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.
Testing And Adding Chemicals For Dummies
Routine water testing is an important part of spa maintenance and should never be overlooked. Test kits are the most accurate way of testing your spa water, but they are also the most time consuming. An easier alternative are test strips, which if stored properly, work almost as well.
Part of keeping your spa water healthy and clean involves testing the water regularly to ensure chemicals are balanced properly. Some products, like sanitizers, keep your water clean and healthy by killing harmful bacteria while others maintain important pH or alkaline levels.
Remember, good water care becomes easier as you discover the best routine for your actual spa use.
Quick Tip:
When adding chemicals, start by activating the high speed pump and after a few minutes, switch to low.
Spa Chemical Start Up Guide
This content was previously featured on the Hot Tub Works website. Leslie’s is proud to partner with Hot Tub Works to bring you this helpful content on lesliespool.com.
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.
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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.
How To Check Your Sanitiser Level
To test your sanitiser level dip a Happy Test Strip in the spa water about 12 inches/30cm under the water level, following the instructions on the test strip container, and compare the colour to the chart on the test strip bottle. .
The amount of chemical in hot tubs is usually measured in PPM, which stands for Parts per Million. If you are a chlorine user, keep the chlorine level at between 3-5ppm. If you are a bromine user, try to keep your bromine level between 2-5ppm.
Every hot tub owner uses his / her hot tub differently, so it is impossible to say how much sanitiser is required. Therefore we recommend that you test your sanitiser and PH level as often as possible and adjust accordingly, but you may wish to reduce these checks to every few days if you find your water doesnt need adjusting that often. However if your usage increases then return to daily checks.
HAPPY HINT: Hold your test strip horizontally to avoid the colours running into each other!
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What Chemicals Should I Put In My Hot Tub For The First Time
Hot tubs are an amazing source of relaxation and leisure for people throughout the world. Whether you are using your brand new tub to relax tense muscles or just to simply destress from the day, you will want to make sure you are putting the right chemicals in the very first time you use it to ensure safety for you and your family.
The chemicals you will need to start your hot tub include a pH increaser, pH decreaser, calcium hardness, a metal removal and a sanitiser. The chemicals have to go in a certain order for the process to work. Your final goal should be to balance your pH level between 7.4 and 7.6 and your alkalinity between 100-200 parts per million.
If you just bought a brand new hot tub, chances are you are really excited about your new purchase and want to do everything you can to make it a safe and fun experience for you, your family and your guests. Keep reading to learn the exact chemicals, methods and tips for starting your hot tub for the first time.
While the chemicals youll need to add to your spa will depend on your situation, a basic list of chemicals every spa owner should have includes:
- Spa sanitiser such as bromine or chlorine.
- A pH increaser and decreaser such as FreshWater® pH/Alkalinity Up and FreshWater® pH/Alkalinity Down
- Spa shock solution, such as chlorine or MPS.
How Much Chlorine Should You Add To A New Hot Tub
The amount of chlorine you add to your hot tub for the first time should be 4 grams for every 100 gallons of fresh water. Generally, you want to aim for a chlorine level of between 5 and 8 ppm for a new treatment and 2 to 4 ppm for subsequent treatments.
Whenever you start your hot tub for the first time, the free chlorine levels should be higher than whats best for daily use.
This ensures proper startup sanitation of the water, so aim for a level of around 5 to 8 ppm and let it drop to around 3 ppm before using the tub.
Wait 30 minutes before rechecking the free chlorine level, and dont let anyone use the hot tub during this time. Do one more test after an hour of sanitizing the tub, and thats it.
Youll have allowed enough time for the chlorine level to drop to the recommended level where the water is safely balanced and ready to enjoy.
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Types Of Hot Tub Chemicals
There are so many different types and brands of hot tub chemicals on the market. No wonder it can be so confusing for new hot tub owners! To help make it easier, we’ve broken this section down into six categories of spa and hot tub chemicals. Each section includes a short description of what they are, what purpose they serve, and when they’re used.
A Beginners Guide To Hot Tub Chemistry
You definitely dont need a science degree to keep the water in your hot tub balanced, but hot tub chemistry is the most important thing you can learn in order to keep your water clean and safe for its soakers.
I mean, who wants to sit around in a tepid pool of filth and bacteria, right?
Aside from making sure your water is clean, keeping the water chemistry balanced also helps prolong the life of your spa and equipment.
And lets face it: all that stuff didnt come cheap, so you would probably like to do everything you can to make it last.
So, lets just dig right in to the what, how and why of it all.
You with me?
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How Did We Research
To come up with a list of chemicals you need for the hot tub, our team conducted extensive research:
- Analyzed hundreds of customer reviews to figure out what problems you as a newbie, can face when picking up and using hot tub chemicals
- Opted necessary items for both chlorine and bromine sanitizing systems
- Analyzed 3 types of research to help you make your hot tub a safe place for you and your family
- Selected 2 manufacturer starter kits, which will suit best.
Hot Tub Start Up Chemicals You Need
Of course, the first question of hot tub ownership is, What chemicals are needed for a hot tub?
Each start-up chemical for a hot tubs water serves a different purpose. While each chemical has its job in the hot tub water, they all work together to keep your spa water clean and ready to use on-demand. Here are the chemical categories you need to consider as you prepare your hot tub setup.
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Rinse And Final Drain
Once you feel the tub has been given a good scrub, rinse it to wash away the cleaning solution. Youll need to be thorough in your rinse, as any remnants of the cleaning product in the tub may make it hard to balance your water.
A final drain will also have to be done. You can use either draining method for it but the important thing is that you flush out all the water from the tub.
If theres any debris left over on the bottom of the tub, you can use a Shop-Vac to suck it up, or remove it by hand with a towel.
