Original > Hot Tub Forum
General question on enzyme products;
Sam:
--- Quote from: swilly1000 on December 29, 2018, 07:35:02 am ---I've been using Spa Marvel since day 1, which was only three months ago. Not trying to stir up controversy (lol) but here's Chris Wheatley's instructions for the product:
SPA MARVEL QUICK AND EASY DIRECTIONS
Cleanse your tub (not necessary for a new tub)
1. Remove Filters
2. Pour the full bottle of CLEANSER in your tub
3. Run your jets on high for 1-2 hours then allow to circulate for 23 hours.
4. Drain and rinse thoroughly, clean the cover.
5. Refill the tub
Spa Marvel Startup
1. Heat water to desired temp
2. Prime pumps after turning on power(turn both pumps on high speed)
3. Run pumps for 20 minutes
4. Use test strips to test water
5. Balance alkalinity to 150 (turn jets on for a few minutes after adding Alka Boost each time)
6. Run pumps for 5 min
7. Balance ph to 7.6 – 8.2
8. Fill floating dispenser with chlorine tablets and set to the first break in the threads (see image)
9. Add Full bottle of Spa Marvel, Run pumps for 30 Min (Wait the 30 minutes before getting in)
Weekly
1. Make Sure floating dispenser always has chlorine tabs in it
2. put 1 capfuls of shock (1cap/4-6 people) or at the end of each day used..
3. use test strips provided to test water 1 time per week and balance alkalinity and ph if needed
** Add Spa Marvel Water Treatment every three months.
**RINSE YOUR FILTERS WEEKLY (not the mineral filter)
**EVERY 8-10 WEEKS SOAK ONLY THE BLUE FILTERS IN A PLASTIC PAIL WITH THE FILTER CLEANER FOR 24 HOURS (DOING THIS YOU SHOULD GET 12 TO 18 MONTHS OUT OF YOUR FILTERS). NEVER SOAK THE GREY COLORED FILTER (THIS HAS TO BE REPLACED EVERY 6-8 MONTHS DEPENDING ON USAGE).
**IGNORE THE CHLORINE or bromine LEVEL ON YOUR TEST STRIPS, THE SPA MARVEL REGULATES THE CHLORINE AS NECESSARY SO THE LEVEL SHOWING ON THE STRIPS WILL NEVER BE ACCURATE
** IF YOU MUST WEAR CLOTHES IN THE TUB PLEASE WASH WITH MINIMAL AMOUNTS OF DETERGENT AND ALWAYS DO A SECOND RINSE, THE JETS ARE POWERFUL THEREFORE THEY PULL SOAP FROM THE CLOTHES AND IT’LL MAKE YOUR WATER FOAMY!!
**IT’S SMART TO ONLY TEST YOUR WATER ONCE PER WEEK. ENVIRONMENT AND CONDITIONS CAN SLIGHTLY ALTER THE PH AND ALKALINITY BUT THIS CORRECTS ITSELF WHEN THE JETS ARE RUNNING. YOU DON’T WANT TO OVERDOSE YOUR WATER WITH CHEMICALS.
--- End quote ---
As tman said, if you remove the spa marvel from this setup it would still work perfectly. You are using a floating dispenser and shock after each use, so honestly this is even more work than a standard floating dispenser system which really only requires shocking every 1-2 weeks. From my experience, these systems don't do much outside of making the water feel a bit "softer", which may be a perfectly good reason to use them. Anything beyond that is just marketing in my experience, as evidenced by the fact that they want you to still have a floating chlorine tab and shock after each use.
And as stated by others, if that really is a chlorine tablet, you probably voided your warranty. Trichlor is a terrible thing to use in a hot tub and is listed in most warranties for a reason. It's a very acidic form of chlorine and is meant to dissolve at the proper rate in colder water. Floaters tend to gravitate towards the filter area in most spas since that is where the suction is. This means that heavily chlorinated, highly acidic water goes straight to your heater. The heater tube is stainless in pretty much every single spa, which will just rust out and leak near the terminals most likely.
