Converting A Hot Tub Into A Saltwater System
If you already own or have purchased a hot tub without a saltwater kit and you want to add one, here is what you need to have: the hot tub itself, saltwater test strips, a pH increaser or decreaser, a drop-in chlorinator , an alkalinity increaser or decreaser, a spa line flush, a soft cloth, a garden hose, a screwdriver, a hose filter, filter cleaner. The steps for making the conversion are:
Should You Buy A Salt Water Hot Tub
Is a saltwater hot tub better than a regular hot tub? It depends on your preferences. If you love the buoyancy of salt water combined with the fewer chemicals and eco-friendliness, then yes, its better. Both chlorine and salt water hot tubs have their pros and cons. Work with whats best for your budget, health, and overall preferences.
Whichever path you decide, cheers to making your jacuzzi hot tub your own deluxe oasis!
For over 15 years, Sean Moore has been sharing his love and enthusiasm for swimming pools and hot tubs with everyone he knows. His goal is to help everyday people DIY their maintenance to save money by teaching how to properly take care of your equipment, safely and correctly balance chemicals, and extend the life of your water oasis.
Pricing on this page was last updated on 2022-09-27
Salt Water Hot Tub: Everything You Need To Know
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If spa days are one of your most favorite pastimes, consider a salt water hot tub at home. Say goodbye to the smelly chlorine that leaves you feeling irritated , and hello to the relaxing bubbles of a hot tub made of salt water.
There are many hot tub benefits and when you make the water salt water, you have even more to gain.
You can recreate the feelings you have at the best spa, in the comfort of your own home.
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Attach All The Cables And Put The Chlorinator In The Hot Tub
As indicated by the chlorinators manual, attach all the cables correctly into their outlets. You should also add the required amount of hot tub salt to the chlorinators system.
When you have done that, put the chlorinator inside the hot tub water. Remember that this is a drop,-in chlorinator so it can stay in the water. For an in-line chlorinator, it cant stay in the water.
The Problem With Salt Water Hot Tub Conversion Kits
Converting your chlorine hot tub to a salt water hot tub can be done in one of two easy ways: drop-in chlorinators or in-line chlorinators. Drop-in chlorinators are just that: chlorinators that hot tub owners can drop in and forget about, at least for a little. Other than possibly having to deal with the sight of a cord hanging out of the side of your tub, they dont require any alterations to your current tub just a nearby outlet. In-line chlorinators require professional help and must be spliced directly into the internal plumbing system of your current tub. Both types of chlorinators use low levels of electricity to remove the chloride from the sodium chloride, or salt the only difference is your preference.
However, before deciding to convert your hot tub to a salt water tub, be sure to verify what isand what is notcovered under the tub manufacturers warranty. Many hot tub manufacturers will decline warranty coverage if conversion kits are used or if any damage to the hot tubs internal components result from the use of salt water. Fortunately, theres a great alternative that will keep your warranty intact and provide all the same benefits of a salt water system
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Why Would Someone Choose A Salt Water Hot Tub
Salt water hot tubs are favored by some hot tub owners because they promote a more natural feel, use fewer harsh chemicals, and produce less lingering odors compared to traditional hot tub water treatments.
That being said, there are some problems with salt water hot tubs that you need to be aware of before deciding to make the switch. There are also some great alternatives that provide similar results!
If youre looking for a hot tub for sale and are trying to decide between salt water and chlorine, carefully consider these pros, cons, and alternatives and contact us with any questions.
What Are The Benefits Of Salt Water Hot Tubs
There are many benefits of salt water hot tubs that are far greater than those traditional tubs. Like most people these days, you are busy. You have family, friends, work, and lots of other distractions. As a result, you might feel the stress building up in your day-to-day existence. What you need to get this stress out is a high-quality saltwater tub spa. You can use inflatable tubs or luxury tubs.
- They help relieve both physical and mental stress without any medication.
- Salt water hot tubs are easier to maintain as it produces small amounts of natural chlorine molecules which neutralizes contaminants by sanitizing your hot tub
- Salt water hot tubs are gentler on your skin and eyes than the strong chlorine harsh chemicals.
- Health and relaxation benefits are greatly increased as salt water hot tubs aids in healing qualities on your muscles due to overexertion and exercise and reduces fluid swelling which relives joint pain.
- Environmentally friendly than traditional hot tubs. The modern salt hot tubs are made mostly up of recyclable materials and consumes less power than the older versions of hot tubs. They come with advanced technologies that make them more energy efficient.
