Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Gibson00 on January 16, 2022, 06:50:20 pm
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Really not sure what is causing this...
Water 1 month old with Spa Marvel added. Last maybe 10 days I notice the water looks fine, chemical levels good, but the steam off the water has a chemical smell to it.
So I shocked it to 12ppm with dichlor yesterday. Fast forward to tonight, levels (taylor test kit) are:
chlorine - 3.5ppm
TA - 90
ph - 7.6
Steam still has chemical smell. What am I missing?? I never really use MPS, just dichlor. Should I try a shock with MPS, would that clear up something that chlorine doesnt, that could be causing the smell?
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What is your CYA level and the CC level? Using dichlor to get your FC that high would raise that CYA way high which will counter act the FC to a degree. The smell I'm thinking is a high CC level.
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OK just took three readings with my taylor kit...
free chlorine - 2.5ppm
combined chlorine - 1ppm
CYA - 65
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When do you add your dichlor or bleach?
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I typically add dichlor after bathing. Usually with the goal to raise it up to roughly 4-5ppm, which would then be back down to 1-3ppm when we get in the next day.
And shock to about 12ppm maybe every 10 days.
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So your Combined chlorine is a bit high at 1 and the CYA is high at 65, I keep mine closer to 30. If you switch to straight liquid chlorine instead of the dichlor you wont keep raising your CYA. I haven't shocked my tub in 10 months, no need.
Here is a good read if you are interested, https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/how-do-i-use-chlorine-in-my-spa-or-pool.9670/
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I'm confused as to why you would never need to shock your tub? Even using bleach, wouldn't you still be getting a buildup of chloramines that need to be shocked out every so often??
I've read the info in that link, and as far as I can tell I'm pretty much doing what it says:
"Never let FC drop to Zero for any length of time. Keep it between 3-6 ppm normally, min of 1 ppm, and shock to 12 ppm once a week."
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I have an ozone system that eats a lot of it, and sunny days I'll leave the cover off it and the UV will eat them too.
And if you are still using the dichlor you are missing a bit, once your CYA gets up to 30 or so you need to switch to straight liquid chlorine so your CYA doesn't keep rising.
Once I get it to that level the only things I use in the tub are liquid chlorine, muriatic acid, and the occasional Total alkalinity increaser in case I knocked it down to far with the MA.
And I dont shock my tub because it doesn't need it, CC's never get above .6 or .8 and like I said if it does I take the top off for a few hours which takes care of it. Dont shock it due to a schedule someone wrote down (that's what the chemical sellers want you to do) , only shock it if it needs it. At least that's the way I do it.
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OK, thanks.
I had been trying the dichlor to bleach method, but like some others have experienced, the bleach (plain clorox) would always push my ph way up, so I was constantly having to add ph down. I just ended up going back to dichlor...