What Chemicals Do I Need for My Hot Tub?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- Should you use bromine or chlorine as your hot tub sanitizer? Should you use a chlorine shock or a non-chlorine shock? What about products for controlling foam or algae in your hot tub?
**** Get the Oh Yuk! Hot Tub Cleaner I mention on Amazon! CLICK HERE - amzn.to/3ckfRmt
In truth, there are a lot of products on the market, many of which you DON'T need (at least not on any regular basis). So here, we're looking at the most important chemicals you need to maintain your hot tub.
For more great content on hot tubs, make sure and check out my website Hot Tub Owner HQ - hottubownerhq....
That's an affiliate link which pays me a small commission if you buy it, but in no way increases the cost to you. It's a great way to support me and my channel so I can keep bringing you more great content!
Some posts on my website that go deeper into these topics are:
hottubownerhq....
hottubownerhq....
hottubownerhq....
hottubownerhq....
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The opinions stated on this channel are my opinions having owned, operated, fixed, and/or purchased hot tubs a total of 4 times. They should not, however, be considered professional advice on hot tub electrical systems, hot tub moving or installation, hot tub placement, or any other type of professional or legal advice.
If you need professional or legal advice, you should seek out a qualified professional in your area.
Some links contain what are called affiliate links. Affiliate links pay me a small commission if you purchase the product, but in no way increase the cost to you. It's just a nice way of saying thank you to me if you found my video helpful.
Hot Tub Owner HQ is owned and operated by Jeff Campbell/Middle Class Dad. Middle Class Dad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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**** Get the Oh Yuk! Hot Tub Cleaner I mention on Amazon! CLICK HERE - amzn.to/3ckfRmt
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This guy needs to be a teacher. He is straight to the point, makes it easy to understand.
OMGGGGG 5 years now and FINALLY someone who I can understand when explaining how to own, maintain a hot tub. Seriously. 🤦🏼♀️ THANK YOUUUUU. I wish I found this channel years ago but better late than never
That intro resonated with me SO WELL! First-time home buyer with a hot tub. I have no idea what I'm doing. Google says 5 things, youtube contradicts Google 😱 your video helped SO much. Thank you!
Thanks, Rafal! I always appreciate constructive criticism, but it's so great when I hear about how much I was able to help.
In the same situation. My home came with one too
For anyone new, here is a few more money saving tips. Don't buy alkalinity booster, ph up or ph down. Buy regular baking soda for alkalinity and if the ph is still low just aerate and for lowering the ph add muriatic acid. Muriatic acid will also lower alkalinity.
Do you mean just run jets to aerate?
@goldengirls0125 if your jets also blow air bubbles, then yes.
@@mrsparefox3704 no I don’t have bubbles .
+1 for baking soda... it works better and is cheaper
@@Tripp_777how much baking soda?
I am 86 yrs. old and I could understand him, I really gleamed a lot of information.
The water pump has to be running all the time even if we not using it?? Thanks.
For what it’s worth the link you posted is for the green bottle which is for jetted tubs. Not the blue bottle which is for hot tubs
Baking Soda increases the alkalinity of water and a little of ph, it does not reduce it ;)
Correct! I have another video that goes deeper into that. I assume from your comment I must have messed that up in this one? I'll have to go back and watch. But baking soda is a great, inexpensive way to increase alkalinity (and as you noted, pH too, but it's less effective on that). Good catch!
Still hasn't been corrected
@@HotTubOwnerHQ isn't alkalinity the same thing as ph
Oh duh watch the whole video dumb dumb
@@deadair801 Nope
Thanks for this. We're new hot tub owners; only seven more days until the electrician comes to install the new circuit and wire it up. Just a quick note on pH vs. alkalinity/acidity. pH is the negative log of the hydrogen ion activity (approximated closely enough by the hydrogen ion concentration). Acidity is it's own property and is defined as the amount of strong base needed to titrate a sample to a certain pH endpoint, typically 8.3. Alkalinity is a measure of the amount of strong acid required to titrate a sample to a certain pH endpoint, typically 4.2; the counterpart to acidity.
