In this post, we discuss how much chlorine is needed to make a hot tub safe and a few tips on how to ensure that your hot tub is safe for everyone.
Chlorine is an essential sanitizer to maintain a clean, fresh-smelling hot tub experience. It's also necessary to rid the water of pathogens and contaminants that could make you sick. But how much chlorine is needed? The answer depends on several factors, like the size of the hot tub and its current water chemistry. In this post, we'll discuss the right amount of chlorine needed to ensure your hot tub is safe to use and how to maintain your ideal chlorine levels.
What is Chlorine?
Chlorine is one of the most widely used chemicals in the world. It's a potent chemical and can be dangerous if not handled properly. It is also very reactive, meaning it reacts with most things it comes into contact with. However, it is a safe and effective sanitizer when used as directed.
It is the key ingredient in swimming pools, hot tubs, and most public drinking water. It is also an active ingredient in many household cleaning products.
How Much Chlorine Do You Need?
Two teaspoons of chlorine per 200 gallons of water work well in most situations. It's also best to pour it into a circulating tub. This will raise chlorine levels quite quickly without overdoing it. The ideal chlorine level for hot tubs is between 1.5 and 3 ppm. You can measure this using test kits from your local pool stores.
If you're wondering how many gallons of water your hot tub holds, you can refer to your hot tub's user's manual or multiply its area (width x length) by its depth divided by 1728 and multiplied by 2.4 (with seats) or 4.8 (without seats).
Occasionally, you need to shock your hot tub to restore its clarity, eliminate contaminants like skin oil and makeup, and release some of the free chlorine in the water by breaking down chloramines. This way, you won't have to put the same amount of chlorine into the hot tub. Just measure your hot tub's chlorine level after shocking and add chlorine as needed.
Key Takeaways: When putting chlorine for the first time, use two teaspoons per 200 gallons. For maintenance, measure the chlorine levels before adding any chlorine and shock your hot tub once a week to release some of its free chlorine.
What If There's Too Much or Too Little Chlorine?
Not having enough chlorine can cause pathogens to accumulate, resulting in a cloudy, slimy, foul-smelling hot tub. On the other hand, too much can irritate skin and eyes and lead to respiratory issues. Both extremes can have undesirable outcomes.
We recommend measuring your chlorine levels as part of your regular hot tub maintenance routine. If your hot tub has become cloudy because of low chlorine levels, it may already be too late, and you have to replace the water. However, if there's too much chlorine, you just have to wait it out and get back to it after 12-24 hours. Hint: exposing your hot tub to open sunlight speeds up this process.
Key Takeaways: Check your chlorine levels regularly to avoid having too much or too little chlorine in your hot tub. Prevention is always better than cure.
Conclusion
There are many ways to add chlorine to your hot tub, but it's essential to know how to do it correctly. With just the right amount, you can be sure your hot tub will be a safe and enjoyable experience for everybody day in and day out.