Maintaining a clean and safe hot tub environment requires careful attention to water chemistry. Sanitizers like chlorine are essential for killing bacteria, preventing algae growth, and keeping the water balanced. While both chlorine and bromine are common choices, chlorine, particularly sodium dichlor, is often recommended for its effectiveness and compatibility with certain filtration systems.
Why Sanitize Your Hot Tub?
Warm water creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Without proper sanitation, your hot tub can become a health hazard. Sanitizers like chlorine destroy contaminants, ensuring a safe and enjoyable soaking experience.
Chlorine vs. Bromine: Key Considerations
Both chlorine and bromine effectively sanitize hot tub water, but they have distinct characteristics:
- Chlorine: Acts as an oxidizer, breaking down contaminants like sweat, body oils, and bacteria. It can produce chloramines, which cause the characteristic "chlorine smell," but advanced filtration systems can help remove these.
- Bromine: Ionizes contaminants. It produces bromamines, which are less irritating than chloramines, but can still accumulate in the water. Bromine dissolves more slowly than chlorine and may linger on skin and swimwear.
Here's a quick comparison:
| Feature | Chlorine | Bromine |
|---|---|---|
| Dissolves quickly | ✓ | X |
| Less likely to stick to skin | ✓ | X |
| Works best with EcoPur | ✓ | X |
Types of Chlorine for Hot Tubs
The best type of chlorine for hot tubs is sodium dichlor in granular form. Here's why:
- Sodium Dichlor: Dissolves quickly and is safe for spa components. It is recommended to sprinkle the granules over the surface of the water after each use.
- Tablets or Floaters: While seemingly convenient, these can lead to over-chlorination and damage your spa if left in the water too long.
Using the wrong type of chlorine can negatively affect water chemistry and damage spa components.
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Recommended Chlorine Products and Alternatives
- Spa Ease Chlorine Granular: A popular choice that dissolves instantly without leaving scale-forming minerals.
- SpaBoss Chlor-Aid: A granular chlorine product that disinfects water without disturbing pH or alkalinity balance.
Maintaining Proper Chlorine Levels
- Frequency: Many hot tub owners add a small dose of chlorine after each use, while others prefer once-a-week applications.
- Levels: Aim for chlorine levels between 1.5 and 3.0 ppm (parts per million).
- Testing: Regularly test your water using test strips or a liquid test kit to ensure proper chlorine levels.
Water Chemistry Basics
Maintaining balanced water chemistry is crucial for effective sanitation and preventing damage to your hot tub. Here are some key elements:
- Sanitizer (Chlorine or Bromine): Choose your preferred sanitizer and maintain the recommended levels.
- Shock: Use hot tub shock weekly to revitalize your sanitizer and remove used-up chlorine. Non-chlorine shock is suitable for regular maintenance, while chlorine shock is more effective for treating algae or bacteria.
- pH and Total Alkalinity: Maintain total alkalinity between 100 and 150 ppm and pH between 7.4 and 7.6. Use alkalinity increaser (sodium bicarbonate) or pH decreaser (sodium carbonate) to adjust levels.
- Calcium Hardness: Keep calcium hardness levels between 175 and 250 ppm to prevent corrosion or scaling.
- Regular Flushing: Flush the plumbing and drain your spa every 3-4 months to remove mineral deposits and grime.
Additional Water Care Products
- Spa Ease Oxy Blast Shock: Increase oxygen content and get cleaner spa water.
- SpaBoss Spa Shock: Keep contaminants from ruining your hot tub water and plumbing.
- SpaBoss Prevent II: Get rid of staining and scaling in your hot tub and prevents it from building up in the first place.
- SpaBoss Spa Clear: Restore clarity and diamond-like brilliance to your spa or hot tub.
- SpaBoss Defoamer: Get rid of excess foam in your hot tub quickly and prevent foam from ruining your enjoyment and relaxation!
- SpaBoss Descummer: Boost the effectiveness of the filtration system in your spa or hot tub, helping to keep the water clean and free of left-over contaminants.
- SpaBoss pH Minus: Lower pH levels and total alkalinity in your hot tub.
- SpaBoss pH Plus: Easily raise pH levels in spas and hot tubs.
- PROLINE Dual Action Cartridge Cleaner: Keep your hot tub filter working effectively.
Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Chemicals
- Test Your Water: Use test strips or a liquid test kit to determine the current levels.
- Heat the Water: Heat your spa until the water temperature reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).
- Add Chemicals One at a Time: Wait at least 20 minutes between each chemical addition.
- Adjust Alkalinity: If needed, adjust the alkalinity levels first.
- Adjust pH: Next, adjust the pH levels to the recommended range.
- Add Sanitizer: Add chlorine granules or liquid bromine directly to the water.
- Adjust Calcium Hardness: If necessary, adjust calcium hardness levels.
The Importance of Water Testing
Regular water testing is essential for maintaining a safe and balanced hot tub environment. Test strips and liquid test kits provide accurate readings, allowing you to make necessary adjustments. Alternatively, you can take a water sample to your local pool and spa store for testing.
Saving Money on Hot Tub Chemicals
It doesn't always matter which brand you buy. Many pool and spa chemicals are the same way. If you are using dichlor, for example, the brand really does not matter. Learn what the actual chemicals are and use the proper ones. For example, non chlorine shock is potassium monopersulfate (MPS). It was developed by Dupont under the name of Oxone and they hold all the patents on it. Doesn't matter who's brand you buy, you are getting Oxone! Total alkalinity increaser is sodium bicarbonate and pH increaser is sodium carbonate. Just about all the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate available comes from a company called Church and Dwight. You might be very familair with one of their brands, Arm and Hammer. The total alkalinity increaser is just plain old baking soda at a VERY inflated price and the ph increaser is Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda at an inflated price! If you need to buy more, it doesn't matter which brand you buy. The only thing to keep in mind is there are several different levels of actual chlorine in Dichlor ranging from 20% to about 60% I believe, so as stated learn the chemicals by reading the labels.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
- Mixing Chemicals: Never mix bromine and chlorine, either in the water or in their dry form.
- Using Unnecessary Chemicals: Focus on the essential chemicals and avoid unnecessary additives.
- Ignoring Water Balance: Regularly test and adjust water balance to ensure effective sanitation and prevent damage to your hot tub.
- Not Cleaning Filters: You’ll need to remove and clean your filters every week if you have heavy hot tub use.
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