Chemicals In Hot Tub Start Up

Beginners Guide To Spa & Hot Tub Maintenance

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We know here at Outdoor Living know that a hot tub is a significant investment, so why wouldn’t you arm yourself with all the information necessary to take care of your tub. This beginner’s guide will help you through your first steps in spa ownership and ensure you have all the knowledge needed to set up your hot tub or spa.

Clean Out The Jet Lines

This is an important, but often overlooked step. Before you get to work adding chemicals and balancing your tubs water, you first want to clean out the jet lines from all the algae, bacteria, and other contaminants that have built up over the past few months. To do this, use a product such as Proline Jet Line Cleaner. This will clear out all those nasties so they dont get in the way of balancing the water later on.

Using Hot Tub Chemicals If You Have Kids

Kids having fun in the waterSource:

Spending time in a hot tub is the favorite way for children to have fun on a summer day. But having used sanitizer, shocking products, and other chemicals, you may worry about the effect of the chemicals on your childs health. And yes, there are some concerns to keep in mind.

According to the research of the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids are likely to have chlorine sensitivity. Symptoms include red eyes, breathing problems, chest tightness, wheezing, a stuffy or runny nose, and sneezing. Doctors recommend taking a shower to eliminate mild symptoms. There are also corticosteroid creams and antihistamines which can help deal with chlorine sensitivity but always consult with your pediatrician first .

Besides chlorine sensitivity, there are other serious health concerns caused by chlorine. US Medicine National Institutes of Health researched to figure out whether there is a connection between chlorinated hot tubs/ swimming pools and pre-school asthma onset. A dose-response relationship was indicated, although with limited statistical power .

Taking into account scientific evidence, we would recommend that you stick to the bromine sanitizing system if you have children.

• Dont allow children under 5 years to use the hot tub

• Check the water temperature before entering a hot tub. It shouldnt exceed 104°F or 40°C

• Check the sanitizer level before entering the tub. Poorly sanitized water can cause rashes and ear infections

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Treating Your Hot Tub For The First Time

Note: Once your hot tub is powered on, let spa heat to temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit . After adding chemicals in steps below, be sure to turn on Jets using Jets 1 or Pump 1 buttons to continuously circulate water.

How Soon Can You Use A Hot Tub After Adding Chemicals

Youll want to wait until your chemicals completely dissolve and your water levels are adjusted correctly before using your hot tub. This means waiting at least 20 minutes after adding chemicals before soaking in your hot tub. And if youve just added chlorine shock, youll need to wait even longer.

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Set The Water Temperature

Based on your personal preference, set the water temperature. The recommended hot tub water temperature is between 98 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Whatever you set your water temperature to, ensure to keep it consistent. If you reheat the water for every use, you risk stressing the heater and circuit board and increasing your electric bill.

How Much Chlorine To Add To Hot Tub First Time

Are you thinking about purchasing a hot tub? One of the most important things you must understand about looking after your new hot tub is why, how much, and when you need to add chlorine to the water.

Chlorine is used in our daily lives because it helps kill bacteria and keeps us safe. It’s an effective water sanitiser, which is important because it reduces the likelihood of being exposed to bacteria.

The purchase of a hot tub is a significant investment, so you must take good care of it. And that means using chlorine to keep the water clean.

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Chemicals To Put In When Starting Your New Hot Tub

Before putting in any kind of chemicals, the first step is to fill your hot tub with water. After filling your tub, you can check for chemical levels. Different hot tubs come in different sizes and brands. The amount of chemicals you will use for the start-up process will vary depending on the size and brand of the tub. You need to know how many gallons of water your hot tub will hold. You can usually find this information in the user manual that comes with the hot tub. The owner manual also has recommendations for how much water to use with the specific chemicals needed to start a hot tub.

After filling your hot tub with water, you will want to adjust your pH level and complete alkalinity. You can purchase tester strips to help you balance the pH level and alkalinity. You simply add the pH increaser or pH decreaser as needed until the tester strip shows the pH level to be between 7.4 and 7.6. Similarly, the alkalinity should be between 100-120 parts per million.

