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After initially filling up your hot tub, the urge to jump straight in can be tempting.
However, the correct maintenance of your hot tub involves the use of chemicals and so it is important to ensure that the water levels are safe before you use it.
Regardless of the chemical that you put in your hot tub, you should avoid getting straight into it immediately afterward as the chlorine requires time to dissolve into the water.
Why is chlorine used inside a hot tub?
When you think of the number of people that may use your hot tub, it is important to consider the potential bacteria and germs that could be contaminating and floating around in the water as a result.
For example, the hair products, lotions, and tans that may be on an individual’s body are then going to fade after prolonged exposure to the water.
Ideally, it is recommended that you have a cleaning schedule in place so that you can maintain a sanitized hot tub that is predominantly germ and bacteria-free.
A shock treatment entails the application of a chlorine-based or non-chlorine based product that breaks down the waste that is present inside the water.
This waste ultimately causes the water to become cloudy in appearance or odorful in scent.
If you would prefer to use a non-chlorine based product to shock the hot tub water it is going to take as little as 10 minutes. You will need to allow it to mix into the water before jumping in.
The use of a chlorine-based product can take as long as 24 hours to settle as the chlorine levels must be at 5 ppm.
After adding chlorine to your hot tub water, it is advised to wait for around 30 minutes before testing the water.
However, this is a gradual process as it can take quite a considerable amount of time for the levels of chlorine in the water to drop naturally.
What is bromine?
Bromine is another chemical solution that can be used to clean and sanitize your hot tub working to get rid of any unwanted bacteria.
Bromine is commonly used to clean and maintain hot tubs because it remains stable at higher temperatures so it will ultimately work better in sanitizing hot tub water.
What issues can chlorine cause?
It is important to note that you only require a small amount of chlorine to sanitize your spa, overdoing it can cause damage to your hot tub.
As chlorine is a particularly powerful chemical, it can cause skin irritations, itchy eyes, hair issues, and respiratory/ lung problems.
How long do you have to wait after adding the chlorine?
As mentioned previously, it depends on the shock treatment that you use, however you shouldn’t get into the hot tub sooner than 30 minutes after adding the chlorine.
As a powerful chemical, you must allow time for it to dissipate into the water before you get in. To speed up the process, you may want to put the jets on as this will allow the water to circulate ultimately absorbing the chlorine faster.
To allow the chemical fumes to escape quicker you can also remove the hot tub cover. This combined with the functioning jets will release the chlorine out of the hot tub faster.
If you are heavily shocking the water using chlorine you will need to wait around 24 – 48 hours before getting into the hot tub as this will ensure that the chlorine has dropped to a safe level.
How much chlorine should I put in my hot tub?
The chlorine levels inside your hot tub should be within a range of 1.5 and 3 PPM.
The chlorine levels in the water will need to remain within this safe range and to do this you may need to add chlorine every other day.
It is important to test the water to ensure that it contains the correct amount of chlorine.
Testing the water essentially allows you to maintain your own safety while also protecting your hot tub set up and equipment as high levels can be dangerous.
You can then adjust the chlorine levels in the water accordingly.
It is natural for the chlorine levels inside your hot tub to drop over time.
It isn’t the case that you will add one dose of chlorine to the water and you will never need to do so again.
As the chlorine decays you will need to add more.
However, if you find that the chlorine levels are declining at a rapid pace you will need to check the PH levels and shock the hot tub as the water may be contaminated.
Is it safe to get into a hot tub with high chlorine levels?
No, it generally isn’t advised to get into a hot tub if the water contains a high level of chlorine. As a powerful chemical, it can be harmful.
It is important to wait until the chlorine levels have dropped to a safe range before you consider getting into your hot tub.
Final Thoughts
While it is important to ensure that your hot tub is maintained and cleaned correctly, your safety as the user is also paramount.
Whether you use chlorine or bromine to sanitize the water, it is important to ensure that the water is safe before you enter the hot tub.
The presence of chlorine in the water reacts and breaks down any bacteria.
Although chlorine is the stronger chemical, bromine can leave your skin with a stronger chemical smell.
Testing the levels of your hot tub water will allow you to determine whether more chlorine needs to be added.
The time that you will need to wait will vary depending on the amount of chlorine that you have added to the water.
Waiting for the suggested amount of time before entering your hot tub will ensure that the water is safe and it isn’t going to cause any adverse reactions regarding skin or eye irritations or potential respiratory problems.
