Hot Tub Spa and Pool Chemicals for Home Spas

Cheap Jacuzzi Chemicals for Spas & Hot Tubs

Sep 11, 2009

Hot tubs and swimming pools use a lot of the same chemicals. There are different jacuzzi chemicals, like chlorine and pH level adjusters, needed to keep a home spa clean.

A hot tub can be a welcome addition to any backyard or patio. They can provide years of relaxation and therapy at a fraction of the cost of overpriced psychiatrists and behavioral medication. However, in order to properly maintain an outdoor spa and prevent it from degenerating into a hazardous cesspool of bacteria, a basic knowledge of the maintenance procedures and sanitizing chemicals is needed.

Hot Tub Chemicals and Supplies Used to Soften Water and Kill Bacteria In a Jacuzzi

Most hot tubs, at time of purchase, already contain a pump and a fine particulate filter. In addition to these measures, a number of primary sanitizers are available for purchase. These include chlorine, bromine, and mineral sanitizers.

Mineral sanitizers are derived from naturally occurring elements such as copper, silver and aluminum and, unlike chlorine or bromine, they will not degrade into undesirable sub-elements. They also serve as a water softener. By replacing harsher chemicals with mineral sanitizers, one can reduce the risk of red-eye, skin irritation and foul odors emanating from the spa.

Jacuzzi Chemicals and Hot Tub Supplies Used For Home Spa Care

Occasionally, a particularly stubborn pathogen, or poor water maintenance, will require that the hot tub be "shocked." The first way to shock a spa is by employing a relatively large does of granulated chlorine, similar to the way you treat a pool plagued by the growth of algae.

Another method, often called the "non-chlorine shock", is to use potassium monopersulfate, also known by its tradenames Caroat and Oxone. Due to the harshness of these chemicals, the hot tub should not be used for at least 15 minutes after using potassium monopersulfate and 8 hours for chlorine.

The article Where To Buy Pool and Hot Tub Chemicals Online explains the advantages of buying these chemicals online and gives advice on how to find the lowest prices and next day delivery so problems can be dealt with right away.

Checking Spa pH Level Using Special Hot Tub Supplies

Maintaining a healthy pH level is one of the most important aspects of owning a spa. Chlorine is only effective at eliminating bacteria within a specific pH range. If the alkalinity of the water is allowed to stray beyond these limits, even shocking the spa will do little to stem the tide of bacterial growth. Calcium hardness and total alkalinity are two other important gauges of overall hot tub health.

All of these factors can be monitored by dipping specially designed testing strips into the water and comparing the results to an attached color-coded sheet and following its recommendations. This will not keep the water healthy forever, though, and it is recommended that the tub be completely drained, cleaned and refilled every six months and the particulate filter replaced once a year.

In addition to protecting the health of the hot tub's users, proper water sanitation can also extend the life of the hot tub itself by preventing corrosion of the tub's plumbing and pump. One common danger is the buildup of calcium and magnesium deposits in the water heater. This can be prevented by monitoring the Langlier Saturation Index, which is a composite picture of all the chemical attributes of the tub.

Names of Spa Chemicals Used in Hot Tub Care and Maintenance

Most of the chemicals used for maintaining a healthy hot tub have names so incredibly complex and foreign to anyone without a PhD that it would impossible to fit them on the small bottles in which they are packaged. Luckily, many of them have user-friendly monikers, such as pH Up, pH Down, and FoamOut, which is used for rapidly dissolving excess foam.

Hot tub maintenance, if not conducted dutifully, can result in numerous maladies, including respiratory infection from inhaling bacteria-laden water droplets, skin rashes, and chronic eye irritation. These afflictions can often lead to disease transmission as well as litigation against the owners of the spa. Therefore, constant vigilance is required to ensure that your spa remains a healthy environment in which to entertain friends and family.

Hot Tub Supplies, Chemicals, and Accessories - This article gives additional information on the chemicals used in a hot tub as well as information regarding different types of hot tub covers and entry stairs

Discount Hot Tub Covers and Cover Lifts - Provides detailed information on hot tub covers and options available for those wishing to or thinking about purchasing a hot tub cover

Sources

The copyright of the article Hot Tub Spa and Pool Chemicals for Home Spas in Outdoor/Backyard Entertaining is owned by Matthew Miller. Permission to republish Hot Tub Spa and Pool Chemicals for Home Spas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.