I have my Caldera Moorea for just over 2 months now. The 1st month and a half my water was great, no problems being a spa newbie. I use Diclor about 1 and a 1/2 tsp and toss in 1 tbs of mps after each use. The spa is used probably 5 times a week. I do shock with mps once a week and add clarifier and oil eater once a week. 2 weeks ago i noticed my ta was high (135) and my ph was alittle low (6. so I added some spa down and got it to around 90. then I added ph up as my ph was still 6.8. THis resulted in my ta raising to 125 and ph 7.2 so I leave it there. the next couple of days I'm back at ta 130 and ph 6.8. I do the previous procedure and get in check, Use the tub friday (great as it's in the 20s here, Central NY). I forgot to add dichlor sat night went to do a soak and the water is cloudy ta is sky high as is ph, so needless to say I'm dumping the water as I type. I was going to dump it at the end of this week so hopefully it would last until at least the end of march.

Any ideas why my TA went crazy after 2 months?? I'm hoping to learn from this to get this new fill through the winter. I did shock it with Diclor last night and added clarifier but it was still cloudy so I dumped it today hoping I can get a soak tonight!!

[Spatech_tuo]

I have my Caldera Moorea for just over 2 months now. The 1st month and a half my water was great, no problems being a spa newbie. I use Diclor about 1 and a 1/2 tsp and toss in 1 tbs of mps after each use. The spa is used probably 5 times a week. I do shock with mps once a week and add clarifier and oil eater once a week.

You say you use dichlor but don't mention frequency but then say you add MPS per use (which is never effective IMO) so I think I know what you're doing and it never wroks as well unless you are an occasional soaker. The key is to add dichlor after each use (1 generous teaspoon per person when exiting) and then shock once per week with MPS. If you do this I think you'll get the results you're looking for.

If it continues PM me as I'm always willing to help out a Central NYer, being an ex-Utica man myself.

[96SC]

Whenever I have multiple 'situations' I will go to http://www.taylortechnologies.com/pool-spa.asp.  It will let me enter what my readings are and give suggestions.  Watch the amount of water the chart calls for, you'll have to enter an amount that you can easily adjust to your spas amount (the minimum the chart calls for is 1000 gallons, since my spa is 400 gallons I enter 1200 gallons and reduce their suggestions by 2/3.  If they suggest one cup I put in 1/3 cup.)

Hope this helps.  Also, I don't believe TA of 135 is very high.

[rphman]

You say you use dichlor but don't mention frequency but then say you add MPS per use (which is never effective IMO) so I think I know what you're doing and it never wroks as well unless you are an occasional soaker. The key is to add dichlor after each use (1 generous teaspoon per person when exiting) and then shock once per week with MPS. If you do this I think you'll get the results you're looking for.

If it continues PM me as I'm always willing to help out a Central NYer, being an ex-Utica man myself.

Hey, I'm a South Utica boy now living in "The Mills" (New York Mills)! I add dichlor (1 1/2 tsp) daily and add 1 tbs of MPS after each soak as per my dealer. IIf I plan on soaking I put both in a vial and toss in in when I get out with the clean cycle running.

[Spatech_tuo]

Hey, I'm a South Utica boy now living in "The Mills" (New York Mills)! I add dichlor (1 1/2 tsp) daily and add 1 tbs of MPS after each soak as per my dealer. IIf I plan on soaking I put both in a vial and toss in in when I get out with the clean cycle running.

What you're doing should give you better results than you are seeing but its still not the best way IMO. You're better off adding the dichlor after use, not earlier in the day. The dichlor is needed most just after your use and dissipates quickly so by adding it as you exit you're spiking the spa with chlorine just when its needed most. I'd save the MPS for the weekly shock.

Hmm, I'm a Spartan and most of my family is still in New Hartford (and Whitesboro) so maybe I'll send them over for an intervention!

[AstaLaVista]

I always thought that you could not use your MPS and Dichlor on the same day? ( Per my dealer ) one deletes the other is the way it was explained to me???

[tinybubbles]

I'm not sure that your dealer is right.  I add mps once per week and I also add dichlor after my daily soak on that same day.  MPS is an oxidizer and will help get rid of chloramines.  Worst case scenario, you would be wasting a teaspoon of dichlor.  I'd rather do that instead of soaking without adding a sanitizer.  As far as adding dichlor and mps after each soak, seems to me you are raising your TDS fast.  That would certainly account for the cloudy water.  Spatech probably has more experience with this then I do, but adding clarifier is just binding all those TDS together to try and help your filter trap them.  I had alot of people tell me that had alot of water problems when using clarifiers, so I've stayed away from them.  I've heard that they aren't good to use when you have an ozonator either.  Both are methods of binding things and don't interact well.

[D.P. Roberts]

When my water goes south, I just add a few tbsp of "North Up". It works like a charm.

[Vinny]

There is Chas' law which is to dump the water after a month if a newbie.

I used to get only 1 1/2 months out of the water for almost a year - I used too much stuff IMO. Water would get cloudy, foam and unmanageable. Dump and refill is the best solution for unmanageable water problems.

[rphman]

What you're doing should give you better results than you are seeing but its still not the best way IMO. You're better off adding the dichlor after use, not earlier in the day. The dichlor is needed most just after your use and dissipates quickly so by adding it as you exit you're spiking the spa with chlorine just when its needed most. I'd save the MPS for the weekly shock.

Hmm, I'm a Spartan and most of my family is still in New Hartford (and Whitesboro) so maybe I'll send them over for an intervention!

A Spartan!! I was a Titan!! Don't need an intervention as boy was the new water nice last night!! They could always come over for cocktails though!!  THis fill I'm going to go with the dichlor after each soak or daily if not used and mps shock weekly. Thanks for your help!