How To Raise pH in Hot Tub
- Muriatic Acid Lower Ph
- A Beginner’s Guide To Hot Tub Chemistry - Pool Care Guy
- Muriatic Acid To Lower Your Pool Alkalinity - Pool & Hot Tub ...
Like any other major purchase, if you have decided to invest in a hot tub you will want to know how to properly maintain it in order to extend its lifespan. You’ll need to keep the water balanced to gain benefit from owning your own hot tub so your and friends can use it safely.
The human stomach naturally produces muriatic acid to increase the pH level in the gut. This will eliminate microorganisms that cause you to get sick and assist with the digestion process. In a swimming pool, the muriatic acid can reduce the pH and alkalinity levels in order to balance the chemistry of the water. Proper Alkalinity Levels: 80 - 120 ppm Alkalinity essentially measures your water’s ability to neutralize acids. Basically, alkalinity acts as a stabilizer for your hot tub’s pH levels.
There is a short list of chemicals that you will need to keep on hand to keep the water maintained and the pH and alkalinity levels balanced.
The chemicals used to balance pH and alkalinity are inexpensive but are extremely important. Water pH is a measurement of the acidity of your water.
Just to give you an idea why this is, our skin acidity is 7.35 to 7.45, so this lies in the middle of the suggested water acidity range – that way we are more comfortable in our spa and at this range bugs are kept under control more easily.
If your pH fluctuates outside that safe zone, the water becomes unsafe and can cause corrosion, mineral scaling, or you can face unhealthy bacterial growth.
Alkalinity is a measure of the water’s ability to buffer the pH to neutralize the acid.
It may seem complicated at first, but with a little practice it becomes routine.
It helps keep pH levels stable so when your water dips out of range, you can simply adjust your TA (Total Alkalinity) without having to completely redo your hot tub chemistry.
Alkalinity should be between 125ppm and 150ppm and be adjusted first since it keeps your pH in check, so when it slips levels, your pH will as well.
Failure to maintain alkalinity may result in corrosion, phosphate imbalance which can lead to algae growth and green water, mineral build-up, and cloudy water.
On top of these effects, there’s every chance you will be developing bacteria-rich water by allowing bacteria from either side of neutral to breed to excess.
What causes low pH in hot tub?
Testing kits for pH levels are available at pool supply stores. You dip a strip into the water and read the pH by matching the color it turns to a scale printed on the bottle. The ideal level should be in the neutral range.
The one in the picture shown runs at just over the $10 mark directly from Amazon, so there’s no great cost involved with these tests.
You will also need some test strips to take a sample of your water – again, inexpensive.
An alternative to the test strips is to use a digital meter costing almost double but this one does not need the strips, so will soon pay for itself.
Elevated levels of acid cause sanitizing chemicals to become ineffective allowing harmful contaminants to come in contact with bathers, which can lead to rashes and eczema.
It can also irritate swimmer’s skin and eyes. Too much acid takes its toll on your tub’s components causing them to corrode.
So, what causes low pH in hot tub spas making the water excessively acidic?
In a word, if you’ve set the chemical levels right to start with, it’s YOU – and anyone who joins you in the hot tub.
It is well known we all sweat in hot tubs, and it is these bodily fluids, along with flaky skin, anything that is or was living, rots down and causes acidity. So the more people you have in there and for a longer time without water changes, then your water will grow more and more acidic as time passes.
On top of that pH that’s too low can be caused by the type of water you use.
Soft water will have a completely different pH than hard water. Thus, when you add water, it will alter your level accordingly.
Different chemicals you use will also cause fluctuations since they have different pH ranges too. When the time comes to add more chemicals, the levels will change depending on the amount used and the pH level of that specific chemical.
How to raise pH in hot tub
Low levels can cause skin irritation and degrade the spa’s heater and other components. The pH levels in your hot tub can be increased by using magnesium oxide which has the ability to neutralize carbon dioxide.
