Water Chemistry in Your Hot Tubs
Every hot tub's water sits for a while without being changed.
It also uses a higher temperature than a regular pool and thus is a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and viruses that can make you ill and ruin your hot tub spa.
If you take care of the pH and alkalinity you'll have the cleanest water around and the nicest spa experience.
And, if you test your water regularly, you'll know how much quantity of chemicals you need to reduce skin rashes, eye irritation and other nuisances that can come with improper care of the water chemistry.
Let's first talk about pH levels.
It's the measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution, in this case, hot tubs water.
Pure water is said to have a neutral pH of 7, while that with acidity is lower than 7.
On the other hand, a base water is said to have a pH higher than 7.
The pH of hot tubs should be between 7.
2 and 7.
8.
Test your water with a test strip to ensure it has the right pH; if it doesn't, use a balancer that will correct the level.
Calcium hardness is another thing to look for in the water.
If you live in an area with particularly hard or soft water, this will be something you want to tackle.
Again, you can use a test strip to test the calcium hardness.
Adjust hard levels by adjusting the pH and alkalinity.
For soft water, add calcium increasers.
Also, alkalinity is something to look out for.
If you control alkalinity, you won't have to worry too much about pH levels.
Use an alkalinity reducer if your test strip indicates a need, or use an increaser if you need more alkalinity.
Sometimes heavy metals, such as unusual amounts of iron or copper, can be found in hot tubs water.
If the water has a greenish tint, it may have this problem.
These metals can stain your tub shell, increase your sanitizer consumption or ruin your hot tub's heater.
But don't worry - if you do have heavy metals in your hot tubs, you can control them with an additive when you change the water.
Another thing you can do is make sure you clean your filter at least once a month.
This will help keep the chemicals and pH levels under control.
Use a good specialized hot tub filter cleaner and make sure it gets clean so you don't have to keep replacing it.
You also have to watch out for scum.
The first line of defense against this dreaded problem is proper water changing and sanitation.
But if you do get one, you can clean it with a multi-purpose spa surface cleaner and a cleaning pad that won't scratch the acrylic.
A scum prevention product can also help control scum buildup on the water from oils and greases people have in their skin.
The final thing to take care of is your hot tubs cover.
Use a gentle cover cleanser that has UV protection and cleans and conditions your cover.
The best way to keep your water chemistry in good shape is to make sure everyone rinses off before they get in the hot tubs.
This will get rid of dead skin, oils, perfumes and other water irritants.
It also uses a higher temperature than a regular pool and thus is a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and viruses that can make you ill and ruin your hot tub spa.
If you take care of the pH and alkalinity you'll have the cleanest water around and the nicest spa experience.
And, if you test your water regularly, you'll know how much quantity of chemicals you need to reduce skin rashes, eye irritation and other nuisances that can come with improper care of the water chemistry.
Let's first talk about pH levels.
It's the measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution, in this case, hot tubs water.
Pure water is said to have a neutral pH of 7, while that with acidity is lower than 7.
On the other hand, a base water is said to have a pH higher than 7.
The pH of hot tubs should be between 7.
2 and 7.
8.
Test your water with a test strip to ensure it has the right pH; if it doesn't, use a balancer that will correct the level.
Calcium hardness is another thing to look for in the water.
If you live in an area with particularly hard or soft water, this will be something you want to tackle.
Again, you can use a test strip to test the calcium hardness.
Adjust hard levels by adjusting the pH and alkalinity.
For soft water, add calcium increasers.
Also, alkalinity is something to look out for.
If you control alkalinity, you won't have to worry too much about pH levels.
Use an alkalinity reducer if your test strip indicates a need, or use an increaser if you need more alkalinity.
Sometimes heavy metals, such as unusual amounts of iron or copper, can be found in hot tubs water.
If the water has a greenish tint, it may have this problem.
These metals can stain your tub shell, increase your sanitizer consumption or ruin your hot tub's heater.
But don't worry - if you do have heavy metals in your hot tubs, you can control them with an additive when you change the water.
Another thing you can do is make sure you clean your filter at least once a month.
This will help keep the chemicals and pH levels under control.
Use a good specialized hot tub filter cleaner and make sure it gets clean so you don't have to keep replacing it.
You also have to watch out for scum.
The first line of defense against this dreaded problem is proper water changing and sanitation.
But if you do get one, you can clean it with a multi-purpose spa surface cleaner and a cleaning pad that won't scratch the acrylic.
A scum prevention product can also help control scum buildup on the water from oils and greases people have in their skin.
The final thing to take care of is your hot tubs cover.
Use a gentle cover cleanser that has UV protection and cleans and conditions your cover.
The best way to keep your water chemistry in good shape is to make sure everyone rinses off before they get in the hot tubs.
This will get rid of dead skin, oils, perfumes and other water irritants.
Source...