Shock treating is a term that is usually used for the process of adding a higher than normal dose of oxidizer chemical to the water in the hot tub. This process can also be called oxidizing. We advise you to apply shock treatment once a week to control the growth of bacteria and destroy contaminants. There are two possible ways you can do this - chlorine shock treatment and non-chlorine shock treatment.
Why shock the hot tub water?
The main reason for the shock is the necessity of disinfection, but also to clarify the cloudy water. Other reasons are:
- To kill bacteria
Shock chlorination is supposed to disinfect water in a hot tub and ensure that it is safe for bathers.
- To remove organic pollutants
Shocking destroys the organic compounds that enter the water along with the bathers. When several people use the spa at the same time, organic pollutants can reach higher levels. Sometimes standard disinfectants cannot handle this task.
- To activate the disinfectants
Your disinfectant (bromine or chlorine) "wears out" as it attaches to various contaminants. The shock of the water comes to the rescue, which breaks the bonds so that the contaminants are caught by the filtration system and the free chlorine is activated to continue the disinfection.
What kind of shock treatment to apply?
Both types of shock treatment have their advantages and disadvantages. We would recommend a combination of the two, but it depends on the type of water and how often the bathers use the spa.
Shock chlorination
Due to the fact that this shock treatment contains chlorine, we would recommend its use only after very intensive use of the spa or after filling it with fresh water in order to increase the chlorine level.
When applying shock chlorination, it is important to know that this will increase chlorine levels, so you will have to wait for them to decrease naturally before using the hot tub again. You must remove the cover for at least 20 minutes and turn on the water circulation function to work. In this way the spa will be ventilated and thus will prevent chemical damage on the cover and cushions.
You can shock water with chlorine, even if you use active oxygen, but you should never mix chemicals dry. Add chlorine shock after changing the water or after intensive use. Wait for the chlorine level to decrease before adding active oxygen.
Non-chlorine shock treatment
Non-chlorine shock does not disinfect water, so it is mainly used as a weekly oxidizing treatment and help remove contaminants and clarify cloudy water. This step will make the work of chlorine easier by creating "free chlorine", which is needed to kill bacteria. This also applies to disinfectants based on active oxygen.
How to "shock" the hot tub water?
You can easily proceed with the procedure once you know the water volume of the hot tub. Here are the steps:
- Remove the spa cover so that the oxygen can reach the water.
- Make sure the pH level is within the recommended range. It should be between 7.2 and 7.6 if you use chlorine as a disinfectant, and between 7.0 and 7.4 if you use bromine.
- Turn on the water circulation.
- Measure 17 g of non-chlorine product per 1500 liters or 35 g of chlorine per 1500 liters (check the instructions on the label, as this may vary depending on the chemical quality and brand).
- Add carefully the required dose to the water.
- Leave the spa uncovered for about 20 minutes
How long to wait after shocking the hot tub water?
There is no set period of time to wait before using the spa after shock treatment, but it is important to test the water to make sure chlorine levels are safe. Recommendations range from 20 minutes to 24 hours.
When applying chlorine-free shock, the product does not disinfect the water, which means that you can bath in the spa 20 minutes after adding the product to the water.
Safety tips when using chemicals
Consider the following important tips when using hot tub chemicals:
- Before use, always read the label of each chemical and carefully follow the instructions.
- Do not mix chemicals unless instructed to do so by a specialist.
- Always add the chemical to the water, never the other way around.
- Do not add chemicals to the hot tub water while there are bathers in it.
- Use chemicals only in areas with good ventilation.
- When working with powder chemicals beware of strong wind.
- Keep all chemicals away from children and animals.
- Always wash your hands after using hot tub disinfectant and cleaning chemicals.
- The myspa.bg team strongly recommends wearing protective clothing when working with chemicals.
- Test the water in the hot tub every day (we recommend pool testers for bromine / chlorine / active oxygen depending on your preferred method of disinfection).
- Keep chemicals away from heat and moisture.
- Leave your spa switched on all the time (unless you change the filters or the water).
