New owner - water trouble / rash

[Jetsetter]

I'm a new Jetsetter owner and I think I'm in trouble with my water.

We've had the tub about 3 weeks.  Using it 2 people, 5 days a week, 20-30 minutes at a time.  PH is about 7.4.

I'm on my way to the doctor as soon as I can get an appt, but I think I've developed the dreaded "hot tub rash" on the backs of my arms.  I'll spare you the details.  :/  No one else seems to have this rash.

My Jetsetter uses Ozone and the N2 system.  I've been following the HS recommendations for their Everfresh system and using the Everfresh chemicals.  My routine:

- Prior to each soak 3 teaspoons MPS, run clean cycle for 10 minutes
- After soak run clean cycle for 10 minutes
- On Sat shock with 3 teaspoons dichlor run jets for an hour
- Anti-foam and Stain & Scale once a week

Apparently I'm not sanitizing the tub enough.  This rash sucks.  Any suggestions?  I've seen recommendations to not use MPS at all and use dichlor after a soak enought to get 2-3 ppm on the test strip after the dichlor is mixed.  The shock once a week at 7x the dichlor dose.  Others say shock with MPS.

Help!!!  Can I use just dichlor with N2?  Why is MPS recommended?  I just need some advice on the direction to go.  250 gal tub BTW.  Thanks!

[jfish63]

I AM NO EXPERT. I just started using nature2 and mps I add after a soak not before. When Vinny comes on he can probably help. I think most people are using dichlor after a soak and MPS as a shock once a week.

[hottub.pool_boy]

Start using dichlor. Two people for 30 mins, you should add at least 2.5 teaspoons when finished.

Everfresh works great when followed precisely. Do you fill the the using the FreshStart Prefilter? And use it to add water?

Also when shocking spa weekly, use super-schlorinated water to wipe spa bartop and underside of cover. I had gotten the rash on the underside of my arms and back of my legs, from the bartop area.

When a routine doesn't work, check your regiment, if it's followed properly and still trouble, switch to something else.

[Jetsetter]

Start using dichlor. Two people for 30 mins, you should add at least 2.5 teaspoons when finished.

Everfresh works great when followed precisely. Do you fill the the using the FreshStart Prefilter? And use it to add water?

Also when shocking spa weekly, use super-schlorinated water to wipe spa bartop and underside of cover. I had gotten the rash on the underside of my arms and back of my legs, from the bartop area.

When a routine doesn't work, check your regiment, if it's followed properly and still trouble, switch to something else.

I've followed Everfresh religiously and did use the prefilter on the initial fill and then when I added water once.

I've been wiping down the underside of the cover when shocking weekly.  Neglected the top.  That must be where the bacteria are since I tend to rest my arms on the top when reclining.  My wife and son do not do that.

So if I'm switching to dichlor I should use whatever amount gets me to 2-3ppm after 10 to 15 minutes?  I guess the exact amount depends on the condition of the water.  Add after soak?

Shock with 2+ tablespoons of dichlor or MPS weekly?  Dump MPS totally?

[hottub.pool_boy]

1.5 teaspoons dichlor after use of up to 20 mins. 1-2 people.
Over twenty mins. go to 3 teaspoons. Don't throw away the MPS. Use it up.

I think you've given us the culprit to your spa problems:

Your child, is he young? Peeing in spa? MPS won't cover it. If he is young I would superchlorinate it every time after he's used it, just to be safe. Teenager? They tend to use the spa when you're not around, and not put in the chemicals.

[Jetsetter]

Child is a 16 year old boy.  I know he does not use the tub when we're not there.  He know the chemical routine quite well and probably understands the chemistry involved better than I do.  No peeing involved either.  

Once I add the dichlor I assume I need to leave the cover open for 10 minutes or so?

Use up the MPS how?  Shock? 2+ tablespoons?

You've been a big help, thanks.

[In Canada eh]

Jetsetter,


      Our tub is also on the small side 300 us gallons so dosages should be similar.

I use approx. 2 teaspoons of dichlor after each use, which gives me about 3ppm 20 minutes after adding.  I shock on a schedule rather than testing for CC,  shock once a week with 3 tablespoons of MPS.

I leave the cover open for about 10 minutes after adding dichlor and for about 20 minutes after shocking.

