Hot Tub Basic Care 101 How to Keep Your Hot Tub Clean & Well Maintained

Transcription

1 Hot Tub Basic Care 101 How to Keep Your Hot Tub Clean & Well Maintained Hot Tub Sanitation & Sanitizers With hundreds of manufacturers producing thousands of hot tub and spa products, choosing the right combination of products to keep your hot tub water clean, safe and well maintained can be confusing and somewhat overwhelming. No worries! You don't need an advanced degree in organic chemistry or water composition, but you do need a little basic information and knowledge. Hot Tub Basics 101gives you that information as well as an introduction to the basic chemicals used to clean and maintain your hot tubs and spas. Let's start out with hot tub and spa sanitation. Sanitizing your hot tub and spa water is the most important health, safety and maintenance task that you can do for yourself. Sanitizers kill bacteria that inhabit and thrive in warm water. Listed below is a quick summary of the most common and effective types of hot tub and spa sanitizers: Chlorine Dichlor - Highly recommended, Highly effective and Self-shocking. Dichlor is a balanced form of chlorine that can be used both as a sanitizing shock and residual sanitizer. When used correctly with the proper system, you will not experience itching, rashes or that nasty chlorine smell. Trichlor - Do not use Trichlor as a hot tub or spa sanitizer. It's generally used in swimming pools but it's highly corrosive in warm water. It can damage your spa, cause respiratory issues and will void most hot tub and spa warranties. Chlorine is the primary sanitizer used in swimming pools. Chlorine can be used effectively in a different concentration in hot tubs. There are chlorine tablets and chlorine granules created specifically for hot tub use. Bromine Bromine can be added to a hot tub in the form of tablets, nuggets or granules. One form is sodium bromide, which needs to be activated with an oxidizer such as chlorine or Potassium Monopersulfate (non-chlorine) shock. Another bromine product is BCDMH, which is a self-activating chlorine bromine combination. Many hot tub owners prefer bromine to chlorine because bromine is an effective hot tub sanitizer and it doesn't "gas off" at temperatures higher than 98 degrees. Another advantage is that it produces fewer and less toxic odors than chlorine. Bromine works in a wide range of ph levels and is generally distributed through a floating feeder or cartridge system.

2 Biguanide Biguanide (bi-gwan-eyed) sanitizers are non-chlorine, non-bromine products that kill bacteria by attacking the cell wall. The elimination of organics is accomplished with a hydrogen peroxide-based oxidizer used to "burn" off the organic matter and keep the water clear. This system produces fewer odors than chlorine or bromine and does not "gas off" at higher spa temperatures, but Biguanides are generally not compatible with Enzyme systems. Supplemental Sanitation & Purification Systems/Products The following systems and products are used to assist or compliment the sanitation systems listed above but they are not meant to take the place of or completely eliminate sanitation. Enzymes Enzymes are bio-catalyzers and are not sanitizers. Enzymes work in conjunction with sanitizers, ozone, mineral and ionic systems, boosting their action. Enzymes are used to minimize the use of harsh chemicals and to maximize their effect. The enzymes in a spa are positively charged to attract any oils, organic particles and by-products in your spa and hot tub. They bond to these contaminants and dissolve them away allowing them to be effortlessly filtered from your spa and hot tub water. They also soften the water and keep minerals from building up along the water line effectively eliminating scum from around the edges of your spa or hot tub. Enzymes work very well in spas and hot tubs because the warm water helps speed up the degradation process and the end products of the process are harmless and leave no residue build up. Adding an Ozone Generator can further improve your hot tub water quality and significantly reduce your chemical usage. Ozone Ozone is an oxidizer and not a sanitizer, but it reduces the work of the sanitizers and lowers the level of sanitizers needed to keep a hot tub or spa clean. In order for the ozone process to work, your hot tub will need to be equipped with an Ozonator. As with the other supplemental sanitation and purification products, you'll still need to use a small amount of sanitizer such as Chlorine or Bromine with an Ozonator. Ozone is compatible with bromine, chlorine, biguanide and mineral purification systems. Ionizers Ionizers can either be passive or active:

