Your hot tub water chemistry has a lot of factors in play. Ignoring any one of them can cause a ripple effect (pun intended) to reduce your water clarity. Know what to watch for, and you’ll be able to enjoy your hot tub—with clear, clean water—any time of year!
Is Your Hot Tub Water Cloudy?
Before you start tackling the water chemicals for your hot tub, it helps to take a look at your soaking habits. If you regularly step into the tub without rinsing off in the shower first, you might be introducing hair care products, lotions, or other oils to your system. This can end up
causing that cloudy water.
The other thing to check is your spa filter. That cartridge needs to be replaced to keep your water nice and clear. Swapping out the filter every year or two can go a long way in maintaining the best water for your hot tub.
When those two items aren’t enough to clear up your water, it’s time to move on to the water chemistry itself. According to the
Association of Pool & Spa Professionals, your pH needs to be balanced around 7.5 ppm and the alkalinity should measure around 100 ppm. You also need to have an appropriate sanitizer to keep bacteria at bay. Chlorine, bromine, or a special clarifier will help you get clear, safe water. Above all else, though, you’ll need to check out your water hardness. This tends to be the most obvious cause of cloudy water.
Scale Deposits from Water Hardness
Regular tap water naturally has calcium and magnesium dissolved in it. This is referred to as
water hardness. To stay safe, you’ll want your water hardness to measure, on average, at 225 ppm. Because hard water makes it difficult for certain chemicals to dissolve and work properly, hardness levels that are too high can cause problems with your hot tub overall. So if the hardness doesn’t check out correctly, your hot tub water can stay cloudy no matter what else you do.
The other problem with hard water in the hot tub is that it can create a trail of scale buildup around the sides of your lining—like that hard water crust around your faucets inside. Worse, hard water can leave those scale deposits inside your tub’s plumbing and jets. This can reduce water flow and put unnecessary strain on intricate parts.
Get Clean and Clear Hot Tub Water
If your fill water has high levels of calcium or magnesium, you’re just setting yourself up for trouble. Working with hard water right out of the gate means you have more issues to correct with your hot tub water chemistry. Starting with soft water, on the other hand, gives you a great baseline for adjusting the chemicals in your water. It also won’t leave those hard mineral deposits around your tub or inside its plumbing.
That’s why homes with water softeners have such a great advantage with their hot tubs. Assuming your water softener treats all of your incoming water, you’ll be able to fill your tub with soft water, even from the outdoor spigots.
We’re all about helping families get set up with soft water. Whether you’re ready to get a new system installed, or you just need some water softener maintenance or repairs, our crew at Indy Soft Water can help.