I wipe down the top edge of tub and underside of cover after adding dichlor about once a week

                                                                        Hope it helps

[Larry Becker]

Jetsetter (and all),

I'm a new owner, too, and hadn't thought or read about wiping down the top surface of the tub or bottom of the cover. Is that really a problem? It sounds like it might be if you're resting your arms on that area of the tub and that's where the rash is.

Does everyone regularly wipe down the top surface with chlorinated water? Yet one more thing to look out for?

Larry

[Vinny]

Sorry about your rash but NEVER not use a sanitizer on a regular, daily or every other day, basis. This voodoo N2 or whatever else they want to call it is not safe bacteria wise.

MPS doesn't kill anything - PERIOD!!!

I would shock your tub with over 10 PPM and let the pumps run. I probably would hit it with close to 20 PPM to scour and clean the tub.

As far as wiping down the tub, I don't do it too often and so far I haven't had a problem. I do know that the sides of my tub do get wet with the tub water at times whether with chlorine or not.

You've been given good advice about using chlorine. One thing it could be and hasn't been said is that your skin is sensitive to hot water and your rash is hot the dreaded hot tub rash but just a rash.

[svspa]

jetsetter,

don't forget you don't have to use only dichlor shock or only mps shock, you can alternate.

you'll find that it will probably take a day or so for your dichlor PPM to get back to reasonable levels after a dichlor shock.

if you don't want to wait you can use MPS to shock. Times when you don't mind taking a day off from using the tub then definitely use the dichlor shock. The dichlor shock gives you the super sanitizing effect that helps keep your tub bacteria free, but you don't need it every single time you shock.  

Steve

[Jetsetter]

OK, I've hit the tub with a dichlor shock of 2 tablespoons.  10+ PPM after 30 minutes.  I wiped down the inside of the cover and the top of tub and the water line twice with the superchlorinated water.  Jets have been on the entire time.

Sorry to be a total newb, but now what?  I know I should leave the jets on for an hour or so and then close the cover.  What's my next step?  Test it a few times over the next several hours to make sure I still have a residual?  I assume I keep shocking until I can hold 2 - 3 PPM for a period of an hour or so.  What should the residual be stable at before I can enter the tub?

Once the tub is clean again then I use 2 - 3 teaspoons of dichlor after use (or as much as I need to get up to 3 PPM)?

Then weekly MPS shock @ 3 tablespoons?  And a dichlor shock as needed?

Sorry for so many questions, but I want to get this right.  I sincerely appreciate the help!

 

[In Canada eh]

Jetsetter,

     Don't worry, your on the right track

Let the tub sit after the jets have stopped, you can test for a residual after a while ( 2 hours) to see what the level is at.   If residual is below 2ppm,  I would repeat the process,  the bacteria load may be quite high.  If your residual after 2 hours remains above 2 ppm,  congrats you have killed of the offending yuk.

     You should wait until the chlorine residual drops to about 2 ppm before using the tub.

     Once the tub is clean, use about 2 teaspoons after each soak,  you can test residual after 20 minutes and you may use more or less but 2 teaspoons is a good starting point  ( 1 teaspoon per bather)

     Shock, weekly with MPS or test for Combined Chlorine ( CC ) and shock accordingly.  You can also alternate your shock between MPS and Dichlor if you want.  The MPS advantage is that you can use your tub after 20 minutes and you should wait for the Dichlor shock residual to fall to about 2 ppm.

   Don't worry about the number of questions, it can be confusing.   Also remember Chas's law #1 to change your water after the first 30 days


                                                           Good luck and happy hot tubbing

[Jetsetter]

Thanks.  The chlorine level is holding at 10 ppm after a couple of hours so I think I'm OK.

I travel a bit so I leave a "cheat sheet" for my family.  Here are my revised instructions:

=========================================================

Daily after use:
-      Press “Jets” button to turn off jets
-      Hold down the “-“ button on the lights to turn off lights
-      Lift off filter cover, put aside
-      Add (2) teaspoons of Dichlor (1 per person).  If 2 people using for >30 minutes, use (3) teaspoons.
-      Press the “Clean” button.  The jets should turn on and a red light will come on the left side of the control panel
-      Wait 10 minutes
-      Close cover, latch all four corners

Saturday AM before use:
-      Wait 10 minutes
-      Unlatch all 4 corners
-      Open cover all the way
-      Lift off filter cover, put aside
-      Add (3) tablespoons of MPS
-      Press the “Clean” button.  The jets should turn on and a red light will come on the left side of the control panel
-      Wait 20 minutes
-      Close cover, latch all four corners.  Can use immediately.
-      (Note: every other week substitute (3) tablespoons of Dichlor in place of the MPS and wait 40 minutes before closing and latching the cover.  Test after 2 hours.  If chlorine is below 2 PPM, repead Dichlor dosage until chlorine reading is 10 PPM after 2 hours.  Wait until chlorine test strip reads 2 PPM before entering)

=========================================================

Comments?

