Back-to-basics 3: Oxidize often
Oxidize on a regular basis. The term commonly used for this step is ‘shocking.’ This is the part that gets rid of the ‘yuck.’ Oxidizing breaks up chloramines and bromamines, and restores sparkle and clarity to the water. Many service professionals include a weekly dose of enzymes that can reduce the frequency of shocking, because the material helps keep the organic load from building up in the hot tub water.
In keeping with the goal of reducing the use of chlorine, routinely oxidizing hot tub water with a non-chlorine shock can be beneficial to controlling contaminants and allow chlorine to work more effectively. As a reminder: Disinfection is also referred to as sanitizing, while oxidation is the destruction of non-living waste materials like skin, urea, and hair follicles.
Chlorine demand is much higher when organic contaminants are present. Therefore, it takes longer to remove demand and create an effective free-chlorine residual. This is why oxidizing with a non-chlorinated shock is important. Since non-chlorine shock does not contain chlorines, it will not combine with chlorine to create unwanted disinfection byproducts—such as combined chlorine (chloramines) or, even worse, di- or trichloramines. The odour from combined chlorine or chloramines is carcinogenic and causes eye and lung irritation. Higher bather loads can lead to a bigger demand and more sanitizer consumption. So, it is important to regularly oxidize this non-organic waste to free up chlorine to sanitize.
Back-to-basics 4: Sanitize continuously
Hot tub owners should never say, “Hey, the water looks good, so it must be fine.” Sanitizer is what protects bathers. No matter what type of sanitizer one is using, it is extremely important to maintain the proper level. Proper water balance, regular filter maintenance, and routine oxidizing will reduce the amount of sanitizer that will be consumed. That said, protecting bathers is the goal; therefore, it is extremely important to always maintain the proper sanitizer levels in the hot tub.
Service techs and retailers should start by educating their clients that hot water does not kill germs. Hot tubs are typically maintained between 38 and 40 C (100 and 104 F). This temperature may feel scalding on the skin at first, especially if one jumps into the hot tub immediately after walking through a snowy backyard or swimming in a cold pool. However, this temperature is certainly not high enough to kill bacteria and other germs that may be present in the water. In fact, the warm, wet environment of the vessel fosters bacterial growth. Germs living at typical hot tub temperatures can survive for days, even weeks. The goal of retailers and service pros should be to educate clients, especially new hot tub owners, on the importance of consistent water sanitation. Hot tub water that is not disinfected is far less forgiving than pool water that is not balanced.
Disinfectants, or sanitizers, will kill germs in a hot tub assuming they are not being used up quickly on organic waste in the water. It is important to remember the heat of a hot tub breaks down chemicals more rapidly than in cooler water, creating the need to add these same chemical products more frequently. Ideally, the sanitizer in a hot tub should be adjusted after every use, and the filter should be cleaned and/or replaced regularly. Although technicians should ensure the filters are clean, they must also encourage their clients to keep an eye on the sanitizer levels.
Many retailers and service techs will send regular reminder emails and texts to their new hot tub clients, reminding them, for example, to clean their filters the first day of every month. Not only will this help ensure the customer continues to have clean hot tub water, it is also a great way to build customer loyalty.
