After adding chemicals to balance your water, wait at least an hour before testing the water again to let the chemicals have time to filter through the tub. We also recommend draining and refilling your Softub Spa every 3-4 months to ensure healthy, clear water.
Cloudy water can be caused by a couple of things. First, make sure you are cleaning your filter about every 2 weeks. Simply remove the filter from your Softub Spa and run under cold water for about 60 -90 seconds. Please note that your filter may be stained, which is completely normal, so do not worry if you do not see any debris coming off the filter when rinsing. The second reason you could be experiencing cloudy water is if your water is not balanced. Make sure the water is in balance, and if it is and you are still experiencing cloudy water, there could be tiny particles of bacteria in the tub which Softcare Water Clear will help eliminate. Softcare Metal Gon will also help break down minerals in the water and make it clearer.
A slimy liner is usually a result of the pH in your water being out of balance. Clean your filter thoroughly and place it back in the tub. Use a clean cloth without any cleaner/chemicals on it and wipe the sides and bottom of the tub. Wait 24 hours, clean the filter again, and balance your water, making sure the pH is balanced. We also recommend draining and refilling your Softub Spa every 3-4 months to ensure healthy, clear water.
If you are smelling chlorine and your test strip is reading low on chlorine, this could be caused by chloramines, which are chemical compounds resulting from the combination of organic material such as sweat and chlorine. Chloramine buildup results from not having enough chlorine in the tub, or the chlorine in the tub is not working as it should. To combat this, add 1-2 teaspoons of Softcare Granular Dichlor to re-activate the chlorine in your tub. If the test strip is still reading low on chlorine, you may need to drain and refill your tub. We also recommend using the FROG @ease Fresh Mineral Water Floating System to avoid issues with balancing your water.
White bubbles/foam is caused by soap on the skin or swimsuits and is completely harmless. We recommend rinsing off your swimsuit and body before entering the tub to avoid these bubbles. You can also use Softcare Defoam to get rid of the bubbles.
Yellow bubbles/foam is caused by oils and/or lotions from the skin. We recommend rinsing off your body before entering the tub to avoid these bubbles. You can also use Spa Perfect to get rid of the bubbles.
Water from a home softener is not properly balanced for hot tubs. Water that is too soft can be corrosive to the metal parts like the pump seal and heat exchanger, it can also make the water difficult to balance. Calcium & magnesium are the minerals that most directly contribute to water hardness. Measurements of these and other minerals in the water supply are noted in parts-per-million, or ppm. We recommend a hardness level of 250-500ppm for the best water balance. If you only have access to soft water, we recommend using the Great Start Filter that attaches to your hose to filter the water prior to it entering your tub, as well as using Calcium Up to decrease the softness of the water.
The key to filling your Softub with well water is using good, filtered water. It will help you get your hot tub up and running more quickly. In addition, it will help you avoid problems with water clarity that can occur from the high metal content often found in well water. We recommend using the Great Start Filter that is easily attached to a garden hose. Screw on the pre-filter and follow the guidelines for how to fill your tub. While using the pre-filter might seem like an extra step, as spa chemicals and the filtration system might be enough depending on the composition of the water, balancing and maintaining the water will require more work and due diligence as compared to using the pre-filter. Keep Alkalinity, PH, and chlorine levels in check, and add Metal Gon per recommendation and maintenance doses weekly. In the beginning, the filter should also be cleaned more often as minerals and metals are filtered out.
If you will not be using your Softub Spa for 2+ weeks, we recommend draining your tub and leaving it empty until you plan to use it again. Leaving the spa unattended can cause issues with your water balance and damage the liner in your spa. Whenever leaving the Softub Spa empty, make sure the inside is completely dry before securing the lid. If you live in a cold climate and are leaving over the winter, we recommend disconnecting your Pak and bringing it inside. The tub itself is ok to leave outside in the winter. You can purchase a Tubguard (if you do not have a surround) or a Superguard (if you do have a surround) to keep debris, rain, hail, and snow off the tub.