Thank you, I got more confused now 😅
Quick tip - to raise alkalinity cheaply, use Baking Soda. Like the cheap stuff at the store. No need to buy a special bottle of Alkalinity Up or whatever, it's just cheap baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) inside.
Most every hot tub product sold in the retail store can be bought in generic chemical form elsewhere for a lower price. They try to conceal this with vague names like pH down but it’s just common dry acid repackaged and 4x the price
Glad I came across you. I'm a new hot tub owner and been having cloudy water issues at well as chlorine issues. I add what is required and still the test strip is white, no changes 🤔
pH scale measures both acidity (low pH) and alkalinity (high pH) so it's not really clear to me why alkalinity is measured separately on test strips and is also treated differently to pH.
spent a evening watching hot tub videos, this is the best one.
JUST WHAT I needed. Why did I not watch this years ago
Does the "Chemicals" Advice in this Video also apply to Inflatable Spas?
Jeff, What about a video on storage of chemicals? The Spa Down container says to not store with chlorine, or bromine.
How often should you shock and sanitize your hot tub water? First time owner here trying yo learn.
I know this is 4 years old, but can you please give a list of products. You show them quickly and I can even screenshoot it that fast.
This question is not necessarily about chemicals but have you ever seen a hot tub filter with small, thin, white colored fibers embedded in it. My local pool store had never seen it before. I have since picked up a new filter and did a drain, clean and refill of my hottub but I'm a little concerned about what that could have been. Thank you for your channel.
Awesome! Thank you! New spa owner here and this clears up a lot of confusion. Thank you so much for taking the time to do these videos!!
Glad it was helpful!
Yes thank God for him
If I use a submersible pump to drain my tub do I still need to use the drain spigot to remove whatever water is left in the plumbing?
I got the Oh Yuk for my hot tub and jetted tub in my bathroom and it works great. Thanks Jeff for the info.
Great! It works great for me (in, fact on the to-do list for this week!)
I like the simplicity of this video. As a new hot tub owner, I am very frustrated by my green water after trying to follow the instructions from the dealer. Getting info in TH-cam or the internet is worse than Ford vs Chevy! If I had to do it over again I would never buy a spa from a dealer. Save thousands by learning first and buying from a private party. Pay to have it moved. Money in the bank. I'm a SUCKER.
Well we all are, but I'm glad I was able to help!
A year after that comment, I found my way back here because I'm chasing the balance... again... still... if my wife didn't like it so much, this thing would be GONE. It has caused 1000x more stress than it has alleviated.
I really like your video. I did notice one oddity - you picked up Leisure Time Renew and said, "This is 100% Bromine". It's actually a non-chlorine shock (Potassium Peroxymonosulfate). That said - I really, really, really wish that your video existed before I got my hot tub, because you explained water chemistry in a way that was better than anyone else who I have come across. I will also make sure to use your affiliate link to buy Oh Yuk!
How to adjust water hardness
How do i lower the hardness in my hot tum. We have very hard well water .
Can we buy pool chemicals at Walmart and save money
Versus buying them at a specialty store if it's identical chemicals and concentrations?
Yes! I typically get mine at Home Depot but sometimes Amazon, but if Walmart has what you need and isn't more expensive than Amazon, why not? I do not ever get mine at a Leslie's or other specialty dealer.
FIRST! what should the test strips test for? Is hardness, stability?
SECOND! Is it ok to first stabilize alkylinity and then PH? Are there chemicals for that?
THIRD! Are phosphate removers important?
FOURTH! should the pool be shocked before or after use?
I tried bromine it was great to start with but I continually break out with a rash. It's choline for me.
Just got my first hot tub. You’re videos are very helpful!
Glad I could help! Thanks for being here! - Jeff
Super Easy Install & Usage
My girlfriends aunt gave us a Coleman blow up hot tub. Now I don't ever want to go without a hot tub again. Thank you for the vid, I needed the help.
You seem very kind and know what you're talking about. I am a new spa owner and I am loving the info you provide. Subscribed and thank you!
Thanks, Rebecca!
Great tips Jeff! I'm looking into purchasing a hot tub, so I'm researching the amount of care needed. Thank you for all the info.
