And can i get a hot tub

The CDC warns hot tub users to avoid swallowing the water or even getting it in their mouths. Because germs in the water can cause unpleasant and even life-threatening illnesses. Start with cryptosporidium, or crypto for short.

The parasite, which lives in fecal matter, can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, including diarrhea. Crypto can be spread when an infected person uses a hot tub. Older adults, as well as young children, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems, are particularly susceptible. Anyone with diarrhea should avoid going into a hot tub to prevent the spread of crypto.

However, because the illness is typically underdiagnosed, it is believed the actual number may be up to 2. A milder infection resulting from legionella known as Pontiac fever results in fever and muscle aches.

Therefore, if you sit near a hot tub without ever going in, there is still a risk of getting very sick. Legionella likes warm water, and when chlorine or bromine levels drop, the germ can survive and multiply in the slime, called biofilm, that appears on the walls of some hot tubs. Those who are in the hot tub or lounging nearby may want to take caution if they see the slimy substance. People who have weakened immune systems , former smokers , and those 50 and older should consider not using a hot tub or even sitting near one, says the CDC.

But, it should be at least a few feet away, Hlavsa advised. Join today and get instant access to discounts, programs, services, and the information you need to benefit every area of your life. Pseudomonas is another bacteria partial to warmer water temperatures that can survive and multiply in a hot tub's biofilm. To lessen the likelihood of hot tub rash, make sure to remove your swimsuit, wash it, and take a shower with soap after using a hot tub. Hot tubs have timers for a reason.

When the water jets turn off, you should take a break, too. The timer to turn the jets back on is usually placed so that bathers have to get out of the water to reset it. If you see that the time is up, it's probably a good time to take a break from the warm water. This is especially true for older adults whose ability to regulate their body temperatures is compromised by age. Since the heat from a hot tub expands blood vessels, causing blood pressure to drop, people who already have low blood pressure can pass out in a hot tub, which can lead to drowning.

Drinking alcohol while using a hot tub can also combine with the heat to lower blood pressure and also impair judgment. Getting a hot tub installed in the backyard is a much simpler process than you might imagine. Basically, you need to make sure that you have access to the backyard; a solid, level place to set the spa; and electricity, and a garden hose in close proximity. Read on for more details about each of these logistical requirements. In most cases getting the hot tub into the backyard is fairly simple and straightforward.

A delivery crew will bring the hot tub to your home and then place the hot tub on its side on a hot tub cart. Then they roll the cart into your backyard and to the spot you would like the hot tub placed.. This means that they need an access point into your backyard that is at least as wide as your hot tub is tall. In some cases, when there is no entryway into the backyard that is wide enough, your dealer can arrange for a crane delivery, where the hot tub is lifted over the house and then lowered into the backyard using a crane.

We provide specific delivery and installation planning to help with this. You can raise your TA level with a good quality alkalinity increaser chemical, like Hot Tub Barn Alkalinity Increaser , which is sold in 1kg child-proof pots. If you do not want to put any chemicals in to your hot tub, no problem. But you must drain down and refill after each use and ensure that the water is never in the spa for more than 12 hours!

If this seems like t0o much hard work and you want to keep the same water in the spa for up to months then you have to balance Alkalinity, PH and Sanitizer or your water will become foul and dangerous.

Filters will over time clog with dirt and grease until they no longer allow water to flow through. When this happens jets can feel less strong and heaters may cut out. On a regular basis it is important to thoroughly clean your filters, First of all remove the filter or filters from the spa and then soak for 24 hours in a bucket full of Hot tub Barn cartridge cleaner.

This will chemically break down the grease so that when you remove from the cartridge cleaner and wash with a hose it will be back to new again. The pressure cleaner will remove the calcium that has built up in the filter and blocks the filter holes. Calcium is white and a clean filter is white and sometimes it is not easy to see but if there is calcium in the filter it still will not allow the water to pass through.

Instant filter cleaner is the light version of cartridge cleaner, just remove the filters and spray with the trigger bottle, leave for 20 minutes then rinse with a hose or pressure washer and then refit to spa. Use instant filter cleaner every couple of weeks and it will reduce the number of times each year you need to soak your filters in cartridge cleaner.

If you are shocking the spa with Non Chlorine Shock then allow 10 minutes for it to all mix in and get right in. If you are using Chlorine granules then you must wait until the Chlorine level has returned to 5 PPM which may take 24 hours. The safe maximum bathing level for Chlorine is 5 ppm. If you have put too much Chlorine into the water, then you must now wait until the reading drops back to this safe level.

You can open the spa cover and run the jets and this will help a little, but depending on how over-chlorinated it is, it might take a while until it's safe to use the hot tub. As a rule you should change your water every 3 to 4 months.

Sometimes if the spa has had a lot of use it may be a good idea to change the water more often than this. The problem is TDS Total dissolved solids, just like a cup of tea if you keep putting in sugar there will come a time that it just does not dissolve.

Same with a Hot tub if you keep adding chemicals to maintain the spa then there will come a time that it will be very hard to correct imbalances and it is best to just change the water.

If you only have a small soap problem, then a few drops of Hot Tub Barn Foam Reducer will make the soap bubbles go away. If the problem persists, or there is a major amount of soap in the spa, the only thing to do is to empty and refill with fresh water. Cloudy hot tub water can mean two things, 1 that the filtration is failing to clean out the small dust particles in the water or 2 that there is bacteria growing in the Spa.

If it is Dust then I would suggest you buy a product like spa sparkle which acts like a coagulant and captures all the dust in the filters. Note that once the hot tub is nice and clean you need to get the filters out and clean them, if you don't then after 24 hours the spa sparkle will break down and empty the dust back in to your hot tub.

If it's bacteria then you need to act fast and shock the spa with a double the normal does of both Chlorine and Non Chlorine Shock. Green is not a good colour for hot tub water. It indicates that your spa has active bacteria growing in the water. As a guide I would add 6 teaspoons of Chlorine and 6 tablespoons of Non Chlorine Shock to a gallon hot tub. Unless you have got a cracked shell in which case you need to pay to have the spa crushed all Hot tubs can be repaired and recycled.

You can sell any age of Riptide spa to us, and we will refurbish it and sell through our website. If you wish to sell another brand, or aren't in an area we cover, try your local spa dealer and see if he will buy it. At least you know it is going to be used and enjoyed this way. Hot Tub Barn About Us. UK Showrooms Contact Us. Hot Tubs - Frequently Asked Questions. Do you need planning permission to install a hot tub?

What do you need to prepare before installing a hot tub? How do you actually move and install the hot tub? How long should it take a hot tub to get hot? How much does a hot tub cost to run? Is it more efficient to keep your hot tub hot, or heat it up for each use? Can you run a hot tub cold? No problem, but why you would want to do so is beyond us! How long does it take to fill a hot tub? What is the average temperature for an outside hot tub? How long should you stay in your hot tub?

Are hot tubs good for your skin? Is it harmful to take a baby in to a hot tub? Can you get Chlamydia or other sexually transmitted infections from a hot tub? Can hot tubs cause headaches? How do you drain a hot tub? What is an air lock in a hot tub? How do you mend hair line cracks in your hot tub?

How do you repair an old hot tub cover? How do you remove limescale and biofilms from the inside of the pipe work? How do you replace the electrical panel on a Riptide hot tub?

Is my Riptide Ozone generator really working? So how do I check if my Riptide Fresh water Ozone generator is working? Why will my hot tub not stay hot? I have frozen hot tub pipes, what can I do?