How Often Should I Change my Hot Tub Water?

Ah, the joys of having a hot tub, but then you get to thinking – how long has it been since I’ve changed my hot tub water? Have I ever changed it? How often should I change my hot tubwater? I’m glad that you asked because if you don’t change the water in your hot tub you are not going to be happy.

Why Should I Change the Water in My Hot Tub?

Your hot tub has a pump so that the water filter can filter the water and during that time the water gets its dose of chemicals and sanitizer. This is the same as a swimming pool. The difference is a swimming pool doesn’t need to be drained and then filled again. Confused? Why does one need it and not the other?

#1 – A hot tub has a much smaller amount of water than your swimming pool but most of the time the same amount of people are going to be hopping in and enjoying it.

#2 – The temperature makes a difference and because your hot tub is at a temperature that is much higher than a swimming pool that has an effect on what needs to happen with it in order to keep the water clean.

The chemicals and filter are either going to remove a lot of the impurities or oxidize them when they get into the water of course, but it isn’t going to get all of them. Just think about all of the body oils, sweat, and soaps that get into the hot tub. Because of this your water will become foamy, cloudy and may even begin to have a smell. Yuck!

How Do I Know When to Change the Hot Tub Water?

Make sure you are testing your hot tub water often so you don’t have to get to the smelling and foamy look. You can get a TDS test strip to put into your hot tub to see if it needs to be changed.

If you just don’t feel like going to get a TDS test strip you can use a formula to figure out if it needs changing. First, you need to know how much water you have in your hot tub. If you have a 4 seat hot tub you may have around 1250 liters of water in the hot tub. You can call the manufacturer if needed so you can see what the exact volume of your make and model is in case you don’t already have the information.

After that, you need to have the “bather load” of your hot tub. Meaning how many people are able to use it and how often they are able to use it. Now you want to take the liters of water, divide it by the average number of people in the hot tub for 20 minutes each day and then divide it by 12. This is going to give you the number of days you can go without changing the water. Most of the time you are going to get about once every 3 months.

Go to our blog page.

7 Health Benefits of Soaking in a Hot Tub

relieveaches21.jpg

There are some benefits of using the hot tub that we’re all aware of: it’s relaxing, it feels great after skiing, and on somewhat less frequent occasions, it transports us back to the 80’s so that hilarity may ensue.

What you may not know is that soaking in the hot tub can have several other positive effects on our bodies and overall health. Below are just some of the benefits of soaking in the hot tubthat you might not be aware of.

1. Improves sleep

Have you ever noticed how quickly you tend to fall asleep after taking a late night bath or a dip in the hot tub?

When your body is cold, your normal sleeping pattern can be disturbed. When your body is comfortably warm, you tend to fall asleep quicker and rest through the night with fewer disruptions.

It is widely accepted that getting quality, REM sleep has a multitude of positive effects on just about everything – from your mood to your mental alertness and even the way your body metabolizes food.

To improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep, try spending some time in the hot tub before getting into bed.

2. Reduces stress and anxiety

Along with making you feel temporarily relaxed, studies show that the combination of the hot water, the massage of the jets, and the feeling of weightlessness can significantly reduce both mental and physical stress and decrease anxiety.

Experts note that when you’re not feeling physically and mentally stressed, you’re less likely scowl at neighborhood teenagers, which means you’re less likely to get teepee’d in the middle of the night.

Don’t get teepee’d – get in the hot tub!

3. Reduces arthritic and chronic pain

For people suffering from skeletal ailments such as arthritis, carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and other types of bodily aches and pains, spending time in the hot tub will typically provide some much-needed relief.

Due to the buoyancy from the bubbles created by the tub’s jets, we feel our own weight disappear, our blood circulation increases with the heat, the tightness in our muscles relaxes, and inflammation in our sensitive joints is reduced.

In this state, an aching body can experience heightened flexibility, strength, and a wider range of physical motion. It’s no wonder so many people see significant benefits from hydrotherapy when recovering from back, knee, or other joint problems.

4. Lowers blood sugar

While further studies are still recommended, initial research indicates that spending time in the hot tub may actually lower the blood sugar level of people suffering from type 2 diabetes.

In one study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, subjects with type 2 diabetes spent a half hour, six days per week for three weeks submerged to the shoulder in a hot tub. By the end of the three weeks, the subjects saw an average drop in blood glucose (BG) levels from 182 mg/dl to 159 mg/dl.

Essentially, the hot temperatures in the tub simulate some of the effects of physical exercise – which has proven to be an effective form of treatment for sufferers of type 2 diabetes.

5. Lowers blood pressure

In addition to lowering levels of your blood sugar, relaxing in the hot tub can also lower your blood pressure.

When you get in the tub and the temperature is hot, your heart works harder and faster so that your body can disperse excess heat. In the process, your increased blood flow is producing extra oxygen and your cells are being revitalized. While there may be an initial uptick in blood pressure, your increased warmth will cause cells to dilate, decreasing resistance against the heart and lowering your overall blood pressure.

