Why You Should Test Your Hot Tub WaterJanuary 18,2022.
One of the most important things things that any outdoor pool spa, hot tub or swim spa owner can do is to test their water. This is because testing the water allows you to see how “balanced” your water is.
4 Reasons To Test Your Ourdoor Pool Spa, Swim Spa And Hot Tub Water 1. To make sure that there is enough sanitizer in the water. Without enough sanitizer, bacteria will begin to grow, making the water unsafe to use. 2. To make sure that the water is comfortable to swim in. Unbalanced water can irritate your eyes, dry out your hair and make your skin itchy. Balanced water its much more comfortable to be in. 3.Keeping your water properly balanced will increase the lifespan of your pool, hot tub or swim spa’s equipment. 4.Keeping your water properly balanced will save you money in the long run. While the first two points are more or less self explanatory, the last two require a little more explanation.
How Often Should I Test My Water? We strongly recommend testing your pool or hot tub water at home at least 2-3 times per week. Pay close attention to your pH and chlorine/bromine levels and adjust as necessary.
Water Testing Tips
Get your water sample while the hot tub, swim spa, or pool is circulating. Slight differences exist in the balance of still water. Circulating the water evens out these differences and gives you a better idea of the overall balance of the water. If you’re testing your outdoor pool spa, make sure that the pump is on and circulating the water before taking a water sample. For hot tubs and swim spas, turn on the jets before taking your water sample.
Take your sample from water that is 12”-18” below the surface (about elbow deep). Water at the surface interacts with air, which affects it’s balance. Water on the surface therefore does not give you an accurate representation of how well balanced the water is overall.
Check the expiry date on your reagents. Water testing reagents generally have a shelf life of around 1 year. The older a reagent gets, the less it will change colour. Old and expired reagents will therefore always display low level readings, causing you to treat for a problem that doesn’t exist.
Don’t test water near the return jet of a outdoor pool spa. The chlorine level coming out of a pool return jet is generally a lot higher than in the rest of the pool water.