Hot Tub Forum

Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: windsurfdog on March 29, 2007, 02:05:41 pm

Title: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: windsurfdog on March 29, 2007, 02:05:41 pm
Last night I decided to get a jump on the planned refill of my tub that was to happen this Sat.  I drained and started a fresh fill like this:

(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w136/windsurfdog/Dirty%20Water/62d87e55.jpg)

I noticed that the water looked a bit dirty but, knowing that major underground construction is happening in the neighborhood, I didn't worry about a "little" dirt in solution.

(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w136/windsurfdog/Dirty%20Water/cadb7af4.jpg)

But this water was looking like it had a bit more than just a "little" dirt in it.  I had to decide, "Should I abandon the fill, drain and wait for Saturday?"  I decided to continue on and really test the filtration system of the tub.

(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w136/windsurfdog/Dirty%20Water/f091907a.jpg)

MY GOODNESS!  I flush anything that looks like this!  Maybe I should abandon this fill but the water is already in my heater and pumps and plumbing.  I'm guessing that circulating this stuff is better than letting the residual just sit the pipes, pumps and heater.  We'll really test this filtration system this time.

(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w136/windsurfdog/Dirty%20Water/b9f9c418.jpg)

After 45 minutes of circulation, I cleaned the filters and closed the lid letting the filters and the heater do their thing overnight.  Upon inspecting the next morning, I found the following water at 99 degrees:

(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w136/windsurfdog/Dirty%20Water/517f19e4.jpg)

I cleaned the filters once more then jumped in for a nice "1st" soak.

Of course, I called the municipal water supplier about the time of the 2nd picture above to let them know of the situation.  My darling child bride and daughter decided to go to Grandma's for baths and we didn't wash any whites that night, to say the least.  The next morning, the water out of the tap was much clearer...I guess I bled all of the dirt out with the 450 gallon fill.

Anyway, thought you might be interested.

BTW, what would you have done...continue the fill or abandon?

Happy Thursday!  8-)
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: drewstar on March 29, 2007, 02:27:13 pm
Dog,


What type of tub is that again?  How many gallons? Did yo run the big pumps all night, or a circ pump?

/Hopefully I'll get to my refill this weekend.  :)
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: windsurfdog on March 29, 2007, 02:43:42 pm
drewstermeister,
It's a MasterSpas LSX--450 gallons.  There is a 24 hr. circ pump with one fliter system dedicated to it.  One of the therapy pumps has the other filter system dedicated to it.  The therapy filter pump (for lack of a better name) normally runs 2 hours starting at midnight and 2 hours starting at noon.  I ran the therapy filter pump for 2 hours as the tub was heating (starting around 6:30 p.m.)  It then ran again for its normal 2 hour cycle at midnight.  So four hours of therapy filter pump and about 11 hours of circ pump filtration cleaned the tub as seen in the last pic.
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: Richs100 on March 29, 2007, 03:34:00 pm
Windsurfdog:

In what part of Calcutta do you live?   :) ;)

That makes my well water look like Perrier!
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: stuart on March 29, 2007, 03:34:11 pm
Oh yeah sure...Great way to pull off the old before, after and before picture trick! ;)

Hey for all of my problems and dislikes for Master Spa as a company that filteration system seems to work great. A bit expensive to replace but works good....

Do you have the large flat pre-filter ontop of yours?
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: windsurfdog on March 29, 2007, 04:19:02 pm
Quote
Oh yeah sure...Great way to pull off the old before, after and before picture trick! ;)

Hey for all of my problems and dislikes for Master Spa as a company that filteration system seems to work great. A bit expensive to replace but works good....

Do you have the large flat pre-filter ontop of yours?
Man, if only I were as good as Term with photoshop I could really make that LSX hum!

Yeah, I've got the flat one still on top though it really doesn't do much if anything in my application.  I see it as catching leaves and other large flotsam but since there are no trees around my deck at all, I really don't see it catching anything.  BTW, I left it off last night when I was filtering the brown water...didn't figure it would help much but still have to be rinsed.

Also, I don't think the MS filtration system did anything that any other reputable manufacturer's filtration system wouldn't do...it's just nice to put it to the test and see it work well.

