Some wonder if they are putting the right amount of chemicals in the water or not. It depends on the hot tub’s size. Also, 5 to 8 parts per million are what you should aim for. Chlorine tabs contain Trichlor which is acidic. This means your pH and alkalinity will reduce when using these tablets, so you'll need to adjust the chemicals in your spa more often to keep it balanced. From our research, we also derived some important safety considerations for parents using the hot tub for their children. The following rules are based on recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, US Medicine National Institutes of Health and The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) [ 1– 4]: You also risk bleaching an obvious ring around the shell, especially if you have an acrylic spa. Granules don't have this issue because they're closer to neutral than Trichlor tabs.

Puetz, J. D. Understanding Hot Water Chemistry. Retrieved from: https://www.apsp.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Advantis%20Spa%20Chemistry%20Book%20-%20ENGLISH.pdf TA should not be higher than 150 ppm. It will lead to cloudy water and will make the sanitizer less effective. There is no TA decreaser to balance TA, so use a pH decreaser. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline (or basic). Pure water is neutral at a pH of around seven. The ideal range for pH in a hot tub is slightly alkaline at 7.2-7.8. Foam remover: As its name suggests is aimed at removing foam from the hot tub’s water. Firstly, let’s figure out why you have to deal with foam. Foam appears due to two reasons: you either used toiletries such as sun lotion, deodorants, etc before using the spa or you did not rinse the hot tub parts (filter, shell) with water thoroughly after using chemicals. To prevent the water from foaming, we advise taking a shower before using the hot tub and rinsing the hot tub parts with water before refilling the hot tub. And that’s all, you won’t need a defoamer.Filter Deep Cleaner. Filters need a lot of attention as their purpose is to protect the hot tub from bacteria and make bathing safe. A deep cleaner is an essential item for filter maintenance, as it will help to get rid of bacteria accumulated on your filter and will prolong its life. A clean filter is essential to get crystal clear water, free from germs. This method is chemical-free and can be seen as a more natural way of reducing unwanted metal content. Add sodium bicarbonate to raise the water’s total alkalinity (TA) until it’s within the range of 100-120 ppm. Circulate for 30 minutes. Just want to know what you should buy? Jump to the product list. What is a hot tub chemical starter kit and why do I need one?

Bromine is gentler on the skin, whereas chlorine is more drying and can be irritating to some people, causing redness, itchiness or rashes That covers everything you need for first-time spa setup. But there are a few more nice-to-haves which will make your life easier as you find yourself doing regular spa maintenance until the next refill. Jet & Line Flush Hot Tub Water Cleanser. A cleanser is used to remove minor particles and dirt from the water that a sanitizer cannot deal with. It also prevents scale formation on the surface of your hot tub and makes the water crystal clear. Using this product, you will need to add less sanitizer and hence it will save you money too. pH Plus is another component of the Lay-Z-spa chemical starter kit. If your hot tub’s pH level is low, it means your hot tub is getting acidic. Islam, R., Md. Faysal, S. (October 23, 2017) Assessment of pH and Total Dissolved Substances (TDS) in the Commercially Available Bottled Drinking Water. Journal of Nursing and Health Science. Volume 6, Issue 5. Retrieved from: https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jnhs/papers/vol6-issue5/Version-9/E0605093540.pdf ”If you don’t want to buy the products separately (and only in this case), here are two pre-composed kits that you might need. We selected them based on: Add metal free to remove metals from the water which can stain equipment. Circulate for 30 minutes. If pH is too high, it can lead to scale buildup and cloudy water. If pH is too low, you'll have acidic water that can corrode surfaces and equipment—which could become an expensive problem! Both can cause itchy or dry skin and burning eyes. Spa pH: the ideal range & how to maintain it Sanitizer (chlorine or bromine). Sanitizer is a crucial component of hot tub maintenance. Intense use of your hot tub and high-temperatures pose challenges to keeping your hot tub a safe and bacteria-free place. The purpose of a sanitizer is to kill bacteria and purify the water.

Anything that enters the hot tub has its own pH level that alters the pH level of the hot tub. The polluting factors are fallen leaves, animals trespassing, dead skin etc. One example (and the kit I started with when I bought my first spa) is the Standard Bromine Kit or Standard Chlorine Kit by Spa Choice. I got the bromine version. Why are ready-made kits not as good value as they seem? Cover Cleaner. A cover cleaner is a long-lasting product that will be especially beneficial if you put your hot tub outdoors. The cover cleaner will eliminate dirt from the surface of the cover and will protect the hot tub cover from damaging UV rays.Total alkalinity (TA) makes it easier for your water to resist pH changes (it's commonly known as a pH buffer). Unlike pH, it's measured in ppm, which stands for parts per million. That's because it's actually a measurement of all the dissolved alkaline substances in the water. In this article I'll show you exactly what chemicals to buy for your new hot tub (and exactly how to add chemicals to your hot tub for the first time) so that you don't end up wasting money on unnecessary products which you may never use.

Acid can cause the surface and equipment to wear away and reduce your ability to control total alkalinity. The acidic water can cause harm to you and your family members’ health. Things like moisturisers, detergents, deodorants, makeup, and hair products mixed with water create foam. To control and prevent this foaming in your above ground pool or spa, you can use the foam remover.

Frequently asked questions about hot tub starter kits

Sanitizer is arguably the most important chemical in a spa because it's what keeps your water free from bacteria and safe to bathe in. It is easy to apply, and the instructions on the kit are simple and easy to follow. The kit includes: 1. Chlorine Hardness is pretty much a one-time setup thing; it doesn't really change between refills unless you add or remove water. Test Strips pH Decreaser. The pH level reflects how acidic or alkaline the water is. As evident from our research, hot tub owners are more likely to encounter too high pH levels (over 7.8) rather than too low (less than 7.2), so they will need a pH decreaser in a high volume bottle. Moreover, you will need a pH decreaser to balance high total Alkalinity (over 150 ppm). Make sure that the water temperature is 20-degrees. Add two teaspoons of chlorine per 200 gallons of water. Let the chlorine dissolve in the water.