First time using Ahh-some. It's a horrow show.

[Red MC]

We've had a new hot tub for 4 months and we just changed the water for the first time.  After the initial fill, we've had occasional problems with foaming and some residual surface bubbles and scum, even though we've been keeping the water properly balanced and sanitized.  It's also been using more sanitizer than we were used to with our old tub.  We figured it was due to some residual something from production and a just first fill problem, but wanted to give it a good cleaning.

So, after a lot of reading, we decided to use Ahh-some when it was time to re-fill.  I followed the instructions which said to add 1 tablespoon per 300-350 gal and run all the jets for 30 min with the filters removed before draining.  That turned out to be a huge mistake.  The instructions warned about foaming, but I was still surprised by the 12-18 inch high pile of white foam it generated.

The bigger problem though is sticky green gunk.  It was all over the interior surfaces and jets after draining.  And it stuck like glue.  It took me an entire afternoon of scrubbing to clean it all off all the places and things I could see and reach.  But I knew there was more lurking in the jets and plumbing.  When I re-filled the spa, some of it came out of the jets, and stuck to the surfaces around the waterline.  So I had to drain the water again, clean everything I could, and now I'm in the middle of refilling again.  I can only imagine how much more of this crap is left in my plumbing and wondering if I'll ever get rid of it.

Ahh-some is doing the exact opposite of what a cleaning product should do.  A cleaner or detergent is supposed to remove contaminants from surfaces and hold it in suspension so that it can be drained and rinsed away.  This product did the exact opposite.  The water was clear when I put it in.  Ahh-some precipitated all this gunk out of the water and deposited it on every surface.  It's the anti-cleaner.

My recommendation is to avoid it at all costs.

[CanadianSpaTech]

Disagree 1000% it is hands down by far the best product available. You have to wipe down the side walls and surfaces as it drains. If you wait and it dries on then yes it will be hard to wipe off. All that gunk is the bio film and scum that is in your plumbing lines and it sounds like it is doing a great job. Couple of other things is 4 months is to long it should be done at 3 mths. How often do you clean your filter and are you using spa shock as part of your routine? As for foaming up that high did you have the air injection jets on because it is normally a low foam product if the air is off,

[Mikedee]

I have to agree with Canadian Tech...It is an awesome product..I've used it and believe me it really cleans out the plumbing lines..You can use one of those Mr. Clean ( or another brand)Magic Eraser sponges to get the hardened yuk off...MY other advice is call the Ahh-Some folk directly..When I used it the first time they gave me great advice and info about using the product ..Sometimes they don't answer but leave a message and they will call you back..Their contact info is on their website..Good luck

[Red MC]

I assumed this product was some kind of detergent.  A detergent (or more precisely a surfactant) breaks water surface tension and binds dirt/oil/scrum molecules to water molecules.  So the stuff you're trying to clean off is removed from surfaces and held in suspension within the water to be drained and rinsed away.

This product did the exact opposite.  It took something (presumably oil/film/gunk) that was suspended in the water and deposited it on all surfaces.  It didn't get gunk out of my plumbing, it put gunk into my plumbing where I can't clean it off.  At least I can clean off the shell and the outside of the jets.  I removed the jets.  They were previously clean inside before using the product.  Now they have spots of green goo inside that I can't reach, and I can see it in the plumbing behind the jets too.  There's also at least one jet that was flowing fine before using the product that's now weak.  And the green has the tint of copper oxide, so I hope this stuff wasn't eating away the inside of my heater.  EDIT: On second thought, iron oxide is more likely.  Perhaps a heavier than usual dose of metal remover will help get rid of the stuff I can't reach.

If that's what it's supposed to do, then it seems like a totally pointless and counter-productive product.  Why would you use such a thing?

To answer your questions, we usually shock weekly, clean filters monthly, and change the water after 3-6 months depending on how much we're using it and water quality.  We'll go through periods where we use it about 3 times per week, and then it's usually time for a water change after 3 months.  We'll go through other periods where we use it once a week or less, and will change the water after 6 months.  Our spa doesn't have a blower, but I did open the air valves per the product's instructions.

[CanadianSpaTech]

https://ahhsome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Ahhsome-Hot-Tub-Instructions-042420.pdf
I strongly suggest you give them a call directly with your concerns before you make judgement in a public forum. I have seen them around other forums and they are always very open and helpful. I am positive that if you contact them and explain your issues they will answer and address your situation. Then if you are not satisfied say so.

As a 25 year Service Tech I have successfully used this product HUNDREDS of times always with positive results. I hear over and over customers using less chemicals and easier to maintain water quality.
 
Let us know results.

[Tman122]

There are some good reviews out there of this product but IMO there are better commercial grade products out there that are harder to get and use/measure (they are designed for Hotel/Motel/Gym bigger plumbing systems) but they foam less and clean better. But they still take a couple fill and rinse and flush.