Now for those white shirts I need to wash...
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: Gary on March 29, 2007, 04:20:11 pm
Do not take this the wrong way but most spas would do the same thing. I have a customer with a 1988 500-gallon spa with only a 25SQ FT filter and it has cleaned up water as bad as that if not worse.
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: windsurfdog on March 29, 2007, 04:23:39 pm
Quote
Windsurfdog:

In what part of Calcutta do you live?   :) ;)

That makes my well water look like Perrier!
I  should've known better than to fill straight out of the Ganges... :P
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: windsurfdog on March 29, 2007, 04:26:04 pm
Quote
Do not take this the wrong way but most spas would do the same thing. I have a customer with a 1988 500-gallon spa with only a 25SQ FT filter and it has cleaned up water as bad as that if not worse.
Gar,

You must've been composing this post as I was posting the one before it... ;)
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: Reese on March 29, 2007, 05:00:21 pm
Quote
...BTW, what would you have done...continue the fill or abandon?
Pretty impressive, even if "most spas would do the same thing". ;)  Did the filters rinse clean, or did you have to chemically clean them?  Never having seen a tub that looked like it was filled with Starbucks leftovers... I probably would have aborted the fill, in fear of staining the shell or filter, but that obviously wasn't necessary.  I also would have expected it would take much longer to clear up, and required some chemical magic in addition to filtration.  Thanks for sharing (although I hope I never have to use this info)! :)
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: Richs100 on March 29, 2007, 06:37:21 pm
Windsurfdog:

Did you take any pictures of your filters before you washed them out?  
They must have been a nice shade of brown!  Did they clean up all right?

Rich
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: Vinny on March 29, 2007, 07:46:16 pm
WSD,

I know that if this came out of a HS a lot of people (read - dealers) would be posting up the wazoo about how great the 100% no bypass filteration is superior to all the others. Maybe even a diagram would have been posted! ;) ;D

I for 1 am impressed that any tub/filter can clean up that mess of water.

If ever my water comes out looking like that - I'll have you bring your tub so you can filter my water!!! ;D

Vinny
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: Tatooed_Lady on March 29, 2007, 09:16:27 pm
Our water is like that even without local construction stirring up "stuff". It's got a bunch of crud that clouds the water as well as making it rusty colored, as well....I posted several pics awhile ago showing how bad it really is here.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/TatooedLady/DSCF0168.jpg)
I'm impressed with filtration that works this well, regardless of bypass or otherwise...but that's just me.
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: windsurfdog on March 30, 2007, 08:43:37 am
Reese,

The filters just rinsed clean...and the color of the rinse water was almost opaque and almost orange in color...YUCK!  And, yeah, I thought about the shell being stained as well but I guessed it was just dirt suspended in the water and hoped it wouldn't stain...thank goodness my hopes were realized.  I'm not so sure Starbuck's wouldn't leave a nice brown tint, though... ;)


Rich,

Yeah, I should've taken some picks of the filters but I'm sure  the visual is not hard to imagine.  They rinsed very nicely.  BTW, I have 2 sets of the big filters and about 3 old sets of the mineral filters.  I used old mineral filters and swapped the big filters with each rinse.  I went by the dealer yesterday and got a couple of new mineral filters and installed them last night.


Vinny,

The HS system, just like most other systems, would have done the same job...but the hype may have been a little louder... ;)  I rinsed a few needles ad beer cans out of my filters during the ordeal... :D  And I'd be honored to filter your fill water for you...just let me know the next time you fill!  ;D


TL,

Wow...I hate it for you.  It really makes it a bit tougher to fill with the extra filter rinsing but it's nice to know that we can count on our filtration systems to get the job done.   8-)
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: East_TX_Spa on March 30, 2007, 10:40:16 am
The water sure does look clear!

However, the question remains the same as it always has: where did all of the nastiness go? :) ;) :D ;D :o

Terminator
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: Chas on March 30, 2007, 12:55:16 pm
Sorry to hear it took so long...

 ;)


 8-)
Title: Re: How 'bout this for excellent filtration?
Post by: windsurfdog on March 30, 2007, 01:31:37 pm
Quote
The water sure does look clear!

However, the question remains the same as it always has: where did all of the nastiness go? :) ;) :D ;D :o

Terminator

Eventually, in the filter and eventually from there, on the ground...those needles were a bit nasty, though... ::)


Quote
Sorry to hear it took so long...

 ;)


 8-)

Chas, you are and will always be the wittiest of the bunch...though drewstar is close on the trail!   ;D