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Written by / January 22, 2016 / Posted in Hot Tubs

How to Eliminate Hot Tub Bacteria

WhirlpoolNothing helps the day’s accumulated stress melt away quite like a nice long soak in a hot tub.

Unfortunately, the same warm, steamy conditions that make hot tubs so heavenly also make them the perfect breeding ground for nasty microbes that can cause infections.

If you’re irked about enjoying the many benefits of a hot tub due to bacteria, there are many ways to ensure the tub is clean and safe to use. Take the following steps to make sure your hot tub experience remains purely blissful.

Inspect the Tub Regularly

On a regular basis, assess the quality of the water. Look out for slime, a sour smell or unclear water – clear signs of a bacterial infestation.

Do Some Easy Maintenance

Wipe down the underside of your hot tub cover and filter hole in the tub wall with a bleach cleanser and cloth. If the cover is waterlogged, it is irreparable and must be replaced.

Remember to test the levels of sanitizer before and after using the hot tub.

It’s a great idea to pick up a commercial sanitizer containing chlorine or bromine to prevent reoccurrence of bacteria.

Take Care of the Filter

If your hot tub’s filter is over a year old, it’s time to replace it. If you don’t have the means to replace it you can dilute an overnight filter cleanser in 8 gallons of water or the amount specified by the manufacturer. Immerse the filter in solution overnight. Rinse in the morning.

Get Shock Treatments Done

winter hot tubWhen you use your hot tub regularly, the disinfectants react with organic material in the water such as dirt, soap, shampoo, body oils, etc. Chlorine that reacts with organic material is known as ‘combined available’ (CAC). It is less effective at disinfecting and produces unpleasant odours and eye irritation.

Chlorine that has not reacted with any organic material is known as ‘free available’ (FAC), and is an effective disinfectant.

In order to make sure that your hot tub has the right amount of disinfectant, you will want to perform a shock treatment. The treatment will get rid of the combined available chlorine in a hot tub and can be done by raising the chlorine level to 10x the normal concentration, and then letting it sit until the free chlorine levels drop back down to recommended ranges. Ideally, shock treatments are done before the combined available chlorine is more than 0.5ppm.

Run the Pump All the Time

If you don’t keep your plumbing lines going, the water becomes stagnant – inviting bacteria or fungus into your tub.

  • Run a pump 24 hours a day to circulate water through all the pipes; or
  • Set a timer to turn the pump on for a few hours, at least twice a day, to flush out all the lines; and
  • Make sure that all filters and pumps are maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

At Oakville Home Leisure, we take the safety of your hot tub seriously.  Get in touch with a member of our team and we’ll help you find the right products to ensure a stress-free hot tub experience.

hot tub maintenance

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