Scum line

[ttodd1]

I noticed that my tub was devloping a bit of a scum line on it 2 days ago, so I put some Scum Gon in the tub that afternoon.  The next morining it was kinda foamy so I used some Foam Down and then some Bright and Clear - in the hopes of removing any "stuff" that was floating around.  Last night there still was some spots that is was pretty heavy so I got a cloth and wiped them up.  This morning I get into the tub and there is a blue scum line around the tub.    

Question is this a chemical reaction or just the Scum Gon working?  

[windsurfdog]

todd,
I suggest not using the chems you mentioned along with getting one of the Tub Rub pads that Doc has over on his site.  I bought one and it does a beautiful job of cleaning what little scumline occaisonally appears.  I believe the fewer chems, the better.  With fewer chems, water chemistry is easier.  And remember that you will soak in whatever you add to your water...........

[huh?]

We have a lot of customers who use ScumBalls and ScumBugs.  This helps to prevent the Scum.

[ttodd1]

I have the Dirty Duck in the tub - although I did add him only a few days ago.  I'm all for less chems just was wondering if anyone had seen this and if so is it something I should be worried about?

[tony]

Scum balls, scum bugs, dirty ducks...it is a good idea to have one of the above.  The tub rub is great to rub off a scum or dirt line.  The Scum Gon works fine and won't "hurt" your water.  The bright and clear and foam down should only be used on a "as really needed basis" and is what is probably giving your water a hard time now.  Shock and filter to get rid of soaps and scum.  Scum Gon as a maintenance product...2 oz every two weeks.  Bright and Clear only rarely when your water looks hazy and won't clean up with shock.  Foam down mixed in a bottle with water and sprayed on foam..use only when absolutely necessary.  Too much Bright and Clear and/or Foam Down will cloud water.  

[wmccall]

todd,
I suggest not using the chems you mentioned along with getting one of the Tub Rub pads that Doc has over on his site.  I bought one and it does a beautiful job of cleaning what little scumline occaisonally appears.  I believe the fewer chems, the better.  With fewer chems, water chemistry is easier.  And remember that you will soak in whatever you add to your water...........
 

Yea, What he said!  I aqree.

How do you handle this scum line ? "Hey Baby, what's your sign?"

[zacman]

The cycles that can be triggered with spa chemicals, kinda reminds me of my aquarium experience.  Got an aquarium and fish.  Algae showed up and I was told to get some snails.  Snails ate the algae and then started eating my plants.  The snails were small ones, and I picked them all out but somehow they kept showing up.  I was told to get a small turtle to eat the snails.  Turtles ate the snails and then ate the plants and started eating the fish.  I got rid of the turtle and bought some algae eating fish.  Somehow and some way, it all worked out in the end and for years thereafter I had a reasonably well balanced aquarium with fish which I assumed were happy.  That was until we had a power outage lasting several days and fish became sick.  I decided I did not really need the aquarium.

[rocket]

I am amazed with the differing opinions.  

My understanding is that scum gon and bright and clear (manufactured by Leisure time) do the same thing.  Either use one or the other on a weekly basis.  They help the filter to manage the "stuff" that comes off our bodies more efficiently. I have found that scum gon will add some foam to the water.

Too much foam down will cloud the water.

A spounge should wipe the scum away.

[tony]

Scum Gon and Bright and Clear do not do the same thing.  Scum Gon is an enzyme product that "eats" soaps and oils that cause scum and foaming.  Bright and Clear is a coagulant/flocculant that clumps together minute particles that may be passing through the filter thus rendering them filterable.  IMO, scum gon is a good maintenance product to keep body oils and soaps at bay.  My experience is that it works, but it is costly.  I do like the idea of natural enzymes helping to keep water maintained.  I would try sanitizing enzymes (but only with dichlor) such as the Natural or Echo One, except for the need to rinse filters weekly.  Although Leisure Time recommends using Bright and Clear weekly, I only use it if the water seems hazy and I cannot get it clear.  It generally does the trick.  The problem with too much bright and clear is it will cause foaming.  I still have my first bottle of Bright and Clear (over two years) and I haven't used foam down since the first month I owned my spa.  

[CalicoskiesNC]

We've not had any scum line on our tub.  But we do make it a practice to shower before getting in, so there is really nothing to make a scum with.  I do have a Dirty duck that floats in the filter area and I use Scum Gon 2oz every other week.