Hot Tub Chemicals Guide for Beginners

As exciting as it can be to own your very own hot tub, we’re sure you’re already thinking about what might go into maintaining such a complex piece of equipment, especially what sort of chemicals might be needed before using it for the first time.

Needless to say, hot tubs require a wide range of chemicals in order to be kept in top working order, and understanding all of these chemicals and their uses can be quite a lot to wrap your head around, particularly if you are new to the world of at-home spa bathing.

Fortunately, our team of experts are here to walk you through the process of adding chemicals to your hot tub for the first time with our detailed hot tub chemical guide for beginners. From the different kinds of chemicals you’ll need to know about to more details on what each chemical does, and why they’re necessary, read on to learn everything there is to know about the important chemicals needed for good hot tub maintenance!

What pH should my hot tub water be?

First things first, let’s briefly touch on the importance of maintaining good pH levels in your hot tub water. After all, many of the hot tub chemicals you’ll be using will be either acidic or alkaline in nature, making regularly testing your hot tub’s water essential.

If you’re not already aware, pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkali a substance is. A measurement below 7 indicates an acidic solution, while above 7 indicates an alkali solution.

Ideally, your hot tub’s water should be consistently kept between 7.2 and 7.6 pH, with a total alkalinity of 125-155 PPM (parts per million) as straying too far from this pH level could result in problems ranging from cloudy water to irritated skin, and it could even damage the hot tub itself!

How do I measure my hot tub’s pH levels?

The good news is that testing your hot tub’s water is easy. All you need are a few pH testing strips, which you immerse in your hot tub’s water and observe what colour the testing strip changes to. You can then compare this colour to a pH chart to see the pH level of your solution and add a pH increaser or reducer as needed.

Alternatively, for a more precise measurement, you can use a water testing kit.

What chemicals do I need for a hot tub?

Now that we’ve discussed hot tub pH levels, let’s move on to hot tub chemicals themselves, namely, what chemicals you’ll need to acquire to ensure your hot tub is clean and ready for use at all times.

So, to start with, all hot tub owners need to buy the following chemicals:

• Hot tub sanitisers
• An alkalinity increaser
• A pH increaser
• A water hardness increaser
• A water hardness reducer

On top of this, for precision maintenance, you may also want to buy the chemicals listed below:

• Hot tub shock
• Hot tub pipe cleaner

If you’re already thinking that this sounds like a lot, don’t worry. We’re going to break down every hot tub chemical we’ve just mentioned in the rest of our guide, starting with hot tub sanitisers.

What are hot tub sanitisers?

Certainly the most well-known type of hot tub chemicals, and perhaps the most important, hot tub sanitisers are essential for keeping your hot tub clean and free of bacteria.

Needless to say, dirty water is often infested with bacteria, which can not only lead to skin infections but also serious illnesses like Legionnaire’s Disease – not to mention the fact that excessive bacteria can make your hot tub’s water green, cloudy, covered in algal growths.

Therefore, using hot tub sanitisers is of the utmost importance to keep your hot tub in good working order. But how often you’ll need to add sanitiser will depend on your hot tub model, so you should test your hot tub water regularly for sanitiser levels and top them up as necessary.

Which hot tub sanitiser should I use?

Rather than picking a certain brand, when it comes to what chemicals are needed for hot tub sanitization, you have two main options available to you:

• Chlorine hot tub sanitiser (3-5 milligrams per litre)
• Bromine hot tub sanitiser (4-6 milligrams per litre)

Chlorine is likely the chemical you’re most familiar with as it’s often used in public swimming pools, though bromine fulfils much the same role, and either sanitiser option is suitable for your hot tub.

With that being said, we have highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of chlorine and bromine to make it easier for you to decide which one to pick.

What are the pros and cons of chlorine sanitiser?

Chlorine is no doubt one of the most popular sanitisers on the market. Usually sold as granules, chlorine is a strong oxidising agent that will destroy bacteria by dissolving it through oxidisation.

