Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Bonibelle on March 01, 2006, 10:29:36 pm
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I decided after 3 months, and not such good luck with my water management, I would drain and start fresh. It was about 35 degrees when I started to drain the tub this morning.
I used the hose from my pool vac and filled it with one jet until I had a good syphon going. It worked great. In about 20 minutes I had the tub drained to about 2 inches of water when I lost my syphon. I have a contraption on my outside spigot that splits into 2 hose hookups. I hooked my fill hose up and ran water into the tub then shut off the spigot and opened the other side of the contraption. The water syphoned out with no effort and I didn't have to suck up spiders trying to get a syphon going. I used a shower squeegy to clear off the seats and finished up with my shop vac. I wiped the tub down with IPA and started refilling right away. All in all , a pretty easy job. (much easier than cleaning my fish pond!)Just a bit cold to be barefooted. The hose splitter is a really easy, fast way to start a syphon if you are draining with a garden hose.
Things are up and running again but hubby will have to wait until tomorrow for 101 water, it is only about 89 right now. >:(
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Congrats Bonibelle,
35°F - Wow, that was chilly. Last month when I refilled, it was 40° and that was plenty called in shorts and bare feet. I also used the hose-to-jet method to get the syphone going. And a separate pump suckin' it out, too. They both worked really fast.
2 questions for you:
1) Tell us more about the 2 hose hookup connection. That caught my eye? Can you find a picture of it on the net or know what its called?
2) What is IPA? I haven't heard it mentioned before.
Thanks,
Phil
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1) Tell us more about the 2 hose hookup connection. That caught my eye? Can you find a picture of it on the net or know what its called?
The 2 hose hookup is a small Y fitting that screws onto your sillcock where you would attach your hose. It allows you to attach two hoses to one spigot. Its got two little levers that act as shutoff valves for each hose. Any harware store or Home Depot or Lowes has hundeds of them.
There is nothing like fresh water. We all get so used to the water slowly deteriorating that we don't notice how different it is to new water. Four months is max for me, not because I feel I need to change the water, but because new water is just so nice.
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Brass Y adapter at home depot...
Boni had a hose hooked to one side and nothing on the other. She ran water into her tub through the hose with the other side closed. After water was running into the tub she shut off the water and opened the valve where no hose was attached. It is actually a very good idea.
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...I wiped the tub down with IPA and started refilling right away....
I wipe my down with a pilsner. ;)
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Boni...glad to hear the refill went well. I'm thinking of going to dichlor with my next refill. There's a good post from Tony in the Spa Frog King Tech thread. I'll have to think about it...
I hope all goes well for you now. Stay warm!!
Oh...is anyone else viewing this in "widescreen"? Why is that?
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I'm in widescreen too. I hate when that happens. Don't know why.
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I'm in widescreen too. I hate when that happens. Don't know why.
I think it was the URL I posted. I removed it and it went back to 'normal'...
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Perk, on that Y adapter (sorry my description wasn't too good, Phil), you can also hook up a hose and send that water away from your house. Since my other hose was frozen solid, I had no choice but to let it run out at the spigot. I diverted it from my foundation with my kids plastic snowboard ::)..you wouldn't want that much water running along your foundation as it could potentially end up in your basement. Also, if you use the Y contraption, always be sure to open both walves as water trapped inside could freeze and ruin your frostfree spigot and again you get a basement full of water. I have also found that quick connects on the hoses help (my hands don't work too well in the cold).
Tony, my hubby said the new clean water was like having the clean sheets on the bed that were dried on the clothes line, crisp and smelling really fresh! ;D
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I decided after 3 months, and not such good luck with my water management, I would drain and start fresh.
Boni,
Are you giving dichlor/Nature 2 a try now or sticking with bromine still?
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Boni, best of luck on the new balancing act! Maybe the first time was rough due to cruddies from the factory.... ::) THIS time, though...we expect to hea that you've got perfectly balanced water, clean and shiny and melt in your mouth good! ;D ;)
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This is the hose thingy, Phil ;)
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2162/hose3zp.jpg
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OK, da%n it, why does this work some times and not other times????
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Huh??
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my pictures, Cappy, sometimes they post correctly, but not today, there must be something in this coffee that my hubby is feeding me...I can't think straight
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Boni,
Are you giving dichlor/Nature 2 a try now or sticking with bromine still?
*poke* so? bromine again?
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Sorry, I was so worried about that darn picture for Phil, I missed that question. I did stick with the frog..only because I have several left that I purchased along with a new mineral cartridge. My dealer gave me a special price for buying so many at a time. I really think that I will switch over my next water change. I like the thought of soaking in less chemicals. And at least there is some rhyme and reason to what you all do. I feel like I am still in the dark with the frog either toooooo much bromine or it drops like a rock and clouds my tub. Like Phil and Snyper, I don't feel good about generating so much plastic trash that realistically could easily be refilled and reused if the manufacturer allowed it. But all things considered, I honestly don't think the technology of the frog is "there" yet (or perfected). The concept is good and obviously it works as a floating system in pools but not as a built in in spas where the injection of the bromine is dependent on the water flow generated by the pump system. Marquis guys....am I right that when ever pump 1 runs, the bromine is being added to the water? Or does that water flow into the frog well only occur when the tub is in a clean cycle? I guess I should try not to solve King's problems and address my own...Spa Tech, I will most likely switch when my cartridges are gone. ;)
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Just missing the IMG brackets...
(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2162/hose3zp.jpg) :)
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Thank you Drew, I knew someone would rescue me! ;)
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Boni...I don't know if I read it in the manual or where but my understanding is the bromine is released whenever the pumps or jets are on.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
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Boni,
You may also want to check to see if changing chems will void any warranty you may have. I doubt it, but you never can be sure.
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Thanks Snyper, I don't think it will but I will check.
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Ok, so Cappy, if you open you lid and turn on the jets to "gas off" some of the bromine aren't you also continually adding more? Unless you can only run that #2 pump, you would be continually adding more bromine.
This is what is making this whole frog thing such a PIA to me. You need to pull out the cartridge before trying to gass off the bromine... ::)
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Tony, my hubby said the new clean water was like having the clean sheets on the bed that were dried on the clothes line, crisp and smelling really fresh! ;D
That's it! What a great way to describe it.
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You certainly have a point there, Bonibelle! I've just been doing what my dealer instructions say to do. I could be wrong about how the hot-tub dispenses the bromine.
I've done pretty well with the water but that could be because the tub doesn't get used a lot. I do like the idea of not "bathing in chemicals" so once my bromine is gone I will consider changing.
Hey...I liked that sheet analogy too!! Nothing like the feel of clean sheets!
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I especially love clean sheets dried on the clothes line.
And I will be having that experience even more often given my last electric bill!! Actually, I prefer to dry my laundry on the line.... ;)