Why is my Spa water green?

[Adkinsfamily1234]

Hello all,
I have a Hot Springs Spa 327 gallon capacity. I have been using a Taylor Test Kit to monitor my PH, TA & Chlorine. My problem is my water has a slight green tinge to it. I also am not able to register any chlorine even after adding it. Can someone give me an idea of what may be going on? Currently my TA is 80 ppm, PH is 8.0 Total chlorine & free chlorine is 0. I'm also wondering how much chlorine I should add for a tub this size.
Any help is appreciated!
Thanks...

 

[Bperry]

Hello all,
I have a Hot Springs Spa 327 gallon capacity. I have been using a Taylor Test Kit to monitor my PH, TA & Chlorine. My problem is my water has a slight green tinge to it. I also am not able to register any chlorine even after adding it. Can someone give me an idea of what may be going on? Currently my TA is 80 ppm, PH is 8.0 Total chlorine & free chlorine is 0. I'm also wondering how much chlorine I should add for a tub this size.
Any help is appreciated!
Thanks...

It’s green because there is no free chlorine (FC). Adding 10ml of 10.5% liquid chlorine will raise the FC by 1ppm. I’m not sure if spas are handled any differently than pools but if you can check your stabilizer level (CYA), that’ll help you determine what the correct amount of FC is for your spa. If your CYA level is 40ppm then you want the FC to be maintained constantly above 3ppm.

Do you have your own test kit? That would help answer some questions.

 

[Mdragger88]

It sounds like you need to add the fas/dpd kit & possibly the cya test if u don’t have it, to your existing kit.
There are a couple possible reasons for green water.
It could be algae (due to inadequate fc levels) or metals (most likely copper from copper containing products) either would be cause to purge,drain, & refill.
It is recommended to do an Ahhsome purge even on new tubs to rid the plumbing of biofilms then refill & follow this guide to start fresh

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa or Hot Tub?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.troublefreepool.com

To do so you need a proper test kit (Taylor k2006 or tf100) Test Kits Compared
Let us know what u already have -
The Ahhsome & additions to your kit can be purchased on www.tftestkits.net or amazon.
How have you been maintaining the tub?

 

[Adkinsfamily1234]

It’s green because there is no free chlorine (FC). Adding 10ml of 10.5% liquid chlorine will raise the FC by 1ppm. I’m not sure if spas are handled any differently than pools but if you can check your stabilizer level (CYA), that’ll help you determine what the correct amount of FC is for your spa. If your CYA level is 40ppm then you want the FC to be maintained constantly above 3ppm.

Do you have your own test kit? That would help answer some questions.

Thanks for your help! I'm using a Taylor Test Kit K-2005. My CYA level is 30 ppm. Can I add chlorine bleach to help raise the FC? When I checked my PH this am it was high (8.4) My Alkalinity is

It sounds like you need to add the fas/dpd kit & possibly the cya test if u don’t have it, to your existing kit.
There are a couple possible reasons for green water.
It could be algae (due to inadequate fc levels) or metals (most likely copper from copper containing products) either would be cause to purge,drain, & refill.
It is recommended to do an Ahhsome purge even on new tubs to rid the plumbing of biofilms then refill & follow this guide to start fresh

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa or Hot Tub?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.troublefreepool.com

To do so you need a proper test kit (Taylor k2006 or tf100) Test Kits Compared
Let us know what u already have -
The Ahhsome & additions to your kit can be purchased on www.tftestkits.net or amazon.
How have you been maintaining the tub?

Thank you for your response! I have a Taylor Test Kit K-2005. I used the Ahhsome purge late last fall & it did a great job! I did check the CYA & it's 30 ppm. My PH is high now @ 84 ppm. Not sure how to proceed?

 

[Mdragger88]

Thanks for your help! I'm using a Taylor Test Kit K-2005. My CYA level is 30 ppm. Can I add chlorine bleach to help raise the FC? When I checked my PH this am it was high (8.4) My Alkalinity is

Thank you for your response! I have a Taylor Test Kit K-2005. I used the Ahhsome purge late last fall & it did a great job! I did check the CYA & it's 30 ppm. My PH is high now @ 84 ppm. Not sure how to proceed?

