Well water and hot tubs

[avesrun]

Hello everyone. New here. Im sure the topic has been hashed here before and am sorry. Have owned a Jacuzzi j-345 for several years and have fought well water issues and have yet to solve completely.  My water has high alkalinity which I've had to resort to about 3 cups of muriatic acid each refill to control. Also 2 bottles of metal bygone each refill.  I still have issues with brown ring around water edge and filters taking no time to brown up and get nasty. I have not been using softened water as heard it's bad for pumps. Trucking water in tanks to my acreage is not a road I want to go down. Would filling the tub half way with softened water help? Any other thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated. Currently am dealing with FL-1 error message too. Have done the remove filter thing, hose pressure to heat inlet with no help. Both pumps are working fine just have the error message AND HEATER WONT COME ON. also put on new filters. It's 20 degrees and I don't want the tub to freeze up! Thanks for any help on any of the above topics. 

[Chas]

This may be a problem with the pressure switch. I would call a tech, given your weather conditions.

Can you turn on the low speed pump and leave it on? That can help the tub not to freeze... but I don't know your control system well enough to know if you can even do that.

As for soft water, I would recommend only about 1/4 of the total volume be soft. That is usually about the top 3" - I know that doesn't sound like it would be equal to 25%, but look at how narrow the foot area is. The top three inches of soft water usually works pretty well.

Also - you said trucking water in is out. But have you considered this: buy your own tank. They sell them to sit in the back of standard pickup trucks, and they come in all sizes. You could get one which holds just over 200 gallons up to 450 gallons. For less than four hundred dollars, and that's just the first listing to come up on a Google search. Here's the good part: you may have neighbors who are battling the same thing who would be willing to go in on a tank with you. People with hot tubs, koi ponds, water features, or other water uses may wish to own a share of your tank. It's not like you use it every day. .. just a thought.



HTH

 

[avesrun]

Thanks for the notes chas. I'm so fed up with the well water I may go the tank route after all. Prolly mitigate tank cost in long run with less purchases of filters. My filters get so nasty/rusty pressure spraying hardly does justice. I've tried every chemical regimen out there to no satisfactory avail.

Regarding cold temps, do you know if I drain my tub will it be protected from damage or will there still be water in spots to freeze and do harm? Not sure if I can run pump continuous.  Will check into that. Tomorrow is Monday and hopefully I can get a tech here. Thanks again.

[Chas]

Each tub has a method for fully draining it to prevent freeze up. I have read about folks who use a shop vac to suck out the remaining water from all of the jets, drains and other fittings. Others have used a blower, compressed air, just about anything and everything which can remove all the water from the plumbing. And there are drains on pumps and heater boxes which need to be attended to.

HotSpring and many others have a secondary drain which is supposed to drain all the water from all of the systems.

HTH

 

[avesrun]

Hey Chas you motivated me bigtime. I am now a proud owner of a 200 gal. Water tank. It fits in the back of my Ford expedition. 3 trips into town to my moms at 140 gal. Per trip I am now well water free. And feeling much better.
The technical problem was a bad circulation pump. Had voltage to it but pump not working. No circ pump no heat. 300 dollars plus 120 for repair (two trips by tech; he had to order pump. I'm in the wrong business.
I am looking forward to not dealing with muriatic acid, grotesquely brown filters, etc.
Thanks again for your notes and I plan to lurk around this forum to keep up on all things hot tub.  My wife and I love our hot tub and after investing years and dollars on figuring out how to maintain am just now starting to feel like we're getting ahead of the game.

[Tman122]

300 dollars plus 120 for repair (two trips by tech; he had to order pump. I'm in the wrong business.

Yea it's very lucrative. 280 bucks for a pump two trips 40 miles round trip (10 gallons of gas) 40 bucks for gas. 3 hours of his time plus some at home ordering a pump. He made about 20 bucks an hour. Not to mention insurance cost, van expense, part storage, advertising, workers comp. Make that 15 bucks an hour. My son makes more than that at the pizza place.

[Chas]

Glad to help.

 

[avesrun]

Yes. And I am that pizza Guy.  The tech actually works for a pool and spa outfit located 7 min. From my residence. Not complaining about fee just that it hurt and I paid it.

300 dollars plus 120 for repair (two trips by tech; he had to order pump. I'm in the wrong business.

Yea it's very lucrative. 280 bucks for a pump two trips 40 miles round trip (10 gallons of gas) 40 bucks for gas. 3 hours of his time plus some at home ordering a pump. He made about 20 bucks an hour. Not to mention insurance cost, van expense, part storage, advertising, workers comp. Make that 15 bucks an hour. My son makes more than that at the pizza place.