Although the warm waters of a hot tub are great for relaxing the body and the mind, the same warm waters are also an ideal environment for growing germs, bacteria and algae. Keeping your hot tub clean† is important not only for health and safety reasons, but it’ll also make your relaxation spot aesthetically more pleasing. After all, who wants to be soaking in water that looks cloudy and smells bad?
In the article below, you will learn about what hot tub stabilizer is and why it is such an important part of keeping your hot tub clean†.
Hot Tub Stabilizer and Chlorine
To keep your hot tub clean† you will need to regularly test the water and add chemicals to keep everything properly balanced. One of the main chemicals you will likely be using to keep your hot tub clean† is chlorine. However, chlorine on its own would quickly degrade and be rendered ineffective. For this reason, you’ll need to use hot tub stabilizers that allow chlorine to remain stable and work to limit the growth of bacteria, viruses, and algae.
What is Hot Tub Stabilizer Composed of?
Cyanuric acid is the main component of hot tub stabilizer. Cyanuric acid binds with the chlorine molecules making them more stable and prevents the chlorine from breaking down when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. By creating stable chemical bonds and preventing chlorine breakdown, using a hot tub stabilizer reduces the amount of chlorine you would need to add to the hot tub.
Types of Hot Tub Stabilizer
Hot tub stabilizers can be bought in powder or liquid form. Although it’s usually just a matter of personal preference over which type of stabilizer you use, you should consult with your hot tub dealer to see if one form will work better for you than the other. You will also want to check the temperature rating of the stabilizer to ensure it’s suitable for your hot tub.
Water Testing
Believing that it’s unnecessary to add chemicals to hot tub water can result in major problems for not only the hot tub but for the users as well. When it comes to hot tub water, an anti-chemical attitude will only create complications. You will need to test your water regularly (at least once a week is recommended) to ensure all your levels are correct. If left unattended, imbalanced water can cause damage to your hot tub components and irritate the skin and eyes of its bathers. Hot tubs chemicals play an important role in eliminating germs, bacteria, and algae which may be harmful to the tub users.
Chemical Alternatives?
For those who prefer not to use chemicals such as chlorine, there are alternative methods of keeping the hot tub clean†. Ozonators inject ozone gas into the hot tub water which can be effective at eliminating bacteria and germs. You’ll still need to use chlorine; however, you won’t have to use as much. There are also UV ray systems that pass ultraviolet rays through the water to eliminate bacteria, algae, and other microorganisms. Because the UV rays are contained within a housing and water is passed through it, users aren’t actually exposed to the rays. Similar to ozonators, however, chemicals must still be used in conjunction with UV ray systems.
Now that you know how hot tub stabilizers work, download a hot tub buyer’s guide below to learn more about our different self-cleaning† models, or visit us at our London hot tub store.