The most common something’s-growing-in-my-tub kind of problem that I regularly encounter in central Oregon is something called White Water Mold. I don’t think it’s necessarily capitalized, but I thought maybe I would for the introduction. White water mold looks like small, white flakes or thin, wispy, ribbony, white-to-translucent, rice paper or egg noodle-like strips that float around in the spa water. There’s usually quite a volume of it once you notice it. The bad news is that it is tough to get rid of, but the good news is that it isn’t impossible.
First, unless you have an allergy to it, white water mold will not hurt you. It’s just gross because who wants to soak with mold, right? Two problems with white water mold: one, it is very tenacious stuff and, two, it looks like algae so it’s prone to get treated with an algaecide, which will never fully do the trick, so I have learned.
The key to treating white water mold is super-chlorination plus time. One prescription indicates that a minimum of 2.5 ounces, or 5 tablespoons of granular chlorine should be added per 100 gallons of spa water. Most hot tubs hold anywhere from 200 to 450 gallons. If your spa holds 350 gallons, you want to add a minimum of 8.75 ounces, or 17.5 tablespoons of chlorine to your spa, and feel free to go heavier. Run your spa, but do not use it during the treatment period. And be sure to leave the filters in as they need to be treated as well.
Check the chlorine level once a day for at least 3 days to make sure that the “free chlorine” remains in the highest range possible. Make sure the tub is slightly overfilled and that all diverter valves are in the mid-way position, meaning the position that sends water flow to both of the channels it controls at the same time.
Run all jets on high while you add the chlorine. Adding chlorine will affect the pH so be sure to adjust that accordingly as you go. After the water is appropriately chlorinated, be sure to drain water out of any drain port or ports (at the base of your spa) until you feel the warm, super-chlorinated water flow out of them. Then close the valve and return any drain caps. Some drain ports are found inside the spa's access panel. If you don't see a drain port, you may want to check in there before presuming that you don't have one. Check your chlorine level daily and if it is still in the super-high range, drain water from the drain port until it flows warm once a day during the treatment period.
Three is the minimum number of days the tub needs to soak in uninterrupted, highly chlorinated water in order to eradicate the mold. If you can give it 5 days, great, 7 days, even better. I have had success with 3-day treatments though, so, if that’s all you can give it, that should take care of it so long as you were vigilant from start to finish at maintaining a super-high chlorine level in the spa water.
On the last day, bring the spa’s pH into the ideal range, and if you have a chlorine neutralizer like thiotrine or a similar product, it may be a good idea to sufficiently neutralize the chlorine before draining the water onto your lawn. But before you drain, this is the time a detergent product can be added to your water that is designed to loosen and remove debris from the spa's plumbing. These products are typically marketed as a "jet cleaner." Follow the instructions on the product's labeling. All of them will ask you to first remove the filters.
Once your tub is empty, thoroughly scrub and rinse the spa shell. If you don’t have a shop vac that can suck out all of the remaining water, do not use any kind of sudsing cleanser. If you can vac out all of the water, I like to use an orange, citrus spray cleanser on the shell followed by a thorough rinse-down and vac-out. If there is any sudsing quality to your cleanser, you must be sure that all of it is removed before you fill your spa.
It is best to start fresh with new filters, but if you can't, be sure to rinse the existing ones well with a garden hose before returning them to the spa. Refill the spa; turn it on, and rebalance the water.
You will likely continue to see some white flakes or wispy things in the water initially. This is the dead mold left behind in the pumps and the plumbing. If you like, you can dump this water and start over which can be a big waste of water. Or you can use a skimmer net to hand-skim out what you can see and let your filter(s) catch the rest. These flakes will eventually diminish with time and rinse away when you rinse your filter(s) if you have successfully treated your spa.
The best ways to avoid getting white water mold in the future are to always maintain the recommended amount of sanitizer and the correct ph level in your spa water. If you drain the spa and don’t plan to refill it right away, have it winterized. The mold grows in stagnant, and/or untreated water. Lastly, keep toys out of the spa. But if they’re going to be in there, take them out when finished rather than leaving them in the spa, and occasionally soak toys that are used in the spa in a mild bleach/water solution.
If you’re in Central Oregon and you absolutely can’t get rid of the mold, or if you just don’t know what those new and interesting formations in your hot tub are, don’t hesitate; call The Spa Guy!
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