Do you come home after a long day to feel tired, disinterested, lacking energy and losing focus to the things that matter in life? Are you suffering from muscle tension, aching joints, anxiety, poor circulation or skin conditions? Discover how to relieve your symptoms and improve your health with a saltwater hot tub or spa pool.
Imagine coming home to a relaxing and luxurious heated saltwater spa that soothes your body and mind. Two thousand years ago the Romans knew of the great health benefits of relaxing in a heated spa where the jets of water soothe your body by increasing blood circulation to the areas of your body that are causing aches, pain, inflammation and restrictive moment. The effects of heated spas also help to stimulate your immune system to combat the effects of other medical conditions.
Table of Contents
Why Use Saltwater in the Hot Tub?
Spa pools and hot tubs that utilize saltwater chlorination are less expensive to operate, require less chemicals and less maintenance compared to other sanitation solutions. Salt water chlorinators produce chlorine to sanitize the water but at a lower and consistent concentration than other methods of sanitization.
Usually a spa pool or hot tub must be drained, cleaned and refilled every 3 or 4 months. This is essential to maintain a healthy spa safe for soaking. However, a saltwater spa will only require to be drained, cleaned and refilled every year. There is less foam, scum and chemicals to accumulate in the spa plumbing.
Read our article on Inflatable Spa Pool
Are Saltwater Hot Tubs More Expensive?
Yes, there is the additional cost of the saltwater chlorinator unit. However, it’s more than offset by the reduced usage of chemicals and less maintenance.
Can you use salt water in any hot tub?
Yes, you can use saltwater in any spa pool or hot tub. You need to drain, clean and refill the spa with fresh water then add the salt.
Benefits of a Salt Water Hot Tub
There are many benefits to using salt water in a hot tub or spa pool over conventional chlorine, bromine or other sanitization. Saltwater sanitization gives the following benefits:
- Water has lower chlorine concentration
- Water has less odour
- Lower usage of other chemicals
- Lower running costs
- Softer water is gentler on skin
- Salt is good for your skin
- No foaming
- Less chemical residues
- Spas & Tubs require less cleaning and fewer drains
- Conserves water
Conversion to Salt Water
Add Salt to the Hot Tub
Add salt directly to the spa water and allow it to circulate around the pool with the pump. The concentration of salt is around 3000 mg/l (ppm) for a saltwater spa pool which is only about 8 to 10% of the salt found in seawater (35,000 ppm). You will not normally notice or taste the salt as the concentration is very low. Ensure you follow the manufacturer’s specifications for your chlorinator unit.
You should not need to add extra salt to the spa until you empty the water and refill with fresh water. If you add too much salt the only way to reduce the level is to partially empty the tub and refill with fresh water.
Add the Chlorinator
Saltwater chlorinator units are attached to the spa filtration unit after the water heater. Before the water is returned to the spa pool the saltwater chlorinator adds chlorine into the water.
There are also chlorinator units that can be attached to the side of the spa or tub that simply plug into the power supply. These units hang over the side of the spa and require no extra plumbing.
The chlorinator unit uses a low voltage current to split the salt into chlorine which will add a small extra cost to your power bill. However, using a chlorinator means you don’t have to buy chlorine and some other chemicals for the pool saving you money.
How do you maintain a saltwater hot tub?
Maintaining a saltwater spa or tub is very much the same as a freshwater spa. The difference is once the water chemistry is balanced you don’t add any sanitizer as the spa is self-chlorinated. You will need to clean the chlorinator cell every 3 to 6 months. Clean the hot tub filter every month. Unlike other hot tubs you should only empty and refill the water every 12 months.
Saltwater Hot Tub & Spa Chemistry
Most spas and hot tubs use bromine and chlorine to sanitize the water. There are a few reasons to convert to saltwater chlorination. Firstly, bromine and chlorine emit a chemical odor that many people don’t like. Chlorine has the undesirable effect of bleaching swimwear and hair. Many people are sensitive to chlorine and bromine which can cause allergic reactions, irritated skin, dry hair and redness.
Saltwater chlorination is a lot milder on your body. This is because the concentration of chlorine is lower and more stable than in a freshwater spa. There is usually no chlorine smell and the salinity is so low you won’t normally detect it.
Ensure you have test strips for free chlorine, pH, calcium hardness, total alkalinity and salinity to test the water.
A saltwater spa pool must have around 3 ppm of free chlorine. This ensures the pool is adequately sanitized. If the chlorine is too high reduce the pump time and/or turn down the chlorinator to produce less chlorine. If the chlorine is too low turn up the chlorinator and run the pump longer.
Spa pools and hot tubs still need to be shocked with extra chlorine. This is particularly important after heavy use or topping up with extra water. The shock process ensures all bacteria and other contaminants are destroyed to make the spa safe for you and your family.
Please read our article on Hot Tub Chemistry for Beginners
Other Methods of Pool Sanitation
There are other methods of sanitation for spa pools and hot tubs. However, they are usually more complex to implement making it a more expensive option.
Biguanide is a water chemistry system that can be used instead of chlorine or bromine. You still have to add lots of chemical to the spa and shock the spa but it’s supposed to be gentler on your skin and hair. Usually you would only use this if you have sensitivity to chlorine or bromine. It is also more expensive to use.
Installing an Ozone system is another option. Ozone gas treats the water to kill bacteria and other contaminants. This is a more expensive option so only consider it when you have a sensitivity to chlorine or bromine.
Another option is Ionizers that release copper and zinc ions into the water to destroy bacteria and contaminants. Again this is an expensive option for a spa pool.
Conclusion
Saltwater hot tubs and spa pools are a great solution. They reduce the amount of chemicals and the cost of running a spa. The water will be softer on your skin and reduce the chemical smell. If you already have a spa the cost of converting to saltwater is minimal.
To convert to saltwater, drain the spa pool, start again with fresh water and add the salt. The saltwater chlorinator generates chlorine. However, you still need to shock the spa occasionally to ensure it’s fully sanitized and safe for your enjoyment.