Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: loneoak on December 20, 2005, 08:48:53 pm
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How important is it to leave the lid off for 20 minutes (letting the pumps run) after adding chemicals? At -20� C, we're not too thrilled about leaving the lid off any longer than we have to.
It's bad enough the tub is used for up to an hour a day!
What we mostly add is stuff to bring the Ph down, as we have a major problem with that.
Thanks,
Astrid.
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The only time you have to worry about off gassing is when you add shock, chlorine or bromine. And that's really only when using high doses of chlorine or bromine, the lower levels say cl <3 just run all the jets for about 5 min and you should be OK.
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Thanks very much!
Astrid.
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When adjusting Ph, I simply add the chemicals to my filter area with both pumps on. Close the cover and set the clean cycle, which runs pump 1 only for 10 minutes. Only for weekly DiChlor shocking do I leave the cover open for 20-30 minutes.
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When leaving the cover off or open, does it have to be fully uncovered or is it ok to leave top half open?
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Good question. I would like to know this as well.
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Open all the way. The off gassing could affect the part of the cover that's closed.
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When adjusting Ph, I simply add the chemicals to my filter area with both pumps on. Close the cover and set the clean cycle, which runs pump 1 only for 10 minutes. Only for weekly DiChlor shocking do I leave the cover open for 20-30 minutes.
You need to shock it once a week? We weren't told to do that.
Astrid.
(only had tub since Oct. 7 and still learning the ropes)
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The second I get out I through my 2 tsp dichlor in the tub with the pumps on high. When I'm done drying off and have my robe I close the cover and go in. When shocking I leave it fully open for 15 mins.
Yes Astrid, you need to shock with Dichlor every 7-10 days depending on use.
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Even though there are always enough pucks in the bromine dispenser and the bromine level is good?
Astrid.
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Loneoak- you need to shock once every week. There are a lot of posts on here explaining this. I am surprised your dealer did not tell you this.
I shock with 2-3 teaspoons of dichlor once per week. I have a small tub and my maintenance dose when I step out of the tub is 1 teaspoon.
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Loneoak- you need to shock once every week. There are a lot of posts on here explaining this. I am surprised your dealer did not tell you this.
I shock with 2-3 teaspoons of dichlor once per week. I have a small tub and my maintenance dose when I step out of the tub is 1 teaspoon.
I was told once a week as well, but have been going longer lately. ( I have a 350 gal tub using dichlor and ozone).
It's my understanding that the "once a week" is a general rule of thumb, I would think that shocking would be more of an function of how much the tub is used (# of people, Leagth of time and # of soaks) ....no?
Given I use the tub 3 x week for half and hour and my lovely wife, perhaps 3 x a month, I've begun shocking about every 10 days.
I am curious if there is a more accurate why of telling when I should shock?
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Drewstar,
The most accurate way to determine when you need to shock is to test the water for free vs. combined chlorine. Combined chlorine is the difference between total chlorine and free chlorine. Ideally there should be no difference. In reality there is usually a difference with combined chlorine building up with usage of the tub. Combined chlorine is not doing any sanitizing and it is the stuff that gives off that objectionable chlorine odor. Free chlorine is the stuff that kills the bugs and has little to no odor at all.
If you take a water sample to your dealer they can test and tell you if you need to shock. Or you can use a Taylor test kit. Or you can use the generally accepted practice of shocking once per week, which is a good rule of thumb. Shock with approximately 5x-7x the amount of chlorine you use after each soak. So if you use one or two teaspoons of dichlor after each soak, use approximately 2 or 3 tablespoons of dichlor once per week. This is not very scientific, but it works for most people and for most hottubs.
Regards,
Bill
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Thanks Bill, that is more shock than I have been using but I feel it is better to be safe than sorry. I will increase my shock from one tablespoon to two tablespoons.
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The technical time to shock is when the combined chlorine (total minus free) concentration is .2 ppm. This is tough to measure with a test kit or test strips. With my Taylor kit, I wait until I show zero free chlorine (so no pink), then add reagent for total chlorine. If it turns pink at all, its time to shock; if it stays clear, I can wait.
A safe method is to shock weekly. As a minimal dichlor user, I prefer MPS to shock, though I like to raise my free chlorine level to between 3 and 5 ppm once per week.
I leave my cover off for about five minutes after adding chlorine after use, fifteen to twenty minutes after shocking, nothing after adding other chems.
