Drain/refill

[Chad]

Ivie,

You need to stop all this crazy talk about selling your spa. Your water is perfectly fine. Put the Taylor down and enjoy the spa. Don't test anything for a few days. And remember, when you do measure the pH and alk make sure your FC is less than one or zero and that there isn't any mps present either. This will ensure the most accurate readings.

Don't be discouraged. This was only your first refill. It gets ALOT easier.

[searchinginfl]

I'm not really going to sell, but I'm starting to see why people do. I certainly do not use it as much as I thought, I use it more like a little pool for my family.

 I did not test again with the Taylor today. It was rainy and I have a sick toddler. I quickly took a peek at the water though....still not crystal clear like it was before I drained it. I dropped in a strip quick....no free chlorine, so I added about another 1 1/2 tsp. (I had already added 3 tbls!) I haven't checked again, but am I doing the right thing? According to the strip, all other levels look good, but how else do I make my water clear again? I haven't used the tub since the refill, and honestly, I don't think I'm willing to go in that water the way it looks.

Tomorrow I plan to wash the filter again, re-test with the taylor, and if all levels are OK, put in the new Nat2. If the water still looks not perfect, I may drain about a third and add fresh again. Any input?

[Chad]

 Keep in mind that it doesn't take long for the water to cloud with no chlorine present.
If after you add a TBS of dichlor and run pumps for ten minutes, it's still not clear an hour later-

 Add an ounce or so of some clarifier, run pumps again, and then rinse the filters. If that still doesn't work, add a shock dose of mps.

[tony]

Keep in mind that it doesn't take long for the water to cloud with no chlorine present.
If after you add a TBS of dichlor and run pumps for ten minutes, it's still not clear an hour later-

 Add an ounce or so of some clarifier, run pumps again, and then rinse the filters. If that still doesn't work, add a shock dose of mps.

If your pH is still 7.9 and TA at 90, you should add another tablespoon of dry acid (pH/TA down) and it should put you right where your levels should be.  Don't be concerned if your TA gets a little below normal...for your water it will help keep the pH down.

Cloudy water is caused by lack of sanitizer most of the time.  It looks like you have added a shock dose of chlorine which is the right thing to do.  This would initially get your free chlorine level to the 10+ range.  Cloudy water will eat that FC up, so daily you should bring your FC up to the 3-5 range.  It will disappear, but thats OK as long as you reach that level once per day.  Filter, filter, filter to clear water.  It may take a couple of days.  When your water clears and it see a haze and it is just not getting that crystal clear look, then use a clarifier.  I don't use mps to fix water.  I like to use just chlorine for problems.  Chlorine will fix your water.  When clear, go back to your routine...chlorine after soaks up to 3 ppm.  Shock weekly with either mps or chlorine.  At this point in your ownership, add doses on off days.  As you get more used to the chemistry, you can experiment to see how long you can go without adding chlorine with your N2 cartridge.

As was stated above, we have all been through this learning curve.  

[searchinginfl]

The thing is, the water didn't GET cloudy, it never got clear from filling. Also, I must have put too much alk increaser in, because that is when it got high. So then I put the alk down. Am I overtreating now? Should I dump some? I have put a lot of chlorine in, is it safe to add more? I still have not used it since filling.

[tony]

The thing is, the water didn't GET cloudy, it never got clear from filling. Also, I must have put too much alk increaser in, because that is when it got high. So then I put the alk down. Am I overtreating now? Should I dump some? I have put a lot of chlorine in, is it safe to add more? I still have not used it since filling.

OK, so what you are saying is that your fill water was clear but when you added alk increaser, your water became cloudy, correct?

This does make sense.  High pH will draw the calcium out of the water.  You are fortunate that is stayed suspended and did not attach to the spa shell and equipment in the form of a grit.  The key here is to get your pH to the normal range...close to 7.4 - 7.6.

When you drain and fill, the first thing to do is balance your pH and TA when the water reaches temp.  Generally if you bring your pH into line, the TA will settle into an acceptable range.  Metal Gon, if needed, should be added as you fill when the spa is about 3/4 full.  Next, add sanitizer.  Add enough to bring your free chlorine level to 3-5 ppm.  You can now use the spa.