But perhaps its biggest advantage is that it’s typically cheaper than bromine and is widely available in most hot tub shops. It also works faster than bromine, making it ideal if you need to quickly sanitise your hot tub at short notice.

However, the chief downside of using chlorine is that it tends to leave behind a strong smell. This on its own can be off-putting, but such fumes and scents can also result in breathing difficulties if too much chlorine is used. On top of this, excess chlorine can cause skin irritation in some people.

What are the pros and cons of using bromine sanitiser?

Less commonly used when compared to chlorine, but still a popular alternative, Bromine is also an oxidiser like chlorine, which means it’s fully capable of keeping your hot tub clean and safe.

But while chlorine’s main advantage is its low price, bromine tends to be gentler on the skin, making it an ideal choice if yours is particularly sensitive. Best of all, it also lasts longer than chlorine and won’t produce as strong a smell. Add to this the fact that bromine requires fewer applications than chlorine and it has a lot going for it.

However, with that being said, bromine has one major downside – it’s rendered inert by sunlight. So, if you decide to use bromine in your hot tub, you should keep your hot tub covered to get the most out of your sanitiser. Alongside this, bromine is weaker than chlorine, so you will need to use more in your sanitiser mix.

What chemicals do I need for hot tub pH balancing?

Once you have your sanitiser sorted, the next thing to look at on your hot tub chemicals chart is your alkali and acid increasers.

As we previously mentioned, keeping your hot tub’s pH balanced is of the utmost importance. And, unfortunately, while they will keep your tub clean, sanitisers do have the habit of causing water pH levels to change.

Therefore, you should have chemicals to hand that can alter the pH levels of your water. We’d recommend picking up the following:

• Sodium bisulphate to increase acidity
• Sodium carbonate to increase alkalinity

Once you have these, you can then use a pH strip to test how acidic or alkaline your water is.

How do I change the pH of my hot tub water?

In order to change the pH level of your hot tub’s water, you’ll need to add either your pH increaser or pH reducer, depending on the pH level shown on your test strip. Each of your pH chemicals should come with instructions on how much to add to your water based on each pH level.

First, however, you should test to make sure your water’s total alkalinity is within the ranges we highlighted earlier. Then, if that’s at satisfactory levels, you can adjust the pH in whatever direction is required, spreading your chemicals evenly through your water as you do so.

We’d also suggest having your hot tub on while doing this as it will help to mix the chemicals you add in, though it’s best to close your hot tub’s valves to keep the jets on a low setting.

Finally, make sure you test your water’s pH level again after around 30 minutes, just in case the pH levels are still off.

What is water hardener?

Next up when adding chemicals to a hot tub for the first time, you’ll need to look at the hardness of your water. You may have come across the term water hardness before, as soft water is typically better for drinking.

However, soft water is not good for hot tubs as it can corrode shiny fixtures and cause increased levels of foam. But neither is hard water good for your tub as it can cause limescale build-up.

Therefore, you should test your water’s hardness each time before using it and aim for a range of 175-250 PPM. Should your water not fall within this hardness range, you’ll need to purchase a calcium hardness increaser or reducer, depending on how hard or soft your water is and adjust your water’s hardness based on the chemical’s instructions.

What is hot tub shock?

With all the essential chemicals you’ll be adding to your hot tun for the first time covered, let’s now move on to those that you don’t have to use, but are really handy to have if you want your hot tun to last a long time – and there’s no better place to start than with hot tub shock.

Hot tub shock is, like sanitiser, made up of oxidising agents. But the key difference is that when you shock a hot tub, you use a significantly higher dose of either chlorine or bromine for a near-instantaneous impact, making it incredibly useful for cleaning your hot tub if it hasn’t been used in a while.

Ideally, you should use hot tub shock in your hot tub at least once per week, as regular shocking is required to keep your hot tub clean, in addition to your regular sanitiser. Non-chlorine shock, in particular, is ideal, as it will remove any chloramines that could be making your hot tub smell.

