Hot Tubs 101

Matt Giovanisci: 00:00

Everyone. And welcome to hot tubs 101 by Swim University, where we help you keep your hot tub clean and clear all year. My name is Matt, the founder of swimuniversity.com. And on this episode, we're talking about 3 ways that you can use less chemicals in your hot tub. Let's dive in.

Matt Giovanisci: 00:29

Real quick. If you want more help taking care of your hot tub, be sure to grab our free hot tub cheat sheet at swimu.com/spasheet. So do you wanna use less chemicals in your hot tub? Well, there are 3 simple ways to help you help you reduce your dependence on either chlorine or bromine. Number 1 is you can use a hot tub mineral sanitizer.

Matt Giovanisci: 00:51

Number 2 is an ozonator. Number 3 is a hot tub line flush. Now, no matter which option you choose, your hot tub won't completely be chemical free. There are some downsides to installing a new system like a Nosenator. So first, can you run your hot tub without chemicals?

Matt Giovanisci: 01:11

Like just a bathtub. Unfortunately, no. You need some chemicals in your water, and that's because a hot tub without chemicals quickly becomes, like I said, a giant bathtub. And anytime people get into the water, they leave behind body oil, lotion, dirt, and even dead skin cells. And without chemicals to kill off those contaminants, your hot tub would quickly become murky, it would be full of algae, and it would be unhealthy to get in.

Matt Giovanisci: 01:41

But even though your hot tub can't be completely chemical free, there are ways that we can reduce the amount of chemicals that you need. So number 1, is to use a mineral sanitizer. Now these sanitizers use minerals like silver and copper to kill bacteria and algae. They're easy to use and relatively affordable, and you only have to change out your mineral cartridge every few months. Hot tub mineral sanitizers come in, 3 different forms.

Matt Giovanisci: 02:08

There's the filter sticks, which are the most common, which are inserted inside in the center of your hot tub filter cartridge in the filter well. Number 2 is you can get a floating dispenser, which floats around the water and releases both minerals and sanitizer like chlorine or chlorine or bromine. And then number 3 is an inline mineral system, which needs to be pre installed by the manufacturer, so this comes with the hot tub. However, there are some downsides. Since copper is one of the active ingredients, mineral systems can cause surface stains in green water.

Matt Giovanisci: 02:43

But if you use a metal sequestrant, that can help prevent copper from settling on surfaces. But it also makes your mineral sanitizer less effective. Finally, even though a mineral sanitizer will reduce your need for chlorine or bromine, you still have to keep your chlorine levels at 0.5 parts per million, which is below, and your bromine levels at 1 part per million. But that's a lot less than you would normally. You know, normally for chlorine, it'd be upwards around 3 parts per million, and for bromine, you could be as high as 5 parts per million.

Matt Giovanisci: 03:13

Now number 2, is you can install an ozonator. Hot tub ozonators sanitize your water with UV light or ionized electricity. And not only do these systems destroy microorganisms, but they also help clump together solids in the water, making it easier for your filter cartridge to remove them. Now you'll also have to keep some chlorine or bromine in the water, but much less than normal. And ozone helps break apart any used up chlorine or bromine molecules that have bonded to contaminants.

Matt Giovanisci: 03:43

That means that the ozone helps your sanitizer stay active in the water. However, because ozone is so reactive, it can ruin the vinyl interior of your hot tub cover. So you'll need to add a hot tub thermal blanket to protect the inside of your cover. And they're the most expensive option and they usually require professional installation. However, most hot tubs sold nowadays come with an ozonator.

Matt Giovanisci: 04:11

Number 3 is you can use a hot tub line flush. Contaminants like sweat and body oils and bacteria, they build up over time in your hot tub lines. And now this creates a layer of what's called biofilm in the pipes that's resistant to chlorine or bromine. As water passes through this build up in your pipes, it circulates back into the hot tub and it causes cloudy water, it causes smell, slime, and even scum lines. So this means that you'll have to use more chemicals just to keep your water sanitary.

Matt Giovanisci: 04:47

Now the only way to get rid of biofilm in the pipes is by flushing your lines with a specialized hot tub plumbing cleaner. And once it clears out everything in your pipes, you wanna drain out that dirty water, you wanna clean your hot tub services, and then refill it with fresh water, which is why we recommend that you drain and refill every 3 to 4 months. And when you do this, this is when you can use the hot tub line flush cleaner. And you can also clean your hot tub filters at the same time. The cleaner your pipes are in your filter system, it means the less chemicals you'll need to constantly, the less chemicals you'll need and that's it.

Matt Giovanisci: 05:29

The less chemicals you'll need to constantly add to your water. So, finally, what about saltwater hot tubs? We get this question a lot. Well, you won't need to buy and add chlorine or bromine to your water if you have a saltwater system. Instead, what you add is hot tub grade salt.

Matt Giovanisci: 05:46

But saltwater hot tub is technically still a chlorine hot tub. That's because the saltwater system turns the salt into chlorine, And those levels will be the same as a regular hot tub, so around 1 to 3 parts per million. So if you're actually looking to use less chlorine or bromine in your water, a saltwater system is not actually gonna work. But it will save you from buying and adding your own chemicals. Now remember, if you need more help with hot tub maintenance, grab our free hot tub cheat sheet at swimu.com/spasheet.

Matt Giovanisci: 06:16

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Matt Giovanisci: 06:36

Thanks again, and happy soaking.