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The technical time to shock is when the combined chlorine (total minus free) concentration is .2 ppm. This is tough to measure with a test kit or test strips. With my Taylor kit, I wait until I show zero free chlorine (so no pink), then add reagent for total chlorine. If it turns pink at all, its time to shock; if it stays clear, I can wait.
A safe method is to shock weekly. As a minimal dichlor user, I prefer MPS to shock, though I like to raise my free chlorine level to between 3 and 5 ppm once per week.
I leave my cover off for about five minutes after adding chlorine after use, fifteen to twenty minutes after shocking, nothing after adding other chems.
I do this as well. I see how much color I get testing CC and if below 0.5 PPM I use 6 PPM chlorine to "shock", anything above this I use MPS to shock and add about 3 PPM chlorine to disinfect.
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What is reagent ???
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There is absolutly nothing I can add that has not been said already. Good work posters.
Re-Agents are the liquids used to mearsure and test pool and spa waters, Chlorine/Bromine, PH, Total Alkalitity, Calcium Hardness, Cyanuric acid levels and other stuff. Mixed with spa water they will change the color of the water and you read the colors on the scale supplied with the kit to determine your levels.
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Sorry, I know now how stupid the question was. Hey I'm aloud one per day by the way. Since I still have about a week till I get my first spa. Thanks for clearing up the simple stuff. ;D
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Leave the cover off? How come? I understand the concept that the chemicals added will cause some outgassing, but what does that do to the cover? I've been just throwing the diclor in with the filters after use and putting the lid on the filter area, then closing the lid immediately while I have it run out the "clean" cycle.
Have I caused some permanent damage?
Yeesh. this stuff is complicated.
BearBath
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I am going to call my spa supplier today and ask about when to leave the cover off and also about shocking once a week. I will report back.
There appears to be some differences of opinions.
Astrid.
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I've been just throwing the diclor in with the filters after use and putting the lid on the filter area, then closing the lid immediately while I have it run out the "clean" cycle.
BearBath
I thought that you weren't supposed to put the chemicals in the filter area. I think thats what I've read somewhere, but what do I know I don't even have a spa.
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FWIW, I leave the cover on when I am doing my post soak dichlor sanitize via the "clean cycle) and based on what was dicussed in the thread a few weeks ago, I am leaving the cover open for a minimum of 1/2 hour when I shock.
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I thought that you weren't supposed to put the chemicals in the filter area. I think thats what I've read somewhere, but what do I know I don't even have a spa.
Just about everything I've read from the chemical manufacturers states "do not add chemicals to the filter compartment. However, on the underside of my filter compartmetn lid, HS has a sticker that says "add chemcials to filter compartment. !?!?!?! Confusion. I just err'd on the side of caution and figured it would be better to disperse the chemcials on the broader surface of the water rather than concentrating them in that small filter compartment. Who knows.
-Sarge
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I've had my tub about 6 months and started noticing the cover's underside was fading, so I left the cover off about a half hour when I shock on Sundays. I thought I had everything right until I read about 2 teaspoons. I personally open the cap and fill it most of the way with mps and pour it into the middle of the tub with the jets running on the first cycle, low. I though the cap was around 4 ozs which was right. I am not a big measuring guy so I need reference points like this.
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You use more MPS than dichlor, I use 1/4 cup of MPS to shock and 1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons of dichlor.
And remember that if you have ozone - it too will degrade the cover by off gassing.
The best method to put any chemical in the tub IMO is to spead it across the water's surface, you don't need a glob of any chemical on the acrylic surface possibly damaging it.
And those of you who use the "clean" cycle - check to make sure ALL the jets and pumps are getting the freshly chlorinated water - I think that the clean cycle doesn't run them all and make sure the jets are opened a little for water circulation.
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You use more MPS than dichlor, I use 1/4 cup of MPS to shock and 1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons of dichlor.
um, that sure is a LOT more MPS than I use to shock. I use two tablespoons for 300 gallons.
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um, that sure is a LOT more MPS than I use to shock. I use two tablespoons for 300 gallons.
I just looked at the label of Sea Klear MPS which is pure MPS. It says to add 2 oz per 500 gallons to shock. 8 oz is a cup ; 2 oz is 1/4 cup.
I double checked myself with the Taylor book and 2 Tablespoons = 1 oz
Using according to directions on label - you would need 1.2 oz to shock for a 300 gallon tub, your using about the correct amount. I have a 400 gallon tub and I need 1.6 oz of MPS to shock and I use 2 oz.
