Maintaining balanced water chemistry is crucial for ensuring your hot tub stays clean, safe, and ready for use. However, water chemistry issues can arise, causing anything from cloudy water to skin irritation. Don’t worry! Here’s a guide on how to troubleshoot water chemistry issues so you can enjoy crystal-clear water in your hot tub.
1. Cloudy Water
Cloudy water is one of the most common water chemistry issues.
• Cause: Imbalanced pH or sanitizer levels, dirty filters, or high calcium hardness.
• Troubleshoot: Test the water to check pH and sanitizer levels. Adjust them as needed using pH increaser or decreaser, and ensure your chlorine or bromine levels are correct. Clean the filters to remove debris, and if calcium hardness is high, consider using a water softener.
2. Strong Chlorine Smell
While chlorine is essential for keeping your water clean, an overwhelming chlorine smell isn’t normal.
• Cause: Low chlorine levels or excessive chloramines (combined chlorine).
• Troubleshoot: Shock the water with a non-chlorine shock or chlorine-based shock to break down the chloramines. This will restore free chlorine levels and eliminate the strong odor.
3. Green or Algae Growth
Algae can quickly ruin the appearance of your hot tub water.
• Cause: Low sanitizer levels or poor filtration.
• Troubleshoot: Shock the water and raise sanitizer levels. Scrub the hot tub walls to remove algae and clean or replace the filter. To prevent future algae growth, maintain a proper sanitizer level and run the hot tub filtration system regularly.
4. Skin Irritation
Experiencing dry or irritated skin after using your hot tub?
• Cause: Incorrect pH or sanitizer levels.
• Troubleshoot: Test the pH to ensure it’s between 7.2 and 7.8. Adjust the pH with the appropriate chemicals. Also, check the sanitizer levels and adjust accordingly. If your water is overly hard or soft, balance calcium hardness levels to ensure comfortable water.
5. Foam on the Surface
While a bubble bath may sound relaxing, foam in your hot tub isn’t a good sign.
• Cause: High levels of dissolved solids from lotions, oils, or soaps.
• Troubleshoot: Drain a portion of the water and refill with fresh water. Use a defoamer to reduce foam instantly, but be sure to rinse off any products before entering the hot tub in the future to prevent buildup.
Preventative Measures for Water Chemistry Issues
Prevention is always better than a cure when it comes to water chemistry. Here’s how you can stay on top of it:
• Test the water weekly (or more frequently with high usage) to keep pH, sanitizer, and calcium levels balanced.
• Clean your filters regularly to ensure proper filtration.
• Shock the water weekly to keep it fresh and free of contaminants.
Learning how to troubleshoot water chemistry issues ensures that you can keep your hot tub water clear, comfortable, and enjoyable year-round.
The Backyard Source has all the products and advice you need to maintain perfect water chemistry in your hot tub. From pH balancers to filter cleaners, we’ve got you covered!