3 Passive Ionizers, also called Mineral Sanitizers, come in cartridges that are typically placed inside your filter or contained in floating dispensers. They both allow sanitizing minerals to be slowly released into the water over time. Active Ionizers are most commonly packaged as solar floaters. The two most common active ionizers are electric copper silver ionizers and electric copper ionizers. The solar floaters become part of the circulation system. Please Note: In general terms, ionizers do a good job of killing organic substances in the water, but as with all supplemental systems/products, ionization alone is not sufficient to sanitize your hot tub or spa water. Ionizers require the addition of chlorine, bromine or other chemical oxidizers to the water in order to provide adequate sanitation. Changing Your Water On average, your hot tub or spa water needs to be changed every days regardless of which sanitation method you choose. This can be adjusted up or down depending on actual use; Change every 120 days if used sparingly and change every days if used 2-3 times per week on a regular basis. No amount of chemical additives can protect you completely in water that is old and dirty. You wouldn't shower or wash dishes in year old water and you shouldn't soak in it either. Changing the water in your hot tub isn't hard, but it does take a little time. Consider the time well spent and your family and friends will thank you for it! Cleaning Your Hot Tub - Filter, Tub & Cover Cleaning the Filter - The most important part of your system to keep clean is your hot tub filter clean and it should be cleaned a minimum of once per month. A quality hot tub filter can last up to 12 months with the use of specialized filter cleaning products and proper maintenance. Hot tub filters should be replaced annually regardless of maintenance consistency. Cleaning the Tub - The first line of defense for keeping your hot tub clean is proper sanitation and regular replacement of water. There are numerous products on the market that prevent Scum or "Ring Around the Tub" buildup and the same products help prevent the build-up of oils and greases on the surface of your water. Cleaning the Cover - Dozens of good "cover care" products to choose from. Use any quality cover care product on your cover at least once per month. If your hot tub and cover are in direct sunlight for extended periods of time, you'll want to make sure that whatever cover-care product you buy contains UV protection ingredients. Hot Tub Basics Other Things You Should Become Familiar With Shock Oxidizers - Shock Oxidizers are very useful for oxidizing water and getting rid of unwanted organic matter, such as dead skin, skin oils, cosmetics and lotions. Shock oxidizing your hot tub once a week will starve bacteria, prevent cloudy water and keep your system from clogging. Shocking your system weekly is guaranteed to save you money in the long run and it will extend the life of your hot tub, your plumbing and your equipment. There are two types of shock oxidizers, non-chlorine shock and chlorine shock. Both are good maintenance products to oxidize your spa.

4 Use Chlorine shock when you fill or re-fill your hot tub. Chlorine shock is a sanitizer and the chlorine residual that it leaves is critical to keep your hot tub or spa clean. Non-chlorine shock should be used once you have an established residual of chlorine or bromine in your hot tub or spa. It can oxidize organics in the water without increasing your sanitizer residual and also allows you to use your hot tub soon after treatment. Always be sure to follow the chemical manufacturers' instructions for proper use. Neither chlorine or non-chlorine shocks are compatible with biguanide systems. Biguanide systems use hydrogen peroxide oxidizers to eliminate organics and do not require shocking to maintain sanitizer efficiency. Water ph Level - The ph level is a measurement of the concentration of hydrogen ions in your hot tub water. There's no need to get out the chemistry books, but suffice it to say that ph levels are important because if you don't keep the ph levels within the range, your water can become too alkaline or too acidic. If your ph level is too low, less than 7.2, the water will become too acidic and corrode hot tub equipment and irritate your skin. If your ph level is above 7.6, it becomes too alkaline and causes mineral scaling from metals and other minerals that stain and form deposits on surface or walls of your hot tub. To find out what the ph level of your water is, just purchase a brand name ph test kit and some ph test strips. They're inexpensive, easy to user and the results are immediate. Whether your ph level is too high or too low, your hot tub supply store will have a wide range of products that can increase or decrease the ph level of your water until it's just right. Quick Tip - Add the ph balancing products when you refill or change your water and you won't have to worry about your ph level until the next time you change your hot tub water. It's guaranteed to save you time and money! Calcium Hardness - If you live in an area with particularly hard or soft water, then you should also check your waters calcium levels. Using the same process as above, buy some calcium test strips and you'll get the results immediately. Your hot tub supply store has numerous products to increase or decrease the level of calcium and alkalinity in your water and the proper balance will prevent cloudy water and scale. Alkalinity Control - Total alkalinity refers to the ability of water to resist changes in ph. Controlling alkalinity keeps your ph in the appropriate range thereby lessening the need for ph balancing ph balancing chemicals. If your test strip indicates a need, you can lower alkalinity using a ph reducer and if you need more alkalinity, you can use an alkalinity increaser. The Image Above Represents Healthy Levels for Bromine, ph, Alkalinity & Calcium in Hot Tubs. Heavy Metals - Some water contains unusually high amounts of iron and/or copper. A greenish tint in your water may indicate the presence of these metals. These metals can, among other things, stain your hot tub, increase your chemical sanitizer consumption and foul your tub's water heater. Fortunately, you can control the metal content by using an additive when you change your hot tub's water. You should always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using metal-removing products and you will need to add this product each time you add water or refill your hot tub. Be sure to clean your filter after using the product or you may have to use a metal removing product on a weekly basis.

5 Chemical De-foamers - May of may not solve your foaming problem. De-foamers change the water surface tension and hide the problem rather than correct it. Foaming can be caused by detergents, soft water, body lotions, suntan oils, tile cleaners, high Total Dissolved Solids levels, air pollution, body fats secreted by the sweat glands and skin oils etc...hot tub water should be drained and replaced when total dissolved solids exceed 1,500 ppm (Parts Per Million.) Using a shock may reduce the organic solids and help reduce the foam, but it will have little to no affect on inorganic materials like calcium. Good Luck & Happy Soaking!