The k2005 doesn’t have the fas dpd test which is necessary to measure fc levels above 5ppm. This is needed to ensure you reach slam level for your cya FC/CYA Levels
You can get one to complete your kit here

FAS/DPD Chlorine Test Kit

tftestkits.net

If you haven’t added any copper containing products (like the frog )
It’s likely you have algea or nasties in your tub especially if your fc level has fallen below minimum for your cya FC/CYA Levels for any length of time.
You can attempt a SLAM Process to clear the tub if you wish but an Ahhsome purge then drain & refill is much simpler & should be done every 4-6 months anyway.
You would then follow the dichlor then bleach method as posted above.
PoolMath will help you calculate amounts for all chemical additions.
Before purging you should raise fc to slam level to decontaminate the tub w/ Liquid chlorine/bleach.
How have you been sanitizing the tub? Is the water cloudy? If possible a pic would be helpful.

 

[Adkinsfamily1234]

Here is where I'm at with my spa chemicals: I purged tub on 2/16/22 using Ahhsome & refilled spa (380 gallons). Used Taylor Test kit along with FAS/DPD chlorine test. Finally stabilized PH (used PH minus) it's currently 7.6 - 7.8 and has been consistent for several days. TA currently ranges between 80-90 ppm. Free chlorine is 1.2 ppm & Combined chlorine is 0 .6 I am adding dichlor (2 - 2.5 t. every other day). Not sure what my chlorine level target should be? Should I also be adding liquid chlorine? If yes, please explain when I should add dichlor & when should I add liquid chlorine? The tub looks great, I just want to make sure all my levels are in range & if I'm doing something wrong with chlorine. I really appreciate all the help & Info on this website. Thank you all very much!!
Brenda

 

[Mdragger88]

Brenda,
You follow the FC/CYA Levels
& use PoolMath for calculating additions.
You use dichlor to chlorinate according to the fc/cya chart until you reach 30 ppm of cya (calculated or tested) then you switch to chlorinating with liquid chlorine also using the FC/CYA Levels as your guide.
For Every 1 ppm of fc you get from dichlor it also raises your cya by approximately 1ppm.
Do u know how much dichlor u have added so far to have an idea of your cya level?
You are not using enough chlorine, Your fc level should NEVER drop below 2ppm lest nasties will proliferate- even with cya under 20ppm.
Are u using tablespoons or teaspoons?

 

[Mdragger88]

Of note-
You need chlorine now.
You need to go to slam level for your cya until your cc’s are .5 or below.
Most people who manually chlorinate their tubs go to/near shock/slam level after use - this allows for consumption of bather waste & for some residual fc to remain until the following day & possibly through the next use so that fc never falls below minimum for their cya before they dose again. Regular testing before & after use will show you how your tub behaves.

 

[Adkinsfamily1234]

Brenda,
You follow the FC/CYA Levels
& use PoolMath for calculating additions.
You use dichlor to chlorinate according to the fc/cya chart until you reach 30 ppm of cya (calculated or tested) then you switch to chlorinating with liquid chlorine also using the FC/CYA Levels as your guide.
For Every 1 ppm of fc you get from dichlor it also raises your cya by approximately 1ppm.
Do u know how much dichlor u have added so far to have an idea of your cya level?
You are not using enough chlorine, Your fc level should NEVER drop below 2ppm lest nasties will proliferate- even with cya under 20ppm.
Are u using tablespoons or teaspoons?

Thanks for your reply! When I test my CYA it is less than 30 using Taylor test kit. Also I am using teaspoons.

 

[proavia]

You need to follow the SLAM Process using liquid chlorine and not dichlor.
It will be difficult if not impossible to get the FC to the required levels for the SLAM Process using the K2005 testkit.
You would be best served by getting the FAS-DPD addon kit - essentially making the K2005 a K2006.

It might be easier to just drain the 327 gallons and start over. You will still need to do a SLAM Process, but it should be shorter with a drain/refill.

 

[wireform]

It might be easier to just drain the 327 gallons and start over. You will still need to do a SLAM Process, but it should be shorter with a drain/refill.

But before you drain take advantage of the water and do a purge.

 

[Mdragger88]

But before you drain take advantage of the water and do a purge.

She just did the purge & got the fas/dpd.
i think the issue is that she’s not going to slam level for her cya to rid the cc’s or maintaining a high enough fc level on a daily basis to account for bather waste & leave a residual until the next dose.