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Recently there has been several customers asking about scum lines and the dirty feeling they give customers. Just take a look at this picture that one of my customers sent me, nobody wants this in their tub!  Now contrary to some (but not all) customers beliefs, the hot tub does not create this nastiness, we bring it into the tub ourselves! There are many that would like to blame the tub for the creation of this gunk, but really this stuff is biological and is brought in via soaps, lotions, oils, and detergents on our bodies and our swimwear. Because of this, foaming in a hot tub is closely associated with scum lines. So lets get specific into the cause and solutions to Scum Lines.  A gross thing happens when a hot tub gets used frequently. A film builds up on the water that is an accumulation of body oils, grease, and other human byproducts (yuck) that are washed off from bathers. Lotions, shampoos, and hair products all add to this problem. This film often accumulates and forms scum rings along the waterline of your spa and will eventually gum up your hot tub filters. In the past, people would use soap to try and deal with the water gunk, but overuse of soaps (or surfactants) often leads to foaming and throwing the water chemistry out of whack. The pool industry then set out to develop a serviceable alternative that incorporated enzymes and could be added to the water to break down all the unwanted stuff in and on the water. This project faced a few difficulties. First, the enzyme had to be in liquid form so that it could be quickly incorporated into the water, and the enzyme that was chosen for its ability to break down oils and greases (lipase enzyme) was not entirely shelf-stable in liquid form. This meant that the enzymes would break down in the bottle before it could ever be used. The second problem was that doses of traditional sanitizers like chlorine or bromine would destroy the enzymes so a new form of enzyme-based products were developed that were shelf stable and able to work in the water along with bromine, chlorine, biguanide, ozone, or non-chlorine shocks. The enzymes now work in conjunction with these sanitizers and actually boost their performance. The enzymes are positively charged to attract oil, organic particles, and any unwanted byproducts in your spa and hot tub. They then bond to these contaminants and dissolve them away to be filtered out of the water.  What are the benefits of using hot tub enzymes?
Untreated contaminants build up quickly in hot tubs which have a relatively small area of water and high water temperatures. Using a hot tub enzyme treatment will break down the organic waste that can then be filtered out without gumming up the works. Left untreated, contaminants can clog filters and shorten their life cycle. There are some added benefits to using enzymes in your spa water. Hot tub enzymes also help with chemical smells that traditional sanitizers may cause. It also breaks down any irritants in the water that may result in eye and skin irritation (usually urine forming chloramines with chlorine in the water). The water will also feel smoother on your skin because it breaks down minerals and keeps them from building up along the water line. As an added bonus for anyone who’s earth-conscious, consumers will be glad to know that this product is biodegradable and the only active ingredient in them is all natural. Enzymes work very well in spas and hot tubs because the warm water helps to speed up the degradation process. The end product of the process are harmless, inert, and there are no residues to build up. It’s a great, natural way to boost your sanitation system. So what can we do to get rid of scum lines? Well here is what you can do! Keep Water Clean The first line of defense is maintaining proper chemistry levels, regularly replacing your hot tub water, and properly sanitizing the liner itself. This means emptying and refilling your hot tub every 60-90 days and using a cleaner while it’s empty to help keep everything as hygienic as possible. If it’s a mild scum problem, you may use a wipe or cleaning system along the water line without having to empty it entirely. Shower First One of the biggest sources of junky scum comes from bathers themselves. If you’re having continuous buildup problems in your spa, make sure you take a shower before you enter the soothing water of your hot tub. Want to know all of the stuff you collect on your skin and hair that can gunk up your water? Oil, dead skin cells, lotions, creams, deodorant, and hair products can all contribute to scummy H2O. If you take a few minutes to shower off before hand, you can get all that stuff down the drain instead of circulating in your spa water (and collecting on your liner). Shock Make sure you’re doing a regular shock treatment in your hot tub, particularly if you are heavy users of your hot tub. If scum constantly presents itself in your water, you might need to boost your sanitizer levels and weekly shock treatments are a great way to do that. You should also maintain a regular cleaning schedule which includes draining and scrubbing down your acrylic liner with a non-foaming cleaner before refilling with new water. Green Scum If your scum is green, this is usually a sign that there is some kind of metal in your water. Copper, magnesium, or some other dissolved metal in the water often reacts with bromine and can leave behind a green residue. To help eliminate the problem? Try a pre-filter so that your fill water will have as little extra metal in it as possible and you won’t have to do as much post-fill adjusting. Blue/Green Scum If your scum has a bluish green tint to it, there’s a chance that there’s a problem with your filters. It could be clogged, torn, or just worn out. Remember: standard paper filters should be replaced entirely every 1 ½-2 years, depending on how well they’re maintained. Filters should be getting sprayed off and cleaned once a month to help ensure their effectiveness so that the water stays properly sanitized and has proper circulation. Brown Scum If you have a brown/grey color scum presenting itself, it could be a mineral like iron reacting in your water. This could also be an indicator that your pH level is a little high and you should try using a pH decreaser. Try to keep it at the lower end of 7.2-7.4 for a few months.