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Common Salt Water Hot Tub Questions Answered
If you recently switched from a chlorine hot tub to a salt water hot tub, you will discover that most of the things you learned about running your regular chlorine hot tub wouldnt be very useful when it comes to running your salt water hot tub.
So its not unusual to find yourself needing answers to some common salt water hot tub questions.
But not to worry, this post will provide answers to 8 common salt water hot tub questions that might be bugging you. So lets dive in.
Install The Chlorinator Panel
Just like your hot tub, the chlorinator also has a control panel. The panel should be installed away from the water. You can install it on the wall with your GFCI breaker or a post. You can use electrical tape to secure the chlorinator.
While installing the control panel, ensure the plug can reach the GFCI breaker and the chlorinator can reach the water. Also, keep the control panel in line of sight so you can monitor it even when you are in the hot tub. Do not plug in the cords just yet.
Related Read: Salt Water vs Chlorine Hot Tubs?
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Prepare The Hot Tub For Conversion To A Salt Water Tub
Now you need to prepare the spa for the saltwater system installation. For the system to work properly, you need to start it with fresh, clean water. Contamination and residues of hot tub sanitizers will interfere with the operation of the saltwater system.
1.Clean and drain a hot tub
Clean the hot tub with a hot tub cleaner before draining to remove contaminants from inside of the spa plumbing and jets. Drain the water and clean the surface.
2.Refill the hot tub
Refill the hot tub as usual but use a hose with a filter to ensure maximum water purity.
3.Check hot tub water chemistry
saltwater systems require balanced and pure water to start and work correctly. Check the water with test strips and balance the water if needed .
How Much Does It Cost To Convert A Hot Tub To Saltwater
It will cost you anywhere between $300-500 to convert your chlorine hot tub to saltwater. The chlorinator costs about 400 dollars, plus the salt costs about $30.
If you hire someone to do it, it will cost even more. Thats why we have prepared this guide to show you how to do it yourself. In the long run, it will cost you less to maintain the saltwater hot tub than a chlorine hot tub.
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What System Will Cost You Less
The cost of care depends on various factors. But based on the experience of the many users we interviewed, we can say that a chlorine hot tub will cost you less in the long run. Most likely.
With a chlorine hot tub, youre going to be spending on chemicals, but its not that big of a deal once you get the hang of balancing the chemicals.
With a salt spa, you can save a little money on chemicals, but youll spend a lot more on other things. As we mentioned, salt can cause corrosion, so elements of your hot tub will have to be replaced more often. The salt chlorinator itself will also have to be replaced every few years.
All in all, it depends on luck and how closely you monitor your hot tub, but most users encounter these inconveniences. If the balance of chemicals is maintained, though, corrosion wont be your problem.
Chlormaker Salt Water Hot Tub And Spa Chlorine Generator
Our first suggestion for today is a generator that can help convert a regular hot tub into a saltwater system because it generates chlorine to sanitize the water. This is a drop-in system which means that you can plug it in and have it do its thing without having to mess around with the plumbing of the hot tub. There are plenty of benefits to choosing this system, but one thing that stands out is the fact that you dont have to add chlorine every day. With one setup, the generator can take control over the operation. Just make sure you keep an eye on the pH, as saltwater chlorinators tend to raise it.
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What Are The Drawbacks Of A Salt Water Hot Tub
- Hefty Upfront Investment Salt water hot tubs cost more than regular hot tubs, but since theyre easier to maintain, eventually it may be a wash.
- You Still Need to Maintain the Hot Tub Many people think salt water hot tubs are maintenance-free, but you still have to measure the chlorine levels, balance the water, and clean the filter. Even though you spend less time, theres still maintenance.
- Salt Water May Corrode the Hot Tub Parts All parts wear down with use and salt water may cause corroding which may require more frequent replacement of parts such as your heater and hot tub filters/filtration system
- You Must Replace Cartridges Salt water hot tubs have cartridges that you must replace every few months, adding to the hot tubs cost
- You Can Void the Warranty Read your manufacturers warranty to make sure you arent voiding it by using salt rather than traditional chlorine. Some warranties dont allow it.
- The Water Must Remain Above 60 Degrees Fahrenheit Salt water hot tubs shut down if they are colder than 60 degrees Fahrenheit because the chlorinator cant turn salt into chlorine in the colder temperatures, rendering the hottub unsafe.