I strongly advise the use of some other sanitize over trichlor. People who use it may think, "I've used it for a year with no problems so this must be b.s.". The reality is that the corrosion does not happen overnight. Maybe your heater will last 2 years instead of 10 or something along those lines. Well if it fails under warranty, when you dealer sends the heater back to the manufacturer they will almost certainly deny the claim.
bud16415:
--- Quote from: bachman on December 30, 2018, 02:48:08 pm ---bud,
That's a funny story, yet characterizing the way things really are as we absorb bits and pieces here and there. Appreciate your input just the same and I am absolutely confident your word of mouth variations are just what I'd get as I talk to more and more folks.
Thanking the Lord this isn't life - threatening stuff LOL !!
--- End quote ---
At first I was baffled by all the methods but as Sam mentioned above I think it boils down to most people with the very unscientific approach are successful because they are over sanitizing in some form or another. The guy that I humorously mentioned using a palm full of something he had in a big bag also told me he lets the single neighbor woman use his tub in the evening for skinny dipping, and she also sanitizes the tub. So he has two people caring for the tub and no one ever testing it. So I guess they keep adding until it burns their eyes and then back off.
Lots of places use bleach in very high concentrations for cleaning and people get it on their skin and normally don’t have issues. I’m sure the human body can tolerate much higher ppm than are needed to keep a tub healthy. It’s just hard on the tub and hard on the body and a waste of product.
My problem getting started was just the opposite I was attempting to keep my level absolutely at the minimum amount and in doing that I had no room to drop at all, and when it did I had problems. Hotels and public spas do the opposite and run super high. After owning a hot tub I will no longer ever use a public tub again. I’m even careful with using friends and families tubs that I don’t trust they maintain correctly.
swilly1000:
For greater certainty, I don't follow those instructions vis a vis chlorine tablets. I was interested in trying it until I read all the advice here not to use them. I use dichlor after most soaks.
I think I may oversanitized at some point because I had a high cyuranic acid reading (over 159) when I got my water tested two days ago. I read that the only way to rectify that is to dump the water but it's only three months old and I was hoping to get to six months before changing it. Should I be changing the water now?
My ph was a little high at 8.4 and alkalinity was 158 so I added some ph decreaser. I don't think the test strips are distinct enough to give a good reading as to whether I've properly balanced the water. I'm always unsure because the colour changes in the scale are gradual and the strip is not always clear cut. I feel like it's bit more art vs science at home using test strips.
bud16415:
--- Quote from: swilly1000 on December 31, 2018, 11:20:17 am ---For greater certainty, I don't follow those instructions vis a vis chlorine tablets. I was interested in trying it until I read all the advice here not to use them. I use dichlor after most soaks.
I think I may oversanitized at some point because I had a high cyuranic reading (over 159) when I got my water tested two days ago. I read that the only way to rectify that is to dump the water but it's only three months old and I was hoping to get to six months before changing it. Should I be changing the water now?
My ph was a little high at 8.4 and alkalinity was 158 so I added some ph decreaser. I don't think the test strips are distinct enough to give a good reading as to whether I've properly balanced the water. I'm always unsure because the colour changes in the scale are gradual and the strip is not always clear cut. I feel like it's bit more art vs science at home using test strips.
--- End quote ---
What I do sometimes especially in the cold winter months to get things lowered like you have is to do a partial fill. Drain the tub down a third to half and then refill it.
They say the solution to pollution is delusion.
The problem you have with high CYA is because CYA / stabilizer is added to dichlor for swimming pools. Sunlight breaks it down and it needs replenished. In a covered hot tub there is little sunlight so it builds up. That’s why when I reach 50ppm I switch to liquid bleach. It is cheaper and has no CYA. If it drops down to 40ppm I will use dichlor for a few days and when it hits 50ppm switch back to bleach. Shock about every other week with non chlorine shock.
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