Update on "Grandee Kaput"

[georgiapeach]

Hey Everyone,

The techican just left a few minutes ago; There was ALOT of calcium build up on the heater and bad check valve?  Anyway, he landed up replacing the heater (since it was still under warranty).  The bubbles are coming out like crazy now.... :-)  I have go back outside and try to pick up the calcium pieces in my tub now...:-(  Hope that battery operated vaccum works on that stuff!  I asked him what I could do to prevent this from happening again and he said I needed use Metal X and I said, I do.  Everytime I do a refill, I had a half bottle of that stuff.  He said he's been having problems with this in the area and he would have call Watkins to find out what we can do to prevent this.  Any ideas here?  I sure don't want this happening again.  

Peachy

[J._McD]

Golly gee Peaches, that's bad news with good results, just a little over a year and the tech is not sure so he is calling Watkins?  Glad you got a new heater, but I would be following this up to be sure you know what happened, especially if he has seen a lot of it in the area.  You sure don't want this happening again when the warranty is over.

Did he say it was water chemistry or he just put in a new heater and it was fixed?  But then, he had a question too, so he was going to call Watkins?  

The good news is, you are back in hot water for now, did he say the heater dry fired and blew the heater, that seemed to be what Chas and East Tx were thinking could have happened?  That's why you leave the 30amp breaker off until you get water flow.

[georgiapeach]

Oh, I'm definintely going to keep up with this and get an answer as to what I can do to prevent this from happening again.
I saw all the calcium pieces on the ground from where he had scrapped it off the heater; The heater was working after that, but I guess he decided to put a new heater in (not sure why)....but I'm not complaining.  He didn't say anything about water chemistry.  I'm assuming our water has alot of calcium in it....you'd think I could somehow filter that when putting fresh water in, i.e., some kind of filter over the hose?  I don't know.....Not sure what the "check valve" does...but it was broken too.

[georgiapeach]

I was just reading the bottle of Metal X I have and it said for weekly maintenance, use 1 oz per 400 gallons of water and let the jets run for 30 minutes.  I wasn't told to do that before....I was told to add a half a bottle at refill.  Do you think it would hurt to add 1 oz weekly?  Think that will help?  

[Tatooed_Lady]

Just one of those things, I guess.....my dealer said to dump an entire bottle of metal gon in the tub upon filling up....500 gallon Grandee. They're pretty familiar with the water conditions around here, so I'll go with what they recommend. I'll have to inquire as to the weekly addition...
I don't know if these products are basically the same, sounds similar to me, anyhow....

[hottubdan]

I suggest you get your water tested by a professional.  Typically if calcium is coming out of solution, it is from high pH.

We sell Freshwater Stain and Scale Defense.  Add 2 oz. per 500 gallons at start up and weekly.  I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to use your metal product weekly.

I would be concerned that if you had a calcium build up on the heater you might also have a build up in the circ pump.

[Chas]

Peachy,

Are you using some form of pH balancing chem?

[georgiapeach]

Peachy,

Are you using some form of pH balancing chem?

Hey Chas,

When I do a drain/refill, I put a bottle of perfect PH, a half bottle of Metal X and a half cap full of Dichlor in the water, as per my dealer.  Each week, I put a half a capful of Dichlor and before each use, I use MPS (1 T. per person).  Is there something else I need to do?  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  

Peachy

[georgiapeach]

I suggest you get your water tested by a professional.  Typically if calcium is coming out of solution, it is from high pH.

We sell Freshwater Stain and Scale Defense.  Add 2 oz. per 500 gallons at start up and weekly.  I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to use your metal product weekly.

I would be concerned that if you had a calcium build up on the heater you might also have a build up in the circ pump.

Hi hottubdan,

When you say take a sample to a professional....do you mean take a water sample from my tub and take it to a pool/spa place and have it checked?  If so, then I'll do that.  I haven't had that done before.  

Peachy

[drewstar]

My dealer recomends using Defender  every other week to help prevent calcium build up.

GeorgiaPeach, do you use Defender or a similliar product?

[georgiapeach]

My dealer recomends using Defender  every other week to help prevent calcium build up.

GeorgiaPeach, do you use Defender or a similliar product?

I was just reading about that product.......I don't use it, but I will if it will help prevent this problem from happening again!  

[hottubdan]

My fuzzy memory tells me that pH perfect and other such products pull calcium out of solution and they are not recomended for spas with circ pumps.  Have your dealer check with Hot Spring.  If you cannot get an answer let me know and I can follow up.

Yes, I am suggesting get a sample of your spa water tested by a pool/spa pro.

[georgiapeach]

My fuzzy memory tells me that pH perfect and other such products pull calcium out of solution and they are not recomended for spas with circ pumps.  Have your dealer check with Hot Spring.  If you cannot get an answer let me know and I can follow up.

Yes, I am suggesting get a sample of your spa water tested by a pool/spa pro.

Hey Hottubdan,

I just called my dealer and talked to the Tech and he hasn't had a chance to call Watkins yet.  I do remember him saying something yesterday about the Perfect PH and I asked him about it again, and he said yes, that he's recommending not using it anymore, just using the PH Up and PH Down, but not to do anything until he talks to Watkins and calls me back (which if he doesn't within the next day or so, I'll be calling him again).  He also said I should be putting 1 oz of Metal X in there weekly (which I wasn't told to do).  I also asked him about "Defender" and he said he hadn't heard of that name, but it's probably the same thing as the "Metal X".  
And I am going to take a sample of my water to a place down the street from me that does that....AAA Pools and Spas.  I'm curious to see how the test comes back.  

Peachy

[drewstar]

I never heard of Metal X.  I did a quick internet search it does appear to be a similliar product to Defender.

[Chas]

Hey Chas,

When I do a drain/refill, I put a bottle of perfect PH, Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  

Peachy

I stopped selling pH balancing chems years ago. If you read the label you will usually find that they must only be used in a very narrow hardness range. Most dealers don't mention that for some reason, I didn't because I had not read the entire lable, but using that product in water outside of the hardness range causes major calcium blocking of anything hot. Guess what's hot? The heater of course, but also the circ pump.

The heater is covered by a no-fault warranty and gets replaced at Watkins' expense. But if my guess is correct about this - and of course none of us are there - but if I have guessed right, you lucked out on the circ pump.

The check valve may have been an ozone part, and they just do that from time to time - not related.