Another Chlorine ??

[Garyjr]

Is this normal?  The 1st few days I had my hot tub running, I was having trouble getting any free chlorine reading on the dip stick.  Per some suggestions on this board, and by dealer recomendation, I superchlorinated (2 heaping cap fulls) and floated some chlorine for 2 consecuative days.  Finally, when I woke up Friday morning, my free chlorine reading was a little above 5.  My wife and I soaked before work, and since the reading was on the high side, I only added about a 1/4 teaspoon of chlorine when we got out.  Came home and soaked again Friday evening, and added the same when we got out.  I woke up yesterday morning, tested the water, and once again I am back at almost 0 free chlorine.  Note:  I did remove the floater and have kept it out since I got the 5 reading.  One thing that may be noteworthy is our tub was a demo model (it has had water in in prior to us buying it.)  Is it possible that some of the lines have started to form some algea, thus causing my irratic chlorine level changes?  If so, what is the best way to treat this once and for all?

Thanks again,
Jr

[Gomboman]

Gary, have you read Vermonter's post titled "What is the "Dichlor Dosing - Vermonter Style" at http://www.rhtubs.com/cgi-bin/bbs/config.pl under the FAQ section? That article should clear up some questions for you.  
  
Most of us soak without very much free chorine and dose immediately after getting out. This way you are not sitting in a chemical soup bath. The chorine reading is typically taken 20 minutes after dosing. The reading will typically be near zero the next day. My owners manual states not to use a chlorine floater by the way. Good luck. It will get easier as you go.

[hottub.pool_boy]

you're not putting enough in after your soak.

[Brewman]

There are products like Swirl A Way that you can use to flush out your spa.
I'm not sure how well they work- those that use them swear by them.  I bought a bottle when I switched from Baqu to bromine.  Something to consider at your next water change, especially considering you got a demo spa.  You can't be sure how well the dealer kept the water.

[Vinny]

You really shouldn't be floating any chlorine - that's trichlor and it's not good for most tubs. There are some manufacturers that are OK with it but most are not.

Get rid of the "capfuls" and get measuring spoons - go to a $1.00 store and get a set. They come in a set of 1/4 teaspoon to 1 cup. Depending on the size in gallons of your tub you may need to use 1/4 or 3 tablespoons to achieve a 3 PPM chlorine reading BUT you have no idea how much a capful is.

Yes, you may have something growing in the pipes and I agree that you probably should use a product like swirl away but I think you need to REALLY chlorinate the tub with something like a cup of dichlor and a 24 hour disinfection along with running the pumps for at least an hour. During that time I would turn every knob that the tub has to get the superchlorinated water to touch every part under the water.

My tub sat at the dealer for at least a month while I finished up my project and I did exactly as I told you. Maybe it was (or is) overkill but I wanted to be safe rather than worry IF anyone will get the dreaded hot tub rash.

[Garyjr]

I have followed everyones advice (except I have not yet located a local dealer that has Swirl Away), and think we are getting closer to where we need to be.  My PH and AK are spot on.  Following our soak last night, I added 1 full teaspoon of chlorine and ran the tub through an entire cycle (20 minutes.)  As of this morning, my chlorine and free chlorine are both still right at 5.  So, after our next soak, I will try cutting my chlorine back some and see what happens.
Do I understand correct that ideally I want my chlorine levels to spike (5 to7)after we have soaked, and then pretty much burn out (0-3) before our next soak?  Or, do I really want to maintain a level of (3 to 5) at all times?
Thanks again,
Jr

[Bill_Stevenson]

You really want 3-5 ppm chlorine about 15 minutes after adding it.  The next morning it should have diminished quite a bit.  Then once a week you want to shock it with a big dose to burn off the chloramines.  Go to www.rhtubs.com, in the FAQs section get the Vermonter's water treatment program.

[drewstar]

My sister used my dichlor tub the saturday night and she must have really super chlorinated it after using it.

Sunday night my readings were still 3-5 ppm. I soaked in it and I am sorry i did. I am very sensitive to chlorine and my skin was dry and itchy this morning.


I add dichlor after soaking and test the water 10 minutes later.  Add enought dichlor to have a 5ppm reading 10  minutes after adding it, but should be Under 3ppm the next morning.

[Garyjr]

Pardon my ignorance, but I see dichlor mentioned all of the time in this forum.  Is dichlor another name for chlorine?  What my dealer provided me was SpaGuard Chlorinating Concentrate (instructed to use approx 1/4 scoop after each soak and 1 full scoop once a week.) Along with this, I am to use SpaGuard Spa Shock weekly.  I am assuming the SpaShock is just that, a shock, but why would I need to shock it and put in a heavy dose of Chlorine Concentrate weekly?  In an essence, am I not double shocking it by doing this?

Thanks,
Jr

[Gary]

Pardon my ignorance, but I see dichlor mentioned all of the time in this forum.  Is dichlor another name for chlorine?  
Thanks,
Jr

Dichlor is not another name for it, it is the type that is used in spa.