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July 15, 2021

Use LESS Chlorine in your Hot Tub!

Less is more! Tips and tricks to reduce the amount of chemicals needed to keep your hot tub clean!

The key to using chlorine is finding a balance between the bacteria introduced vs the sanitiser used to neutralize it. Public spaces are required to have a chlorine reading between 1-3ppm. However, in the comfort of your own home & hot tub, you can use chlorine a bit differently. For the most part, you should know if the water has taken a turn for the worse. If you lift the cover and the water is cloudy or has a musty smell, that is a pretty good indication that it will require some TLC before you or your family enjoys their next soak.  Our rule of thumb is, "If it looks clean and smells clean, it's safe to use." Even if there is no chlorine reading immediately present on your test strip. I've got some tips below to ensure that you're adding just enough chlorine and having a positive experience as well.

USE CHLORINE AS NEEDED Whatever you do, do not fill up a sanitizer floating dispenser with more than two tablets of chlorine! These floaters are meant for bromine! What is the difference, you ask?

  • Bromine tablets are slow dissolving, and less effective at killing bacteria than its counterpart chlorine. Therefore, it's best to have bromine residing in the hot tub at all times, and the floating dispenser allows the pucks to dissolve and distribute consistently. While this might be an excellent method of "set it & forget it", you are left with a body of water that has a sanitizing chemical consistently present when you are soaking.
  • Chlorine, on the other hand, is fast dissolving and very effective at killing bacteria. Suppose you fill up a sanitizer floater with 5-6 chlorine tablets. In that case, they will release quickly into the water, leaving you with an over-chlorinated hot tub and a negative experience using chlorine.  A balancing act must happen between bacteria you introduce to the water and the sanitizer used to counteract it. Therefore, we recommend using chlorine as an AFTER SOAK TREATMENT. Use your hot tub, and when you are finished, add a tablet or 2 to the skimmer basket, or you can place them into the dispensing floater 1-2 at a time to dissolve. The chlorine you have added will take care of the bacteria you've introduced and most likely dissipate by the next time you soak. During periods where the hot tub is not being used by bathers regularly, it's a good idea to add 1-2 tablets of chlorine once a week to maintain water clarity, as hot water is an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive.

CLEAN YOUR FILTERS. CLEAN YOUR FILTERS. CLEAN YOUR FILTERS Your hot tub is a self-cleaning machine! With powerful pumps, it can cycle your water to keep it looking sparkly! At the centre of this powerhouse is your filter, and your job is to alleviate the debris & oils trapped in it as often as possible. A dirty filter will always equal a dirty hot tub, no matter how much sanitizer you add to the water. Anytime you have issues with water chemistry, this is the 1st step to turning it around. We recommend having a 2nd filter or 2nd set, allowing you to swap out the used filter for a fresh one, and then you can clean it at your convenience.

How do I clean my Filter to get the most out of it? 

  • Spray out filters with a high-pressure nozzle to remove debris caught between the pleats.
  • Soak your filter in a cleaner with a de-greasing agent (Dazzle Rapid Action Filter Cleanse) to help remove the oils trapped within the fibres.
  • Store it in a clean dry place until your next use
  • A regularly cleaned filter should last you at least a year’s worth of use!

How often should you clean your filter?

  • Unfortunately, there is no 'one size fits all' timeline for cleaning your filters. A single person who uses their tub twice a week will have to clean their filters less than a family of five who uses it daily. Use your best judgment, but a hot tub that is lightly used can usually get away with a once a month filter cleaning versus a heavily used tub that might need a clean filter every 1-2 weeks. The best way to tell is to monitor it; a dirty filter is easy to spot!

SHOWER BEFORE YOU SOAK There’s a reason they ask you to shower before entering public bathing places, and the same concept applies at home. When you enter the tub, the cleaner you are, the less sanitizer is needed to maintain water clarity. Have a quick shower before your soak. Rinse off any oils, lotions & grime before you using the hot tub. The fewer contaminants you introduce; the less chlorine you need to use.

DON’T WASH YOUR BATHING SUITE AFTER EVERY SOAK This one might seem counterproductive, but there is a logic behind the theory, I promise! Freshly washed bathing suites with residual laundry soap is the #1 reason your hot tub turns into a bubble bath once those jets get fired up, and the Defoamer used to counter is made up of oils. Too much defoamer leaves your hot tub water greasy and quickly clogs up your filters. Pick a suit for the tub, hang it to dry after use, and wash it once every few weeks to reduce the suds!

Article written by Amanda Hart
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