Unless you want to stew in gross, scummy water, you need to learn some hot tub chemistry. If you keep your hot tub chemicals balanced and your hot tub water sanitized, and you can enjoy a nice, relaxing soak anytime โ€” without the rash.
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โฐ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Hot Tub Chemistry 101: How To Sanitize Your Hot Tub
00:16 - Test Your Hot Tub Water
00:49 - What Are Hot Tub Sanitizers And How Do They Work?
01:21 - Chlorine Sanitizers
02:24 - Bromine Sanitizers
03:41 - Hot Tub Care Video Course
04:21 - Baguanide Sanitizers
05:08 - Mineral Sanitizers
05:58 - Salt Water Chlorinator System
06:38 - Hot Tub Shock
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Swim University has made swimming pool and hot tub care easy for more than 10 million homeowners. And each year, we continue to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. We know taking care of a swimming pool or spa can be difficult. And itโ€™s hard to find a trusted source of information. We get it! This is the reason we created Swim University.
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How do you keep your hot tub, not just clean, but sanitary? The key is knowing the right way to use these six types of hot tub sanitizers. Before we dive into different types of sanitizers. You won't know how much sanitizer you need unless you test the water. First, so the first step is water.

Testing for supplies. You'll need some test strips they're, pretty easy to use and they'll give you fast results if you're having trouble getting the right balance and you need more precise results. You can also use a liquid test kit. You can also take a water sample to your local, hot tub dealer and have them test it for you.

You'll want to test the hot tub water at least once a week and you'll want to test more often, if you're, actually using your hot tub on a regular basis or if there's a lot of people in it. Now that you know what your water chemistry looks like, let's talk about hot tub, sanitizers sanitizer is the primary chemical. That's going to keep your water well, sanitized, dirty hot tub! Water can lead to everything from minor skin irritations to severe rashes in the form of hot tub, folliculitis or hot tub rash. It can also cause conditions like legionnaires disease and a respiratory disease commonly known as hot tub lung.

So keeping your hot tub clean. Make sure that you and everyone who uses your hot tub stays healthy? Okay. So what are the different sanitizers? Well, there are six types and the first is chlorine, which is the most common sanitizer. For a few reasons, it's cost-effective it's easy to manage and it's an aggressive bacteria killer.

The same way you might use bleach to kill bacteria fungus and viruses in your bathroom chlorine does all of that for you in your hot tub water. Now one drawback to chlorine is the strong smell, but it's actually not the chlorine that smells as chlorine works in the water to kill all that nasty stuff it oxidizes and gives off chloramines and those are what have that chlorine smell. If you can smell chlorine, it probably means you actually don't have enough chlorine in the water, because it's being used up, so you need to test the water. The proper level for chlorine is between one and three parts per million or ppm.

If the level is below where it should be shock, your hot tub to bring it back up quickly, get rid of the chloramines and put the chlorine back to work. Killing contaminants number two is bromine and bromine is probably the second most common sanitizer for hot tubs. Chlorine works by oxidizing, but bromine works by ionizing, which means it forces apart the chemical bonds of contaminants. Basically, it tears contaminants apart.

One of the advantages of bromine is that more of it remains active after combining with contaminants, so it works a little longer than chlorine. Does before you have to add more, the bromine gives off its own waste product called bromamines they're, not as noxious as chloramines, but they still indicate a low level of sanitizer in your hot tub. Shocking is the solution here as well, and then keeping a closer eye on your sanitizer levels. The proper level for bromine is between three and five parts per million.
Another advantage bromine has over chlorine. Is that it's more effective at killing certain types of algae, but bromine has a big drawback. Bromine is unstabilized, which means that if your hot tub is outside and uncovered the sun's uv rays will burn it off very quickly and there's no additional chemical. You can add to stabilize it in the way that you can stabilize chlorine with cyanaric acid, so it's a better choice for hot tubs that are either under some sort of cover like a gazebo or indoors altogether real quick before we continue.

If you're looking for an easy to follow tutorial, that'll answer, all your hot tub questions go check out our hot tub handbook and video course you'll, get in-depth video lessons, plus a step-by-step downloadable guide, covering everything that you need to know about. Hot tub maintenance, it's packed with money, saving tips, so you can save money and time keeping your hot tub clean. This is the ultimate manual for every type of hot tub. The best part is, we always keep it up to date, so once you buy it, you have access to the latest and greatest version for life.

That's swimuniversity.com, spa and use the promo code. Video now we've come to a few alternative. Sanitizers bach with spa is actually a brand name for beguine, it's a non-chlorine sanitizer, but it kills bacteria just as well as chlorine and bromine do it's a liquid and so it's easier to add to hot tub water. It also makes the spa water feel smoother.

You also don't have to add it as often as you do, with chlorine and bromine, and it doesn't produce any kind of odor, the two biggest drawbacks, it's more expensive than chlorine and bromine, and can actually deteriorate some of the parts of your hot tub like rubber Gaskets and certain plastics you'll want to check with your hot tubs manufacturer before using it and possibly voiding your warranty and melting parts of your hot tub. Now the proper level for buguine is between 30 and 50 parts per million. Now the most alternative of all the alternative, sanitizers is minerals specifically and most commonly copper and silver. Oddly enough, those metals have contaminant killing properties.

Silver is a known, bacteriocyte and copper is a known algaecide, but they can't sanitize your hot tub alone. If you use a mineral sanitizer, you have to supplement it with chlorine. Minerals alone won't kill bacteria quickly enough and it can get out of control. The benefit with minerals is that you don't have to use as much chlorine as you would if you were only using chlorine.