The first step is to adjust the alkalinity using either of the test methods above.
The next step you take in how to raise pH in hot tub spas is you gradually add an increaser like SpaGuard pH Increaserto get the right reading.
Then allow the tub to run for 30 minutes to evenly circulate the chemicals.
Last, turn off the jets and conduct a retest to ensure the alkalinity is still at proper levels.
What causes high pH in hot tub?
A high pH level is a level above 7.6 ppm. This means your water is too basic, too alkaline, and when your water pH is too high, it can begin to form scales.
Scales are a white and chalky residue that’s rough to the touch and can be found on the tub’s surfaces.
These scales can block water circulation by becoming lodged in pipes and blocking their flow. As they build, scales will cause early equipment failure.
These scales are formed by the Alkaline effect forming lime which eventually will become like chalk in that it will block your pump and piping if left for too long without balancing the water.
On top of this, you may notice a greeny tinge developing in your water which, if left too longe, will eventually form algae.
You will need to regularly use a pH reducer and we recommend Leisure Time Spa Reducer.
Reducers usually consist of dry acid crystals such as sodium bisulfate but liquid forms are also readily available.
The pH reducer needs to be added gradually over a period of time depending on the manufacturer’s recommendation. You add it gradually, allow it to circulate, and then retest the pH level. If it is still too high, you repeat the process until it gets in range. Adding too much reducer too quickly can result in making the water too acidic that you will have to get to come back down.
The most common reason for an elevated pH level is a very high alkalinity level. Since alkalinity acts as a buffer to help keep pH in range, when it raises, so will your pH level because it will not be able to keep it under control.
Hot tubs run at a higher temperature and produce bubbles which cause a buildup of carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is also notorious for raising both pH and alkalinity. As has been stated, this carbon dioxide is also a result of living matter decomposing.
How much muriatic acid to lower pH in hot tub?
Muriatic acid(also called hydrochloric acid) is another chemical commonly used to lower a spa pH level that is too high. The amount you use will depend on the capacity of your hot tub and how high the pH actually is.
How much muriatic acid to lower pH in hot tub spas? Here is a general amounts guide:
• 400 gal. spa:
o 7.6-7.8: .5 fl oz.
o 7.8-8: .6 fl oz.
o 8-8.4: 1 fl oz.
o Above 8.4: 1.3 fl oz.
• 750 gal. spa:
o 7.6-7.8: .9 fl oz.
o 7.8-8: 1.2 fl oz.
o 8-8.4: 1.9 fl oz.
o Above 8.4: 2.4 fl oz
• 1500 gal. spa:
o 7.6-7.8: 1.9 fl oz.
o 7.8-8: 2.4 fl oz.
o 8-8.4: 3.6 fl oz.
o Above 8.4: 4.8 fl oz
How to lower pH in hot tub home remedy?
Many people have issues where the spa chemicals can irritate their skin or cause health problems. Others may just want a more natural alternative.
That leaves many questioning how to lower pH in hot tub home remedy?
Here are a few alternative methods to lower pH levels without harsh substances.
• Lemon juice or vinegar both contain acids that can bring pH levels down. You will have to use plenty of it because vinegar only contains about 5 percent acid.
• Using peat moss is generally thought of as the most effective natural method of dropping pH. Peat moss can be placed in a mesh bag and placed somewhere the water will flow through it.
• Driftwood acts as a natural filter. It will need to be soaked for a few days prior otherwise it will discolor water.
• Use distilled water
• Install a carbon dioxide system to monitor and adjust pH levels automatically
Another alternative to using chemicals is to use baking soda to reduce the acidity of your water – check out our post on How Much Baking Soda to Raise Alkalinity in Hot Tub
Again – if you are not into chemicals, then I suggest you take a look at our post Running Hot Tub Without Chemicals
Keeping your hot tub water in at a neutral pH level is important both for the longevity of your spa, as well as for the people who use it.
