How to Eliminate Hot Tub Bacteria

how to eliminate hot tub bacteriaNothing 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.

1. Regular Inspection For Bacteria Symptoms

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.

You can often see/smell the bacteria long before it becomes a serious problem. That’s usually a symptom of bacteria in your hot tub.

2. Regular Maintenance

Wipe down the underside of your hot tub cover and filter hole in the tub wall with a hot tub cleaner. 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.

Have your water tested at Leisure Industries regularly to ensure it is properly balanced.

It’s a great idea to pick up a sanitizer containing chlorine or bromine to prevent re-occurrence of bacteria.

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3. Maintain the Hot Tub’s Filter

If your hot tub’s filter is over a year old, it’s time to replace it. Filters should be rinsed weekly and chemically cleaned once a month by soaking in a filter cleaner for 8 hours overnight, rinsed and reinstalled in hot tub.

4. Regular Shock Treatment is Recommended

how to kill hot tub bacteriaWhen 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 chlorine. 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 chlorine’, and is an effective disinfectant.

In order to make sure that your hot tub has the right amount of disinfectant, you have to perform a shock treatment. The treatment will get rid of the combined 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 chlorine is more than 0.5ppm.

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5. Keep the Pump Going 24 Hours a Day

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 all filters and pumps are maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

At Leisure Industries, 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.

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