Best Hot Tub Chemicals to Use (Everything You Need to Know)

Learning what chemicals go into your hot tub was probably the last thing you were worrying about by the time you bought your unit.

You probably went ahead and first considered how many persons can fit well into the pool and how easy it is to use before even thinking about how to properly take care of your portable inflatable hot tub spa.

However, it’s important to know what chemical agents are crucial in keeping your hot tub clean and clear, safe, long-lasting and can stand the test of time.

The good news is you don’t need a degree in Chemistry to familiarize yourself with how to use chemical agents. This hot tub spa care guide will help you get started on everything you need to know about the best hot tub chemicals.

Why Use Chemicals in a Hot Tub?

Chemicals are by far the most cost-effective way of cleaning and maintaining the water quality in your spa unit.

By killing the bacteria in the spa water, these chemicals make it more comfortable for us to soak in the tub’s water. It also helps in keeping your spa's filtration unit working effectively.

hot tub disease
Hot Tub Folliculitis

Using chemicals is quite crucial because our body tends to lose roughly a pint of body fluids for every hour we are in the hot tub.

Everything from grime, sweat, dirt, oil and other fluids are mixed in its water. Many of the chemicals used in these hot spa bathtubs are primarily responsible for keeping the water balance and sanitation of the unit.

Common Hot Tub Chemicals

Your hot tub spa water requires several treatments for it to be safe and clean.

As such, it also needs different types of chemicals and products that help in keeping things such as total alkalinity, calcium level, and oxidation in normal levels.

Two of the common types of best hot tub chemicals are sanitizers and water balance compounds.

Below is a more in-depth look at these chemical agents:

Sanitizers

Chemical compounds that are meant to change water chemistry to kill bacteria are called sanitizers. When sanitizer is mixed with spa water, they create an acidic solution that kills bacteria in the water.

Two of the most widely used sanitizers are chlorine and bromine tablets. Whether you want to use a sanitizer like bromine or chlorine is up to you.

Chlorine (Our Pick: Leisure Time Chlorinating Granules)

While this one is mostly used in public pools, a certain amount of chlorine is also an effective chemical in these tubs. Apply 3.5 mg per Liter of water every other day or as suggested by the user guide of this product.

Keep a chlorine level of 1.5 to 3.0 parts per million (PPM). Chlorine or bromine can be bought in 1-inch tablets or granular form that you can add to your water.

Bromine (Our Pick: Leisure Time Bromine Tabs)

Bromine tablets offer the same disinfecting effect as chlorine, but with less harshness. The ideal bromine levels are at 3.0 to 5.0 PPM. You can use a floater for both bromine and chlorine tablets.

When using a floater, you usually need to load 4-6 tablets and have to wait at least 15 minutes before the tabs completely dissolve.

As a general rule, always use test strips at least once a week to ensure that the mineral and hot tub chemical levels are on par with what is recommended in your hot tub’s manual.

Water Balance Chemicals

Your hot tub or swimming pool also needs to have a balanced level of minerals and chemicals for you to have the best comfort and your tub to last longer.

Below are the four most important aspects you have to look into:

Total Alkalinity (Our Pick: SpaGuard Total Alkalinity Increaser)

The first step in keeping your tub’s chemical balance is to check its alkalinity. It should be anywhere between 80 and 120 PPM.

You can try using a test strip to check its readings well. If it’s above 120 PPM, use sodium bisulfate one to lower it down and if it’s lower than 80 PPM, use sodium bicarbonate to make it higher.

Calcium Hardness (Our Pick: Leisure Time Calcium Booster)

Calcium levels determine the measure of how soft or hard the spa water is. Too low and the water can be corrosive and cause staining.

Too high and it can form scales in your tub’s pipes. Bathtubs with acrylic finish should have 100–250 PPM, while those with plaster finish should have 250–450 PPM.

Oxidizers (Our Pick: Leisure Time Renew Non-Chlorine Shock)

Oxidizers destroy waste and odor in the water and are also called shock treatments. They require higher sanitizer levels to make and keep the water sparkling clear.

Check your manual for shock treatment proper dosage.

pH Levels (Our Pick: AquaChek Spa 6-in-1 Kit)

Simply put, pH level is the measure of your tub water’s acidity. This should be checked last and using a test set should be kept between 7.2 and 7.8.

Check your hot tub water pH levels after each use and apply a hot tub chemical if needed.

Importance of Hot Tub Maintenance

Unlike a pool, a hot tub is more delicate, has more parameters to monitor and requires a different treatment. Water in hot tubs is generally much hotter than that of a pool, with 102 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and 82 degrees, respectively.

As you well know, most bacteria thrive better in hot water compared to cold or lukewarm waters. Hot water also tends to open pores which increase your susceptibility to skin infections. A poorly maintained hot tub or swimming pool can cause common ailments such as urinary tract infections and rashes. This is why you should always use only the top hot tub chemicals.

Hot tub chemicals are a very important part of maintaining your hot tub. Make sure you first read the user guide and strictly follow it, especially on the proper use of these compounds.

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