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Got a BLB code on your topside control? SmartTub app saying its time to replace the bulb? Jacuzzi Corp. just released a new video explaining simply how to change your ClearRay bulb. Click the video below and watch how to do it. Remember you can consult your owners manual for help, and after installing a new bulb you should reset the timer for your ClearRay system. If you don't know, ClearRay is only found on Jacuzzi and Sundance hot tubs and is a fantastic system for killing bacteria by destroying it's DNA cycle and allowing either ozone and/or your sanitizer system to finish it off. Because it's on the inside of the tub, some people may think that it could be a service related request or that it might be difficult. It's really quite simple though and the blb code is no cause for alarm. Simply come to us for your bulb, get 20% off your bulb if you bought your tub with us, and put it in your spa. The bulb timer is 365 days, and it lasts about that long and it can go over, but after a year it loses its functionality and doesn't release the right wavelength of light (UV-C) to kill bacteria. Thus, we have to replace it every year. Author: Ryan JohnsonManages the website, advertising, and marketing. Saw something about Take A Break online? Ryan probably put it there. He attends BYU, studies advertising and business, and he loves to have fun with his friends and family.  Nothing destroys a cover faster than poor chemical maintenance of your spa, besides jumping on the cover. Chemical burns can show very quickly in a spa with poorly maintained water. Here is how to prevent chemical burns on your Hot Tub cover and why you should do it. Don't know if your cover is suffering yet? If your cover looks like this image, which we call the "hamburger effect", then it's been suffering.
The three hot tub chemical issues that damage hot tub covers
 Covers are an important component of your spa. They not only keep out debris, but help keep the water insulated and keep heat in. This helps to save on your power bill. Thus, it is important that your cover works efficiently. This can be a challenge since your cover takes the brunt of the beating from the elements. If left uncared for, the vinyl and stitching on your cover can become brittle and begin to crack and break down. Here are a few easy steps from our Service Center to help prolong the life of your cover and keep it working efficiently.
Thanks for reading, let us know in the comments about any questions you may have, and leave a like if this was helpful for you so others may also benefit from this post. We are all about helping you with your hot tub, no matter what spa you have. So we have this blog to help you take better care of your spa with some of the tips and tricks we like to use. You'll save your spa, and save some money too!
We'll be making posts at least every month, and we can remind you via email! Just let us know that you want to be on our email list, and you'll be able to check back here whenever we make a new service tip. |
Ryan & mattThese two authors have been in the spa industry many many years. Ryan grew up around hot tubs and his father, Dave, founded and owns TAB. He has been a part of the company since it started in 2006. Matt has been servicing and repairing hot tubs since 2011 and before that was a carpenter, so he's always been handy and intelligent. Together the whole world of spa and billiard questions can be answered! Archives
February 2021
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