Although some people believe that all there is to using a hot tub is to install it and then fill it with water, the reality of it is that all spas need products that maintain pH levels, keep foaming down, kill microorganisms and generally keep the spa safe for use. Any spa owner who tries to use their spa without at least some of these chemicals is just going to end up making a bacterial soup that they aren’t going to want to soak in. That’s why we’ve listed ten of the best hot tub chemicals that will help anyone keep their hot tub or spa in good working condition and ready for fun.
Best Hot Tub Chemicals
10Leisure Time Spa Chlorinating Granules
One of the best hot tub chemicals for any hot tub or spa owner to use are these chlorinating granules from Leisure Time. They’re designed to dissolve quickly in the spa’s water, so the water can be clean and fresh in under 20-minutes. This product is compatible with all chlorine sanitizing systems and helps to keep a spa owner’s water clean and sanitized. And since this product is manufactured by a company that’s been making spa and pool products for over 25-years, consumers can rest assured that it’s a quality chlorination product that gets the job done right.
9Spa Guard Enhanced Spa Shock
Just as it is with a swimming pool, a hot tub or spa owner needs to use a shock product in their water. That’s because it will kill algae and microorganisms that can discolor the water or potentially cause health problems in the people using the spa. This product is capable of completing that essentially vital task, and it can also do quite a bit more. This quality shock product from Spa Guard shocks clarifies and acts like a pH buffer in spas and hot tubs. It also acts as a flocculent, removing suspended particles in the water. That allows the hot tub to look, feel, and be as fresh as it can be.
8Silk Balance Natural Hot Tub Solution
This product is called Silk Balance, and we have to say that this is an apt name. That’s because this product acts like a conditioner that makes the water feel silky smooth, relaxing, and fresh. It’s capable of performing this almost miraculous act by removing the metals and excess mineral levels that may exist in the hot tub’s water, and it does it without using annoying or potentially harmful chemicals. This product will also leave the spa with a clean scent and will remove dirt, soil, and organic contaminants from the hot tub, so they don’t continue to circulate around the system.
7Leisure Time Spa Balance Foam Down
If a person’s hot tub water is beginning to foam up and make them feel like they’re sitting in a big tub of hot soup, then they might want to use a product like Leisure Time Foam Down to get the foam levels to a manageable level. This product is compatible with a variety of other sanitizers—including chlorine, bromine, biguanide, and ozone sanitizers—and not only helps to reduce foam levels but can also help retard future hot tub foaming. And because foaming also usually causes other spa problems like low calcium levels, using this product will improve the hot tub’s lifespan.
6Leisure Time Bright & Clear
Just because a spa’s water looks healthy doesn’t mean that it always looks the best it can. Hot tub and spa water can still be safe to use but retain that cloudy color to it that some many people are all too familiar with. This product is designed to solve that problem by clearing the spa’s water very quickly. This will keep the water looking good and will help the spa filters perform at peak efficiency levels. And since this product is compatible with biguanide, ozone, chlorine and bromine sanitizers, just about any spa or hot tub owner can use it to great effect.
5Leisure Time Enzyme Spa Care
This product from Leisure Time is another hot tub cleaner that’s used to restore a hot tub’s natural equilibrium. It’s designed to remove organic material, body lotions, and oils from the spa’s water using nothing but enzymatic power. It’s also capable of destroying algae that may have begun to develop and can be used to keep new algae formations from developing. And probably the best thing of all about this product is that once it’s been used, the spa owner can renter the spa in 15 to 20-minutes. Even though this problem is often one that’s overlooked, it’s an important one for proper hot tub maintenance.
4Leisure Time Non-Chlorine Spa Shock
Microorganism, oils from the human body and the soaps people use for bathing can wash into a hot tub’s water and begin to accumulate. When this begins to happen, then the ecology of the water is thrown way off, and the pH levels of the hot tub begin to fluctuate out of control. And this is when a quality spa shock product is required to put things right like this one from Leisure Time. It’s a quality formula that destroys the soaps, deodorant residue, body oils, and microorganisms that have begun to build up in the spa’s pool. It does this quickly and effectively, and all without using chlorine, so it won’t irritate the user’s eyes when they use the spa.
3Leisure Time Spa Up
If the pH level of a hot tub falls too low, then it can be disastrous for both the inside of the tub and for the spa water equipment. A low pH reading of under 7.2 can result in the spa equipment beginning to corrode or hard scale beginning to form on the hot tub’s surfaces, which is damaging the hot tub beyond repair. To solve this problem, many people use Leisure Time Spa Up, a hot tub chemical that raises the pH level of a hot tub to the recommended 7.2 to 7.8 pH level. After using this product, pH levels return to normal, which means that the lifespan of the hot tub and its equipment is extended.
2Leisure Tim Spa Down
If a homeowner’s hot tub water is beginning to change colors or become a bit cloudy, then their hot tub’s water pH is likely a little bit too high. Fortunately, this can easily be adjusted by using Leisure Time Spa Down. This product lowers pH levels back down to the levels they’re supposed to be at, which is between a 7.2 and a 7.8 pH level. This product has been used by spa owner for almost 3 decades and has never failed to dial down the alkalinity and water pH of a hot tub. And because it’s a granular product, it dissolves quickly so that the hot tub can be used sooner.