[gturn]

I'm a new Jetsetter owner and I think I'm in trouble with my water.

We've had the tub about 3 weeks.  Using it 2 people, 5 days a week, 20-30 minutes at a time.  PH is about 7.4.

I'm on my way to the doctor as soon as I can get an appt, but I think I've developed the dreaded "hot tub rash" on the backs of my arms.  I'll spare you the details.  :/  No one else seems to have this rash.

My Jetsetter uses Ozone and the N2 system.  I've been following the HS recommendations for their Everfresh system and using the Everfresh chemicals.  My routine:

- Prior to each soak 3 teaspoons MPS, run clean cycle for 10 minutes
- After soak run clean cycle for 10 minutes
- On Sat shock with 3 teaspoons dichlor run jets for an hour
- Anti-foam and Stain & Scale once a week

Apparently I'm not sanitizing the tub enough.  This rash sucks.  Any suggestions?  I've seen recommendations to not use MPS at all and use dichlor after a soak enought to get 2-3 ppm on the test strip after the dichlor is mixed.  The shock once a week at 7x the dichlor dose.  Others say shock with MPS.

Help!!!  Can I use just dichlor with N2?  Why is MPS recommended?  I just need some advice on the direction to go.  250 gal tub BTW.  Thanks!

Your rash problem may just be that you were putting in the chemicals right before you used the tub.  You could be sensitive to the chemicals, more so than the rest of the family.  Just switching to adding the chemicals after you soak may solve your rash problem.  You don't want to climb in with over 3 ppm chemicals.  If you did a shock to 10 ppm you may need to wait several days before you can use the tub, depends on how many yukies were in the water.  Have you checked the total clorine levels, you may have a lot of chemicals in there that are not showing up on the free clorine test.  You need both a sanatizer and an oxidizer to get all the gunk, that is why you shock, your regular chemical load takes care of the sanatizer and the shock adds enough to get the oxidizer levels up once a week. If you find you are sensitive to clorine you might want to try Bromine, some people are less sensitive to Bromine, and you can use up your clorine as a shock to Bromine, in a Bromine system clorine is chemicaly converted to Bromine when added raising the Bromine level. With Bromine when the Bromine Sanitizes a yukie it becomes a oxidizer, then when you shock it turns back into a Sanitizer. Good Luck.

[Vinny]

Thanks.  The chlorine level is holding at 10 ppm after a couple of hours so I think I'm OK.

I travel a bit so I leave a "cheat sheet" for my family.  Here are my revised instructions:

=========================================================

Daily after use:
-      Press “Jets” button to turn off jets
-      Hold down the “-“ button on the lights to turn off lights
-      Lift off filter cover, put aside
-      Add (2) teaspoons of Dichlor (1 per person).  If 2 people using for >30 minutes, use (3) teaspoons.
-      Press the “Clean” button.  The jets should turn on and a red light will come on the left side of the control panel
-      Wait 10 minutes
-      Close cover, latch all four corners

Saturday AM before use:
-      Wait 10 minutes
-      Unlatch all 4 corners
-      Open cover all the way
-      Lift off filter cover, put aside
-      Add (3) tablespoons of MPS
-      Press the “Clean” button.  The jets should turn on and a red light will come on the left side of the control panel
-      Wait 20 minutes
-      Close cover, latch all four corners.  Can use immediately.
-      (Note: every other week substitute (3) tablespoons of Dichlor in place of the MPS and wait 40 minutes before closing and latching the cover.  Test after 2 hours.  If chlorine is below 2 PPM, repead Dichlor dosage until chlorine reading is 10 PPM after 2 hours.  Wait until chlorine test strip reads 2 PPM before entering)

=========================================================

Comments?

As In_Canada_eh said your on the right track and you should be OK.

My only comment would be that MPS needs to be added at 1 OZ per 250 gallons. I believe that 3 Tablespoons is 1 oz and if your tub is 250 gallons or less it will work but if it's more it might not.