It should be noted that those with high blood pressure should avoid going back and forth between the hot tub and the pool, as this may increase blood pressure.

6. Promotes Healthier, Younger Looking Skin

If you’re pondering ways to get your skin looking its best, soaking in the hot tub might not be the first strategy that comes to mind – unless it’s a hot tub filled with Neutrogena.

[NOTE: Do not soak in hot tubs filled with Neutrogena]

What you may not have considered is that some of the effects of using the hot tub have a direct influence on the health and appearance of your skin.

As mentioned above, regular use of a hot tub has shown to lower levels of stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety are leading causes of premature aging, which means the hot tub can be a tool to help combat premature aging.

Furthermore, when you’re experiencing increased circulation in the hot tub, that means your blood is more efficiently delivering vital oxygen and nutrients to your skin – giving you a healthy, youthful glow.

7. Decreases Frequency of Migraines and Tension Headaches

When you suffer from chronic headaches, like migraines, there simply aren’t a ton of treatment options, so relief is a hard thing to come by. Fortunately, there is some evidence to suggest that regular dips in the hot tub may in fact help to prevent certain types of headaches.

How can sitting in a hot tub possibly help with headaches? Well, consider some of the more common triggers of headache, like tension.

Migraine sufferers often report experience tension headaches right before the migraine. In the hot tub, you’re muscles aren’t contracted, your aches and pains subside, and you feel overall more relaxed – thus decreasing the chance of experience a tension-triggered migraine.

Also, sufferers of sinus and cluster headaches experience episodes when they’re stuffed up; spending time in the steamy hot tub – along with using nose drops and drinking fluids – is a good way to fight congestion and prevent these types of headaches.

Health Benefits of Hot Tub Hydrotherapy

What happens to your body when you have a soak in a hot tub?

Detoxuntitled-design-4
Hydrotherapy using hot water will clear your body of toxins through sweating. Bathing yourself in warm water will cause your body to sweat more than usual, which is your system’s main way of getting rid of waste and toxins out of the body. A detox session in a hot tub will make you feel cleansed and boost your energy, while renewing and refreshing.

untitled-design-1Relax
The pleasurable feeling of submerging your body in water helps loosen tense, tight muscles and encourages relaxation. No pressure is put on your muscles and joints while in water, which helps your entire body to relax. Hydrotherapy jets found in hot tubs will massage your muscle tissue, which gives you a restful and calming sensation.

Pain Reliefuntitled-design-2
If you are suffering from pain related to arthritis, aching joints and stiffness, Hydrotherapy can make you feel much better. Raised body temperature, buoyancy and the massaging sensation of Hydrotherapy jets will target the causes of these pains, creating relief and relaxation.

untitled-designStress Relief
Stress is a modern epidemic, and it can lead to further illnesses through the knock-on effect it has on your physical state. Hot tubs help blood vessels dilate and encourage blood to flow through your body, giving it a renewed feeling. This will help with sensations connected to stress, as well as lead to better sleep.

Health Boostuntitled-design-3
If you are feeling a little tired, under the weather or out of sorts, Hydrotherapy gives you several health benefits which will give you a healthy boost, both physically and mentally. Your stimulated blood supply will help improve the function of your internal organs and help your immune system. It also clears out your skin, hydrates cells and increases your metabolic rate.

Benefits of Sitting in a Jacuzzi

health-benefits-of-hot-tubsA Jacuzzi is more than a luxurious accessory for your home. Sitting in a Jacuzzi for a period of time has a number of benefits, both physical and mental. In fact, Jacuzzi’s can be used to help people with osteoporosis, as the buoyancy obtained in a Jacuzzi, along with light exercise performed underwater, can increase mobility and strength. Make certain to follow all cautions, as high water temperatures can pose health risks for certain individuals.

Reduce Stress
A Jacuzzi can be a good place in which to relax with family and friends. You can spend time together sipping a drink or simply having a chat. The bubbling of the Jacuzzi is particularly soothing and will help you relax not only mentally but also physically. You can use your time in a Jacuzzi to get a reflexology massage by placing your feet directly in front of the water jets. Your feet contain thousands of nerve endings, and their stimulation can improve your overall well-being and mood.

Ease Muscle Pain
A Jacuzzi can be an effective way to treat sore muscles and joints. The water jets inside the tub allow for a high-pressure hydro massage that you direct to specific parts of your body simply by moving around and adjusting your body to receive the full force of the water. When running at full intensity, the jets can provide something akin to a deep-tissue massage, soothing aches and pains. Sitting in a Jacuzzi can help heal sports injuries, as the heat can soothe muscle spasms and speed up recovery time.

Improve Circulation
The hot water and bubbling of a Jacuzzi will cause body temperature to rise, which in turn will dilate blood vessels. This improves circulation, especially to the extremities, and can help people with arthritis have better movement and less pain in their joints. A soak in a Jacuzzi can leave you feeling invigorated and improve the health of your lungs and heart.