Thanks, Liz! You might really like this newer video I've done also on the 23 Most Important Things to Know Before Buying Your 1st Hot Tub - th-cam.com/video/zw-SCTZpvIQ/w-d-xo.html
Let me know if you have any questions!
Jeff
You didn’t mention adjusting the total hardness of the spa. I have added calcium booster several times and I can’t get it higher than 100.
Swim spa almost installed and ready to fill. Your tips are on point in set up and going forward.
What are the first two products
What about scale management or products for metals in the water?
Did he mention defoaming agent? (Yep. 2:30)
Thx Jeff! Very informative and spoken in a simple and easy to understand way.
Can all these chemicals be used for an inflatable hot tub? I just purchased one, and have NO idea. I'm thankful I found your channel.
Yes! An inflatable shouldn't be appreciably different from other kinds. Thanks for being here! I don't have a lot on my TH-cam channel about inflatables since I don't have one to show (although I'm going to buy some in the spring to use for future videos). But I do have a lot on my website about inflatables in case any of those would help you - hottubownerhq.com/
So I have to be a chemist to learn how to take care of these?
Honestly, it gets pretty easy and simple once you get in a groove. But it can be a little intimidating at first.
THANK you so much! you are a wonderful teacher and this is coming from a teacher.
Thanks for sharing 😊
can i use baking soda instead of ph up?
Seen a lot about variability or lack of accuracy among test strips. Any recommendations on test strip kits or pills tests?
Hi Craig. I've definitely found variations between brands (which is why I tend to stick with 1). But I'm not sure how to gauge the accuracy of one over another other than going by reviews.
The one I use is by Poolmaster and has almost 5,000 reviews and is almost 5-star. Here's the Amazon link if you want to check it out - amzn.to/315Hmw8
If you try one you think isn't accurate, I'd love to hear about it!
Thanks
Jeff
Ph is the scale of acidity to alkalinity at 1 to 14 with 7 being neutral. Using ph and alkalinity is redundant and baking soda is an alkaline base so it increases alkalinity, not decreases it as you suggest. Chemistry 101 dude))
That's correct, so if I misspoke in this video, I'm sorry!
Thanks for making this simple and clear
What if I have hard well water?
Thank you for sharing all this knowledge!!! I really appreciate this! Getting ready to start the chemical mixture for the first time!
How do these chemicals affect grass when draining the tub?
I will drain 1 or 2 years depends on use
Thank! We bought a spa, first we need to give shock dose of chlorine, that's fine for new spa but if after 2-3hours is all ok why we can use spa after 24 h. according to guide???
Great information; Thanks Jeff, please what is your take on the Spa Marval.
I thought baking soda raises alkalinity?
It does, so if I said that it lowers it in this video I must have goofed! Sorry!
Ok, it's Official - I Respect YOU, Sir! You are among the ~5% of Folks who pronounce "Etcetera" CORRECTLY! 🎉😭🙏
4:43 Correction, baking soda raises alkalinity (it does not lower it).
Correct! If I said it lowers it in the video I must have goofed up! Sorry!
Would love to use bromine instead of chlorine unfortunately, my skin has a bad reaction to it.
Your putting out great content that is helpful to us noobs. Appreciate you taking the time to make these videos.
Glad you like them!
Thanks for the great analysis and explanation!
Just drained my hot tub. Wish my dealer would have toldme about oh yuk .. seems a waste to fill it without cleaning pipes out
When refilling the hottub, do I need to add more than the recommended weekly maintenance amount of chemicals just because I'm starting it back up again or do I stick to the normal weekly amounts (eg the weekly maintenance amounts we were recommended: 1 scoop of shock, 4oz of silk balance, 4tbsp chlorine granules, and 4 chlorine tabs --- do I need to increase this amount when refilling it back up?)
I always rely on the test strip. But I don't see why you'd need more. I check it first with the test strip and then adjust.
Chances are you might need less, since there won't be any perfumes, body oils, skin flakes, etc. But it all depends on the quality of the water from your hose.
Should my chlorine level always be in the normal range when i test it? I add chlorine and shock a couple times a week because I'm using it about 5 days a week right now, i just got it recently :). But the test strips always indicate that the chlorine is gone the next day. Should I add more every time it shows low? Or do I assume the chlorine did its job and evaporated?
