Aqua Magazine article about drain intervals

[dlleno]

Hi all,

I'd like to make reference to an interesting article,  in Aqua Magazine,  about drain intervals. I've posted this information in another forum as well, but I wasn't sure if it was acceptable to cross post so I'll repeat my text below:

Those who have followed my posts here know where I stand on the subject of drain intervals and especially purging, and this post is about that subject as well. The Aqua magazine site, "features" section contains an article on this subject, emphasizing the consequences of high bather load in heated water. These are not new details for those who are aware, but frankly the article was a good reminder for me as to what the water must endure. It even opened my eyes a little more. Here is a link to the full article:

http://aquamagazine.com/features/spa-soup-why-we-dump-spa-water.html

Highlights from the article include a long list of things that are contained in the various bodily fluids that end up in the water -- and we're not talking just the 3 pints of sweat per person per hour -- we're talking, for example,  pharmaceuticals that accumulate. The author concludes with this statement: " That relatively small liquid base, to which all the ingredients we've discussed are added — from live bacteria to creams and oils to disinfection byproducts — makes for a rather dense spa soup. Which is why, on a regular basis, you should dump the water and start from scratch."

Anyway the article is quite a good read, and for me it solidly ratifies the need to drain. The author didn't discuss purging ,unfortunately, as I suppose this subject has too many opinions, but I will say from personal experience I learned to purge at least every other drain interval and sometimes every drain, and this article just underscored the need to do that.   Adding an effective purge product to the water just before draining is a no brainier to me because it takes such little incremental effort. There's just so much information that is now known which, combined with what I personally discovered and learned, makes me more determined than ever to purge regularly. 

I won't clutter the forum with my "purge" story again but of course I will post a link to it again if there is interest.  I will highlight that I'm glad I "clean the soup out and wash the bowl" regularly. with apologies for the analogy, draining without purging is (to me) like eating from a dirty plate without washing it first: you can put new water in the tub but that doesn't scrub the pipes.

happy draining and  purging,


-dlleno

[Tman122]

If you don't mind me asking, what is your profession?

I ask because in this day and age it is important information to know to help others dissect a possible motive. Things are written all the time that try to steer others to a particular place.

Understand by no means am I accusing you of this without knowing. And I still wouldn't accuse unless I saw it.

[dlleno]

Thats a fair question Tman122   I am a PMP-certified IT project manager, full time employed to manage software development projects in a business sector completely unrelated to pools and spas. hot tubs are a passion/hobby of mine;   call me a serious hobbyist, perhaps.     I've owned a personal hot tub since the early 1990s, but interestingly enough that represents only two vessels, both of which I purchased new from a local dealer/store.  I happen to be a fan of Watkins/Hot Spring and own a Grandee.  I've just paid close attention to water chemistry and have an interest in sharing experiences. 

I like to analyze my own experiences, and those of others, to draw common threads of understanding.  My personal journey most recently has been the installation of a new Grandee which was delivered (during the hottest part of the summer) brand new from the factory contaminated with biofilms, with which I struggled mightily from day 1, until I learned how to purge.  My other a-hah moment in personal study and experimentation is learning how to sustain a low level of bromine (about .5ppm), under no bather load, without a floater or other automatic chemical delivery mechanism.

[Tman122]

I used to religiously drain every three to four months. I just simply liked fresh water. Using dichlor plus bleach and nothing else except baking soda made it so I never had any problems, for 20+ years of ownership. I purged once a year sometimes less. Again, never had any problems.

[Conine2965]

What is the suggested purge product?

[tlippy]

Leno - thanks for the info.  It would never have dawned on me to "purge".  I'll perform a "purge" 2x/year - at each time I drain my spa.

[Tman122]

What is the suggested purge product?

There are several out there.