What kind of hot tub shock should I use?

It’s okay to use either bromine or chlorine shock in a hot tub, regardless of if use chlorine or bromine as your main sanitiser, though you may want to use a chlorine shock every two weeks to ensure algal growth is kept in check and use non-chlorine shock the rest of the time.

Please note that it’s very important to never mix chlorine and bromine while both chemicals are dry, as this can lead to potentially lethal chemical reactions. If you want to switch between sanitisers, always drain and deep clean your hot tub to prevent cross-contamination and then use your new sanitiser with fresh water.

Hot tub pipe cleaner

Last but not least, when it comes to what chemicals to have for your hot tub, getting hold of a decent hot tub pipe cleaner is a must.

Needless to say, cleaning your hot tub is an involved process, and you probably already know that you need to clean the hot tub’s chassis and its filters. But you’ll also need to clean the pipes, too, and that’s where hot tub pipe cleaners come in.

Hot tub pipe cleaners are strong chemicals that you apply to the water before turning on your hot tub’s pump (with air controls closed) and let circulate. Once they’ve circulated, you’ll then need to drain your hot tub and refill it.

Cleaning the plumbing lines in your hot tub is vital because minerals, grime and more can accumulate inside the pipes. Left uncleaned, these could potentially cause issues with water flow, and can even cause clogs.

Hot tub chemical safety tips

Having touched on all the hot tub chemicals you’ll need to keep in your toolkit, we couldn’t leave you without also highlighting some essential tips that you should know when using them.

Hot tub chemicals are often very powerful and can be dangerous if used improperly, so proper safety and care are of the utmost importance while using them:

How to safely add hot tub chemicals to your water

When adding chemicals to your hot tub, you should only ever add one chemical type at a time, as mixing chemicals can cause significant and potentially dangerous issues. You should also wear protective, long-sleeve clothing when applying and handling them.

On top of this, when adding chemicals, add them directly to the water and then wait at least 20 minutes before you add any more. A longer waiting period may be required for some chemicals, so always read the packaging carefully.

Most importantly, DO NOT eat, drink, or smoke while handling hot tub chemicals as this could lead to accidental inhalation or ingestion.

Do not keep your hot tub covered

You should always keep the cover off of your hot tub when you’re adding chemicals. There are two key reasons for this. Firstly, the chemicals could damage your cover, and secondly, some chemicals will release gases while doing their job, which you should allow to vent into the open air to prevent health problems.

Never add chemicals while people are in the tub

As all hot tub chemicals are dangerous when not fully dissolved in water, it is vital that you do not add any to your hot tub’s water while people are using it or there could be serious health implications.

Should any chemicals get in your skin during their use, you should immediately rinse the affected area with clean water. Furthermore, you should always wash your hands with warm and soapy water after using hot tub chemicals.

How to safely store hot tub chemicals

To safely store your hot tub chemicals, make sure they a placed in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place, out of reach of children and pets. And if you ever need to dispose of them, it’s best to speak to your local council about where best to leave them.

Choose Platinum Spas for your hot tub

With all that covered, you should now have more than enough knowledge to safely handle hot tub chemicals and sanitise your new spa bath on a regular basis. And if this guide has got you interested in getting your first hot tub, then we might just be able to help you.

Here at Platinum Spas, we offer a range of premium hot tub models that are perfect for new and experienced hot tub owners alike. Get in touch with our expert team today to learn more about all of our different models and don’t forget to visit our owners hub for more detailed guides like this one.

Hot Tub Chemicals FAQs

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Sarah Watkins

Head of Marketing at Superior Wellness

Sarah Elphick is our passionate head of marketing who has years of experience within the leisure, travel & tourism industry. She is well-versed in a range of marketing fields including sales, direct marketing, CRM, brand management, innovation, customer research and much more. Her experience has helped us expand our brand into one of the fastest growing and innovative hot tub manufacturers.

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