You must balance your pH level before moving onto the next step of the process which is adding a sanitiser to the water. If your pH level is not balanced, the sanitiser might not be effective. When you are adding chemicals to the water, you will want to turn on all of the therapy pumps and spread the chemicals evenly throughout the water.

How To Start A Hot Tub Or Spa

• |April 13, 2021

Over time, no matter how much sanitizer is in the tub, the water becomes overloaded with pollutants and total dissolved solids .

This makes the water unsafe to bathe in, and at that point, youll have to drain the tub and start over.

If youve never done it before, youll learn its quite easy to do, and you wont have to pay a professional to stop by and care for your tub.

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Can You Go In A Hot Tub Without Chemicals

Its not safe to soak in a hot tub without chemicals. Thats like getting into a bathtub after someone else has used it! A hot tub without chemicals is the perfect breeding environment for bacteria, algae, and contaminants. Just like a swimming pool, youll need to keep your spa water sanitized and balanced. If youre the very first person to get into a freshly filled hot tub, you might be okay. But that water will get very nasty very quickly.

What Chemicals Do You Need For A Hot Tub Startup

What Chemicals Do You Need for a Hot Tub Startup?

The installation of a new hot tub is without a doubt a very exciting day. But even once youve lugged the hot tub into location, filled it with water and started the pumps, youre still not ready to jump in and relax. Treating a new hot tub requires a regime of chemicals to ensure a safe and clean experience. In this article well go over the types of chemicals needed for a hot tub start up.

Preparation

Youll need to wait until your hot tub reaches a temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 degrees Celsius before you add anything to the water. Youll need the water to reach this temperature to allow for the various powders to properly dissolve. Get the heater running and keep an eye on the thermometer until it reaches this mark.

Total Alkalinity

The first chemical test on the list is measuring and adjusting the total alkalinity. Ensuring the alkalinity of your water is at the ideal level will allow you to adjust the ph levels properly. The ideal total alkalinity level is between 80 to 120 ppm. Improper total alkalinity levels will make adjusting the pH difficult as well as leading to eye and skin irritation, corroded equipment, cloudy water or scale formation. Follow the package instructions for testing and adjusting the total alkalinity.

Cleaning Chemicals

Water Sanitizing

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Natural Spa Chemicals Mineral Sticks Ozone And Enzymes

Have you ever wanted a more natural solution instead of the manufactured chlorine and bromine? Then youll be happy to learn natural spa chemicals do exist.

Your first choice is mineral sticks. This product employs the power of silver and copper ions to keep your water fresh and clean. Moreover, this eco-friendly option also comes with a much more mild smell when compared to the strong odours of chlorine and bromine.

Sadly, not all is perfect here, so youll want to keep a few things in mind. For starters, mineral sticks lack the sanitation power of chlorine and bromine, so youll want to combine these sticks with a small amount of one or the other to keep your water bacteria free.

An alternative to mineral sticks is ozone. For the most part, this is another eco-friendly means of keeping your hot tub clean. Only instead of placing a bulky stick in your inflatable hot tub, youll inject the ozone into your water pipe with an ozonator. For products, the Del Ozone Spa Eclipse Dual Voltage works great for inserting ozone in your water.

Lastly, enzymes work as a great natural sanitizer. These work by targeting oils and destroying them before they are able to grow and pollute your water. Sadly, much like mineral sticks, this product is not strong enough to work on its own. Therefore, you will need to add a small amount of bromine or chlorine as well. One of the best enzymes youll find on the market is the Leisure Time Spa Enzyme.

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Hot Tub Chemical Handling

When handling any chemicals, please stick to the following guidelines:

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Heres What You Need To Know About Shocking Your Hot Tub:

• First, purchase a shock product designed for hot tubs and follow the directions on the package.
• Second, youll want to shock once a week for the first month.
• Third, adding the shock product is best after you turn off the pump and filter.
• Fourth, you want to add the recommended amount of shock product.
• Fifth, turn on the pump and filter and allow it to circulate for 30 minutes.
• Sixth, check the waters PH after that time has passed.
• Seventh, add any additional amounts of shock product needed to bring the PH to 7.2 7.6
• Eighth, put your hot tub cover on and enjoy.