This makes it a very cost effective option. Now, there's no set level for minerals, but when using them the ideal chlorine level needs to be at 0.5 parts per million. So that's half a part per million. Now number five is a saltwater chlorinator.
If you have a saltwater hot tub, it means that you have a saltwater chlorinator that converts salt to chlorine and it actually sanitizes your water to get the sanitation from salt. You want the salt level to be between two thousand and three thousand parts: per million, with 2500 parts per million being ideal, and the chlorine level will be at around three parts per million. Now i know what you're thinking that sounds like a lot of salt. It's actually not sea water.

Salinity level is about 35 000 parts per million. You likely won't even be able to taste the salt in your hot tub, but you shouldn't try to taste the water in your hot tub and finally, let's talk about shock. This is basically a massive dose of sanitizer to do things like kill, algae or quickly bring the sanitizer level back up to where it needs to be. But you also need to shock your hot tub on a regular basis to prevent those things from happening in the first place.

If you have a chlorine hot tub, you can either shock your hot tub with chlorine shock or chlorine or use a non-chlorine shock for a bromine hot tub. You can use a non-chlorine shock, but to get the most benefit, i recommend using a chlorine shock. Not only will it kill contaminants it'll, also reactivate some of the bromine aquinine brands like aqua spa, usually have their own hot tub shock design to work with their products for mineral systems. I recommend using a non-chlorine shock to keep the chlorine levels from going up too much and for salt water, hot tubs.

You can use a chlorine shock. The salt, water generator will likely have a super chlorination setting, but it's not enough to take care of things like algae or, i don't know, bodily fluid accidents. That may happen in your hot tub, perhaps and remember, test your water before you shock and then test it again before you get back into your hot tub to make sure the sanitizer level has returned to normal. So, that's all you need to know about sanitizing, your hot tub water.

If you missed anything or have any questions, please leave a comment to let us know and to help out your fellow hot tub owners hit the like button below. If you found this video helpful and if you want to learn more about hot tub, maintenance and troubleshooting subscribe to our channel for more videos like this one and check out the hot tub handbook and video course at swimuniversity.com, spa don't forget to enter that. Promo code. Video to get 10 off, that's it thanks again and happy soaking.


15 thoughts on “Hot tub chemistry 101: how to sanitize your hot tub | swim university”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars SpankDaddy22 says:

    Leslie pool test my water and said I need 2 pounds of salt added. However, my salt test strip reads that it is good level. They have my 475 gallon specs, why add 2 pounds?

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Go Rockets says:

    What about using cal-hypo designed for use in basket, I have an in-ground outdoor hot tub and have always battled very high levels of CYA using the trichlor stabilized tablets. I do keep a floating solar cover on the water whenever not using to keep water warmer and prevent degradation of the cal-hypo since it is unstabilized. Please advise and thank you, the cal-hypo is made by pool life and dissolves very slowly and says it disperses only when water is flowing, Iโ€™m not using chlorinator feeder anymore and know not to ever put cal-hypo tabs in that for possibility of explosion and it not flowing water enough for cal-hypo tabs.

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Chito's World says:

    Can we use ecoone products on a 900 gallon pool . They are for spa n it says pool too Are you in Ottawa ?

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Armando Arce says:

    I have a 525 Gallon tub that utilizes the @frogease inline Smartchlor and mineral canisters. Do you recommended a non-chlorine shock? Also, these get expensive to replace do you think it's better to just maintain the chemicals myself versus the @frogease system? Service area Kanata??

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Angie Burress says:

    Can you use a chlorine shock with bromine, or a non chlorine shock?

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars FranticSkunk says:

    I use Bromine although I have more than enough Bromine in a floating dispenser (about 6 big tablets) although when I test the water the Bromine levels are extremely low, near 0, what do you suggest?

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars mitch goldstein says:

    I bought a spa-berry which uses a moss as sanitizer. Have you heard of this and does it work

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Pierre Labbe says:

    Love. ๐Ÿ”บ๐Ÿ”ป๐Ÿ”ค๐Ÿ‘€๐Ÿ”Ž

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Heath Fischer says:

    What are the negatives to salt in hot tubs. Will salt corrode a hot tub?

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Brends Forsythe says:

    Have a chlorinator feeder issue…I keep getting brown crusty sediment that sticks to sides on inside of container. I have to scrape it off it dries like cement. It will eventually clog my feeder. Have tried different chlorine tabs at different times and never have mixed them. (Spend good money on tabs not cheap ones). Anybody ever have this issue? Pool store unsure. Frustrated. Any advice?

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Halloween Dad says:

    What are your thoughts on converting to a saltwater system for the hot tub? Or do you favor favor bromine versus chlorine?

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Mark Hollenbach says:

    Nice video. Very helpful for beginners. You did not address 1 major topic. The types of chlorine (Dichlor granular and trichlor pucks). My dealer recommends pucks but online and my warranty says NO! And what about the concept of stabilizer? My eyes are glazing over…it would be nice for you to go over these concepts!

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Romana says:

    Hi, I am form Czech and your videos are really useful and understandable for me, good job. Please can you help me? I want to ask you about interaction between bromine sanitation and water hardness. I have w.h. 280 ppm and the right value is about 150 – 200ppm. I canลฅ take it down with preparation to decrease water hardness. I have an automatic system of sanitation in my hot tub (it is called in.clear system). Thank you very much for your help. Best regards Romana

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Rithius3485 says:

    Hey! Been thinking about getting a hot tub in the summer! Any tips on good hot tubs to buy, like good features to have and things to look out for. I was thinking a tub under say $1000 CAD

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Swim University says:

    What do you use to sanitize your hot tub? Chlorine, bromine, salt or minerals?

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