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Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...
#$%#@!! hot tub....
We have been in this house 10 months, and we've never used it. First, it would not start. Then it was fixed. We fired it up, and it didn't heat. So we called the house insurance policy people again (the policy that came with the house) and said, no go. They sent Mr. Fix-it again, who must live on insurance work, because he's slow as molasses in January and not very good. He took two weeks to get a part, and didn't have the courtesy to warn us about this.
Finally, the end of December, it's working. We're both sick in various ways and could care less. I have to learn how to take care of the thing, so I look up the model number and the serial number and go to Saratoga's web site to request a manual, since they are not on the site for download. No 1-800 number, either, at that time (no idea now...)
Saratoga sends the wrong manual. No resemblance to the control pad whatsoever. I called again last Friday--I do not have a Balboa, that's the manufacturer of the control panel. I have a Windsor, an itty bitty Saratoga. But probably a good one, if eight years old. They will send another manual, the correct one. They didn't tell me how to turn it off--I do not think the young woman answering the phone has ever pulled a cartridge on a hot tub, much less balanced the chemicals.
The place that sold it to the last house owners assures me it's a good hot tub brand (once they finally are there and return calls.) But they can't tell me how to adjust the ph, since I need soda. Turns out they apparently wanted to sell me something, instead of telling me to use baking soda! (They did give me the 1-800 number for Saratoga, so they are not on the bad guy list, just not going to be my tub suppliers.)
I have a cartridge for a potassium system, now, instead of chlorine or bromine, but without the booklet, I'll just have to unplug the thing to pull the cartridge. There is no OFF button, and the warehouse supply guys will not begin to guess at what combination of buttons will stop circulation. (I did pull the filters and run them through the dishwasher, as a pool maintenance guy suggested, before refilling the tub.)
I am learning more about Total Alkalinity than I ever wanted to know. I can't get the PH down. I have purposely booted the Total so I have room to drop, but the usual amount of chemicals do not phase this thing--I think this is our Kraken, as we've discovered the Polaris is an Igor. I even took another sample in to the new shop I'm using. They mulled a while, and then suggested I kick the PH's butt with acid, then slowly add soda to even the TA. I said how much, a Tbsp. at a time? They suggested half a capful (the test kit had suggested 2 Tbsp.)
Half a CAPFUL lowered it to the equivalent of one Tbsp. on the chart. There must have been 3 Tbsp., at least, in there.
I just tossed another half capful in there. No point in even checking TA.
**Sigh.** The last store told me hot tubs are easy. This store said, oh, no they're not. Small body of water, big changes with small amounts of chemicals.
Yeah. Right. Change?
315 galleons. Draining it is looming closer. However, as I am working up a new magic system, I can see this working as a training exercise...
CODA: A client tells me of her father and a friend dropping off the friend's test water before going to lunch one day. When they returned after lunch, the pool store guy said, "Okay, now what kind of engineer are you?" Because the engineers have the most screwed up water--they're convinced they know the chemistry, ergo, it should go like this... Apparently the fact that I haven't had chemistry is helping me in this.
Who would have guessed? But I am wondering about adding some clorox as a primer to a hot tub with a potassium cartridge. The literature doesn't mention that at all, but the pool store guy suggested it.
Got the TA down...now, to rebuild it to the right PPM...
I have to write letters to my congress critters, who are doing weird things to massage therapy in Texas. Client in 90 minutes. No wonder I never get ahead on the paperwork.
We have been in this house 10 months, and we've never used it. First, it would not start. Then it was fixed. We fired it up, and it didn't heat. So we called the house insurance policy people again (the policy that came with the house) and said, no go. They sent Mr. Fix-it again, who must live on insurance work, because he's slow as molasses in January and not very good. He took two weeks to get a part, and didn't have the courtesy to warn us about this.
Finally, the end of December, it's working. We're both sick in various ways and could care less. I have to learn how to take care of the thing, so I look up the model number and the serial number and go to Saratoga's web site to request a manual, since they are not on the site for download. No 1-800 number, either, at that time (no idea now...)
Saratoga sends the wrong manual. No resemblance to the control pad whatsoever. I called again last Friday--I do not have a Balboa, that's the manufacturer of the control panel. I have a Windsor, an itty bitty Saratoga. But probably a good one, if eight years old. They will send another manual, the correct one. They didn't tell me how to turn it off--I do not think the young woman answering the phone has ever pulled a cartridge on a hot tub, much less balanced the chemicals.
The place that sold it to the last house owners assures me it's a good hot tub brand (once they finally are there and return calls.) But they can't tell me how to adjust the ph, since I need soda. Turns out they apparently wanted to sell me something, instead of telling me to use baking soda! (They did give me the 1-800 number for Saratoga, so they are not on the bad guy list, just not going to be my tub suppliers.)
I have a cartridge for a potassium system, now, instead of chlorine or bromine, but without the booklet, I'll just have to unplug the thing to pull the cartridge. There is no OFF button, and the warehouse supply guys will not begin to guess at what combination of buttons will stop circulation. (I did pull the filters and run them through the dishwasher, as a pool maintenance guy suggested, before refilling the tub.)
I am learning more about Total Alkalinity than I ever wanted to know. I can't get the PH down. I have purposely booted the Total so I have room to drop, but the usual amount of chemicals do not phase this thing--I think this is our Kraken, as we've discovered the Polaris is an Igor. I even took another sample in to the new shop I'm using. They mulled a while, and then suggested I kick the PH's butt with acid, then slowly add soda to even the TA. I said how much, a Tbsp. at a time? They suggested half a capful (the test kit had suggested 2 Tbsp.)
Half a CAPFUL lowered it to the equivalent of one Tbsp. on the chart. There must have been 3 Tbsp., at least, in there.
I just tossed another half capful in there. No point in even checking TA.
**Sigh.** The last store told me hot tubs are easy. This store said, oh, no they're not. Small body of water, big changes with small amounts of chemicals.
Yeah. Right. Change?
315 galleons. Draining it is looming closer. However, as I am working up a new magic system, I can see this working as a training exercise...
CODA: A client tells me of her father and a friend dropping off the friend's test water before going to lunch one day. When they returned after lunch, the pool store guy said, "Okay, now what kind of engineer are you?" Because the engineers have the most screwed up water--they're convinced they know the chemistry, ergo, it should go like this... Apparently the fact that I haven't had chemistry is helping me in this.
Who would have guessed? But I am wondering about adding some clorox as a primer to a hot tub with a potassium cartridge. The literature doesn't mention that at all, but the pool store guy suggested it.
Got the TA down...now, to rebuild it to the right PPM...
I have to write letters to my congress critters, who are doing weird things to massage therapy in Texas. Client in 90 minutes. No wonder I never get ahead on the paperwork.