Clarifiers: Yes? No? Why?

[txwillie]

Do you use clarifiers? Sometimes? Often? Never? How have they worked for you?

Experiencing a bit of cloudiness. Wondering if I should try a clarifier or just shock it and see if that clears it up. After use Sunday morning I added some PH down (sodium bisulfate, I think) and dichlor. PH has been up around 8.0, and after adding some baking soda, TA is up to around 100. Sunday evening, after helping a friend move all day (dude, hire a flippin' mover) it was still cloudy. Will shock it after tonight's soak.

I've tried clarifiers B4 with not so great results. One product that I still have from the last tub clumped whatever was in the tub into a nasty, greasy, brown crud ring. I also have Sea Klear, that did not seem to do much at all. I have a Sundance Maxxus with the microclean filters and I'm afraid that clarifiers will clog the filter.

txwillie

[tony]

I use clarifiers but rarely.  To give you an idea of how much...I am on my second bottle in almost five years.  I use it when the water is hazy, not cloudy.  I use LeisureTime's product and it works well.  Water turns crystal clear.  When the water is cloudy, I generally shock and keep filtering.  Too much clarifier can cause more trouble than not using any.

[windsurfdog]

I find clarifiers work pretty well but should only be used if/when needed.  Their use should always be followed with a thorough cleaning of the filters as well as a thorough cleaning of the tub at the waterline where the goo will flock.  Dipping out the foam that will result is a good idea as well.  Shocking is always a good idea when confronting water clarity issues but it can take quite a while for the clarity to be restored.  Combining clarifier with a shock will get the water clear very quickly.

[lskarp]

I like my water crystal clear and I will use it at most once a month on non-water change months (every 3-4 months).  I mainly use it after I have a bunch of folks in the spa.  Chicks like to wear lotion and perfume, etc and they don't know any better so I don't make a stink.  I just drop in a couple of ounces of the leisure time product, turn on the jets for a bit, and skim off the sweet smelling nasty brown lotion slick.  

No biggie, but no need to use it all the time either, and I am pretty anal about the water (I filter 24X7)

[txwillie]

Guess my biggest concern is about the non-washable filters that Sundance uses getting clogged up by using the clarifier. Any Sundance dealers or owners wanna comment?

BTW, had some foam yesterday. Not sure how that came about. don't wear suits. Antiperspirant or hair products maybe? I shocked it last night. I'll see what it looks like when I get home this evening.

txwillie

[txwillie]

After the shock, the water was about perfect for last night's soak. Clear and the foam was gone. Gonna stay away from the clarifiers and antifoam agents. Dichlor, PH/TA modifiers and shock. That's all I'm putting in. On my first tub, I thought I needed clarifiers and such, but adding all that stuff just made things worse.

txwillie

[tony]

After the shock, the water was about perfect for last night's soak. Clear and the foam was gone. Gonna stay away from the clarifiers and antifoam agents. Dichlor, PH/TA modifiers and shock. That's all I'm putting in. On my first tub, I thought I needed clarifiers and such, but adding all that stuff just made things worse.

txwillie

Good to see your water is comming around.  Shock and bringing your sanitizer levels up to a healthy level will generally yield good results.  Clarifiers as a last effort.  As for the Sundance MC filter, I have not had any issue with clarifiers and the MC-1 filter, but that is changed every three to four months.  I can't comment on the MC-2 filter that you have, but I believe you are on the right track by keeping it as simple as possible.

[windsurfdog]

Here's my latest clarifier story as of yesterday:

Due to an unusually hectic schedule this week, I hadn't soaked nor even cracked the lid of the tub since Sunday evening.  Yesterday (Thursday) morning before work, I peeked in to see cloudy water and caught a whiff of a sour tub.  My mineral filters are due for a change and my water is about 3 months old so I wasn't surprised.  Got big plans for tub use this weekend and plan to change water the next weekend so I hit it with 2 tbsp. dichlor, ran an extra 2 hr. cleaning cycle, closed it up and went to work.  After returning from work, saw it was still cloudy.  Dumped in about 4 oz. of clarifier and let the pumps run with air on.  Scooped out and wiped off the green goo that coagulated, thoroughly rinsed the filters and in 30-45 minutes had a perfectly clear tub.  Made a martini, toasted Gary as promised ("Here's to you, Gar!") and enjoyed a wonderful and well deserved soak in a perfectly clear and clean tub.  This was the first time I've had to break out the clarifier in about a year and it worked perfectly.  8-)

[drewstar]

Here's my latest clarifier story as of yesterday:

Due to an unusually hectic schedule this week, I hadn't soaked nor even cracked the lid of the tub since Sunday evening.  Yesterday (Thursday) morning before work, I peeked in to see cloudy water and caught a whiff of a sour tub.  My mineral filters are due for a change and my water is about 3 months old so I wasn't surprised.  Got big plans for tub use this weekend and plan to change water the next weekend so I hit it with 2 tbsp. dichlor, ran an extra 2 hr. cleaning cycle, closed it up and went to work.  After returning from work, saw it was still cloudy.  Dumped in about 4 oz. of clarifier and let the pumps run with air on.  Scooped out and wiped off the green goo that coagulated, thoroughly rinsed the filters and in 30-45 minutes had a perfectly clear tub.  Made a martini, toasted Gary as promised ("Here's to you, Gar!") and enjoyed a wonderful and well deserved soak in a perfectly clear and clean tub.  This was the first time I've had to break out the clarifier in about a year and it worked perfectly.  8-)

Hey dog,  

What brand of clarifier are you using?

[windsurfdog]

Just some HTH that I picked up at my local Ace Hardware place...and, wouldn't you know it, John Madden wasn't there...