Hot Tub Start Up Chemicals

Starting Your Spa Hot Tub Or Swim Spa

Before using this guide, be sure you know the volume in gallons. Your dealer can help you calculate the volume and assist you with all aspects. They can analyze your water, recommend products, and help you with any questions you may have.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Clear debris. Replace or clean the filter thoroughly.

Step 1: Balance

FOR SPA, HOT TUB OR SWIM SPA

1a. Test water balance parameters to insure they are in recommended ranges.

1b. Add chemicals, if necessary, to balance water to appropriate ranges below

• Total Alkalinity: 50 to 90 ppm
• Calcium Hardness: 100 to 400 ppm

Step 2: Prep

FOR SPA OR HOT TUB

2a. Add 10 milliliters of PristineCheck per 100 gallons of water. Circulate 2-4 hours.

2b. Shock with 5 milliliters of PristineExtra2 per 100 gallons of water. Circulate 2-4 hours.

FOR SWIM SPA

2a. Add 2 ounces of PristineCheck per 1,000 gallons of water. Filter for 6 hours.

2b. Shock with 2 ounces of PristineExtra2per 1,000 gallons of water. Circulate 2-4 hours.

2c. Clean filter thoroughly.

Do You Need To Add Shock After Filling A Hot Tub

You actually dont need to add any spa shock right at this stage. Shock helps kill contaminants and remove compounds that build up over time, like chloramines or bromamines. Because your hot tub is full of fresh water, and you dont have any build-up of contaminants, you dont need to add shock right away.

You can add a non-chlorine shock once a week when your hot tub is in use. This will help refresh your sanitizer levels. You can also use a chlorine shock if youre experiencing issues with your hot tub water, like cloudy water or algae, or if your hot tub is in high use.

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.

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Products To Adjust Ph

The pH levels in your hot tub help control the waters acidity. If the pH levels are low, there is more acid in the hot tub water than if the levels are high. The more acidic the water is, the harder it is for the sanitizers to do their job, causing higher levels of exposure to harmful contaminants.

Low acidic levels are also prone to corrosion build-up on spa components. This can result in an expensive component replacement.

Ensure the pH level in your hot tub stays above 7.4 by using a good balancer or pH increaser. You can also test the water using test strips for an accurate reading to see where your water lies on the pH scale. The test strip will tell you where your water chemistry is according to proper levels.

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.

Also Check: What Kind Of Pool Pump Do I Need

What Are Hot Tub Chemicals

All hot tubs share one trait: they need regular cleaning. Thats where the chemicals come in.

Hot tub chemicals are mixtures that remove dead skin cells, body oils, and bacteria from your spa water.

They also calm skin irritations and make long soaks more comfortable. And some chemicals ensure your hot tub stays pH balanced, so you dont need to refill it as often.

Hot Tub Start Up Chemicals: How To Open For The Season

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Download our free Pool Maintenance Starter Kit and learn how to manage your pool affordably and efficiently.

Download our free Pool Maintenance Starter Kit and learn how to manage your pool affordably and efficiently.

Hot tubs are an excellent way to sit back, relax your muscles, and destress. However, while hot tubs are known for their relaxing nature, hot tub maintenance can be a scary process to tackle. Learning and knowing what chemicals to use, how to open for the season, and how to properly maintain a hot tub may seem daunting.

Thankfully, hot tub care experts are here to help you every step of the way. We will walk you through everything you need to know regarding hot tub start up chemicals for a successful hot tub season, from understanding why chemicals are essential to an outlined hot tub setup process.

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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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Let’s Start With The Basics

The hot tub was invented by Jacuzzi when they coined the idea for the first hydrotherapy jet in the 1950s. The brand then went on to create the first hot tub in 1970. Unlike some modern spas on today’s market, Jacuzzis are high quality and designed to be low maintenance.

All hot tubs require regular maintenance to keep the water healthy and safe for bathers. Before getting started you will need to choose what type of chemicals to add based on your needs and skin sensitivity. Our hot tub chemical guide can help you choose the right sanitiser.

Also Check: Hot Tub Designs And Layouts

Welcome To The Family

Our Hot Tub Starter Kit contains all of the chemicals, accessories, and know-how youll need to maintain your hot tub. Whether youre an old pro or just getting started with your first hot tub, our Chlorine Starter Kit is the perfect place to begin. We designed our hot tub starter kit to handle any kind of water issue that can arise during the first two months of ownership. By the time youve used up these supplies, youll understand the water conditions in your area, and youll know which of our acclaimed full-size water care products are right for you.

