Keeping Your Pool Gorgeous

If you have recently purchased a hot tub, then you probably have noticed that the small spa can and will fill up with debris quite quickly. Things like dirt, skin cells, sweat, body oil, lotion, fecal matter, and other debris will collect within the water. While the filter and chemicals can help to remove some of this debris, you may end up draining water and refilling it more often than you desire. To prevent this frustration, follow the tips below to make sure your hot tub remains clean.

Start With Clean Water

If you live in an area with hard water, then your water will contain calcium and magnesium. These are not the only things that contaminate tap water though. Heavy metals, chloramines, pesticide residue, chemical erosion residue, pipe discharge, and organic compounds are a few things that may be located in your tap water. EPA guidelines indicate that most contaminants in your water must be in very small amounts. However, all of these materials can end up in your hot tub and make it difficult for your sanitizer to do its job killing bacteria and other microorganisms. Specifically, the sanitizer will need to work to neutralize organic contaminants like algae and fungi as well as organic chemicals like benzene and styrene. This can overwhelm the sanitizer and make it ineffective. Also, heavy metals and minerals in the water may cause corrosion and scale build up around the different parts and pieces of the spa.

To help prevent issues with sanitization, corrosion, and scaling, make sure to start with filtered water when filling your hot tub. The easiest way to do this is to attach a filter to your garden hose and use the hose to fill up the tub. This is much more cost-effective than purchasing an in-home water purifier. For the best results, look for a two canister system that removes sediment and then softens the water. The sediment removal canister will contain a filter with small holes that will collect heavy metals and other whole pieces of sediment. The second cartridge will contain salt. The calcium and magnesium will be exchanged for salt ions, and this will soften the water.

If you do not want added sodium in your hot tub, then you can choose a reverse osmosis filter for your hose. This filter will contain either one or two semi-permeable membranes. The water is forced through the membranes and contaminants are left behind. Not only does this help with sanitization, but purification will also neutralize the pH of the water. This will reduce the amount of pH adjustment chemicals you will need to use. 

Use Enzyme Chemicals

Sanitizers work to sanitize water and shock works to break down organic contaminants. However, both of these types of chemicals do not work to break down oil materials that enter the hot tub. These include lotions, sweat, and body oil, and the oils will build up and form a layer of film on top of the water in your spa. This oil can leave a film on your body and it can make the water appear cloudy. The film also can keep sanitizing agents from working properly. To reduce the oily material in the water, you will need to add enzymatic chemicals to it. These additives contain a fat-splitting enzyme called lipase that breaks down the fat into amino acids and glycerol that can be neutralized by the sanitizers in the water. Just make sure that you purchase an enzyme product made for hot tubs that will work while in the presence of chemicals like chlorine and bromine. 

Also, to cut down on the amount of oil that can build in your spa, ask all users to take a quick shower before entering. This will help to keep lotions and some body oil out of the water. 

For more tips and information, talk with companies that sell hot tubs and spas, like Anchor Pools & Spas.