What the h e double tooth pick........

[Backpains]

am I doing wrong!?!? I'm serious here gang..I'm so angry it's not even funny!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok....here's what has happened over the past week: Tub was looking absolutely fab! UNTIL...........I added my enzymes 4 days ago the next day my tub was cloudy...so I checked my levels everything was fine Bromine between 3-6; Alk at 125 and pH was at 7.4. So I knew it wasn't that...so as I was told I added some Clarifier and the next morning I soaked for 3 hours..both the pre-filter and the filter. fired up the tub after letting my filter dry a little in the day sun..and BOOM!!!! I got FOAM everywhere, it looked like I dumped a bottle of bubble bath to my tub!!!!! stopped the tub..skimmed all the bubbles off and re rinsed 3 times my filters..added defoamer and fired up the jets again....again and again and again...........you get the jest. So, after trying to control my foam for the last 3 damn days..I ended up dumping the tub this morning at 10:30am....was done refilling and cleaning and dumping by 11:45pm..(god my husband is soooo smart!!! he put 4 hoses in the tub and it only took about 1 hour to drain the tub!)

Ok...so here is what I'm wondering....was the clarifier and the enzymes the combo of the two what caused my problem...bubbles came after I added them two..and I rinsed the filter and pre-filter 3 times before I even put it back in after letting it soak

[bosco0633]

hey backpains, someone else just posted about this.  Ill try and find it, it explains what is going on.

[bosco0633]

BP check out this post.  It may help you a bit.  good luck.  I am not to use any of the things you have mentioned.  With the micro pure filter, I was told those chemicals will clog the filter.  

http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=wtb-hottub;action=display;num=1122500305

[Hot Tub Guru]

After you soak your filter in filter cleaner you MUST rince the filters!!!

Then you need to completly let them dry before using them again.

Get two sets of filters one is clean and dry.  THe other is in the spa or getting cleaned.  Then take the dry filter and install into the spa.

Michael
www.HeavenlyTimes.com

[Tman122]

am I doing wrong!?!? I'm serious here gang..I'm so angry it's not even funny!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok....here's what has happened over the past week: Tub was looking absolutely fab! UNTIL...........I added my enzymes 4 days ago the next day my tub was cloudy...

With all your levels good and your bromine as a sanitizer at 3-5 PPM I'm wondering why you added these "enzymes" what was the point, and why waste your money?

[txwillie]

Hon, don't take this wrong, but I've been sorta following your saga and offer this bit of advise: QUIT DUMPING SO MUCH STUFF IN YOUR TUB! Clarifiers do nothing but make foam and scum. Enzymes can help, but you need to use them sparingly. Also you can't use them with high sanitizer levels as it just kills them before they can do anything, therfore you are just adding more to the mix. It's as if your trying to "kick it up a notch, BAM!". you got soup, not spa water.

Since you are a nurse, (not sure if your injuries caused you to retire or not), check with people you know who deal with institutional hydrotherapy tubs and get some advise from them. You use your tub 6-10 times what the average tub sees and and as such you will need a very specialized chemical and maintenance routine.

I hope I did not make you mad. I was trying to make a point and interject a bit of humor in doing so.

txwillie

[bulmer4nc]

What kind of clarifier are you using?  Initially we were using the Leisure Time Bright and Clear product and it caused all kinds of foam.  Now if we need to use clarifier we use the Sea Klear 4-in-1 Clarifier and it's great.  It's different than a typical clarifier and it doesn't cause foam.  I think it would also act as your enzyme treatment as well.  You might want to check it out...

http://www.seaklear.com/seaklear_2.0/pool_prods/NatClarPools.asp

[tony]

Enzymes are fine to use.  They can be beneficial.  If you choose to use them, add them on a regular basis...weekly or every other week as an ongoing suppliment.  They help with oils, scum, etc.  They do not do a good job of quick fix.  Clarifiers should be used only when necessary, when all else fails, or when there is a slight haze that is difficult to eliminate with sanitizer, shock or filtering.  I use LT Bright and Clear with no problems, but as I said, only sparingly.

[Backpains]

Ok...enzymes I add once a week because if I don't we get a scum line that is uncontrolable....I'm NOT EVER adding the clairfier again..I figured out that it WAS what caused the huge foaming problem. Filters...unfortunetly I cannot afford another filter right now they are 60 bucks and it's all I can just to keep up with the chems right now, but the plan is to get one before winter sets in. That about covers everything.

BP

P.S. tx..I wasn't a nurse I was a certified nurse aide and yes that is what made me retire

[drewstar]

I was told to make sure I use a liquid product every week called "Defender",  regardless of how good the tub looks.


This is in addion to dihchlor after each use, a weekly shock and a monthly filter wash.

What is "Defender"?  is it paramount in weekly maintence?

[bulmer4nc]

"Defender" is a product that protects the plumbing by preventing any scaling from occuring.  I add about 2oz every 2 weeks.

[bulmer4nc]

I'm NOT EVER adding the clairfier again..

Try the Sea Klear 4-in-1 Clarifier.  It's not like the rest of them and it DOESN'T cause any foaming.  We typically don't need it but if we have a whole gang over and the water gets really nasty I'll add 3oz of it in one shot.  In 2 days the water is perfect again and there's no foam.  One thing to remember, if you use clarifier, make sure you rinse your filter more often.  The stuff that the clarifier takes out of your water ends up in your filter.

You can buy it here:

http://www.rhtubs.com/store/treatment.htm