Hi Tony. I mentioned in my other comment about possibly trying bromine which can take the heat a lot better than chlorine. You can still use chlorine shock with bromine sanitizer too.
What you might try is to over-chlorinate it one day where the levels are higher than normal and see if that allows you to have 2-3 days of not having to do any major adjustments. Just make sure you don't soak in levels above the norm.
What's the difference between shock and sanitizer? And should I use a sequestering agent like metal free? And do all of these tips work with swim spas?
Sanitizer is something you add every few days to clean and purify the water. It is most commonly bromine (what I prefer) or chlorine, but there are some all-natural enzyme-based ones too. It can be powder, liquid or tablets in a floater (what I prefer these days).
Shock is something you add every 7-10 days (depending on how often you use the hot tub) to reactivate the sanitizer. It is most often chlorine-based, but can be non-chlorine. I prefer chlorine shock with bromine tablets.
If you know your water is high in iron or other metals (often the water will turn green for a few minutes after you add bromine or chlorine), then yes, I probably would add s product like Leisure Time's Metal Gone. Here's the Amazon link if you need it - amzn.to/2Jk77DN
I also have a video coming out 11/30 that goes into the most common shock questions too that you may like.
I have the hot springs fresh water salt system what are your recommendations for chemicals on this hot tub
Thank-you Jeff for you’re insight and knowledgeable information.
Thanks Jeff, loving your videos!
I'm about to make the switch from Chlorine to Bromine (lower levels in addition to Aquafinesse)
I've been reading that Sodium Bromide is needed to create a 'bromine bank' - is this accurate.
Thanks
great video! thanks so much for making it to help educate and inform me and others!
I’m watching your videos because it’s informative and I’m learning about how to plan to buy a hot tub and have it affordable.
Thanks.
I’m in Ventura California
Thanks for being here!
Great presentation! Thanks for creating!
Very informative. Thank you
That spa is lookin a little cloudy jeff 😏
what would be the cause of having a high PH and a good alkalinity? I have difficulty getting my PH to a good level. I use spa up
We are getting a hot tub from a family member that went untreated for 2-3 years but was still on the entire time. Should we get anything special for restarting?
Thanks! Just got a hot tub. We are so confused and the water is more like a chemical bath :( ugh I feel like I should drain the hot tub and start all over.
If you added too much chlorine or bromine, just wait 2-3 days. The levels will dissipate quickly (even faster with the lid off and jets on).
That's the good news. Even being heavy handed with the chemicals, it doesn't take long for the levels to drop and you can start fresh without draining.
Just start small once the levels are low. You can always add more. For the average sized hot tub, start with, at most, 1/4 cup of sanitizer (can be chlorine or bromine, liquid, powder, or tablets in a floater). Don't add anything for pH or alkalinity unless the test strip indicates you need it.
Then, after your 1st week of using it, add about 1/4 cup of shock (can be chlorine or non-chlorine).
When you add the chemicals keep the lid off at least 10 minutes and run the jets. Wait 20-30 minutes and test again and adjust if needed.
Once you've done it for a month or 2, you'll get a lot better at gauging what your water needs and it will go quickly.
Great video. I have Bromine & Bromine Tablets. Do I need the tablets?
Do you have ozone generators on your hot tub
Any thoughts on Frog@ease floating chlorine blue and grey ball? I was told I do not need to shock my hot tub with chlorine since I am using these and was told it was bad to mix a regular Chlorine shock with the frog @ease system? Is that correct? I was going to go to Bromine but decided I might as well use the frog system and then eventually go to bromine when I do a water change.
THANK YOU for this! It's much appreciated!!
