How Often Should I Change the Water in My Inflatable Hot Tub?

Having to change the water in your inflatable hot tub is a bit of a chore so knowing how often and when to change the water is vital. If you don’t change the water in your inflatable hot tub often enough you risk the water breeding harmful bacteria. On the other hand, if you change it too often it is a waste of time and effort, not to mention water and chemicals.

If you want to find out everything you need to know about changing the water in your inflatable hot tub then read on!

So how often should I change the water in my inflatable hot tub? On average you should aim to change your water in your inflatable hot tub every 6 weeks, depending on the number of people who regularly use it and the amount of water it holds. You should also change it once the water looks visibly cloudy or dirty, especially if you are not using chemicals to keep it clean.

You can find conflicting advice all over the internet about when it is best to change your water, and how long you can safely leave it or ‘shock’ the water. But there is a clear and simple mathematical way to discover when it is time to change the water on your inflatable hot tub.

When Does Inflatable Hot Tub Water Need Changing?

Knowing when to change the water in your inflatable hot tub can be tricky, as water may seem cleaner than it really is. On the other hand, you may tip out water that is perfectly clean, wasting time, energy, water and money. Luckily, there is a clear and distinct mathematical method in which to determine when you should empty and refill your inflatable hot tub.

You simply take the number of gallons of water in your inflatable hot tub, as detailed in your manual. You then divide this number by 3, and then take that number and divide it by the number of people who regularly use that hot tub every day. The number you end up with is the number of days between when you should change your water.

For example, if you have a 250-gallon hot tub that is used by 2 people regularly, you simply divide 250 by 3 (which gives you 84) and divide that number by the number of people, 2 (which gives you 42). Therefore the number of days is 42, or in other words once every 6 weeks. Determining the amount of water your inflatable hot tub holds and how many people regularly use it can give you how often you should change the water.

There are also other indicating factors that you should be aware of that will tell you when to change your water, with other possible ways to rectify the problem.

Problem foam – If you have foam on the top of your inflatable hot tub water, or the water looks foamy you can use de-foamer to clear it up. If this does not work then it is time to change your water.

Although changing the water will probably be the only permanent way to get rid of foam from your hot tub, if you are in a hurry then a defoamer will do a temporary job. This one is very well rated on Amazon.

Smelly water – If your water begins to smell, no matter how clean it looks, or how recently you’ve changed it, you should empty it and refill. There are lots of tips and tricks on the internet that suggest otherwise, but bad smelling water, however clean it seems, can be harbouring a large number of bacteria. Change the water if there is any form of odour.

Cloudy water – Cloudy water often indicates a need to change the water. If it looks cloudy the first thing you can do is shock the water. Shocking water means putting a larger percentage of chlorine in your water to ‘shock’ it clean. If shocking does not return the water to clear you should change it immediately.

For more details on dealing with cloudy water head over to my post here.

Time since the last water change – Keeping an eye on how long the water has been unchanged is important. Make a note of it on your calendar in order to keep track. If it has been left for 2 months it is good practice to simply change it immediately. Using the aforementioned equation will help you know, to the day, when you should be changing your water.

You can also use test strips to check the amount of total dissolved solids or TDS levels in the water. This basically measures the amount of organic debris in the water. Once the water becomes saturated with debris it’s time to change it. A TDS level around or above 1500ppm indicated that it’s time for a water change.

How to Keep Inflatable Hot Tub Water Clean

Regularly changing your water is the best way of keeping your inflatable hot tub water clean. However, this can be time-consuming and a waste of water if you have to do it too often. You can lengthen the times between water changes by regularly adding a sanitizer such as chlorine or bromine to the water.

Keeping your water clean and sanitized is imperative, as water-borne diseases can be caught through bacteria. A water sanitizer is a chemical formula that cleans the water. Usually, in powder or liquid form, it is poured directly into the inflatable hot tub water.

The cheapest and most common of these water sanitizers is chlorine. Whilst it is cheap and effective against bacteria, chlorine can also be an irritant. As it is a harsh chemical, it can be abrasive on the skin, causing skin irritation. Furthermore, it can be harsh on the material of your inflatable hot tub. This means that chlorine can make it brittle and susceptible to damage.

You can find alternative sanitizers, but these can be expensive. Bromine is less abrasive than chlorine and can perform well at high temperatures. But it still has an odour, changes the colour of your water to green once it is oxidised, and is more expensive to use (almost twice as expensive as chlorine).