Scum rings can develop for a multitude of reasons including, but not limited to, contaminants that aren’t processed through the filter, deodorant, soap, shampoo, and lotion from bather’s bodies, high metal content in the water, water chemistry imbalance, or a dirty filter. There are also several different colors the scum can present with, which gives us clues to the cause.
Brown Scum: Likely culprit is a high pH, use Softcare pH and Alkalinity Down until your pH is between 7.2 and 7.8. This can also be caused by high iron content in the water, use Softcare Metal Gon to remove the metals. Upon drain and refill a pre-filter is also recommended to filter out metals and reduce the chance of further scum development.
Green Scum: Likely caused by a high copper or magnesium content in the water, use Softcare Metal Gon to remove the metals. Upon drain and refill a pre-filter is also recommended to filter out metals and reduce the chance of further scum development.
Blueish Green Scum: Likely caused by metals in the water, use Softcare Metal Gon to remove the metals. This scum can also be caused by contaminants, so make sure to clean your filter at least once per month using Softcare Instant Filter Cleaner and rinse off swimsuits and bodies before entering the spa to avoid adding contaminants to the water. Upon drain and refill a pre-filter is also recommended to filter out metals and reduce the chance of further scum development.
To clean a scum ring follow the instructions below:
Brown Scum: Likely culprit is a high pH, use Softcare pH and Alkalinity Down until your pH is between 7.2 and 7.8. This can also be caused by high iron content in the water, use Softcare Metal Gon to remove the metals. Upon drain and refill a pre-filter is also recommended to filter out metals and reduce the chance of further scum development.
Green Scum: Likely caused by a high copper or magnesium content in the water, use Softcare Metal Gon to remove the metals. Upon drain and refill a pre-filter is also recommended to filter out metals and reduce the chance of further scum development.
Blueish Green Scum: Likely caused by metals in the water, use Softcare Metal Gon to remove the metals. This scum can also be caused by contaminants, so make sure to clean your filter at least once per month using Softcare Instant Filter Cleaner and rinse off swimsuits and bodies before entering the spa to avoid adding contaminants to the water. Upon drain and refill a pre-filter is also recommended to filter out metals and reduce the chance of further scum development.
To clean a scum ring follow the instructions below:
- Remove the filter and clean with Softcare Instant Filter Cleaner
- Skim the surface of the water with a handheld skimmer to remove any contaminants not processed through the filter
- Turn off the spa
- Remove water with a bucket or submersible pump until the water level is at least 2” below the scum line
- Gently clean the scum line with a soft, wet cloth or sponge and baking soda. Mix baking soda and clean water (do not use water from the spa) until it forms a thin paste.
- Rinse all baking soda residue off the liner
- Add clean water back into the tub until the water level is at least 2” above the highest jet
- Turn the spa back on and put the filter back in
- Scum Sponge (available in 4 different designs)
- Softcare Instant Filter Cleaner
- Softcare Metal Gon
- Dual Surface Magic Sponge
- Great Carbon Water Filter
- Skimmer Set
- Submersible Pump
FROG @ease is a new product that Softub Spas® has recently introduced to our customers. Our in-house engineers have done extensive research and testing to ensure that all the FROG @ease products are safe to use in your Softub Spa®. Your Owner’s Manual states that using hot tub shock or chlorine floaters will void your warranty, which is the case for any other shock or chlorine floater not officially approved by Softub Spas®. FROG @ease products do not apply to this as their unique formulation of sanitizing minerals and SmartChlor has proven to be safe and effective in Softub Spas® when used according to FROG @ease guidelines. Thus, FROG @ease products including, FROG @ease Floating Sanitizing System, FROG @ease SmartChlor®, FROG @ease Jump Start®, and FROG @ease Maintain® will NOT void your Softub Spa® warranty when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions and when all chemical levels are maintained properly. We are working on updating the Owner’s Manual to reflect these new and exciting developments.