Expert: roger - 6/27/2009

Question
I drained and refilled the spa (and cleaned the filter by soaking overnight and hosing off good) about a month and a half ago. The water was fine for awhile, but now the same scummy/oily stuff on the surface is there that keeps coming back, and has ever since we bought it 3 years ago. See a picture here:

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz146/gbisaga/scumscumscum.jpg

I've spent more time (and money) at the spa store than I thought possible, checking the water, buying enzyme, scumballs, etc. We've been told to take showers and not have any oils or lotions on our skin, and we try not to, but honestly I cannot believe this is the problem because we never do this at the beach, and the spa water is always clear.

At this point I'm wondering if the skimmer is not working very well, since the scum is on the surface, and since this has happened pretty much since the beginning. I feel suction when I remove the skimmer cover, but not a lot. Also, the water is clear for the first few weeks, but then gradually gets worse and worse. We use the thing maybe once a week on the average, one to three people at a time.

Somebody also suggested "Spa Purge" to clean the lines, the idea being that perhaps there was something in the lines from the beginning.

I'm pretty desperate, so any help you can offer is good.

Answer
When your water is tested do they test for total dissolved solids. Try using a strong algaecide in quantities for your spa let run a few days with the old filter. Now drain the spa and turn the jets on for maybe 20 seconds to blow out the water then shop vac all jets, drains and get rid of the filter. Get as much water as you can from the jets. Now fill the spa and add 2 shots of stain protect or prevent no not whiskey. Fill a floater with bromine or chlorine pucks and add once the water is warm and it floats around adding chlorine. DO NOT USE hydrogen peroxide.. Adjust the floater to maintain of maximum 3 ppm and minimum 1 .ppm of chlorine the water. Before you add this floater you need to add the required enzyme we call it clearzyme here I would say 4 shots and no not vodka. Now a week goes by add 1 shot of stain stuff and a little later 2 shots of enzyme and a lithium powdered shock or similar oxidizer. Those chemicals must be religiously added weekly and keep the floater filled with tablets. Test the alkalinity and keep it around 110 ppm. The enzyme helps to coagulate small particles for filtering which by the way you added a new filter when you filled. Check the PH but don't get excited about it. Do what I suggest for the three months and let me know what you think. Learn to read the test strip colors if you have to do it daily and add chemicals in small amounts per day like a hobby. Most spa customers are never educated when they buy a new spa. My job for years has been to do so and I can tell what customers do as I said and those who neglect when things discolour and the water looks like a bio hazardous septic tank