It’s also really important that you keep your water filtration system in tip top condition. Having water circulation ensures that the water does not remain stagnant, discouraging bacteria from growing. If you don’t have a filtration system you would need to empty and refill your hot tub water every day, due to the unsafe level of bacteria growth.

The filter should be cleaned every other day, if not every day, in order to keep it working effectively. It’s also important to replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions or when they are beyond cleaning.

The Safety Issues of Not Changing My Inflatable Hot Tub Water

There are a number of safety issues that occur if you do not keep your inflatable hot tub clean by changing and cleaning the water.

Firstly, scummy or unclean water can cause the base of the hot tub to become slippery and dangerous. This can lead to slips and falls, which can cause serious bodily harm. To keep the bottom of your inflatable hot tub less slippy or scummy you need to regularly change your water to prevent build-up.

One of the biggest safety concerns of not changing your water regularly is the build-upbuild up of bacteria. An accumulation of bacteria can lead to serious diseases like legionnaires disease from breathing in bacteria-filled droplets of water. Bacteria build-up can also cause skin irritation, sore throats, coughing, breathing difficulties and bacterial infections amongst other breathing and skin complaints. In order to keep yourself safe from bacteria, you water either needs to be sanitized or changed regularly.

You may or may not feel like it’s a good idea to read my post on hot tub health hazards, however it is linked here if you do!

If you do not change your water regularly bodily fluids can remain in the water and cause serious problems. Namely, urine can cause severe problems, as the urea mixes with the chlorine to create a dangerous compound. This can cause skin complains and respiratory problems. You should change your water as soon as you believe someone has urinated in your pool and deep clean it. You should change it regularly to prevent a build-up of bodily fluids to avoid an accumulation of bacteria that can lead to illness.

It can also be a really good idea to ask everyone to shower before getting in the hot tub to help prevent a build up of dirt in the hot tub.

Water Cleaning Features That Come With an Inflatable Hot Tub

Cleaning items may not always come as standard with your inflatable hot tub. The main water cleaning item that should come as part of the inflatable hot tub is the filter. The filtration system filters the water to get rid of impurities, whilst keeping the water moving constantly to prevent the settling of bacteria in the water. The filter needs to be cleaned consistently (at least once every two days) in order to keep its efficiency.

The filtration system that comes with an inflatable hot tub is not as powerful as a conventional hot tub filter. If you feel that the filter cannot cope with the amount of cleaning and filtration you would need, especially if you have several people using your hot tub, then you could think about investing in a more powerful filter.

You should not expect water sanitizers or more powerful filtration systems to come as part of your inflatable hot tub. Unless specifically stated when you purchase, expect to need to buy sanitizers such as chlorine, and larger, more powerful filters, separately.

Related Questions

Can I Plug My Inflatable Hot Tub Into House Sockets? Inflatable hot tubs are made for convenience, and part of this is being used at home. This includes the ability to plug your inflatable hot tub into conventional home sockets. This means it works on conventional UK standard 13amp / 240v electrical supply.

This should, however, be coupled with RCD protection. RCD (Residual Current Device) is a device which will immediately disconnect the hot tub from the electrical supply as soon as the water is connected. This avoids fires and electrocution.

Inflatable hot tubs should always be fitted with a safety cut out such as this to prevent dangerous outcomes when electrical supplies come into contact with water. Furthermore, if you are using your inflatable hot tub outside you should make sure that your socket is waterproof too.

Can Children Safely Use My Inflatable Hot Tub? Guidelines from all inflatable hot tub manufacturers and health and safety advisers suggest that children under the age of 5 should never use hot tubs. This is due to the fact that they have far more delicate skin the older children and adults, that can be negatively affected by the heat of the water.

Any children older than five should always be supervised by an adult. You should never leave a child alone in or around your inflatable hot tub to reduce the risk of injury or drowning. Children under 12 should not spend any longer than 5 minutes at a time in the hot tub and should have 10 to 15 minutes of cool down before getting back in. This is to ensure their bodies do not overheat and cause health concerns, like respiratory problems.

You should also be cautious to lay down strict rules when in the inflatable hot tub, such as no rough play or holding breath for long times underwater. This will reduce the risk of injury and drowning. If your child is short, you should consider investing in a small seat to boost the child above the level of the water. This is because inflatable hot tubs do not have seats, and are made for the height of a seated adult.

A seat would ensure the safety of a child keeping their head above the water. Children should also wear suitable clothing and swimwear in order to keep their skin from being affected. Older children can have an enjoyable experience, as long as you follow these guidelines and stay vigilant.