Jeff, hi, I'm in P24 as well. I have some questions for you about hot tubs if you may or may not know, but you seem to certainly know more than I do for sure. : ) I have some videos on my channel about the inflatable hot tub we purchased almost 3 years ago. We did a setup and tents and all then had to move it to the garage for being too cold out. And now we're adding extra insulation to the tent and moving it back outside. The only thing I didn't do was take a sample of my water to a local pool shop. I got all the required chemicals and used the hot tub for over 2 years and then I started getting some black greasy stuff in my hot tub (my most recent video). I called the company and they said NOT to use bromine with their tubs because of PVC pipes...?? I think that's what he said. But anyway, I looked everywhere online and couldn't find anything saying I shouldn't use bromine. Even in all their manuals say nothing. I even found people online that said the same thing, the company said not to use bromine, but nowhere else does it say not to. I saved the hot tub but had to toss the pump, it's just shot, and doesn't work. I probably should have taken it apart to see what actually happened before tossing it, bad choice on my part there. It was just a greasy mess in the pipes I just tossed it without thinking. So I need to spend $350 on a new pump. I don't want to have to use chlorine in the hot tub. Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks
Hi Jason. Every hot tub has PVC pipes, so if that's what they told you that doesn't make sense. I'm wondering if they meant the vinyl or whatever the hot tub itself is made out of?
Either way though, I've never heard of bromine being bad for inflatable hot tubs, and generally speaking, chlorine is a little harsher than bromine.
I don't think I would spend $350 on an inflatable hot tub pump when you could get a brand new one for not much more than that; especially if you're having issues with it anyway. Let me dig around a little and see if I can find any info to confirm if bromine is bad for inflatable hot tubs.
But if you can't use bromine and don't want chlorine, you might look to see if you can convert to a salt water or ozone system. Both of those systems can be purchased and added fairly easily, I've just a little unfamiliar with integrating them into an inflatable.
I'll let you know if I get confirmation about bromine and inflatables.
Thanks
Jeff
@@HotTubOwnerHQ Thanks much for the reply. Could have been 'vinyl' and not pvc yes. I'll have to call them again and find out for sure. I looked to get an identical one (I paid about $400 for mine) and they are all unavailable on Amazon. (Possibly since they, Intex, is shut down and not shipping right now) On Intex's site they are about $650~$700 for a new one. I would hate to have to get all new chemicals too if I switch to chlorine too. I probably wouldn't have to switch all the chemicals, but I would need some new ones for sure. Yeah let me know what you can find out. I would hate to have to buy a new one, but if they aren't much more I guess it wouldn't hurt. That would just leave me with a perfectly good inflatable hot tub without a heater lol
@@HotTubOwnerHQ Jeff, Well I did one better... lol Went to a spa / hot tub show about a month ago that was close to where I live. I was just hoping to look and see what options were out there before buying a pump or a new inflatable one. The reps were clearly not interested in me since I only wanted to just ask a ton of questions. I thought they were there to answer questions, but I guess not, they wanted to know you were serious about buying one, then they would talk to you. It was for Getaway HotTubs. Wasn't one of the ones you listed when you listed off major companies. But after looking for about 2~3 hours and asking questions, I finally just broke down and got a hard shell hot tub (Bar Harbor SE) getawayhottubs.com/shop-hot-tubs/bar-harbor-se-5-person-hot-tub They say the "retail price" is $10,900 and I got it for the low low price of $5,600. Took about a month to get built and now they are going to be delivering it in the next few weeks. Just curious on your thoughts (good or bad) if it's not to bad, or I got ripped off.. lol It came with a step ladder and a cover as well. I'm going to make a video on the delivery and getting it set up, just like the inflatable hot tub videos I did.
Hi Jason. Cool! Getaway looks to be the lower end line for Master Spa, which is what mine is, so it should be great. The ozone system sounds like a plus; let me know if that truly results in using less sanitizer and shock.
I'm glad you didn't pay the normal price as that seems ridiculous for a plug-n-play hot tub, but $5,600, while a tad on the high side for those, isn't out of line; especially with the ozone system. Post a link here or send me the video of you setting it up!
Cheers, Jeff
@@HotTubOwnerHQ Good to hear, thanks. I can't wait to use little to no chemicals. I'll certainly be making videos, I'll let you know how it goes. If the Ozone system works as described, ie. change filter and water once a year, and barely use any chemicals outside of just a little shock when you get out, it will be well worth the cost for me anyway. They just called me from MN to start the shipping process, basically finding out if we're ready for shipping and then they are just going to get me scheduled for shipment. It shouldn't be much longer now for delivery. I'll link to the videos once it gets here and I get it setup. (hopefully Getaway has a referral program...? lol)
To sanitize a hot tub, one can use chlorine granules OR bromine tablets, but not both....correct?
