Recommendations for keeping the hot tub in tip-top condition for after COVID-19

“The bathers’ safety and disinfection control of the facilities must be optimal to use the hot tub”

This blog entry will allow you to identify and adapt your hot tub to the best practices and recommendations for preventing COVID-19 that Aquavia Spa has established jointly with ASOFAP (Spanish Association of Swimming Pool Sector Professionals).

Firstly, we need to be clear about the message from the World Health Organisation (WHO): Due to the hygiene and sanitary conditions required by law, the water in swimming pools and hot tubs does no transmit COVID-19 and it is 100% safe. It is scientifically proven that properly-filtered water with a suitable level of disinfectant is an environment in which viruses and bacteria cannot survive. Furthermore, the chlorination, high temperatures and high humidity in the environment significantly reduce the transmission and spread of this virus.

“In other words, with a free chlorine level ≥ 0.5-1 mg/L the water is not only disinfected,

but it also has the disinfecting power to remove any viruses or germs that may enter the water”.

 

Below there is a list of tips on how to disinfect, start up and maintain your hot tub.

Tips for cleaning and disinfecting your hot tub:

  • Turn off the water heating system.
  • Let the water cool to room temperature naturally.
  • Keep relative humidity below 60% to prevent any condensation.
  • Keep the level of free chlorine residual between 0.5-2 mg/L and the pH between 7.2-8.
  • Reduce the filtration speeds and recirculation times. Recirculation should be performed every 8 hours, although it is advisable to keep the water moving.

Tips for starting up your hot tub

  • The water in the hot tub should be heated gradually and in a controlled manner.
  • Adjust the chlorine and pH levels.
  • Disinfect all of the hot tub’s surfaces.
  • If you have chosen to stop recirculation, perform hyperchlorination before start-up.
  • Perform Legionella disinfection treatment 20 days prior to bathing in the hot tub. When the biocide level and temperature have stabilised, take samples to test for Legionella after at least 48 hours. (public use spa)

Tips for maintaining your hot tub:

  • Three times a week: measure and adjust the chlorine or bromine and pH levels; (free chlorine residual: 0.5-2 mg/L and pH: 7.2-8.0). To make it easier to maintain the water in your hot tub, Aquavia Spa offers Blue Connect, a hot tub water analyser which, via a free app, measures the hot tub’s main parameters: pH, level of disinfectant, temperature, salt levels in the water, etc.
  • Weekly: to clean algae from the bottom of the vessel, perform hyperchlorination with 10 mg/L of chlorine for 24 hours.
  • Weekly: clean the filters.

Aquavia Spa recommends adding an ultraviolet light system for greater disinfection. Aquavia has the Ultraviolet feature, a disinfection system that uses an ultraviolet light to destroy bacteria and other germs present in the water.

And if you want to drain the hot tub:

  • A hot tub smaller than 5 m3 should be drained regularly and you should follow these instructions:
  • Increase the free chlorine to 5 ppm before emptying the vessel, the tank – if any – and the associated pipes.
  • Clean the walls, bottom and accessories of the vessels with disinfectant, check the filtration and disinfection systems and carry out any repairs to ensure their correct operation.

 

And that’s all. If you follow these recommendations you will be able to enjoy a disinfected hot tub with crystal-clear water without any problem… Ready for you to bathe in with whoever you want!