Alkalinity/bad orange smudge buildup

[Mich14]

Hello, just joined the forum, first post.
We just bought a new hot tub a couple weeks ago. Viking spa, Cyanna Valley Heritage 1. Have developed a really bad orange smudge like baby food almost ring around the tub and heavy build up on head rests. PH and Alkalinity have been at the highest color on test strips since I filled the tub. We have hard well water here and I used a filter attachment on garden hose when I filled it. Chlorine reading doesn’t register either (low). I’d been using the ph lower product the dealer gave me and just switched to muriatic acid. Used a 1/2 cup yesterday, tested this morning and no change. Just put another 1/2 cup in and will test later today. Why am I struggling so much?? Advice??

[A.O.]

A) get a good test kit
B) your muriatic acid usage seems wildly high, I normally use 1/4-1/2 oz in my hot tub maybe once or twice a week is all. (450 gal tub) You have used 8 oz in 2 days.
Where are your Total alkalinity and PH numbers at? (Highest color on test strip tells me nothing)
How much chlorine have you added and how? Liquid chlorine? Dichlor product?
I have soft well water here but with a high iron content, iron will add a rust colored ring if not addressed, how is the iron in your water?

[Mich14]

Thanks for reply, and I’m totally new to this so I’m listening but couple things in regards to your questions:

A- I’ll get a test kit, do you have one you recommend?

B- when you say I’m using a wildly high amount of muriatic acid…..I get that the alkalinity showing as the highest color on my test strip doesn’t give you a specific number but nonetheless it still indicates it’s high right? And how can it be high while using a wildly high amount of muriatic acid? Wouldn’t it be really low if I’m using too much???
The dealer told me not to worry too much about the free chlorine reading due to the tub having a ozone cleaner or something to that effect??? But to answer your question the chlorine I’ve been putting in is a granular type (Caribbean spa is name on label) and I’ve added it 1-2 times per week at a 1/4 cup per application

[Mich14]

Also should add that my tub is 370 gallons.
On the alkalinity, the test strip bottle would indicate a ph of approximately 8.4 and alkalinity of approximately 220-240

Talking to dealer this morning again and he said to take a sample out of the tub in a cup or whatever, let it sit for half hour and then test it. Reason was the ozone gases in the tub water could be causing it to be high on the test. No idea. We will see hear in a half hour though.

[A.O.]

Yeowza!! Total alkalinity of 220-240?? I keep mine at 40-50, which also keeps my PH in check. I've never heard of TA that high. Something sounds way out of whack!

Ozone is NOT a sanitizer, chlorine is a sanitizer that kills the bad stuff in a pool/spa, the ozone aids in cleaning up all the dead things the sanitizer killed off. (basic version)

And free chlorine is very important!! THAT is what keeps your tub sanitized!

A Tayler Test kit # 2006 is one of the more complete home kits.  https://www.amazon.com/TAYLOR-TECHNOLOGIES-K-2006-CHLORINE-FAS-DPD/dp/B004BGF7TI/ref=sr_1_3?crid=135XYISMHXN3P&keywords=taylor+test+kit+k2006&qid=1642079174&sprefix=Taylor+test%2Caps%2C303&sr=8-3

Here is a good read for you just starting out https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/how-do-i-use-chlorine-in-my-spa-or-pool.9670/

Not sure how your water got such a high TA, try testing the well water right out of the spigot for TA and PH and see what it says.

Good luck, maybe a drain and refill is in order.

And oh, dont listen to all the stuff the guy at the hot tub store tells you, he is after all just trying to sell you more product!

[Mich14]

Thanks for the reply and the link. Read through the one link and while helpful, there’s a lot there and a bit overwhelming lol.

I took a water sample in yesterday (this is after two straight days of adding a half of cup of acid, so a total of 1 cup over two days) and they said the alkalinity was 220. Told them what I’d been doing to treat it, they recommended that I go home and put another full cup of acid in and test this morning. Just tested and doesn’t appear to have changed....yet again. Frustrating! So just called another local pool/spa place to continue looking for additional advice and they said to go ahead and put another cup in today but that ultimately if that doesn’t lower it to go ahead with the complete drain and refill plan like you suggested.

Keep in mind that for the last 4-5 days while I’ve been doing this acid treatment, I’ve not allowed anyone in the tub so it’s had zero use. Everyone seems dumbfounded as to why the TA and ph aren’t coming down.

[Mich14]

Should also add that the dealer wasn’t suggesting that the ozone is a sanitizer. He definitely wanted me to continue to add chlorine at a 1/4 cup per week. I believe he was saying that bc of the ozone that often times the FC reading on the test strips will show low or zero and to not be too concerned with that reading.
He could be dead wrong, I’m just passing along what I’m being told.

[A.O.]

We use our tub twice a day and add about 6 oz of 12 1/2% chlorine a day,3 oz after every use.