With the current travel restrictions in place, many people are opting for a 'stay-cation' again this year. As a result, the popularity of home hot tubs has soared as we all try to recreate that holiday feeling in our own garden. There is much discussion however about the use of softened water in hot tubs and pools. Read on to find out more about how softened water and hot tubs can work together.
Softened water has many benefits but can occasionally, like hard water, have its troubles. Whilst using hard water in a hot tub can cause scale to build up, softened water will try to saturate itself with the calcium it is missing and attacks things around it to leech that hardness. This can lead to corrosion and damage.
Obviously neither of these results is optimal. The trick is to get the correct balance of minerals in your hot tub water so it's important to maintain the chemical levels in your tub. Always check your hot tub manufacturer's recommendations on the water to use. It is also worth checking with your local spa dealer. The local guy should be familiar with the water in the area and will likely have some tips for you.
There are various ways to gain the correct water balance. Some pople like to fill their tubs with soft water and then adjust the pH, alkalinity and calcium from there. Others, if possible, will fill with about half hard water and half soft water to try to create a balance. Some will fill with hard and then top off when needed to refill some with soft. Luckily, when we install a water softener in your home, we will ensure that you have access to both softened water and also a hard water source. As gardens love hard water, we can keep a hard water feed to your garden tap. This will enable you to have the both of best worlds water-wise.
Remember, to keep your hot tub working at it's best it is essential to keep the water in your hot tub in balance. Ensure that you regularly test for pH, alkalinity and calcium hardness and maintain those levels at the suggested and healthy range. All that remains is to pour yourself a drink, hop in and enjoy!