Chemicals Dosages & How

Get help with Shock Dosing your hot tub and advice on adjusting Chlorine, pH and Alkalinity levels.

Total Alkalinity is the measure of your hot tub waters ability to neutralise acids. Balanced Total Alkalinity helps control the pH levels and the correct level to aim for is between 80 and 120 parts per million .How To Balance Total Alkalinity Levels1. Dip a ClearWater® Test Strip in the centre of your Lay-Z-Spa, remove and hold it still for 15 seconds. 2. Compare your dip test strip results to the colour chart on the packaging.3. Total Alkalinity results:For low TA levels below 80ppm you will need to use Total Alkalinity Increaser. The amount of TA + you need to add to your hot tub depends on the volume of water and how low your readings are. As a guide – a hot tub of 1,000 litres requires 18g to raise Total Alkalinity levels by 10ppm .For high TA levels above 120ppm you will need to use PH Minus. The amount of pH decreaser you need to add to your hot tub depends on levels are and on the volume of water. Check the dosage rates on the back of the bottle and measure accordingly.Problems Caused By Unbalanced Total Alkalinity LevelsNot balancing the Total Alkalinity levels in your hot tub can cause a number of issues that can impact your spa experience.

2. Compare your dip test strip results to the colour chart on the packaging.

Lay-Z-Spa Chlorine Granule Dosage Recommendations Table

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How To Store Hot Tub Chemicals

The option for chemicals storageSource:

At first glance, it might seem that storing chemicals is pretty straightforward. I mean how hard could it be right? Perhaps you just put the chemicals where theres free storage space and take them from there when needed. However, its not that simple. If not stored properly, hot tub chemicals can lose their efficiency and pose serious risks for your health.

According to the CDC, in 2003-2012, the median estimated number of people visiting hospitals for chemicalassociated injuries per year was over four thousand. Injuries were caused due to several reasons such as improper ratios and unsafe chemical storage .

Here we provide you with information on how to store hot tub chemicals properly.

• Maintain the right temperature. Hot tub chemicals can be damaged by extremely high or low temperatures. The best temperature for storing hot tub chemicals is 55-70°F .

• Keep chemicals in a dry place. Hot tub chemicals can react to moisture in the environment, so make sure you pick a dry year-round place to store them.

• Avoid storage in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will reduce the effectiveness of spa chemicals.

• Keep chemicals out of the reach of children. There are many cases of chemical irritants inhalation. If a child swallows or inhales certain chemicals like chlorine, it can cause serious poisoning. Prevention is better than cure. Ensure that all chemicals are out of the reach of children.

Explanation: What Are Hot Tub Chemicals & How To Use Them

Here well consider in detail the purpose of hot tub chemicals and their frequency of use.

*You can choose a shock product irrespective of the sanitizer type

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S To Hot Tub Water Chemistry

First, we need to fill the tub if you need help you can check out our video where we walk through the initial fill-up process. Along with our video, you can find information about the initial fill-up in your owners manual and at www.masterspas.com/resources.

Once we’ve filled the hot tub, now it’s time to check the chemical levels. Now it’s important to note the quantities to apply can vary based on the size of your hot tub and the chemical concentration of the brand or product being used. You should know how many gallons of water your hot tub holds. This can be found on the model spec page in your owner’s manual and make sure you familiarize yourself with the recommended amount for the chemicals you plan to use, these should be directly on the bottle.

The testing strips we’re using test all necessary levels at once, but depending on your test strips you may need individual testers for pH alkalinity calcium hardness and chlorine. It will save time if you can have the following chemicals on hand:

• chlorine granules

And now we wait 30 to 60 minutes before retesting. We’ll need to repeat this process until our alkalinity and pH levels are within the recommended ranges. And keep in mind that extremely high or low test results can take a while to get properly adjusted, keep working at it until your hot tub has reached the proper levels.

For European countries, please refer to this Water Chemistry Guide for appropriate chemical levels per BS EN 17125:2018.