How to Use Hot Tub Chemicals
- 1). Fill a new hot tub with fresh water. Let the water warm to at least 80 degrees before you start adding chemicals. Use inexpensive spa test strips to determine the levels of total bromine or chlorine, water hardness, pH level and total alkalinity. Dip your test strip into the center of your spa, submerging it about four to six inches below the surface of the water. Remove the strip and lay flat for 15 seconds. Compare the colors on the test strip with the guide included with your strips to determine what type of treatment your tub requires.
- 2). Add a pH reducer to your spa if the pH reading is above 8.2. Increase the pH level with a pH increaser if the reading is below 7.6. Sprinkle the recommended amount over the surface of your water while the jets are running.
- 3). Shock your spa with an initial large dose of chlorine or bromine. Both bromine and chlorine kill germs in your hot tub, but you only require one or the other. Shock treatments usually come in premeasured packets or capsules. Perform this shock treatment at least once each week to kill bacteria and viruses.
- 4). Add spa water clarifier, measuring the correct amount for your size of hot tub. Pour the clarifier into the churning water. This liquid additive contains enzymes that help keep the water clear while reducing odors and scum lines. Your test strip won't tell you whether your spa needs additional doses of clarifier. Add this whenever your spa water loses its sparkle and begins to look murky.
- 5). Pour some calcium granules into your spa water to help protect the surface of your spa. This mineral helps reduce the natural corrosive action of the hot tub water.
- 6). Test the water in your spa every three to four days. Add chlorine or bromine if your test strip indicates low levels of these sanitizing chemicals. The amount of sanitizer your tub requires depends on the test reading and the amount of water in your tub. Follow the dosing instructions on the chlorine or bromine label. Place the sanitizing tablets in a skimmer -- a small container that floats on the surface of your water and gradually releases the chemicals into the hot tub.
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