Optima filter maintenance

[cparlf]

I was away last week on a business trip.  When I left Monday AM, the water was crystal clear and 98 degrees.  When I got home late Friday night, the water was still 98, but was cloudy green swampy looking.  No one has used it since earlier in the week, Sunday.  Saturday morning, a chem check reveals all is basically in balance, I run a filter clean cycle and notice no water being drawn into the filter area.  So, I remove the filter, clean it with a garden hose, much yucky water rinses out, along with other nasties like a few insects etc., etc. I reinstall, and viola, the water is pulling through the filter force 10.  Another rinse after the swamp is cleaned through, and it seems OK now.  We have had the tub three weeks now, and this is the second and third time to rinse the filter, but the first time it apparently completely clogged.  Is this normal?  Am I to believe we need to rince the filter weekly?  Seems excessive to me, especially since we are still new to this and being very careful about showering before hand.  Or could this be a left over result of the teenagers (and all their lotions and conditioners etc) using the daylights out of it before returning to college?  Is a filter wash in the cleaner stuff in order or are rinses good for the weekly cleaning.

[Tubber]

You can get a Spray and rinse for in between cleaning of the filter.  Use the cartridge cleaner when you soak over night  when changing water.

[tony]

I clean my filter monthly in a filter cleaning solution overnight.  I rarely have to rinse in between cleanings.  Your spa must be getting lots of use for the filter to plug, especially with teens with lotions, etc.

[Chris_H]

No, you should not have to clean the filter weekly.  However, one thing to make sure is that the MicroClean cartridge is not hosed off.  This will ruin that cartridge.  
     Secondly, if you are getting excessive usage and assuming you are using di-chlor/MPS, I would recommend just using the dichlor after use until the excessive usage goes away.  Retaining a chlorine residual will help keep the water clean.
     Also, if you are noticing no water going into the skimmer area I would recommend putting both jets pumps on you should see the water move into the filter area.
     Some other questions… Do you have an ozonator and is the 24 hour circulation pump working 24 hours a day or shutting off because of the outside temperature.

[cparlf]

Chris, the 24 hour circ and ozonator are off more than on due to the temp.  I understand I can not re-use the "micro clean" filter, not sure I understand why but OK.  When I remove the pleated filter to wash it, the micro comes out of the water too, and the water runs out of it.  What is it that makes it so I can't rinse it too.  While on the subject, do we reuse the filter cleaning solution or dump it each time.  And lastly, does a lot of foam, clean white foam, mean someone was in the tub with soap residue or does this mean some other issue?  

[Chris_H]

the 24 hour circ and ozonator are off more than on due to the temp.”  
Call your dealer and ask how to turn off the summer mode in the spa.  I forget if this is possible on the SUndance or I would tell you here.  This is going to be one of the reasons of the cloudiness.  If it is not possible to do this, when exited the water turn on both of the pumps and air blower.  This will allow water to filter for 20 minutes or so, and use di-chlor instead of MPS.

“I understand I can not re-use the "micro clean" filter, not sure I understand why but OK.  When I remove the pleated filter to wash it, the micro comes out of the water too, and the water runs out of it.  What is it that makes it so I can't rinse it too.”
It is ok that the Micro-Clean filter is out of the water.  If you rinse it off it will start to deteriorate.

“While on the subject, do we reuse the filter cleaning solution or dump it each time.”        Dump it each time.

“And lastly, does a lot of foam, clean white foam, mean someone was in the tub with soap residue or does this mean some other issue?”
Yes and no.  Since this is a new tub you will have some nice foaming issues.  Once your body gets used to going in the spa the foaming issues tend to go away.

[tony]

I do it a little differently.  As I said, I rarely need to rinse my filters in between cleaning, but if I do, I give the surface of the micro clean filter a quick rinse as I do when I clean the pleated filter monthly.  I have had no adverse issues doing this.  I discard it every four months.  I use two pleated filters and swap them monthly.  I use a filter flask to clean and keep the cleaning solution for four months, so each filter gets cleaned twice in the same solution.  My filters always come out perfectly clean.

[ttodd1]

Straight from the Sundance manual:

Summer Logic: In warm weather, the water temperature in the hot tub may
exceed the set temperature. This condition may occur due to heat transference
from the main pump and 24-hour circulation pump. If the water temperature
is higher than 95°F (35°C) and rises two degrees above the set
temperature, a “Summer Logic” condition occurs that deactivates the circulation
pump and ozonator (if equipped). This safety feature cannot be
altered! The circulation pump and ozonator will remain off until the water
temperature cools to the set temperature (except between12AM-2AM when
the circulation pumps runs for it’s mandatory 2-hour “clean-up” cycle). To
help prevent a “Summer Logic” condition, it may be necessary to reduce
skimming/heating cycle and/or circulation pump run times in warm
weather.