Sundance Spa with ClearRay and SunPurity--Chlorine Levels

[grosenau12]

I have a very new Sundance Capri spa, which has only 260 gallons of water in it.  I use the ClearRay system and the SunPurity cartridge.  I have been following the recommended procedure of adding one capfull of granular chlorine dichlor twice a week, as well as non-chlorine shock MPS.  I am clean when I get in the spa and use it about twice a week.  I am the only user most of the time, so it is not heavily used.

Over 4-5 weeks, the spa becomes incapable of holding chlorine.  The free chlorine drops to zero within an hour or two of putting it in.  Eventually the water becomes cloudy if I don't use SpaClear to brighten it up, which I do every week or two.  The alkalinity and Ph have been within range, I adjust them if needed, but mostly that has not been a big problem.  I have stabalized the calcium level to within range, since the water is too soft in my neighborhood.  So I am being very careful with chemistry, but still the chlorine levels become impossible over a short period of time to stabalize and it appears that I am not getting enough sanitizer in the water.  The ClearRay is operating properly, and I leave the circulation pump on for 16 hours a day.  The spa is indoors, so the area is super-clean, and I check and clean the filters regularly.  They never seem to have crud on them, so that is not the problem.

What am I doing wrong?  How can I stabalize the sanitizer level in this spa.

I have never gotten the water to last more than 2 months.  I just dump the water and start over.  I'm supposed to be able to go at least 3 months, and it seems that I should be able to do that.

Thanks.

[TdiDave]

sounds like you could be getting behind on the sanitizer level a little each day until it reaches a point some biofilm may be occuring. 
Do you maitain the MPS residual level at all times?

[grosenau12]

Thanks, TdiDave.  I put a capfull of dichlor in twice a week and shock about the same amount of MPS twice a week.  Supposedly, with ClearRay and the SunPurity mineral sanitizer, you are not supposed to use much chlorine.  I ordered test strips to test the MPS level.  Previously, I was only able to test free chlorine.  I presume the big thing I need to adjust is the amount of shock (MPS) that I am putting in, since that is what the literature on SunPurity says.  But I don't want to over-shock such a small quantity of water (260 gallons).  But I'm still learning what to do.  I use Spa Clear once every 2 weeks to keep the water clear--otherwise, it starts to get cloudy.  I can't understand why I am having so much trouble keeping the levels adjusted properly.  My big question is whether it is OK for the chlorine level (free chlorine) to drop to almost zero within a few hours of adding dichlor.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

  I have been telling people to hit it with dichlor after use, 1 tblspn or so per person after use, then shock 2oz once a week.     Watch PH/Alk.    We are also have good luck with leisure time replenish if you have it available to you?  It's a chlorine/shock mix.. 

 Also with sun purity much like Jacuzzi's proclear  or Nature 2 it's only good per water fill, so if you are changing the water every 2 months are you replacing the sun pure every time?

 And yes if there is enough bacteria present it will eat up chlorine pretty fast.    I am also one that doesn't always worry about a PPM of chlorine, as long as I am adding after I get out and shock once a week things seem fine.   I will also hit it a bit harder with chlorine once or twice a month. 

 FWIW I have a J-345 with Clear Ray at the house now..

[grosenau12]

Thanks.  Changing the Sun Purity mineral cartridge, even if I dump water after 2 months, might help.  I was worried about using too much chlorine.  The Sun Purity instructions and all the people at the place where I bought the spa say not to do more than twice a week, and then only one capful.  The spa only has 260 gallons in it, but that also causes contamination to spread more easily.  I keep reading that used up chlorine sits in the tub and is actually bad for the water, but I don't know how to get rid of it.  I use the Spa Clear once a week, and that seems to brighten up the water, but the contamination seems to build up no matter what I do, and free chlorine seems to disappear within hours after adding dichlor.  I still cannot figure out the chemistry of this thing.  I'm relatively clean when I get in the spa, it's usually just me, and I only use the thing 2-3 times a week.