Benefits Of A Saltwater System
Salt chlorine generators can be attached to your conventional hot tub to turn it into a healthier and a more relaxing environment for you or anyone else who sits in the tub.
To begin, its important to know that you can easily buy hot tubs that come with integrated saltwater systems. However, they are generally quite expensive. If you already have an inflatable hot tub, why would you want to spend extra?
You should just consider going for the generator that will turn your regular hot tub into a saltwater system. There are several benefits that these systems offer.
The prime reason for which so many people buy saltwater hot tubs is because they are generally easy to maintain. You dont need to worry about spending several hours in a day or even during the week to maintain the generator.
When compared with other sanitizing solutions, the maintenance and cleaning process is considerably easy. Most generators come with a self-cleaning option, so you dont have to worry about manual cleaning.
Even then, giving the whole thing a scrub every now and then is a wise solution, and it will ensure that your generator and your bathtub remains neat and clean.
Chloramines are serious irritants that can cause problems with your skin and if they get into your eyes, they may cause reddening or blurred vision for a bit.
Its a great idea for people who dont want to worry about any kind of skin irritation and just wish to relax.
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How Often Should You Add Salt To A Salt Water Hot Tub
You should add salt to your salt water hot tub when you drain and refill the salt water hot tub. This is because it takes a while for the salt in the water to be used up completely. So you wouldnt need to add salt again till the next time you drain and refill the salt water hot tub.
The salt cell chlorinator in your salt water hot tub converts salt to chlorine to disinfect your hot tub. The salt that is added takes weeks to be completely used up. This means you get weeks of a continual supply of chlorine in the hot tub without needing to add salt again.
You will be happy to know that you dont even need much salt in the salt water hot tub. Most salt water hot tubs require only 2 pounds of salt for every 100 gallons of water, so if you have a 400-gallon hot tub, you only need 8 pounds of salt at an interval of at least 5 months. This shows you how cost-effective salt water hot tubs are.
Another alternative to know when you need to add salt to your hot tub is to check the chlorinator display screen. If you have a salt cell chlorinator that has a salt indicator, the display screen of the chlorinator will indicate when the chlorinator is low on salt and needs a refill.
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Are Salt Water Hot Tubs Better Than Regular Hot Tubs
Hot tubs are quite a large investment, so caring for them should be just as important as caring for all your prized possessions. In todays hectic world, we need more places where we can relax in the comfort of our very home, and a hot tub can help you turn a simple patio into the place youll crave to be in at the end of each day.
Today, were going to talk about saltwater hot tubs, what are the systems used to turn a regular hot tub into a saltwater one, and check out some of the myths related to the ease of care for these units, so make sure you stay tuned!
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How To Clean A Saltwater Hot Tub
A lot of manufacturers claim that a saltwater hot tub is better because it sanitizes the water better, but how much of that is actually true? By pushing this feature forward, brands advertise these products as being easier to clean, so lets see how much of that is valid.
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First of all, its important to note that saltwater systems take longer to start up because the salt needs to be first converted into bromine or chlorine. The electrolysis process behind this operation can take up to 72 hours to generate an amount of sanitizer that will be able to keep up with the hot tubs usage.
You also have to consider the fact that splashes will get out of the tub on the surrounding patio deck. Needless to say, the composition of the water could lead to deck damage if you dont clean that mess up fast. If you have any plants surrounding the tub, we suggest getting them out of the way as well, just for safety.
Some manufacturers also state that when you maintain saltwater, it has a lifespan of one year and cartridges require replacement every four months. The truth is that a saltwater hot tub needs multiple products in order to maintain it, much like a regular water care system. If you want to make the best out of these products, you are going to have to invest in spa cleaners, metal and stain removers, balancing chemicals, test strips, and more.
What Is A Salt Water Hot Tub
The difference between a simple hot tub and a salt water hot tub is the addition of the salt cell chlorinator. The chlorinator releases the chlorine in salt water hot tubs you do not need to add chemical chlorine directly into the hot tub. The chlorine released by the chlorinator dissolves to generate natural chlorine. This chlorine helps in keeping the hot tub clean, safe, and hygienic.
There are hot tubs with a built-in saltwater system, such as the Intex PureSpa Deluxe.
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What Kind Of Salt Can I Use In The Hot Tub
A sodium bromide salt water hot tub will use bromine, while a sodium chloride saltwater hot tub will use sodium chloride. Manufacturers can provide the recommended hot tub salt which works best with the model that you have purchased. Again, always use hot tub salt and refrain from using any alternative salt.
