Marquis Epic Questions

[Dustyn19]

I finally took possession of my Marquis Epic spa and have been absolutely loving it.  My wife and I are kicking ourselves for not getting one sooner!  I have a couple questions that hopefully can be answered though. 
- Is it normal to hear what sounds like air being sucked in at the Tri-Zone controls?  It seems louder on side vs the other, but definitely quite noticable. 
- on the waterfall control, water trickles/streams from the knob...is this a normal occurrence? 
- the jets seem to frequently get turned off inadvertently when moving from seat to seat...it's too bad they don't implement some type of mechanism that allows it to click into the open or close position.
- the control display keeps on fogging up on the under side of the screen - I assumed that it's because the spa is 102F and the outside temp is 20-28C.  But feel like it still shouldn't be doing it.

My last question is about non chlorine shock.  When we had the water tested recently we had a lot of combined chlorine and they recommend adding 1-2 tsp of shock after each use since we are in the tub almost every evening.  Is there a better method since I am usually ready to go to sleep after a 45 min soak, and don't want to wait an extra 20 mins before closing up? 

I appreciate any feedback!

[BullFrogSpasMN]

I would call your dealer and have them send a tech to address...

1. check/tighten and/or replace your main diveter assembly (I assume that's what Tri Zone Control is)
2. waterfall valve...see above
3. topside fogging needs replacement, if it fogs up it is not functional to the consumer and no premium spa should have that happen
4. If you don't wanna wait for Shock to oxidize you could look at using just a small amount of chlorine after each soak (just over 1 tsp. per person/per use) run the jets for a just 2-3 minutes, then head to bed.

Good Luck!

[MarKee]

The Tri-Zone valves can have some slight noise to them if you have them cranked all the way in one position.  Try adjusting slightly off of being cranked all the way, and it should give you less water noise.  What you're hearing is the entire pump going through that valve, its directing a lot of water. Those Tri-Zone (3-way) valves are actually about twice as long as a normal valve and will generally be quieter than the industry standard 2-way valves.

If the waterfall valve handle has a little drip to it, that's usually because someone grabbed the entire valve cap, and not the valve handle, and the valve cap loosened. Pull the valve handle that says "NJ" straight up and it will pop off, you can then tighten the lower circular valve cap piece.

If the larger HK16 jet faces are turning off/on too easily, give them some time, the plastic hardens after about 3-6 months and you will notice they become slightly harder to turn off/on and the flow of water is unlikely to turn them off.

I have seen the newer Balboa color display control panels fog up on a few occasions.  Generally it's caused by direct sunlight hitting the panel or at a drain and fill when the water temp is cold.  Keep an eye on it and if it doesn't go away, the dealer will probably replace it.

Are you using the gray @Ease smartchlor cartridges?  If so, that system is designed to be shocked only once or twice a month.

Enjoy the tub, that's a nice one!

[Dustyn19]

Thanks for the suggestions!  It does make sense that the valves may have loosened. I guess during our first few uses we may have inadvertently turned them too hard the wrong way causing it to loosen.  Both the waterfall knob and the neck jet valve are leaking water. I will try to tighten them up as suggested. 
I'm happy to hear that the jet valves will stiffen over time, and I will definitely keep monitoring the display.
Unfortunately I am from Canada, and I don't believe the smartchlor is available here.  I've been using a floating dispenser with 1 or 2 pucks in at a time - which came with the startup kit I was given.  I am not really a big fan because the chlorine levels seem difficult to keep consistent.  What are your thoughts on the chlorine dispenser that comes with the Aquafinesse kit?  They say to drop 1 or 2 tabs in it, and place it in the filter area and it should maintain 1-2ppm of FC? 

[MarKee]

Are the SpaFrog bromine and mineral cartridges available up there?  Those work well too.