Shock help

[MostlyLurkingGal]

I'm having trouble with keeping my water balanced. I only use test strips right now, but WILL get a Taylor test kit when I can. I do fine when I just soak and add my Tsp of dichlor after. I have trouble when I shock. I do as I have read....tried it with MSP once and with dichlor the other times. Everytime I shock, no matter what I use, my readings go off the chart and stay that way for days. I shocked Sunday night, and this morning I checked and both my chlorine and my Free chlorine are both off the charts...high end. Ph seems to have gone up too but  Alk reads ok. How long does the chlorine stay high like this? I hate having to wait days and days after I shock to use the tub. MPS did the same thing. I have a Jetsetter. Will I EVER get the hang of this??

[PotomacG]

You may be shocking too heavilly and/or too frequently.  If your bather load is light, you may be able to get away with a shock every other week.  If you're using dichlor as your daily sanitizer, I would shock with MPS (2 - 4 tbs depending on your tub size) every other week.   MPS might give you false chlorine readings, but I have read that it is safe to soak the same day you shock with MPS.  

Good luck!

[MostlyLurkingGal]

Thanks PotomacG....I need all the luck I can get!

[Tman122]

Thanks PotomacG....I need all the luck I can get!

I concur, with light use a shock may not even be needed everyother week maybe after 6-8 soaks. And you only need to achieve a Chlorine level of 10 PPM to shock with chlorine. Depending on your water volume that may only be a TBLS or 2 but could be a high as 3-4. I like to use 3 TBLS of MPS and 1 TBLS of dichlor. And for sure don't check PH or TA untill your chlorine is back down to 2 PPM or less.

[MostlyLurkingGal]

Thanks...It will probably be days before it goes down.  

[tileman]

I got in mine with a 6ppm FC yesterday. I shocked to a 10 but I couldn't wait any longer. If your not sensitive to clorine I'd do the same.

[hottubdan]

Shock with MPS.  You will get a false chlorine reading with MPS, but you can use the tub with that false reading.

Do you have ozone?

Are you using the AG+ (Nature2) cartridge?

[George]

I agree that you should shock with MPS, even though you can shock with Clorine I don't recommend it.  If the Clorine level is OK before you shock with MPS you can use the tub 30 minutes after shocking, you can get false levels after a shock, so check your ph, alkaline, and Clorine levels before shocking.

Shocking is to Oxidize the tub and needs to be done on a regular basis, if you have a low bather load, you may not need to shock every week, but don't go over 2 weeks between shocks even with a light bather load.

If you want to get your Clorine level down faster, you can disipate it quicker by running the jets with the air on and the cover open.  

[MostlyLurkingGal]

See....this is where I get all frustrated....last time I shocked with dichlor, I made the mistake of going into the tub a day or 2 later WITHOUT  testing, and I got what I guess is a chemical burn...was like a mild sunburn on my legs.  So I read everything I could here, and bought MPS. I shocked with that, and my readings went very high and lasted for a looong time. So this time I thought I'd try the diclor again, and again, readings are off the chart. I do fine between this darn shocking stuff.
I have a 2005 Jetsetter...I don't even know if it has ozone or not. I have a cartridge in the filter....whatever it is that Hotsprings sells. I feel like such a dumb blonde here, and I guess I am when it comes to this stuff. I just didn't think it would be this hard...sigh
I just went and tested it again..48 hours after shocking...and the total chlorine is way darker than the 10 on my test strip. Same with the free chlorine...no color dark enough to match it. PH and Alk read good. I took off the cover and am letting  the jets rip.
This is stressing me out...now I NEED my hot tub!!!
Thanks to all you helpful people!