Each kit contains:

Hot Tub Chemicals Basics

This is the bare minimum that you should know about hot tub maintenance this will save you money and save you from unnecessary hassle.

The main aspects of hot tub maintenance are associated with water balancing, sanitizing, and oxidizing. These complex terms mean simple things.

Water balancing. Maintaining correct water balance is an important part of hot tub maintenance. Poorly balanced water causes skin irritation and results in scale build-up and green foamy water. Also, it reduces the sanitizer efficiency, so you end up adding more sanitizer to keep the hot tub free from germs.

How do I know the water is balanced? Before and after each hot tub use, you should check the water balance with test strips to make sure the water will be comfortable and is safe for the skin. Test strips will show the pH level, total alkalinity, and bromine or chlorine level.

If you find that the pH level is too high or too low , you should add apH decreaseror pH increaseraccordingly. If you also notice that the total alkalinity level is unsuitable , add a total alkalinity increaserto raise the total alkalinity level and a pH Decreaserto make it lower. Chlorine and bromine levels shouldnt be higher than 3-5.

Sanitizing . The purpose of a sanitizer is to kill germs in the water. You should add a sanitizer after using the hot tub to purify the water and make it bacteria-free.

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Which Hot Tub Chemicals Do I Need

The answer to this question about which chemicals do you need or how much of it you need is to test the water first. Make sure that you have testing strips to test the water so that you know how much proportion of chemicals you need to add to level the chemical balance. Once you get a proper reading, you can start adding chemicals until you get the desired chemical level.

The major chemicals you will most likely need are:

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.

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Ph Increaser & Ph Decreaser

As I have already explained, pH levels need to be controlled and stay somewhere between 7.2 and 7.8. Now its time to clarify what happens if you dont control it all.

If you let the pH drop too low, the water will be uncomfortable to soak in and you may have irritated skin. Also, acidic water corrodes metals.

If the pH is too high, the water will also be uncomfortable, but instead of corroding the metals, you may get limescale.

Adjust Alkalinity And Ph

Your pH helps your sanitizer work more effectively. And Alkalinity helps prevent fluctuations in pH, so its important to adjust this level first. Alkalinity and pH go hand-in-hand, so adjusting one can affect the other. Thats why its important to add your chemicals one at a time, wait for them to dissolve, then retest your water. And remember, you can always add more, so dont overdo it. Start with a few tablespoons if your levels are only a bit off.

• Both pH and alkalinity are low: Add alkalinity increaser first. Then test the pH again to see if it needs a pH increaser.
• Low pH: Add a pH increaser. If your pH is too high, add a pH decreaser.
• Low alkalinity: Add an alkalinity increaser.
• Either pH or alkalinity are high: Use pH decreaser to drop them back to the right level.

And after adding each chemical, let them circulate for at least 20 minutes, then retest your water.

Read Also: How Much Chlorine For 500 Gallon Pool

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.

What Are The Chemicals For Hot Tub Start Up

To have a successful hot tub start-up, you will need to add the following chemicals:

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Spa Chemical Start Up Guide

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Balancing your spa or hot tub water after draining and refilling is an important step for many whose tap water is less than perfect.

Doing it in the right order is even more important, to prevent problems and make adjustment and balance something that takes just a few hours, not days.

Many of our customers have fill water that is very hard , very acidic , and loaded with metals or metals, phosphates and nitrates, or silt and sediment. Not good spa water.

My spa fill water is from a well, and even after water treatment, it has a high pH and is full of minerals and metals.

Here’s my 3 step process for refilling a spa, balancing the chemistry, and starting sanitation.

Keep Your Hot Tub Covered

Whether your spa is outside and exposed to leaves and bugs, or inside and exposed to dust and maybe a too-curious dog, using a hot tub cover will help keep things out that can dirty your water.

This also means less work and fewer chemicals, which translates to less money spent on maintaining your hot tub. If you dont have a cover, get one.

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Install & Clean The Filter

Step four involves installing and cleaning your hot tubs or spas filter. Similar to previous steps, step four will have different guidelines for a new hot tub versus one you are restarting. Follow these steps to install and clean your filter for new hot tubs.

• Install filter cartridges into all filter wells. Your hot tub might only have one filter wellcheck the user manual to be sure.

If you are restarting your hot tub, you should install and clean the filter with the following steps:

• Remove any filter cartridges in your hot tub.
• Inspect and clean the filter cartridges by spraying them with filter cleaner. You can also use an overnight chemical soak to clean your filters.
• Once your filters are clean, inspect them again to see if replacement is necessary.