bitten by greenwater blues"HELP"

[stiffy]

Just when I thought I was doing sooo well with water chemistry. Inlaws are over and cloudy green water in 2 days  . heck I even dropped 2tbls of dichlor after they left.
Well, will try 4tbls dichor to shock run the pumps for a hour or two and in the middle rinse the filter.
funny thing is pH and TA are perfict.
Q: how long should I give the sanitizer before calling it hopless and doing a refill?

PLus should I wait for the sanitizer to burn out before I drain, or will the lawn and landscape plants be OK?
Getting on the bikes and heading up the sunrise coast starting Friday for four days and am wondering how I can leave things with the tub, any options...?
No one to watch the tub for us.

PLease some advice...........................

[rocket]

Cloudy water is telling you that you have gotten behind in sanitation.  It can happen.  It is going to take much more than 4 tbs of dichlor to catch up.  So you have a decision to make.  either drain and start over or decide to catch up.  It will take 2-4 oz. of dichlor, leave the cover open and let the jets run.  the spa will clean up and it will be usable.

[stiffy]

Well, I'm at 2oz of dichlor now and have been running the jets on and off for 4hours. Just wondering should I give it 2oz more before I leave for 4 days, is this a good or bad idea?

[PPOL]

Sounds like you need to shock it with some Peroxymonosulfate along with the dichlor.

Just keep running the jets and it will eventually clear up in a few hours.

If it doesn't clear up in a day or two, drain it and throw the other end of the hose in your neighbors yard.  

Neil O'Donovan
Phoenix Park Outdoor Living
Wilmington, NC
www.phoenixparkoutdoorliving.com

[stuart]

Sounds like your getting some good advice here! What rocket said about leaving the cover open is very important, you need to introduce oxygen into the water while not allowing the off gas from the sanitizer to harm your cover. What ppol said is correct also; you need to get some Peroxymonosulfate in to "burn off" the organics.

If you have to drain the spa still after this you can do several things;
1. Go to your dealer and get a chemical to neutralize the chlorine
2. Add some over the counter hydrogen peroxide (about 1 bottle) and that should neutralize the chlorine a bit
3. Continue to run the jets with the cover open and the chlorine will "gas off"
4. Do a partial drain in a non-foliage area and only replace 1/3 to 1/2 of your water.

[stiffy]

Great from what you all say I'm on the right track.
In my chem bag of goodies from the dealer, I have Peroxymonosulfate and potassium monopersulfate.
are these the same or do they have diferent purposes?
and also thanks as allways for taking the time to answer the Q's.

[rob]

I had the same problem this weekend.  The mother-in-law was over and we in in for about 3 hrs.  I think she had a ton of lotion on and two days later there was oily crap in the suds all over the place.  It was so discusting.  I added everything in the kit to try to clean it up and said the heck with it.  Drained it, wiped it out and started over.  Everything is fine now.

[stiffy]

I had the same problem this weekend.  The mother-in-law was over and we in in for about 3 hrs.  I think she had a ton of lotion on and two days later there was oily crap in the suds all over the place.  It was so discusting.  I added everything in the kit to try to clean it up and said the heck with it.  Drained it, wiped it out and started over.  Everything is fine now.

Thanks rob but the waters all most cristal clear.

[Nhbeacon]

" I think she had a ton of lotion on and two days later there was oily crap in the suds all over the place.  "

 
8)Oily Crap---I love it, a new technical term that we can all have a mental picture of. Sounds like draining was a good idea. We had a three hour night in the tub in the first two weeks and paid for it with cloudy water, live and learn. Now I use the dichlor. after a long soak.

Jan

[rob]

We had a three hour night in the tub in the first two weeks and paid for it with cloudy water, live and learn. Now I use the dichlor. after a long soak.

What is dichlor?  How is it different from shock or chlorine?  If you use it, do you not use shock and chlorine?

[stiffy]

Well, I have crystal clear water in the tub again, so thanks to you all once again.

As of 9/1 at 4pm green cloudy nasty water, 2oz of dichlor after filter rinse, run pumps for 2 hrs with cover open, rinsed filters. propped up cover 5inches and went to bed.

9/2 returned from work(3pm), opened cover all the way, pulled filter & rinsed, checked TA, PH , FCI,(TA70;PH7.3;FCI10ppm)added 2oz Peroxymonosulfate(Thanks PPOL) and one heeping tablespoon arm&hamer, ran pumps for 2hours

9/2 at 9pm water is clear once again TA 120; PH 7.3; FCI 3 to 5 ppm.
Now thats what I call K.I.S.S.