There’s absolutely no denying the fact that everybody loves hot tubs and spas. The ability to sit down and relax with the hot water and jets is enough to calm anybody after even the most stressful or difficult day. Because of these undeniable benefits, many people choose to have hot tubs installed right in their own homes or yards. This might seem to be a great idea (and it is) but these same people often forget that there’s more to having a working hot tub than simply having it installed; you should also take time to research and understand the science behind caring for your hot tub or spa as well.

Taking Care of Your Hot Tub

Taking care of your hot tub isn’t necessarily a difficult thing but it might take a lot of work that you might not have expected when you first thought of getting one installed. There are a few different hot tub chemicals that you’ll need to add to your water to make sure that it stays clean and balanced so it can be suitable for use whenever you’re ready for a nice, relaxing soak. The main factors that should be taken into account when caring for your hot tub or spa are alkalinity and pH levels but you’ll be adding sanitisers and shock treatments as well. Overall, caring for a hot tub or spa is very similar to caring for a pool except that the calming nature and purpose of a hot tub deserves a lot more care when considering the balance of the water.

Alkalinity

Your hot tub water’s alkalinity should be checked before its pH levels because the alkalinity will help balance the pH. If either of these things become unbalanced and higher than they should be, you and your hot tub could suffer from many different issues. Unbalanced alkalinity or pH levels could cause cloudy water, mineral buildup, algae, and scales along the bottom of the tub. You might also experience skin or eye irritation if this happens.

pH Levels

The pH levels determine how acidic (or not acidic) the water in your hot tub is. Ideally, you’ll want your pH levels to fall between 7.2 and 7.8, with lower numbers meaning that your water is too acidic and higher numbers meaning that your water is too basic or alkaline. Water that is too acidic will cause your hot tub to lose efficiency and your hot tub equipment to corrode. On the other hand, water that is too basic or alkaline will cause cloudy water and decreased efficiency in sanitisation. Either end of the spectrum that falls above or below the ideal range can cause eye, skin, and ear irritation.

Sanitisers and Shock Treatments

Sanitisers help keep some bacteria and viruses from growing and surviving in your hot tub as there are some that could survive in warm water. When choosing a sanitiser, remember that the most popular options available are bromine and chlorine. Shock treatments help keep your water from getting cloudy or developing foul odours. For shock, you might choose either a dichlor shock or a non-chlorine shock.