Testing the quality of the water in your hot tub is an important part of ongoing hot tub maintenance. You will need to test your water for levels to ensure that there are not chemical imbalances in the water and ensure that the water is safe to enjoy. There are a few ways in which you can measure the levels of the water. Whichever way you choose, it’s important to ensure that the chemicals in your hot tub are at a safe level to not to damage to you or to your hot tub.
Bring your sample to a professional
On a monthly basis, you should bring a sample of the water to your local hot tub dealer. Following the same method as if you were taking a sample for the at home test kits, collect a sample in a clean container, approximately 16 oz., which you use exclusively for your water sample. This is important because if you use the container to hold other things, it may affect the sample and give inaccurate chemical readings.
In between taking a sample to a local hot tub dealer, you should also take at home water samples and test them using either test strips or a liquid test kit. These tests should be done minimum once per week, or two times per week. These at home tests are great for ongoing maintenance, but no at home kit will give you the detailed reading that a professional test will.
Importance of watching your water chemistry
Maintaining properly balanced water is important for you being in the water, and for the hot tub itself. Improperly balanced levels in your water can cause irritation to the eyes and skin and poor sanitizer efficiency. If you let your water get imbalanced for long periods of time, it can even lead to infections.
Having water that is not balanced or maintained is also harsh on your hot tub. It can lead to mineral build up, cloudy water, the formation of algae in your hot tub (causing green looking water), and even creating scale along the sides and bottom of your backyard hot tub. It can also cause expensive damage that simply draining or readjusting chemicals cannot fix, such as the breakdown of pump gaskets, o-rings, or heaters due to mineral build up.
To prevent these issues it is very important to take a sample, using the method we explained, and have it tested monthly. Once you have your sample it’s also important to immediately take it to a hot tub professional, like Niagara Hot Tubs, to get it tested. If the water sits for too long (especially in the warm summer heat!) it can cause inaccurate readings. Once you bring it in, they will test many parameters, including chemical balances that at home tests don’t detect.