Calcium increaser can be added anytime you like.  It will give the water a more "polished" look.  My calcium hardness level from the tap is about 50.  I add enough to bring it up to 100.  I don't like it any higher.  IMO, calcium can cause more problems than it solves...as you can see.  In a concrete pool/spa calcium is necessary...in a portable spa, not so critical.

Add the N2 cartridge after a day.  Do not worry about "activating" it.  Just toss it in...it will work.  Test and adjust pH and TA once per week.  Sanitize after use or daily if not using the spa.  Shock weekly.  Thats it.

With your situation now, I would get pH into line (the low end of normal at 7.2 might be good for you now) and be sure you sanitize to 3 ppm FC daily and see if it clears up.  I would not do anything more but balance and sanitize and give it a little time.  Keep it simple and keep us informed.    

[searchinginfl]

The water was NEVER  clear since refilling. I added metalgon when it was full, also Calcium increaser. On my first fill, I never added anything for the first 4 weeks except dichlor & mps. Once I started testing, I had to add almost a pound of alk increaser. I had one cloudy problem, but shocked with dichlor and it went away. Otherwise for 2 1/2 months my water was beautiful, though it always read low in CH. I drained because I couldn't get rid of the high CC reading even though the water looked, smelled and felt fine. I just figured I should go with the newbie rule, and drain early.

Now, since refilling, I feel like I have overdone it. I wanted to get the water right this time, so added the metalgon and calcium increaser. Then I adjusted the alk a bit too much (up) so had to lower it (actually only the ph got high). I have added a lot of dichlor, no mps yet. But my water has not looked good since refilling yet.

I am going to check in a little while. If it still doesn't look good, I think I'll drain some out, add fresh water rinse my filters and see what happens.

[searchinginfl]

I just checked, and my water looks good!! Woo Hoo! Keep in mind, I have not been in this new water yet, nor have I rinsed the filter. Here are my readings:
FC: 1.5
TC: 2.5
PH: 7.7
ALK: 100
CH: 210
I know my reading may not be that accurate with a FC reading of 1.5, but I first used a strip first that showed 0 FC, so I went ahead and tested.

What should my next step be? I still have my old Frog in, but would like to put in the new NAT2 so in coincides with the water change. Should I adjust the PH further, then rinse filters, add dichlor and add the nat2? My CC reading being 1....why? Shouldn't I have no CC if I haven't used it yet?  :-/

[tinybubbles]

Ivie, I'm glad your water is clearing up.  You could be getting a CC reading if your water supplier uses chloramines.

[tony]

I just checked, and my water looks good!! Woo Hoo! Keep in mind, I have not been in this new water yet, nor have I rinsed the filter. Here are my readings:
FC: 1.5
TC: 2.5
PH: 7.7
ALK: 100
CH: 210
I know my reading may not be that accurate with a FC reading of 1.5, but I first used a strip first that showed 0 FC, so I went ahead and tested.

What should my next step be? I still have my old Frog in, but would like to put in the new NAT2 so in coincides with the water change. Should I adjust the PH further, then rinse filters, add dichlor and add the nat2? My CC reading being 1....why? Shouldn't I have no CC if I haven't used it yet?  :-/

Great news.  Just replace your frog with the N2 cartridge and leave everything else alone.  Add dichlor after you soak or once per day if you don't use it.  Don't worry about your combined chlorine right now.  Enjoy the good water.  No need to adjust pH right now.

[In Canada eh]

Great news.  Just replace your frog with the N2 cartridge and leave everything else alone.  Add dichlor after you soak or once per day if you don't use it.  Don't worry about your combined chlorine right now.  Enjoy the good water.  No need to adjust pH right now.

Ivie,

  What Tony said is exactly right, don't worry about it.

Get in your tub and enjoy it you sound stressed over all this .


My advise would be to relax a bit on trying to achieve drinking water in your tub, you just can't do it, believe me I have tried.