1Clorox Pool & Spa Xtra Blue Chlorinating Granules
One of the first things that any spa or hot tub owner is going to want to do is make sure that their water is free of microorganisms that can cause rashes, skin infections or impact the user’s health in other ways. One way that can be done is by using chlorinating granules that kill bacteria on contact. A product like this one. This product not only sanitizes the pool, but it also acts as an algaecide and shock, so no spa owner has to worry what’s in their water. And it’s a chlorinated formula that doesn’t have a strong chlorine odor to it, doesn’t cause eye irritation and is broken down as quickly by sunlight as other chlorine products.
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A Guide To Hot Tub Chemicals
When people buy a new hot tub they often don’t realize that one of the main jobs is going to be to maintain proper water chemistry. The water in a hot tub can suffer from a variety of different problems including being too foamy, having the wrong pH balance or alkalinity, or one of about a dozen other problems. And of course, the consumer has to make sure the water in their spa is properly disinfected—if they don’t, then they’ll just end up sitting in a broth of their bacteria.
Unfortunately, not everyone realizes just what chemicals they’re going to need for their hot tub. Sure, most people realize that they’re going to need some method of disinfecting their spa’s water and that they’ll probably need Spa Shock, but beyond that, many people are lost. That’s why we’ve decided to write this guide on choosing chemicals for your hot tub.
Step One: Gather Must-Have Hot Tub Chemicals
We decided that the best way to format this guide was to start with the spa chemicals that are the most important and then work down to the chemicals that hot tub owners may or may not need. And this particular section deals with the most important hot tub chemicals. The following chemicals are ones that the consumer must have to keep their hot tub operating at a basic level. Let’s examine each of the chemicals a little bit closer, shall we?
- Hot Tub/Spa Testing Kit – The first thing any hot tub owner is going to need is a hot tub testing kit. It’s the most important item in a spa owner’s chemistry arsenal because it’s the only way they can tell whether they’re water has the right pH level, if calcium hardness is correct, or the alkalinity is right. An average testing kit will check for pH levels, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, metals, and total dissolved solids, although there are more advanced testing kits that do a deeper dive into the chemistry of the spa’s water.
- Chlorine Or Bromine Tablets – Ah yes, the eternal debate over whether chlorine tablets or bromine tablets are better for a hot tub or spa. Although either one can be used for sanitizing the spa’s water, we believe that bromine does a better job of keeping the water clean. We feel that it’s a better solution because bromine doesn’t come apart chemically when it’s exposed to heat the same way that chlorine does. However, whichever one the hot tub owner chooses, they are going to want to make sure they keep it on hand to kill viruses and bacteria that might be lurking beneath the water’s surface.
- Bromine Booster – If you choose bromine tablets to disinfect your spa (and you should!), then you’re going to want to use a bromine booster as well. This product is like shock, in that it brings an elevated level of bromine to the water to instantly kill bacteria and viruses. Bromine booster should be used whenever you fill or drain the hot tub.
- Spa Shock – Bromine Booster isn’t the only chemical that you’re going to want to use in your hot tub for sanitation purposes, however. Spa shock is also extremely important for the proper maintenance of the spa, especially when it’s opened for the first time. By using Spa Shock regularly, you’ll help your bromine work better and all of this will add up to a cleaner hot tub.
- Hot Tub pH & Alkalinity Balancers – The next hot tub chemicals that are essential for the proper upkeep of the spa are pH and alkalinity balancers. The proper pH level for a hot tub is around 7 or 8. If the pH level falls lower than that, then the water becomes acidic, and that can damage the internal components of the hot tub. On the other hand, if the pH level rises above 8, then calcium levels can stain the inside of the tub, and the water will become cloudy. To correct too low of a pH level, you’ll have to use a pH Up product, and if you’re trying to bring pH levels down, then you’re going to have to use a pH Down product.
Step Two: Think About The Not-So Necessary Chemicals
The chemicals in the previous section will keep the hot tub running properly, but there are a few other chemical agents that make maintaining the pool a lot easier. Although the following products aren’t necessary, they are nice to have in any hot tub chemical cache.
- Calcium Booster – Although too high of a calcium level in a spa can be problematic, too low of a calcium level can be just as problematic. When calcium levels fall too low in a spa, then the hot tub becomes susceptible to erosion. Fortunately, Calcium Booster can be added to the spa when this happens to raise the calcium levels to a more acceptable level.
- Hot Tub Clarifier – Another product that’s nice to have when you own a hot tub is Hot Tub/Spa Clarifier. When this product is added to spa water, it causes all of the smaller particles to clump together so they can be more easily removed. Using this product will clear water that has become dull, cloudy or hazy. Although this product makes the water look nicer, it’s not necessary for the proper operation of the spa.
Step Three: Completely Optional Hot Tub Chemicals
As this article reaches its natural conclusion, we would like to take a moment to list some of the chemicals that aren’t necessary for the proper operation of a hot tub at all, but is capable of making the hot tub’s owner’s life a little bit easier.
- Spa Polish
- Mineral Purifiers
- Jet Clean
- Metal Remover
- Defoamer
- Leak Seal
- Spa Cartridge Cleaners