Is this normal?

[tuggnet]

I'm having a bit of a problem with cloudy water in my Grandee.  My wife and I are in the tub almost everynight and after our soak, I put in .4 oz (dry) diclor and usually shock about every week with 1.5 oz (dry) diclor.  The water is crystal clear!

Now, here's the problem, if I go 2 days without using the tub or adding diclor, I get the start of clody water.  It clears up with additional diclor in a day or so.

I'll be changing the water this Saturday because it's time, but I thought I should be able to go several days without using the tub before the water goes cloudy.

If I go on vacation, how would I prevent this from happening?

Is it possible I'm not using enough diclor after each soak? or perhaps my TDS is just way high?

Thanks!

[kervis]

I just had to use a double dose of bright and clear.  It produced a bit of foam with a LOT of yucky, yellow, slimy scum which I assume is a fine collection of lotion and hair products.  

An hour later, the water was nice and clear.  I assume that it had just gotten overloaded with gunk and clouded.  

I wonder:   if I had been adding more dichlor after each use, would it still have clouded like that?  We had been using it more and I think I got behind on my dichlor.  I never did check with my kit.

[tuggnet]

I use a Taylor kit and check levels about every 3 days.  TC: 1ppm and FC: .5ppm (I think I got those numbers right)  Leaving CC: .5

I usually check at about 1800 (almost 24 hours after adding diclor) so I assume those numbers are okay

[Chris_H]

I would try this:  Keep your chlorine dosing the same, but instead of hitting the clean button when exiting the spa use one of the jets button.  This will run the filters for two hours instead of ten minutes and will filter the water probably like 100 times in that time frame instead of 5 times (made those numbers up).  The added electrical will be minimal.

Two other things if your usage is as high as it is:
You should be draining and refilling religiously every 90 days.
You should be cleaning your filters religiously every 30 days.

[SerjicalStrike]

Test the water 10 minutes after adding chlorine.  See if you get the level up to the 3-5 range.  If you are not, you are not adding enough chlorine.

[hot tub Frank]

I agree
clean your filter more often. You will be suprised what comes out of them.

[Vinny]

[size=16]Welcome to my world![/size]
 

I have the same problem and I have no clue why.

I don't know how large a Grandee is but 0.4 oz is slightly less than 1 tablespoon and that should give you approx 4 PPM and shocking with dichlor weekly will probably bring you to about 10 PPM ... both are enough for effective sanitizing.

Cleaning filters may help but I get it after cleaning filters too!Tub's only a year old and I have 2 sets of filters. Lately I've taken to dipping them overnight in filter cleaning solution to make sure their really clean.

As far as filteration is concerned, I would think that if your using the tub (remembering that you have 100% no bypass filteration) with the jets on, your filtering a lot of water. Running a clean up cycle for 10 min with 200 gallon a minute give 2000 gallons of water filtered should be enough. For me my circ pump circulates a lot of water (anywhere from 11 GPM to 30 (probably not that high)). With 11 GPM, I filter my 400 gallons every 40 minutes, if it's higher I filter more.

There is a formula for changing water:

# of days = (1/3 volume)/(max # of daily bathers)

If I ever figure it out I'll be extremely happy!!

But for vacation shock the tub and hope for the best ... I got 4 whole days this past vacation! Whoppee!

[hottub.pool_boy]

If it's time to change the water, your TDS is probably high affecting the chlorine's ability to do its job. A water change should get you 3-4 days without adding chlorine. Add an ozone, you can go weeks unused, water still clear.

[Vinny]

If it's time to change the water, your TDS is probably high affecting the chlorine's ability to do its job. A water change should get you 3-4 days without adding chlorine. Add an ozone, you can go weeks unused, water still clear.

BS ... BS ... BS ... BS ... OZONE ALERT!!!

Although I'm not saying that it can't happen, Don't go there with ozone. People can go for days without it too. It's got to be something in the water. It could be TDS but at least for me, I can go 1 week into a water change and then it happens.

[tuggnet]

Well, I tend to keep my filters pretty clean.  I can't put them in the dishwasher because of the type I have (F&P dish drawer) but I do hose them off about every 2 weeks.

Oh, and I do have ozone.  Anyway, I'll do my water change this Saturday and hope for the best.

cheers

[hotelier]

Have you used any kind of filter cleaner?  I recommend soaking your filters overnight in a water and dishwasher powder solution and then rinsing well.  Your filters will get a buildup of oils & such that just hosing off won't get out.

[lskarp]

When my water starts to cloud more than usual or remain cloudy after teh jets are shut off, I will throw in some Clarifier..  I use the Leisure Time brand.  Drop that in and run the jets.  It will foam up and have this cheesy looking stuff in it, but it will probably smell good, probably like the lotion that your wife wears.  I skim that off as best i can.  Then, run the filter for a while, cut the breaker and rinse your filter!!!  I also usually use spray cleaner.  The next day, you will be banging clear again.

I am on my first water and approx 4 months soakign 3-5 times per week.  No matter what you tell your wife and friends, they will go in the water with lotion and it will cloud your water...  

[tuggnet]

Have you used any kind of filter cleaner?  I recommend soaking your filters overnight in a water and dishwasher powder solution and then rinsing well.  Your filters will get a buildup of oils & such that just hosing off won't get out.

No, not yet.  I'll do that this weekend also.

Thanks for the advice guys

Cheers

[Vinny]

Well, I tend to keep my filters pretty clean.  I can't put them in the dishwasher because of the type I have (F&P dish drawer) but I do hose them off about every 2 weeks.

Oh, and I do have ozone.  Anyway, I'll do my water change this Saturday and hope for the best.

cheers

Well, I guess this ain't a good advertizement for 100% no by pass filtration and HS ozone!    

Of course I have the same problem ....

[gturn]

I'm having a bit of a problem with cloudy water in my Grandee.  My wife and I are in the tub almost everynight and after our soak, I put in .4 oz (dry) diclor and usually shock about every week with 1.5 oz (dry) diclor.  The water is crystal clear!

Now, here's the problem, if I go 2 days without using the tub or adding diclor, I get the start of clody water.  It clears up with additional diclor in a day or so.

I'll be changing the water this Saturday because it's time, but I thought I should be able to go several days without using the tub before the water goes cloudy.

If I go on vacation, how would I prevent this from happening?

Is it possible I'm not using enough diclor after each soak? or perhaps my TDS is just way high?

Thanks!

What are your other levels like?  If ph is to low the clorine will use itself up quickly and not do its job, if ph is to high your clorine will mostly turn to an oxidizer.  If you keep adding chemicals with poor ph counts you will get a high count of total chemicals in the water. If clacium is low you can have all kinds of problems.  Clorine if very sensative to ph levels.  If all the other levels are OK and you still have the same problem start over with a water change.  Do try cleaning the filters first, try soaking your filters overnight in 5 gallons of water with 1 cup of dishwasher detergent, (make sure you use Dishwasher detergent not liquid dish soap) that will remove all the oils and lotion buildup, then spray them out with a garden hose.  Hope yours isn't one of those tubs with 5 filters in it, that could take forever to get them all cleaned up.  Good luck.