How to Shock a Hot Tub

If you want to keep your hot tub experience safe, hygienic and enjoyable, we recommend 'shocking' your tub once a week.

Read on to find out how to shock your hot tub.

What Does It Mean to 'Shock' a Hot Tub?

Shocking your hot tub means using chemicals to restore the water quality, balance the pH levels and keep your soaking experience clean and safe.

Shocking your tub removes bodily contaminants like oils, dead skin, lotions and dirt that can serve as nutrients for nasty bacteria. You can either use an application of chlorine granules or non-chlorine shock to break down any contaminants in your tub and restore the water's quality and clarity. Both of these shocking products are 100% compatible with the spas and sanitiser systems we offer here at Premier Hot Tubs.

How Often Should You Shock Your Hot Tub?

You should shock your hot tub at least once a week, and more often if you're using the tub a lot.

If the water in your hot tub looks cloudy, has algae growth or is giving off an unpleasant odour, these are signs that it's overdue for a shock!

You Will Need...

• Non-chlorine shock. This product doesn't contain chlorine and doesn't disinfect the water by itself. Instead, it helps the chlorine that's already in your tub to work better by oxidising the water and creating 'free chlorine'. This is what is needed to kill contaminants within your hot tub water. (NOTE: You can use chlorine granules to shock your hot tub, but this will temporarily increase the chlorine levels to a point where it will be unsafe to swim in your hot tub for a day or so. When you use non-chlorine shock, you're not adding any more chlorine to the water, so it will be safe to get back into your hot tub after just 30 minutes or so.)
  
  
• Bromine tablets. When you use bromine tablets as a sanitiser alongside non-chlorine shock, the non-chlorine shock will activate the sanitising effects of the bromine, making it work more effectively against contaminants.
  
  
• Hot tub test strips. You'll use these to test the pH levels of your hot tub before beginning the shocking process.
  
  
• Chemical-resistant measuring cups. You will need these to accurately measure out your shock granules.
  
  
• A clean bucket. This bucket will be used to pre-dissolve the shock granules before you add them to your hot tub.

How to Shock Your Hot Tub

Here's how to shock your hot tub using non-chlorine shock:

1) Before you start, consult both your hot tub manual and the label of the shock product itself for specific instructions and dosage amounts based on your hot tub's capacity.

2) Remove the hot tub cover so that gases can escape. Make sure the water temperature is above 20°C.

3) Use test strips to check the water's pH levels. The ideal range is between 2 and 7.6 (if the level is not within this range, adjust using a hot tub pH increaser or a hot tub pH reducer so that the shock treatment will work effectively).

4) Turn on the hot tub pumps / jets on a low setting. This will help to prevent the shock granules from settling at the bottom of the tub.

5) Measure out the correct amount of shock based on your tub's volume. See the table below for recommended amounts.

6) Pre-dissolve the measured amount in a clean bucket of warm water from the hot tub (use 1 litre of water per 10g of shock). Once the mixture is fully dissolved, pour it into the spa, aiming near the water inlets for better distribution.

7) Leave the hot tub uncovered with the jets running for at least 20 minutes. If using non-chlorine shock, you should be OK to use the hot tub again after this as long as the levels are safe. If you have used chlorine shock, you will need to wait for the free chlorine levels to drop back to the safer range of 3 – 5 parts per million (ppm), which can take up to 24 hours.

How Much Hot Tub Shock Should You Use?

Here are the recommended amounts based on your hot tub's capacity:

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We truly care about our customers and the service they receive. We hope this article has answered your questions about how to shock your hot tub, but please don't hesitate to contact us or check out our Hot Tub FAQs if you need further advice.