Hi Virginia. Correct. Only use 1 type of sanitizer and if you decide to switch from a bromine sanitizer to a chlorine sanitizer, either do it after you've drained it, or let it go 5 or more days before new water treatment begins.
You can, however, use bromine sanitizer and chlorine shock. I have an article on my website that explains this further if that's helpful - hottubownerhq.com/can-i-use-chlorine-shock-in-a-bromine-spa/
how long do you run your jets when cleanning before emptying your tub
Hi Jeff... Love the site and all of the great information. Have you done any videos on digital handheld water chemistry analyzers? I am curious if it is worth the money, and if they are even as accurate as conventional test strips, etc. Thank you Sir! John Gordon
My name is Ed, I have 2 questions for ya First question is when I turn on the jets some times there is little like yellowish flakes that come out. Is this calcium build up in my jets & pipes? Should I remove the jets & clean them. Or will that yuk do the trick. 2nd question. When adding the chemicals. Is it best to do the ph first then the alkalinity or the other way around. I usually do the ph first, then the alk, then the chlorine. Thanks for your help.
With the chemicals, I think if you're doing them at the exact same time it's not really crucial to do one before the other, but technically the alkalinity would come first and then the pH.
And yes if you're seeing flakes when you turn the Jets on that probably is scale build-up. Oh yuk is really more design to get rid of bacteria and fungus and biofilm that's built up in your pipes more than calcium. So honestly I'm not sure it would do much.
What I would use is a product from Leisure Time called Defender. It's designed to reduce the overall hardness of your water but also to get rid of scale buildup that may have already occurred.
Here's the Amazon link to buy that if you're interested - amzn.to/2ZrrVPI
Great video. Very helpful and informative.
tl;dr "Take those 10 spa products you own, discard two, add one more. Use often!"
Hi Jeff, I'm about to purchase a cedar hot tub. Are there many noteworthy differences between wood and traditional Acrylic tubs that might be video worthy enough for you to comment on. More specifically, chemicals and maintenance. Thanks, Rick in Los Angeles
Man i love this it learned for the first time owner
Yeah!!
I want to ask if you hot tub just arrive and not using it until summer can you anti freeze during winter or not
Great vid sir, i am a new spa owner, i have a question. Can i switch from chlorine sanitizer to bromine without changing the water? Thanks in advance
Can you use liquid shock?
Just bought our first hot tub, Great videos! Subscribed
Awesome! Thank you!
If you can show the bottles of the chemicals to camera that we can see name and how the bottle looks like it will be nice
Thank you so much
Thank you for the video!!! Lots of great tips.
Thank you so much!
we have just taken an old hot tub from my parents that was old but like new, and had pumps replaced, filled up for first time. my husband shocked it, and it was running for a few days, then he mistakenly added baquacil algicide and we have foam like crazy. do we have to empty it or is there a solution that you know of? i thinks it's great to have your site!!!
In most cases you wouldn't have to drain it, just wait 4-10 days (depending on how bad it is). You could speed that up by using a net to manually scoop out the foam. Also make sure sanitizer, pH and alkalinity levels are decent too.
But draining and refilling would be faster.
Love the videos you are my go to guy for hot tub videos now!!!! Subscribed and Liked! Curious your link to Oh Yuk shows a green bottle for Oh Yuk Jetted Tub Cleaner for Jet Tubs, Bathtubs, Whirlpools. Is that the color you use, I see they have a BLUE BOTTLE as well for hot tubs? Just want to make sure I get the correct one.
Thanks for this useful video!
Thanks! I'm still learning here, but I appreciate your watching and commenting!
I never do this in a Bath so why do we do it in a tub?
Just asking
Add chemicals? If I understand correctly, the answer is simply that you drain your tub after each bath, whereas hot tub water sits in your tub for 3 months between changes and can get pretty nasty if you don't treat the water.