When referring to salt, I know you would want to jump straight to your kitchen and use the plain table salt made for cooking, which would work, but it would take almost forever to pour the right amount into your pool.
What you actually need is hot tub salt, which is also popularly known as pool salt. It works just perfectly. It is chemically the same thing as table salt but bigger and coarser to work with in a bromine or chlorine generator hot tub and is also available in bulk, saving you a lot of cash.
Generally, there are four main types of salt: solar, kosher, Himalayan, Epsom, and sodium chloride. They are either mined or mechanically evaporated from sea water.
Can I use regular salt in my hot tub?
Is it very easy to use salt water in your hot tub and the maintenance is quite lower when compared to the chlorine chemicals we have been applying for so long?
However, do not just go pouring a whole bucket of regular salt or Epsom salts you got from a grocery store into your new hot tub. You will need to use a refined mineral salt that does not contain any of the additives that regular salt is made with.
Refined salt is more preferable because it does not contain any additives and is rich in sodium chloride, which produces a natural sanitizer for the hot tub. The impurities in regular or Epsom salt would damage your generator if you just dumped it on your hot tub because it does not contain enough sodium chloride to effectively sanitize the hot tub.
Is spa salt the same as table salt?
Spa and table salts, though they are all termed salts, are not entirely the same as they have different compounds of which they are composed and may vary in quantity of composition.
This applies to spa salt and table salt. Table salt is one of the most common minerals in the world, mostly composed of sodium and chlorine (NaCl). Table salt is very different from your spa salt as it is not pure, although it is composed of about 97-99% sodium chloride.
Impurities present in table salt may either come from the packaging process or from the salt itself. They are also composed of macro-granules that may dissolve quickly in water over a high degree of about 98. As a result, do not add table salt to your spa to avoid a chemical reaction or damage.
Can I use Epsom salts in hot tub?
Hot tubs and Epsom salt are known for their good relaxation and relief properties, especially when combined together. So many people use Epsom salts at home for their bathtubs, but should Epsom salt be used in a hot tub even if it offers great comfort?
The answer is no, because Epsom salt has some impurities present that could damage your hot tub. However, if you decide to still use it, make sure you drain the water and clean the hot tub thoroughly immediately after you are done soaking.
When using regular salt, it is recommended that you add about 10 cups of Epsom salt to feel its therapeutic effect.
However, this causes a lot of solid buildup in the hot tub, and it will not be easy to drain immediately after every salt bath. That is why you should monitor the total dissolved solids in your tub and drain it once it gets to 1500 parts per million or more. If you do not drain, you will be welcoming scale buildup in the liners, jets, and surfaces of the tub.
What kind of salt do you use for salt water?
In terms of choosing your salt for your salt water, the main consideration is the purity of that salt. The higher the purity of the salt, the greater its effectiveness and ease of maintenance.
There are three major types of salt that are used for your saltwater, which include:
- Solar salt
- Mechanically evaporated salt
- Mined salt
Solar salt. This is achieved by allowing sea or ocean water in and allowing the sun to evaporate the water, leaving the salt.
This is not entirely pure salt, as there is the presence of debris, organic matter, and minerals left over. This salt, when introduced into the water, creates chlorine, and there has to be more chlorine to fight and kill the organic matter. Hence, there is trouble with pool maintenance due to the presence of the additional minerals. Therefore, solar salt is not entirely a good idea.
Mechanically evaporated salt may also be considered in your salt water. Thus, salt is obtained from the same source as solar salt, but it is mechanically obtained from the flow of ocean water by heating and mechanically evaporating using flames. Although the bacteria is being eliminated through this process, the minerals are still present, so the salt water chemistry is still affected.
Mined salt: This is the purest form of salt and is best for our salt water.
Is it OK to use bath salts in a Jacuzzi tub?
Although it is totally comforting to jump in a Jacuzzi tub that has bath salts in it, considering the effect it would have on your Jacuzzi, the choice is totally yours to make.
Using bath salts in your Jacuzzi is totally okay if you are ready to drain the water immediately after use, especially for salts that contain fragrance and oil. It can clog the plumbing of the Jacuzzi and damage the pump if it is not flushed out of the tub routinely.
How do I make my hot tub salt water?
A saltwater hot tub is exactly as the name implies. It’s a spa that uses salt to clean and purify its water instead of chemicals like chlorine or bromine.
Converting to salt water is not entirely easy. It’s more strenuous in preparation and conversion of the tub than the actual conversion itself.
To convert your hot tub, the following is required.
- The hot tub
- Hot tub salt
- Drop-in salt water chlorinator
- Spa line flush
- Garden hose
- Sump pump
- Filter cleaner
- Hot tub cleaner
- Soft fabric
- pH increaser and decreaser(if needed)
- Alkalinity increaser or decreaser(if needed)
- Calcium hardness enhancer or degrader (as needed)
The process involved in making your salt water includes
- Draining and cleaning your hot tub
- Refilling your hot tub
- Salinity test and salt addition
- Testing the water chemistry: with the help of a hot tub test kit, the tests for pH, alkalinity, and water hardness are tested to see if they are within the range recommended by the chlorinator.
- Mounting the chlorinator control panel
- Connect the power supply cable and chlorinator cell cord, but do not plug it in yet.
- Placing of the chlorinator into the hot tub
- Inserting the power cord into the GFCI outlet
- Turn on your chlorinator.
- Take a seat, unwind, and enjoy your hot tub.
Note that, chemically, salt is salt, but when it comes to your hot tub, salts made for other purposes should not be introduced to it as they may introduce contaminants and heavy metals. Table salt, Epsom salt, rock salt, and even other natural salts such as himalayan salt should be left out of your hot tub business as it can mess up your water chemistry.
Can I use Himalayan salt instead of Epsom salt?
Himalayan salt and Epsom salt have similar benefits in terms of healing and rejuvenating the body. They cannot be used interchangeably. Unlike Himalayan salt, Epsom salt is not an actual salt but a mineral found in water that contains magnesium and sulfate.
The name salt is added to Epsom due to its crystalline structure, the same as table salt. Epsom salt helps in soothing aching muscles.
Himalayan salt also contains magnesium and sulfate, among a numerous list of trace elements. Himalayan Salt, like other salts, is antimicrobial and antibacterial, and the presence of other minerals gives it its healing values. They may also produce negative ions, which help to neutralize body toxins and help to reduce inflammation in the body.
How much salt should I put in my hot tub?
When you can taste the saltiness of your water, you should know that there is an issue with the salt level in the hot tub. But the fact that you are tasting the water of your hot tub? We are actually not judging.
The general recommended salt level in your hot tub should be in the range of 2000 and 3000 parts per million, with 2500 parts per million being the best target.
If the water tastes salty, it means it is very high, at about 3500 parts per million, which can be equated to 10 millimolar of salt.
Can I use sea salt instead of Epsom salt?
Sea salt and Epsom salts can be used as substitutes, but they are different chemically, structurally, and used for different purposes.
Although just like Epsom salt, sea salt is used to bathe and soak the feet, it also exfoliates oil from the body and calms the nerves and sore muscles by soothing the body and making the skin smooth and soft.
Using Epsom or sea salt does not change the fact that they are not totally good to be used in a hot tub because of the damage they cause to the plumbing components and equipment.