[patty]

Hang in there MLG!  I found that shocking with MPS gives me high free chlorine readings too... not off the charts high, but WAY higher than I would expect given the amt of dichlor I use.   FWIW I shock in the morning or early afternoon, after the dichlor from the previous night has had a chance to dissipate.  I'd try shocking w/ MPS less frequently as folks here have suggested.   I've had my tub for just over a month now so I'm a total chem newbie (my tub is 485 gals).  From what I've read it's harder to manage a smaller tub... less volume.. less room for error.  Once you get the right chems down for your tub and usage it will be a piece of cake!  

[tileman]

See....this is where I get all frustrated....last time I shocked with dichlor, I made the mistake of going into the tub a day or 2 later WITHOUT  testing, and I got what I guess is a chemical burn...was like a mild sunburn on my legs.  So I read everything I could here, and bought MPS. I shocked with that, and my readings went very high and lasted for a looong time. So this time I thought I'd try the diclor again, and again, readings are off the chart. I do fine between this darn shocking stuff.
I have a 2005 Jetsetter...I don't even know if it has ozone or not. I have a cartridge in the filter....whatever it is that Hotsprings sells. I feel like such a dumb blonde here, and I guess I am when it comes to this stuff. I just didn't think it would be this hard...sigh
I just went and tested it again..48 hours after shocking...and the total chlorine is way darker than the 10 on my test strip. Same with the free chlorine...no color dark enough to match it. PH and Alk read good. I took off the cover and am letting  the jets rip.
This is stressing me out...now I NEED my hot tub!!!
Thanks to all you helpful people!

MLG, first off, even if it was a couple of days, never just get in the water (after you shock w/ dichlor) without testing the FC.
If you have a 10+ppm 48 hrs after shocking you are adding probably twice as much dichlor as needed.
If you haven't gone to rhtubs.com yet I would highly reccommend it. There is all kinds of info on the usage of dichlor. Specifically the "Vermonter Method".
All other readings besides chlorine will not be accurate w/ that high of a FC. Test ph and alk before shock and not again until FC is back down to about 3ppm.
You will feel much more comfortable with the accuracy of a Taylor kit opposed to those darn test strips. Their only about $30-$40 but are worth the price of my spa IMO.
BTW, if you have any problems finding what you need on rhtubs.com, let me know and I will be more than happy to assist you.

Chad

[PotomacG]

MLG,

Everyone here is pretty much in agreement.  Use a small amount of dichlor as your daily sanitizer after you soak (a la "vermonter method").  Only shock with MPS (maybe every 10 to 14 days) and stop worrying.  As MPS will give you a false high chlorine reading, you need not worry about using your tub the same day you use the MPS.  The key is, the right amount of chems based on how many gallons your tub holds (and adjusting up slightly when bather load increases).  

The only time you should think about super chlorinating (after initial fill) is when you have let your sanitizer level lapse and you are dealing with cloudy or green or smelly (you get the idea) unsanitary water.

Relax a bit and enjoy your tub.

PG

[hottubdan]

When you shock, how much MPS are you using?

If you have a constant stream of bubbles coming from the fitting on the floor (drain), you have ozone.

The cartridge (AG+) in your filter should be changed every 4 months, when you drain and refill.

[MostlyLurkingGal]

When you shock, how much MPS are you using?

If you have a constant stream of bubbles coming from the fitting on the floor (drain), you have ozone.

The cartridge (AG+) in your filter should be changed every 4 months, when you drain and refill.

This last time I shocked, I used 2 Tbsp. of dichlor....or approx 6 tsp. I just shocked because I read I should...not for any water problem I was having. The fitting on the floor is where my hot water comes in, but I don't see bubbles, which is why I'm not sure if I have ozone or not. Maybe Term can tell me if a 2005 Jetsetter has ozone.
I just tested again (with strips...Taylor kit HAS been ordered) Chlorine and free chlorine are still off the charts. Maybe by Thanksgiving I can soak again...waahhhhhhhhhhh      

[East_TX_Spa]

No ma'am, the Freshwater III Ozonator did not become standard equipment until 2006.  If there are no bubbles coming out of the drain, you probably do not have an ozonator installed.

Termy