Does all the mixing, pouring, testing, and balancing of your hot tub water leave you feeling like a mad scientist? Put down your beaker and take a deep breath! With a little education and consistency, you will be an expert at hot tub water care. Today, let us help you with the basics of water alkalinity. Is water alkalinity important in a hot tub? Yes, it is! Here is all you need to know about water alkalinity and how it relates to your spa chemicals and hot tub water care.
What is Water Alkalinity?
Water alkalinity is a measurement of the water’s ability to remain balanced by neutralizing acids. Still confused? Let’s back up and start with pH. Perhaps you remember from high school science class that the pH of your pool is a measurement of its acidity or basicity. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 with a pH of 7 being neutral. Water with a pH of less than 7 is considered acidic, and water with a pH of greater than 7 is considered basic.
The Strong Spa® maintenance guide recommends the pH of hot tub water be kept between 7.2 and 7.8 (though ideally 7.4) for optimal comfort and safety. However, a perfectly balanced pH can quickly change outside of this range when contaminants make their way into the water.
Enter water alkalinity! Alkalinity acts as a first response to chemically fight off changes to the water in order to keep the pH neutral.
Why is Water Alkalinity Important?
It’s a normal occurrence for contaminants to enter the hot tub water. These contaminants include rain, people, pool toys, pets, and other such things. Without proper water alkalinity, these items would cause the pH to become acidic or basic.
Acidic water can be very uncomfortable for your body, possibly giving you red eyes and itchy skin. Additionally, it can cause corrosion to your hot tub and its parts. Basic water can leave your skin feeling dried out and can lead to foamy or cloudy water with scaly buildup on the hot tub shell.
Most importantly, your hot tub sanitizer and other spa chemicals can’t work the way they’re supposed to unless the water alkalinity is properly balanced and doing its job. That’s why water alkalinity is one of the first steps in your weekly water care routine. Help your chemicals to do their job by keeping the water alkalinity in check. Water alkalinity for your spa should be between 80 and 120 ppm.
Take heart, no chemistry degree is necessary to care for your hot tub. At Texas Hot Tub Company, we can help you with all your spa water care needs! Contact us or stop by one of our five locations in Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, and Lewisville. Our team of hot tub experts will help you with all your spa questions and concerns. You can also bring in a sample of your hot tub water to one of our stores anytime for a free computerized water test. We hope to see you soon!