Newbie hot tub owner, small 180 gallon inflatable occasional-use

[wilde1]

I've lived in Colorado for 4 years and got the wild hot tub hair for the star filled sky and yard. We're only gonna use it every other weekend and then treat and drain for a couple of weeks until next fill and reheat. There may be 3 to 4 soaking hours of use each refill, or 1 hour a day average over the weekends it's used.

It has two paper filters and is a SaluSpa Realtree MAX-5 AirJet 4-Person Portable Inflatable Hot Tub Spa.

I know ZERO about safe spa water so please tell me if this will do for upkeep if the water smells and looks OK when it's filled and used:

1. I've used it for first time this past weekend. I filled it Friday 4pm with 180 gallons of softened well water and put 2 fluid ounces of 8.25% liquid household bleach into it and let it heat up to 104 degrees F. This took 24 hours to heat up.

I looked and smelled the water Saturday night 9pm and it seemed fine, maybe a slight hint of chlorine...either that or the new plastic smell from the tub construction. 3 people got in it for 45 minutes. I put the cover back on and then Sunday at 7pm I put another 2 fluid ounces of 8.25% chlorine bleach and used it again for 1 hour at 9pm, allowing it to breath for 15 minutes with the cover off before getting in.

When finished I put the top on, turned the heat off, put 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of 8.25% bleach into it and let it circulate until next morning. I then drained the tub and pump/heater unit and let it dry as best I could in the dry Colorado shade. I rinsed and dried the paper filter elements that still looked very clean.

2. Will this treatment plan be okay ya think, as long as the water looks and smells clean or neutral? Do I need a testing kit for anything? I want to keep this as low maintenance as possible so I don't get tired of it.

3. Am I using too much or not enough 8.25% chlorine? I'm using slightly more (it says 1 teaspoon per 8 gallons drinking water) than the amount the EPA and CDC webpages say to use to make drinking water safe. I figured if it makes it drinkable it may be enough for my use type.

If you can tell me the best and easiest way to tend to this little tub, used occasionally, I'd appreciate it a lot! For supplies, I have a Walmart nearby, and am an Amazon user also.

Thank you! Andy

 

[JVTrain]

With your plan of occasional use and draining, the most convenient and easy option would be to use dichlor, then bleach depending on how long you keep the spa open. Check out this thread:

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?)

Having some CYA (from the dichlor) in the spa will keep the chlorine from being too harsh on your skin.

You could get by with a basic test kit such as this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Taylor-K-1001-DPD-Complete-Basic-Residential-Swimming-Pool-Spa-3-Way-Test-Kit/39130906

You'll need something to lower pH. Muriatic acid is best and readily available. Because your spa is going to be very temporary, you could use a convenient dry acid as well. These are usually called pH down and contain mostly sodium bisulfate.

 

[wilde1]

OK thank you. *I ordered a 5-way Poolmaster test kit for $18 on Amazon. *Is this a good value?

My wife hates chlorine and chemicals and wants me to figure out how to use the minimum amount of it during the short 4-day use cycles we'll use it. *She also wants to have Epsom Salts in the water to help her muscles and skin. *She hates the way pool chemicals smell and make her skin feel.

I'm thinking that maybe I want to sanitize the enclosed pump system by adding a short return and supply tube from a 5 gallon bucket to the pump/heater system. *I'll "shock" the 5 gallon bucket with 8 fl oz 8.25% bleach and run the pump/heater for 15 minutes, let it sit still for 15 minutes, flush for 5 minutes with fresh water, and then put it in use for its 4-day use cycle.

So my clean, fill and use cycle will be like this: *

1. Shock treat/flush the portable pump/heater system with 8 fl oz 8.25% chlorine in 5 gallon bucket for 30 minutes. Rinse for 5 minutes with fresh water.

2. Fill cleaned/sanitized tub with 180 gallons fresh water and add 2 fl oz 8.25% chlorine bleach to keep clean as it warms for 24 hours. Test water about 12 to 18 hours during heat up process. *Add 1 fl oz chlorine as-needed.

3. After 24 hours but at least 2 hours before use do water tests. *If okay, add 10 cups of Epsom salt to tub and wait 1 hour. *Test again.

4. If test okay, begin use for the 3-day soaking cycle. *If not okay, add chlorine as-needed to make it good.

5. Test 1 hour after each soak and add 1 to 2 fl oz 8.25% bleach as-needed and retest an hour later.

6. After day 4 I'll shock the pool water and pump/heating system with 8 fl oz 8.25% chlorine for an hour, drain water, dry pool/pump components and store with lid on until next use. *Oh, and of course clean and dry the filters.

I'm hoping that with our light and clean use (maybe 3-4 soaking hours per 4-day water cycle) that the Epsom Salts and chlorine will be sufficient to keep the pool chemistry sanitized and within balance.

I don't think chlorine and magnesium sulfate react adversely but I'll read up on that.

Has anyone good experience with anything similar, or read another forum users post that has made this short use cycle with fresh water mixed with Epsom Salt work with good water quality, with minimum additions of chemicals?

 

[JVTrain]

I would change step 2.