Alkalinity and pH go hand-in-hand and work together to keep your water safe. Without regular chemical maintenance and testing, you will experience issues like bacterial growth, algae, scaling, eye and skin irritation, and corrosion.
So make sure you know how to raise or lower pH in your hot tub for your own benefit and your hot tub’s.
On the other hand, if you are like me, lazee, and want an easier option, how about the pHin Wi-Fi-Enabled Smart Water Care Monitor for Hot Tubs and Pools.
Once set up, just drop it in your pool water and it will let you know as any problems arise and literally tells you, directly to your phone, what needs doing to correct the problems.
Not cheap, but well worth the loss of aggravation.
There are even videos showing how to set it up and how it works here.
We use one ourselves and can highly recommend them.
With 135 positive customer reviews so far. – It’s a Godsend to us!
Why not check out some of our other informative posts:
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Owning a tub is a great luxury, and spending time submerged in the hot water and bubbles is the perfect way to unwind, relax and forget all the stresses of your day. However, as any hot tub owner will tell you, they also require a fair amount of maintenance.
One of the biggest jobs you have to take care of is monitoring the water to ensure its chemical composition stays just right. Part of this involves keeping the correct balance of alkalinity – so here’s a guide to how to lower alkalinity in a hot tub for when it gets too high.
If you want a preview of some of the stuff we’re going to be talking about, you can check out this video before reading on.
Why is high alkalinity bad?
Why exactly is it so important to maintain the correct balance of alkalinity in your hot tub?
If the alkalinity of your water is too high, it can lead to an imbalance in the pH value of the water (we’ll be talking more about the difference between pH and alkalinity in a moment).
This can result in high levels of calcium in the water, which in turn can lead to scaling, cloudy water and clogged filters. It also decreases the effectiveness of water sanitizers like chlorine or bromine and can even cause itchy skin for anyone using the tub.
So as you can see, it’s something you want to avoid.
What about low alkalinity?
If high alkalinity is so bad, why not just try to keep it as low as possible? Well, unfortunately, that won’t work either since low alkalinity is also not desirable.
If the alkalinity is too low, the water in your tub will become corrosive and will start attacking any metal surfaces it is exposed to. If you have water with low alkalinity, over time it will cause serious damage to your tub.
So again, this is something to avoid. This is why you need to monitor your tub water carefully to ensure the alkalinity – you need to make sure it is not too high and not too low.
Back to school – acids and bases
Before we talk about how to lower the alkalinity of your hot tub, we need to understand something about the basics of what we are doing, and that’s going to mean talking a bit about some science stuff – but we’ll try to keep things as simple and easy to understand as possible.
From your school chemistry classes, you may remember something about acids, bases and pH values.
In short, the pH value is a measure of how acidic or how basic a solution is. Acids have pH values of less than 7, bases have pH values of more than 7 – and a pH value of 7 is neutral.
For example, coffee has a pH value of about 4.5-6, so it slightly acidic – and lemon juice has a pH value of around 2-3, making it more acidic than coffee. Hydrochloric acid has a pH value of 1-2, making it much more acidic than either.
On the other hand, eggs have a pH value of around 9, making them slightly basic while bleach has a pH value of around 13, making it highly basic. So far so good?
Alkalinity vs pH
We don’t need to lose ourselves in the science, but when we are talking about hot tub care, some confusion arises over the terms “alkalinity” and “pH”.
Perhaps understandably, some people fall into the trap of believing that alkalinity is the same as the pH level – but this is not true.
If the water in your hot tub has a pH value above 7, we can say that the water is basic, but that is not the same as alkalinity. Instead, the alkalinity of the water refers specifically to how much acid it can neutralize.
An alkali dissolved in water has the ability to neutralize acid, and the total alkalinity (TA) is a measure of how much alkaline substance is dissolved in the water. It is measured in parts per million (ppm), and tub water should ideally have a TA of 80-120ppm.
