Can You Use an Inflatable Hot Tub Without Chemicals?

Inflatable hot tubs have become incredibly popular recently. You might well be considering buying one and be wondering if you can use it without chemicals. After all, adding chemicals and maintaining your water chemistry sounds like a lot of hassle particularly if you are only planning on using the hot tub for a few days of the year.

So, can you use an inflatable hot tub without chemicals? You do need to use chemicals in an inflatable hot tub even if you keep water in it for only a few days. It’s just as important to use the appropriate sanitizing chemicals with an inflatable hot tub as with a permanently installed one. If you fill any hot tub and use it without adding any chemicals you could be putting your health at risk.

So, what’s the problem with not using chemicals?

Certain fungi and bacteria grow best at temperatures of 25-40 degrees Celsius, and this just happens to be the precise temperature range your hot tub functions at! Within a couple of days without chemicals, the water in the tub would be full of unwanted germs that would cause it to turn green and possibly give you and other bathers an unpleasant medical condition.

Skin complaints can be very common if you don’t sanitize your water as well as possible irritation to or infection of the eyes. More seriously you can also also become prone to being exposed to all sorts of unpleasant bacteria that could cause illness as well.

So, which chemicals should you use in your inflatable hot tub? How do you use them? And what could happen to you if you don’t use them correctly?

Read on to learn more.

How Do I Keep the Water Clean in my Inflatable Hot Tub?

Since it’s clear that you need to use chemicals in your inflatable hot tub, the next question is how to ensure the water stays clean and safe to use for bathers.

Before you use your new hot tub for the first time, you need to fill it to the maximum level using clean water from the household water supply. You will usually see the maximum water level clearly marked inside the tub.

Once the tub is at the correct water level, put the hot tub cover on, then turn on the water heater so the water reaches the correct temperature. Once the temperature is reached (make sure that it is no higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit) you should then switch on the air jets. This will cause the water to begin bubbling.

Once you’ve reached this stage, it’s time to add chemicals to the water to keep it healthy and clean. Bacteria rapidly grows in hot water when it remains untreated so adding sanitizer kills the bacteria entering the water and purifies the water itself to keep you and other users safe from potential illnesses.

Although it may sound complicated to add chemicals to your inflatable spa, it’s actually quite straight forward. In fact, it’s relatively easy to add sanitizer to the tub. You can choose from either bromine or chlorine sanitizers that come in either granules or tablet format. Both come with full instructions about how to add them to the tub, so make sure to follow these before getting into the water for the first time.

My post on hot tub maintenance made simple breaks down all the steps and makes it easy to understand.

You will also need to use Oxidizer or Shock Treatment periodically to keep the water safe. This may need to be done weekly or once every 2 weeks depending on how often you use the hot tub. Again, these treatments come in several formats but all will come with instructions about how to use them safely that you need to follow.

You will need to test the water regularly too to ensure that the levels of the chemicals are still correct to ensure your safety. You can do this using test strips that you can buy from pool supplies stores or online.

It’s also important to regularly test the PH levels of the water as well. If the water chemistry is incorrect ie the PH levels are too high or too low then your sanitizer won’t work as effectively.

Chlorine is one of the two main options when it comes to hot tub sanitizing chemicals and is the top choice of spa owners. This is because it’s affordable and effective. On the downside, though, it has a distinctive smell that some hot tub owners dislike.

What Should I Know About Chlorine as a Sanitizing Chemical?

Chlorine comes in two forms – granules or tablets.

If you choose to use chlorine in tablet form, you simply pop the tablets into a plastic chemical floater which should come with the inflatable hot tub. The owner’s manual will tell you the number of tablets to put in the floater, but it will usually be between 2 and 6 depending on the spa’s size.

After adding the tablets, put the floater into the water, and leave the tablets to dissolve slowly. You will have to wait for a minimum of two hours before using the tub. You’ll find the tablets last for between 3 and 5 days before needing replacing.

If you choose to use granules instead, you either add the right amount specified in the manual to the tub directly and allow them to dissolve or dissolve the granules in some hot water before pouring that water into the tub. Either of these methods will still require you to wait for a minimum of two hours before using the tub.

Could I Use Bromine as a Sanitizing Chemical in my Inflatable Hot Tub?

If you choose to use bromine instead of chlorine as the sanitizing chemical in your inflatable hot tub, you will find that it doesn’t have the same distinctive smell. On the downside, though, it is more expensive than chlorine and doesn’t last as long so it will need to be added more often to the water in the tub,

Bromine also comes in granules or tablet formats and they are used in exactly the same way as chlorine. It’s important to note, though, that bromine works more slowly than chlorine so you’ll have to wait between 4 and 8 hours before you use your tub if you choose this option.

How Do I Test the Level of Chemicals in my Inflatable Hot Tub?

Once you’ve added your sanitizing chemicals to your water you can begin using the inflatable hot tub. However, it’s important to remember that you’ll need to check the levels periodically to ensure the water is still safe.

This is done with water-testing strips. There’s a good selection on Amazon here or you can get them in pool supplies stores. These strips have different patches on them to test the water’s alkalinity, pH level, and bromine or chlorine levels.

Although it may sound complicated to test the chemical levels, it’s as simple as matching the strip to the scale. Simply follow this procedure:

• Dip the strip into the hot tub’s water
• Keep it around 6 inches below the surface for about five seconds
• Remove the strip from the water
• Wait for 20 seconds
• Hold the strip against the scale and check the shade
• If the shade falls within the “OK” range, the chemical level is correct
• If the shade doesn’t fall within that range, add more chemicals to the water

Related Questions

What happens if I don’t use chemicals in my inflatable hot tub? Even though you may only use your inflatable hot tub a few times, you still need to use the right sanitizing chemicals. If you don’t the bacteria, germs, and fungi that could make you unwell will begin to multiply in the water.

When you use a hot tub with unsanitized water, you will then be at risk of developing medical problems. These could be relatively mild but uncomfortable – for example, hot tub folliculitis which causes an itchy rash – or they could be serious and potentially life-threatening, such as Legionnaire’s Disease.

Is there anything else I need to do as well as using chemicals to keep my inflatable hot tub’s water clean? Using chemicals is important to keep the hot tub’s water safe and clean to use, but there are additional things that you need to do to maintain good cleanliness of the water too.

These include cleaning the filters regularly, showering before using the tub, ensuring children always use the bathroom before getting into the water and keeping the cover on the tub when it isn’t being used to avoid debris getting into the water.

If you follow all these steps as well as using the chemicals as instructed in the owner’s manual you should be safe from any potential risks or illnesses due to dirty water.

Can I keep the water in my tub all season as long as I keep using chemicals properly? Even if you use sanitizing chemicals properly in your inflatable hot tub, eventually you’ll need to empty the water out and replace it with fresh water. When you leave water in your tub for too long, it begins to look cloudy with a film on its surface.

Sometimes, it will start to smell unpleasant. You can work out how often the water needs replacing by dividing the number of gallons the hot tub holds by the number of people using the tub. Once you’ve done this calculation, divide the answer by three.

This tells you how many days you can leave the water in the tub before replacing it. When you empty the water, you should always clean the tub thoroughly with a cloth or sponge and warm water before refilling it. This will ensure that your water will always be as safe and hygienically clean as possible for you to enjoy.