Original > Hot Tub Forum
Questions for Hot Spring Freshwater (salt) Owners
Steph135:
--- Quote from: BullFrogSpasMN on September 06, 2019, 01:08:34 pm ---
--- Quote from: Steph135 on September 05, 2019, 02:53:05 pm ---
After the boost cycle ends what is your chlorine reading at? What does it start at?
I started the boost on Sunday morning, and it was at 2. That afternoon around 3 pm I tested the chlorine levels again, and it was still at a 2.
The next morning after using it through the night with guests I set it on a boost again, and added additional chlorine, and let the jets run for about a half an hour. We didn't get cloudy water this time around.
Got a phosphate test kit, and phosphates tested at about 1500 ppm.
I guess we need to get our water tested for phosphates. that seems to be the last missing question we should get answered.
--- End quote ---
proper Phosphate levels are crucial for smooth operation of the salt system, if your levels are sky high it will really effect how well the system works. There are liquid phosphate removers or granular phosphate stabilizing products that pretty easy to use right after doing a fresh fill. Good Luck!
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tower210:
I have a hot springs Vanguard purchased new in April with the freshwater system.
We used once a week (Sundays) for about 2-3 hours with my wife & 2 kids. I shock after every use (and sometimes on the Wednesday if its not perfectly clear). Rotate and clean the filters.... Balance PH
We haven't ever seen chlorine show up on the strips more that for a week. Our AD has drained the tub; done some sort of special flush; and apparently changed all of the guts of the freshwater system electronics.... Still no Residual chlorine. They've tested the water multiple times.. Hardness hangs right at 25PPM. Salt is right in the middle of the range on the controller. They replaced one of the cartridges and told us it had some kind of scale on it (but not why).
6 months in, I'm pretty disappointed with the salt system... Don't want to have to run silver ion or some other mineral AND salt unless I have to (why did I buy salt; could have done this without it).....
My AD says they're waiting for HS to provide direction...
castletonia:
Has your dealer ever tested for phosphates? If the phosphates are high, above 500ppb, they are going to cause issues. Also, what are you shocking with? MPS, chlorine? If chlorine, what kind? Also, was the hot tub initially sanitized on startup with chlorine?
I probably have 50-60 customers with Freshwater Salt YTD and the amount that are experiencing issues are small. The ones that are have been a combination of reasons (high phosphates, high cya, improper water chemistry). I have had a few cartridges fail in the 3 month range, but I haven't had one actually not work at all and I have yet to have a bad power supply.
earesearch:
--- Quote from: d00nut on September 04, 2019, 12:56:28 pm ---
--- Quote from: Johnrb3 on September 03, 2019, 09:16:05 pm ---Castletonia, so even the chlorine generated by the salt system should show up as a reading on the test strips?
I knew that sounded fishy. I never have a chlorine reading and thought something was wrong with my brand new tub, but they said it was normal to not have a reading.
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If you have ozone with your Freshwater Salt System... you also won't have a chlorine residual. That's how we sell most of ours
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I have seen the same thing with an ozonator used in conjunction. I think the 03 (active ozone) burns up the free chlorine ions and it basically makes the saltwater system ineffective. I have had the system on my 2019 vangard (freshwater generator) and I keep an eye on it every few days. I am very dissapointed in the documentation with this system. Our system is used 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes or so. If you have an ozonator I believe the 03 reacts with the free chlorine and you'll never see it register properly and you'll also burn up the salt. I thought this might just be a fluke and within about a week the water went green with ozone only. Had to dump the water and restart. Don't use the MPS sanitizer as well; it will burn up the free chlorine as it's an oxidizer.
Here is how it's worked best for me thus far-
- Check the titanium cartridge for buildup every 2-3 weeks; if there is buildup use a paper towel to remove them completely. It looks like a calcium/salt mixture on the edges of the plates. The system will tell you to replace the cartridge every 3-4 months but it will work fine in my experience if you clean it. I'd suspect the real lifetime is about 6 months with a low bather load if you keep the setting below 5 on the control panel.
- If you use the hot tub for over 30 minutes with more than 2 bathers, use the boost mode option after you're done. If more than 2 bathers add 1/4 tsp of granulated chlorine when you're done. Going into the hot tub in the buff will reduce the other garabge you'll have to deal with (e.g. fabric softener, etc from clothes).
You will need to re-check the hot tub if not being used about every week to maintain this.
It's amazing that in the year 2019 that hot tub maintenance is a joke. You could pretty much get chlorine or bromine tablets which will dissapate the chlorine at a low level but will likely end up damaging the tub cover.
Overall the hot tub ownership experience is good in terms of dealing with sore backs from lots of computer work (programming) but for a busy family maintenance is really still a problem if you forget to go see how things are going every 4-7 days.
I'm actually looking to build a microcontroller based product to interact with the freshwater system over RS485 to detect bather load and regulate the chlorine level in a more linear manner instead of shocking the tub every other week. At some point, the total dissolved solids become a problem and will continue to burn up free chlorine as the spent up chlorine ions and other body oils increasily burn up the chlorine as the water ages. Looking to see if I can model this behavior and make a product to detect and automate loads. I'd personally love for owners of vacation homes to be able to leave the tub alone for 2-4 weeks and have the chlorine at least still .5 to 1ppm. I am sure vacation home owners with hot tubs either have to hire the equivalent of a pool man to maintain this if they live far away.
tower210:
I'll ask the question about if they have tested for phosphates? That wouldn't be part of my normal routine.
Shocking with Sodium Dichlor-S-tria Dihydrate.
First initial startup we would use the chlorine that came with the starter kit to get it going.
Appreciate the help.
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