If the water in your tub has the correct alkalinity, it is more able to counteract changes in the pH value of the water and resist the effects we noted above, and this is why it is important to have water in your tub that has the correct alkalinity.
So, as we can see, alkalinity and pH are closely related, but they are not the same – for further explanation of the difference between alkalinity and pH, you can also check out this video.
Testing – how and when
The first step in adjusting the alkalinity of your tub is testing it with a testing kit or strips. These can be bought in many department stores as well as from spa stores and online.
Whichever method you use, simply follow the instructions on the pack to take a reading of your tub’s alkalinity.
As we have already mentioned, the water in a hot tub should have an alkalinity of 80-120ppm, but even if your tub’s alkalinity is perfect when you measure it, you should still continue to test it twice a week since it can change quickly. This is a very basic part of hot tub maintenance.
Remember, too, that this is just as true if you own an inflatable hot tub as a more permanent version – care and maintenance might be slightly different, but monitoring the chemical composition of the water is the same.
Lowering alkalinity
If you find your hot tub has an alkalinity of above 120ppm, you need to lower it – you should aim for about 100ppm.
The easiest way to lower alkalinity is to add sodium bisulfate to the water.
The first thing you need to do is calculate how much sodium bisulfate you need to add according to the volume of water in your tub as well as how much you need to lower the TA.
You can work this out if you know that, to lower the alkalinity of 1,000 gallons of water by 10ppm, you need to add 3.5oz of sodium bisulfate.
This would mean, for example, that to lower the alkalinity of 500 gallons of water by 10ppm, you need half that much – 1.75oz of sodium bisulfate. This is about the capacity of a large six-person hot tub. A smaller two-person hot tub could require much less.
Once you have measured out the correct amount, set your tub to circulate and pour in the sodium bisulfate. Leave it to circulate for a further 20 minutes and then shut it off.
Once the water has stopped moving, leave the tub for an hour or so and then test the water again. If you still need to lower the alkalinity further, simply repeat the steps above.
Once you reach the correct alkalinity, leave the tub overnight and then test again the following day to be sure the alkalinity is still at the correct level.
Here’s a video of a slightly different method using a special product designed to lower the alkalinity of hot tubs. Although the technique is different, the basic concept is the same.
Raising the alkalinity
What happens if you add too much sodium bisulfate and the alkalinity drops too far? In that case – or if your alkalinity drops below 80ppm for any other reason – you need to bring it back up again.
To raise the alkalinity, the procedure is the same as the for lowering the alkalinity. The only differences are what you use to do it and the dose you need.
To raise the alkalinity of your hot tub, you should use sodium bicarbonate, and the dose is 2.25oz per 1,000 gallons of water to raise alkalinity by 10ppm.
This means to raise the alkalinity of a 500-gallon hot tub but 10ppm, you need to add 1.125oz of sodium bicarbonate.
While the tub is circulating, add the sodium bicarbonate around the edges and leave for 20 minutes before turning the tub off. Leave it to sit for an hour and then test again. If the alkalinity still isn’t high enough, simply repeat the process.
Once the water reaches the desired level of alkalinity, leave it overnight and come back the next day to test it again.
Test pH levels again
After you bring your alkalinity to the correct level, make sure you don’t forget to retest your pH level. This is because whenever you adjust the alkalinity of your tub, it will also probably alter the pH level of the water.
Muriatic Acid Lower Ph
If you find that the pH level is out (the ideal reading for this is in the mid-7s on the pH scale), you will now need to adjust this.
There are several ways to change the pH level of your tub, and perhaps the easiest is to use a dedicated pH adjustment product – although the details of how to do that is a discussion for another day.
Always monitor your water for best results
A Beginner’s Guide To Hot Tub Chemistry - Pool Care Guy
If you own a hot tub, you need to monitor your water constantly, and testing it twice a week is recommended. This will allow you to discover any chemical imbalances quickly and take the necessary steps.
This will not only increase the hot tub’s life but also give you and your family a more pleasurable bathing experience.