Flakes In Hot Tub Water
by Don
Recently we are starting to see flakes in the tub. The flakes only occur after the jets are turned on. The pH is kept high at 8.4 in order for the natural enzyme chemicals in the pool to work. I was told the flakes are due to calcium deposits in the piping and that the jets wash them out when they are turned on. The filter cannot remove the flakes fast enough. I have recently added 6oz muriatic acid to the tub and will wait 1 hr before circulating the water through the piping by running the pumps. Then I will test for acidity and alkalinity and repeat the process to reduce alkalinity if required. Will balancing alkalinity this way eliminate the flakes? What should I use to clean the piping if it is a calcium buildup problem? Thank you Don Thanks for the question Don First we need to know what you're dealing with, whether the flakes are organic or inorganic. Get about 4 - 8oz. of hot tub water. Try to scoop up some flakes and put them in the container. Put 15 - 20 drops of bleach or liquid chlorine in the container, gently mix, and allow to sit for 30 minutes. If the flakes disappear, it's organic, which probably means white water mold. You can go here to learn how to get rid of that: Water Mold..Spa..Hot Tub Troubleshooting..Questions.. If the flakes stay, it's probably calcium and/or mineral. To get rid of any calcium build-up around the water line you can normally use either a pumas stone or a ceramic brush along with a muriatic acid/water solution. 4 parts water to 1 part acid. Be sure to wear goggles and rubber gloves. Swimming Pool Supplies Also wear old clothing (long sleeve shirt and jeans) that you wouldn't mind getting stained or bleached out because of the acid. To get rid of any possible calcium build-up in the pipes, you can add a quality Mineral Treatment, to help sequester the calcium, on a regular basis. Over a period of time, this treatment can actually slowly dissolve calcium scale deposits. I would encourage you to get an FAS-DPD K-2006 Taylor test kit. It's the best on the market. Water Testing Kit..Swimming Pool..Water Hardness..Cyanuric Acid..Chlorine.. Being that you're using a hot tub enzyme you do want to keep the pH between 7.8 - 8.2. The Taylor kit does go up to 8.0 (very bright purple/red) but anything over that you're pretty much guessing at the pH level. Try to not go over 8.2 if you can help it. Test your tap water as well. High calcium fill water might be an issue so you may need to drain and refill your hot tub from time to time as the hardness level increases. Try to not use any products that will increase the hardness such as calcium hypochlorite (chlorine granules). Get the alkalinity between 80 - 100ppm. 120 is fine but try to not go over too much. The link has the charts you need. Pool Alkalinity..Alkalinity Increaser..Adjusting..Lower Levels Getting the alkalinity in check will not help with the calcium issue. You need to try to keep the calcium down under 250ppm if you can. Hope this helps and let me know how it turns out for you Robert |
