Frustrating chemical smell from steam...

[Gibson00]

Really not sure what is causing this...

Water 1 month old with Spa Marvel added.  Last maybe 10 days I notice the water looks fine, chemical levels good, but the steam off the water has a chemical smell to it.

So I shocked it to 12ppm with dichlor yesterday.  Fast forward to tonight, levels (taylor test kit) are:

chlorine - 3.5ppm
TA - 90
ph - 7.6

Steam still has chemical smell.  What am I missing??  I never really use MPS, just dichlor.  Should I try a shock with MPS, would that clear up something that chlorine doesnt, that could be causing the smell?

[A.O.]

What is your CYA level and the CC level? Using dichlor to get your FC that high would raise that CYA way high which will counter act the FC to a degree. The smell I'm thinking is a high CC level.

[Gibson00]

OK just took three readings with my taylor kit...

free chlorine - 2.5ppm

combined chlorine - 1ppm

CYA - 65

[Tman122]

When do you add your dichlor or bleach?

[Gibson00]

I typically add dichlor after bathing.  Usually with the goal to raise it up to roughly 4-5ppm, which would then be back down to 1-3ppm when we get in the next day.
And shock to about 12ppm maybe every 10 days.

[A.O.]

So your Combined chlorine is a bit high at 1 and the CYA is high at 65, I keep mine closer to 30. If you switch to straight liquid chlorine instead of the dichlor you wont keep raising your CYA. I haven't shocked my tub in 10 months, no need.

Here is a good read if you are interested,  https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/how-do-i-use-chlorine-in-my-spa-or-pool.9670/

[Gibson00]

I'm confused as to why you would never need to shock your tub?  Even using bleach, wouldn't you still be getting a buildup of chloramines that need to be shocked out every so often??

I've read the info in that link, and as far as I can tell I'm pretty much doing what it says:

"Never let FC drop to Zero for any length of time. Keep it between 3-6 ppm normally, min of 1 ppm, and shock to 12 ppm once a week."

[A.O.]

I have an ozone system that eats a lot of it, and sunny days I'll leave the cover off it and the UV will eat them too.

And if you are still using the dichlor you are missing a bit, once your CYA gets up to 30 or so you need to switch to straight liquid chlorine so your CYA doesn't keep rising.

Once I get it to that level the only things I use in the tub are liquid chlorine, muriatic acid, and the occasional Total alkalinity increaser in case I knocked it down to far with the MA.

And I dont shock my tub because it doesn't need it, CC's never get above .6 or .8 and like I said if it does I take the top off for a few hours which takes care of it. Dont shock it due to a schedule someone wrote down (that's what the chemical sellers want you to do) , only shock it if it needs it. At least that's the way I do it.

[Gibson00]

OK, thanks.
I had been trying the dichlor to bleach method, but like some others have experienced, the bleach (plain clorox) would always push my ph way up, so I was constantly having to add ph down.  I just ended up going back to dichlor...