If you using chlorine to shock for up to 0.5 PPM of combined chlorine; using 65% chlorine, 6 PPM chlorine (10X the combined chlorine level) would be 1 tablespoon according to the Taylor book.
I guess it's about 2x the amount of MPS to chlorine depending on the combined chlorine. That is why I don't use MPS unless the combined chlorine is high > 0.5 PPM.
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Lawdawg,
Do you have your original HS manual? If not, you can download one. It says to put the chemical in the filter department. It's probably a more conservative approach.
Just about everything I've read from the chemical manufacturers states "do not add chemicals to the filter compartment. Â However, on the underside of my filter compartmetn lid, HS has a sticker that says "add chemcials to filter compartment. Â !?!?!?! Â Confusion. Â I just err'd on the side of caution and figured it would be better to disperse the chemcials on the broader surface of the water rather than concentrating them in that small filter compartment. Â Who knows.
-Sarge
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So what do we do? Should we follow the owners manual or a sticker under the filter cover? I wonder why the manufacturer would tell you one thing and then another? :-/
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My owners manual and the sticker under the filter compartment says the same thing. They both say to add chemical in the filter compartment. Does your spa owners manual say something different?
So what do we do? Should we follow the owners manual or a sticker under the filter cover? I wonder why the manufacturer  would tell you one thing and then another?  :-/
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My wife would kill me if I used the kitchen measuring cup for the MPS, so can anyone guess how much the cap holds?
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My wife would kill me if I used the kitchen measuring cup for the MPS, so can anyone guess how much the cap holds?
Dude,
Buy your own set of measuring spoons for the tub. I keep my 1 tsp sitting on top of the dichlor for easy apres-soak additions and the 1 tbsp is kept close by for shocks, etc. If you can afford a tub, you can afford some measuring spoons! 8)
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Gomboman- mine says the same thing about putting in chemicals in the filter comparment. I was told that there is more water movement there.
I suppose it shouldnot matter too much either way.
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Dude,
Buy your own set of measuring spoons for the tub. I keep my 1 tsp sitting on top of the dichlor for easy apres-soak additions and the 1 tbsp is kept close by for shocks, etc. If you can afford a tub, you can afford some measuring spoons! 8)
Dollar Store!
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I have the measuring spoons, thanks!
What I am trying to determine is how much is an ounce?
Comeon Vinnie, you are usually the one who can cut through all the technical bull and tell it like it is.
Heck, just yesterday you were talking about sprinking on the center of the moving water
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A dry ounce is two Tablespoons or six Teaspoons. Two ounces is a 1/4 of a cup. Â I hate the english system. Â
http://www.ez-calculators.com/measurement-conversion-calculator.htm
I have the measuring spoons, thanks!
What I am trying to determine is how much is an ounce?
Comeon Vinnie, you are usually the one who can cut through all the technical bull and tell it like it is. Â
Heck, just yesterday you were talking about sprinking on the center of the moving water
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Thanks Gomboman.
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orlandoguy,
All that info is in the Taylor book and I did give you this info earlier in this thread, Gomboman is rehashing it and taking my thunder ... oh well as long as the info gets out there!
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Measuring spoon are a dollar store item. Also a 35mm film container is slightly more that 2 tablespoons. That how I measure and apply my MPS.
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Sorry Vinny, I was just answering his question. Didn't realize you already answered his question previously. I was in scan mode.
orlandoguy,
All that info is in the Taylor book and I did give you this info earlier in this thread, ?Gomboman is rehashing it and taking my thunder ... oh well as long as the info gets out there!
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That's OK, I realized that I forgot the ;D to show I was goofing!
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My owners manual and the sticker under the filter compartment says the same thing. They both say to add chemical in the filter compartment. Does your spa owners manual say something different?
I have a Envoy and the dealer told me ALWAYS add chems to filter compartment with all pumps on high.(max water movement there) Let the pumps run for 15min -- 30min when shocking . She said if you put chemicals in tub the chems could mark or stain the shell if they didnt get mixed up and completely disolved.
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This could be true. If my chemicals have lumps, I break them up.
This sounds much more feasable than the argument about bromine floaters being bad because they can get stuck aginst the shell and burn through the shell.
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My wife would kill me if I used the kitchen measuring cup for the MPS, so can anyone guess how much the cap holds?
I did use her measuring spoons the 1st time. Boy did I get yelled at! :'( Won't be doing that again anytime soon.
Still don't see the big deal. One trip through the dishwasher and it is ready for food use. :-X