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Does anybody have any experience using bleach in their hot tub. We have an acrylic hot tub next to the pool. Bleach is working so well in our pool I was wondering if I could use it. Chorline disapears so fast after adding. Is that from the high temps.
I just started that experiment this week. One thing I am finding is that a little goes a long way. I got my PH up way too high. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Mine's a standalone tub, so one good thing is if the chems get too out of whack I can always just drain and start over!
Don
I kept a portable hot tub on Bleach for 2 years. Do it just like a pool and rememvber to add stabilizer if it is exposed to sunlight. It doesn't take much. With a hot tub you are doing in tablespoons and ounces...not quarts and gallons!. Run your FC about 2-4 ppm higher than in your pool because of the higher temp and the higher bather load/smaller volume of water!
You just need to add a teaspoon of dichlor every day (for 500 gal tub). and then 7-10 times that amount periodically to shock.
It is called the Vermont method or something like that, I will send along the URL, when I go to work tomorrow. it is on my computer there....
Hal
I just reopened my hot tub, the guy I sold it to has not came for it and it has been sort of empty for around two weeks. I did not want it getting nasty so I reopened it. I have it on the BBB method and it does not take much to do something drastic to it. I have gone the extreme on the PH each direction a few times now. And I figured that the bleach would not take alot so I have been careful with it.
As for the PH though, I tested the TA and it is around 50, I need to get that up and I am sure the PH will be a bit more stable. I believe Baking Soda will do that, I am going to mess with that tomorrow after work. I have been using Borax and Muratic Acid to go either way, and the Borax does not raise the TA, so I will substitute it for Baking Soda.
I think the hot tub is a neat little test area, great for quickly seeing results and showing you respect for the quantity of the chemicals you use and its effect on things.
I am much happier using chlorine ( bleach or di chlor ) than the bromine method. Everyone in the family says the water is less harsh and no odors. And we have much less foaming and the water is crystal clear. But you have to add a little chlorine EVERY day. Chlorine is less stable at the higher temps. Add the chlorine right after you use the tub, not before. You will find that the next day, it will be gone,but that is OK. If the tub is covered, it should remain relatively sanitized until your next dose that day.
One thing, it is always more work to keep the alkalinity ( and thus pH) adjusted in a hot tub because of the aeration. I check the alkalinity regularly and add baking soda as needed. then you can adjust the pH as needed, but not before adjusting the alk. I tend to run my alk ( and pH) a little high so that it stays in the normal range longer.
Hal
But, if you do that, you are adding CYA and that builds up very quickly in a small hot tub. I use dichlor right now and am investigating using BBB instead in order to extend my dump/refill cycle.Quote:
Originally Posted by halds
Currently, I have to dump/refill every 3 months or so because the CYA builds up and the tub becomes hard to keep completely "sweet". Even with proper levels of CL, it has the CC smell to it, even shocking doesn't completely eliminate that.
Now that I understand pool/spa chemistry a lot better, I am considering BBB for the hot tub as well. Bleach would serve as both the sanitizer and shock (you could still use the "vermont method", which I do currently with dichlor). My biggest concern is PH control as that is really important with a vinyl Softtub (too little PH causes the liner to permanently wrinkle very clearly).
I have run my hot tub on bleach for a few years now.
Though I always make sure mine is 6ppm before I get in and always shock it if I test and it reads less than 2ppm.
I keep all of my values on the high side because I am immunosupressed and are not even really suppose to be in a hot tub. :)
here is the link to the Vermont method
http://www.rhtubs.com/dichlor_vermonter.htm
While dichlor will build up the CYA, it is not a problem for me because I change the water every couple of months anyway. The di chlor is easier to handle in small amounts and easier to maintain pH. Have never had any problem with the CC smell... I guess it is a matter of how well you shock.
I tried Cal hypo once, but it was not good. The calcium levels build up fast, and you end up with cloudy water and clogging your filter with calcium precipitate.
Of course the BBB method is basically the same thing, just substitute liquid bleach for the di chlor. You just have to remember to add a little bleach everyday, especially after you use the tub.
Hal
The water in a hot tup should be changed every few months because of the higher bather load to smaller volume of water than a pool. Just too much stuff builds up in it and it gets harder and harder to keep it balanced. This might be a case where the TDS ARE coming into play. Never checked them when I had a portable but it might be an interesting thing to see how fast and high they DO build up!