- [Narrator] It's time to get your hot tub ready to use
and that means adding a dose of hot tub chemicals.
Adding the right chemicals in the right order
can prevent cloudy water, slimy surfaces,
and nasty hot tub smells.
Luckily, all the chemicals you need to start up your hot tub
are the same ones that you need to maintain it
throughout the year.
So here's what you need to know
about hot tub start-up chemicals and how to add them.
Let's dive in.
(upbeat rock music)
(water splashes)
Real quick, before we continue,
if you want more help taking care of your hot tub,
be sure to grab our free hot tub cheat sheet
at SwimUniversity.com/SpaSheet.
It's totally free and will help keep your hot tub clean
and clear throughout the year.
Now, before you start adding any chemicals to your spa,
you'll want to know how many gallons your hot tub holds.
This will help you add the correct amount of chemicals
to your hot tub.
You can find your hot tub's volume or water capacity
in your owner's manual or with a quick Google search.
So how do you add chemicals to your hot tub water?
You'll be adding chemicals directly to the spa water
so measure out your chemicals
and then add them one at a time
to the surface of your hot tub water.
Wait at least 20 minutes
or until the chemical is completely dissolved
before adding the next chemical.
Keep your jets running and your air valves turned off
to help your chemicals evenly and quickly disperse.
You'll also want to keep your cover off your hot tub
so chemicals like chlorine can off gas.
Finally, whenever handling chemicals, use gloves, goggles,
and a mask, and keep your chemicals separate
before adding them to your hot tub.
Mixing chemicals outside of your water can be dangerous
and less effective.
What type of chemicals do you need for your hot tub?
You'll want to have the following chemicals on hand
to start up and maintain your hot tub,
alkalinity increaser or baking soda,
pH increaser, pH decreaser,
sanitizer like chlorine or bromine,
calcium hardness increaser,
and a metal sequestrant or stain and scale preventer
if needed.
Now, it's time to add chemicals to your spa.
Here's the step-by-step sequence that we recommend
when adding hot tub chemicals.
First, test your hot tub water.
You won't know what chemicals to add in what order
if you don't know your water chemistry.
Use test strips to measure your alkalinity,
pH and sanitizer levels in your spa water.
If this is your very first time filling up your hot tub,
you may also want to test your water for calcium or metals,
like copper and iron.
You'll need to buy a more comprehensive liquid testing kit
or bring a water sample to your local hot tub
or pool supply store.
Filling up your hot tub with a hose filter
can help remove impurities, like metals and calcium,
before they get into your spa.
When you test your water,
you want to test for the following levels.
Alkalinity, which should be between 100 and 150
parts per million.
pH, which should be between 7.4 and 7.6.
Chlorine, which should be between 1 and 3 parts per million,
with 3 parts per million being ideal.
If you use bromine, your bromine levels
should be between 3 and 5 parts per million.
And if you have a mineral sanitizer,
your chlorine levels should be at 0.5 parts per million
and your bromine levels at 1 part per million.
Next, heat up your spa
until the water temperature reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit
or 30 degrees Celsius.
The hot water will disperse your chemicals more effectively.
Remember to turn on your jets, turn off your air valves,
and keep your cover off of your hot tub.
Finally, it's time to add your chemicals one at a time,
waiting at least 20 minutes in between each chemical
before retesting.
Number one, add your metal sequestrant
or stain and scale preventer if necessary.
This neutralizes metals in the water
before they can stain your hot tub or harm your equipment.
Number two, adjust your alkalinity and pH.
Your pH helps your sanitizer work more effectively
and alkalinity helps prevent fluctuations in pH,
so it's important to adjust this level first.
Alkalinity and pH go hand in hand
so adjusting one can affect the other.
That's why it's important to add your chemicals
one at a time and wait for them to dissolve,
then retest your water.
And remember, you can always add more so don't overdo it.
If you need to raise your alkalinity,
you can use an alkalinity increaser or baking soda.
If you need to lower your alkalinity,
you can actually use a pH decreaser.
There is no such thing as alkalinity decreaser.
Just remember, pH decreaser will also lower your pH levels.
If you need to raise your pH, add a pH increaser.
If you need to lower your pH, add a pH decreaser.
And after adding each chemical,
let them circulate for at least 20 minutes
and then retest your water.
If you're having issues adjusting these levels,
be sure to check out our other videos
about balancing your pH and alkalinity.
Number three, adjust your sanitizer levels,
like chlorine or bromine.
Now's the time to add your chlorine granules
or bromine directly to the water.
You can also use bromine tablets
in a floating dispenser system.
As always, start with a smaller amount of sanitizer,
test your water and add more if necessary.
Bromine does not dissolve as quickly as chlorine
so you'll need to wait a bit longer to retest these levels.
And if you're using bromine tablets in a floater,
this can take several days to disperse in your water
before you get a proper reading.
If you're using chlorine to sanitize your hot tub,
we recommend using dichloride granulars
over trichloric tablets.
It's easier to control your dosing with granulars
compared to tablets,
and trichloric can damage your hot tub's acrylic shell.
Number four, adjust your calcium hardness levels.
These levels do more damage in the long run,
like eroding parts in your hot tub.
So you can wait until your water is sanitized and balanced
before adjusting your calcium hardness.
Your calcium hardness level
should be between 175 and 250 parts per million.
If you need to raise your levels,
add calcium hardness increaser.
If your calcium hardness levels are too high,
the best solution is to drain your hot tub,
scrub it, and start over with fresh filtered water.
Finally, you do not need to add any shock
right after filling your hot tub.
Shock helps kill contaminants and remove compounds
that build up over time, like chloramines and bromamines.
Because your hot tub is full of fresh water,
you don't have any buildup of contaminants,
so you don't need to shock right away.
You can add a non-chlorine shock once a week
when your hot tub is in use.
This will help refresh your sanitizer levels.
You can use a chlorine shock
if you're experiencing issues with your hot tub,
like cloudy water or algae,
or if your hot tub is in high use.
And if you need more help maintaining your hot tub,
grab our free hot tub cheat sheet
at SwimUniversity.com/SpaSheet.
If you found this video helpful, leave a comment,
hit the like button,
and subscribe for more hot tub maintenance tutorials.
That's it.
Thanks again, and happy soaking.