2. Fill cleaned/sanitized tub with 180 gallons fresh water and add 1 tablespoon of dichlor to keep clean as it warms for 24 hours. Test water about 12 to 18 hours during heat up process. *Add 1 tablespoon of dichlor again the next time FC is <2 ppm, then use bleach to sanitize after that.

The reason why you want to use dichlor (aka powdered pool shock) is to have some cyanuric acid (aka CYA, aka stabilizer) in your spa. Adding 2 total tablespoons of dichlor will give you about 20 ppm of CYA. Enough to buffer the chlorine strength but not over do it. This keeps the bleach in the water from being to harsh on skin, hair and bathing suits while still maintaining sanitation. Your wife will enjoy the spa more because it won't be so harsh.

As far as epsom salts, there is some old but very relevant discussion on that here: Epsom salt for soaking

Do not ignore your pH. Water is more comfortable at pH between 7.2 and 7.8. Human tears are ~7.4 and the skin will much prefer that range as well.

 

[wilde1]

OK thank you I'll try that. I want to minimize the chemicals so my wife won't avoid the hot tub! Lol. I thought chlorine and dichlor weren't to be used for soaking water at the same time?

Did you mean use the bleach to do the final cleaning shock, and not for soaking? Or did you mean to add bleach to the water as-needed to keep FC at 2 or above?

- - - Updated - - -

And I guess I can use plain baking soda for PH adjustments but how much is another question. The pool calculator didn't want to work on my smart phone so I'll have to make computer time to explore that tool.

 

[JVTrain]

The first two uses of dichlor are to add stabilizer AND chlorine to your spa. After that, you're just adding chlorine using bleach. The initial doses of dichlor build up your CYA, which does not go away until you drain/refill.

This is directly from the How do I use Chlorine... thread that I linked

Sanitation
On a fresh fill use Dichlor until you get to 20-30 ppm CYA. (10 ppm FC = 9 ppm CYA)
Then switch to Clorox Unscented 6% or 8.25% bleach.
Never let FC drop to Zero for any length of time. Keep it between 3-6 ppm normally, min of 1 ppm, and shock to 12 ppm once a week.
Use MPS if needed before hot tub party's and/or once a week to help oxidation. Don't use more than needed, because it's acidic and may lower your TA/pH.
Dichlor, Bleach and MPS is all you need to keep your tub sanitized.
Use PoolMath to calculate exact amounts to add.

Lastly, get a drop test kit such as the Taylor K-2006 or a TF-100. Also get FC test strips. They come in handy for a quick FC estimate, during party's etc. The only two things you need to check regularly are FC and pH. Check them every day and after soaks. Adjust TA as needed. If you have your water well balanced, you'll rarely need to adjust your TA. You'll just be adding chlorine every day, and after soaks. Shock once a week, and/or after high bather loads. Use MPS if you have party's, and/or don't want to use as much chlorine. Easy as can be, and your tub is always ready.

I hope that helps you to understand Water Maintenance a little better. It helped me just to write. If I missed anything important please let me know, I'll be happy to add it.

Happy tubbing!

Check out Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

You only want to use baking soda to raise your TA, which you can basically ignore for your short usage cycle. If you run the tub for more than a short period, it would be useful to be able to know your TA...
Borax is what you'd want to use to raise pH but you will likely not need to raise pH. With most fill water, you will need something to LOWER pH over time, especially with a hot tub as pH will tend to rise.
Dry acid or pH down is the easiest to use in your situation. Add a half-tablespoon at a time if your pH is above 7.8. Circulate and retest. Repeat until your pH is 7.4. You may have to do this frequently as most fill water has high TA and will cause pH to rise quickly with all the aeration of a spa.

Our smartphone app is in the beta phase. You can join the testing and download it here: Announcements - Just Getting Started

Otherwise the PoolPal app is a suitable alternative. Not sure if it's available for iOS if you have an Apple phone though.

 

[wilde1]

Can I use white vinegar (5%) to lower Ph? *For such a small tub 180 gallons.

I found Dichlor on amazon for $30 for 4lbs. That should last me a while eh? Maybe I'll check wally world for smaller bottle. No helpful pool folks near me that I'm able to drive around crazy for supplies.

 

[JVTrain]

I would not use vinegar. It would not be dangerous or overly bad for the spa but instead of a chloride ion (muriatic acid) or sulfate ion (sodium bisulfate) left behind from adding the acid, you would have an acetate ion left behind since vinegar is acetic acid. The only risk, which is very minimal, is the production of haloacetic acids from these acetate ions. The chlorine in the spa will not react quickly with acetate to form these compounds, but will slowly over time. Haloacetic acids are common contaminants in drinking water with varying degrees of carcinogenicity. The general idea of pool and spa care should be to not add anything to the pool that is not needed or could complicate water chemistry when there is a simpler method. Muriatic acid is best, sodium bisulfate is acceptable for temporary spas/pools but I wouldn't recommend vinegar.

You can purchase dichlor pool shock at most any big box store that has a pool section. Typically comes in 1 lb plastic bags or multipacks of these bags. Look for active ingredient to be Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione ... aka dichlor. AVOID any shock that is labeled as Blue of any kind or lists copper on the bag as an ingredient... unless you like green hair. 1 pound should last you quite a while and isn't very expensive.

You'll likely be able to find pH down in a small bottle size in the same area.