What Is Ph Anchor
pH Anchor softens water by removing calcium, , and maintains a comfortable, stable pH. Helps extend the life of the spa heater. In addition, pH Anchor simplifies water care just one bottle locks in pH in most spas for up to 2 months and reduces calcium levels to prevent corrosion.
The Calcium Hardness reading should be:
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But Do I Really Need Chemicals For My Hot Tub
The answer is YES! You really do need hot tub chemicals to maintain and sustain the longevity of your spa. If you want to submerge yourself in the spa regularly and enjoy some me-time or have a relaxing time with your friends, you definitely need to balance the water chemistry level!
There is no way that you can avoid using hot tub chemicals. Filthy water, which is filled with germs and bacteria, will not only damage the equipment of the hot tub but also give you hot tub related illnesses. Stagnant water and an unbalanced chemistry level will become a breeding ground for various organisms. The key to avoiding spending a hefty amount in the near future for the repairs of your hot tub is to have your hot tub water chemistry balanced.
Alkalinity Increaser And Reducer
Unfortunately, chemicals arent all youll need to keep your pH levels optimal. Instead, youll also need to check your alkalinity levels. The logic behind alkalinity gets pretty complicated and sciencey. So well skip the fluff and get to the bottom line.
If your alkaline levels rise too high, your pH levels will also increase rapidly. Likewise, when your total alkalinity levels drop too low, your pH will also drop to undesired levels. And when your pH levels go badwell, you know the slippery slope from here.
But what all this really means is that youll need proper total alkalinity levels before you can even play with your pH levels. Thus, its important you check your inflatable hot tubs total alkalinity.
Youll check your waters total alkalinity with test strips. And much like pH tests, these strips mostly work the same. You dip and remove the test strips from water. Within a matter of seconds, the paper turns colours letting you know your total alkalinity levels. Pretty easy, right?
As far as desired levels go, youll want your waters total alkalinity to fall in the range of 80-120 ppm. As you might have already guessed, you can add chemicals to your water to alter your total alkaline levels.
For raising your total alkalinity, we recommend Happy Hot Tubs Spa TA Plus Total Alkalinity Increaser. But we also found Leisure Time Alkalinity Increaser worked just as well. For reducing your total alkalinity, Hot Tub Works Spa pH minus Spa Alkalinity Reducer works.
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Why Should I Shock My Spa
Sometimes its necessary to shock your spa water. Perspiration, cosmetics, lotions, etc. build up over time, reducing the effectiveness of your sanitizer. Because this type of waste dissolves in water, your filtration system cant remove it. Depending on how often you use your spa, you may need to shock your water weekly, but certainly after heavy use. Luckily, spa Shock products are available to make the process easy, inexpensive and convenient.
Non-Chlorine Shock The biggest advantage of a non-chlorine shock is the ability to re-enter the spa quickly, . Because nonchlorine shock contains no sanitizer, youll need to add a normal dose of chlorine or bromine granules before getting back in.
Follow the dosage instructions on the package. Run the high speed jets during this process for at least 30 minutes. Leave the cover open for 60 minutes to allow the bad stuff to evaporate.
Shock Xtra Combining two steps in one, Shock Xtra uses a non-chlorine shock to oxidize those things in the water that need it, and leaves a chlorine residual at the same time. Just as important, you can re-enter the spa within an hour. For no extra cost, your work is cut in half. Follow the dosage instructions on the package. Run the high speed jets during this process for at least 30 minutes. Leave the cover open for 60 minutes to allow the bad stuff to evaporate.
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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Adjust Calcium Hardness Levels
These levels do more damage in the long run, like eroding parts in your hot tub parts, so you can wait until your water is sanitized and balanced before adjusting your calcium hardness. Your calcium hardness levels should be between 175 and 250 ppm.
If you need to raise your levels, add a calcium hardness increaser. If your calcium hardness levels are too high, the best solution is to drain your hot tub, scrub it, and start over with fresh, filtered water.
Adjust Sanitizer Levels Like Chlorine Or Bromine
Nows the time to add your chlorine granules or liquid bromine directly to the water. You can also use bromine tablets in a floating dispenser system. As always, start with a smaller amount of sanitizer, test your water, and add more if necessary.
Bromine does not dissolve as quickly as chlorine, so youll need to wait a bit longer to retest these levels. And if youre using bromine tablets in a floater, this can take several days to disperse in your water before you get a proper reading.
If youre using chlorine to sanitize your hot tub, we recommend using dichlor granules over trichlor tablets. Its easier to control your dosing with granules compared to tablets. And trichlor can damage your hot tubs acrylic shell.
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How To Store Hot Tub Chemicals
The option for chemicals storage
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.
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.
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Free Delivery On Orders Over $75
Dear valued customers, In these ever changing times, our thoughts are with you and your families. Our first priority is the health and well-being of our customers, employees and families. This has always been and will continue to be first on our mind. We can assure you that we are taking necessary precautions and closely following the regulations being put out by local government agencies.New Store Hours:Monday Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Sunday: ClosedWe have launched a chemical pre-order form on our web page. www.lclspas.comOur store is open for regular business dealings. We also offer curb-side & delivery options.Please phone, or email your curb-side or delivery orders and pre-pay by credit card, so we can have your order ready for pickup on arrival. 204-783-1112IN HOME SERVICE:We will continue to provide you with essential in home service & delivery.
- You will be asked to disclose if anyone in your household is sick, or if you or anyone in your household are in quarantine
- Please make all of the necessary arrangements for our service technicians to have access to your hot tub without them needing to be in direct contact with you.
- If you are home, please be considerate and practice the 2 meter social distancing rule with our technicians at all times.
- Our technician will not enter your home. If this becomes necessary we will evaluate on a case by case basis.
