How Often Should You Shock a Hot Tub?

If you want to keep your hot tub happy and healthy -- not to mention the people who want to use it -- shocking your hot tub is important.  As  far as timing, you’ll want to understand the factors that go into it so that you don’t under- or over-shock your hot tub.  It’s one of those things that seems really confusing ,but it doesn’t have to be.  You just need to focus on the right details.

The role of shocking
    If you’ve read up on hot tubs, you know that chlorine is going to sanitize it.  So, why do you need to shock it, to?  It seems like overkill, right?  The thing is, no matter how careful and particular you are at watching your pH and your chlorine levels, shocking is crucial for safety and cleanliness (not to mention hygiene) on a regular basis.  This kills organic matter in your tub and it will help your water return to its natural self, too.  Your hot tub not only benefits from shocking, it is built deliberately to be shocked.

How often should you shock your hot tub?
    There are a few factors that go into determining just how often you should shock your tub.  Here are the main pointers that you’re going to want to think about for your tub’s shocking schedule:

• How big and busy is your hot tub?: The size and frequency of use, as well as the sheer amount of people, is going to factor into determining how often you shock your tub.  The smaller it is and the more you and your friends are in it, the more it’s going to have to be shocked.  This is because organic matter and bacteria build up faster.

• How clean are the people getting into the tub?: Kinda gross, but important.  If you have a rule that those who want to use your tub have ot shower before they get in, you’re going to have much cleaner water than those who don’t.  It may be an extra complication but it is something serious to think about if you want to minimize shocking.

• What do your instructions say?: No one likes to read instructions, sure, but it is important to make sure that you are following the right recommendations for your hot tub.  Most will tell you signs to look for, including cloudy water or a strange smell.  But they’ll often give you a way to figure out the actual timing, too.  Or, call a hot tub specialist if you want something a bit more interactive.

    Hot tubs require quite a lot of work when it comes to getting used to them ,but learning how to shock properly is going to really help keep your investment safe as well as make sure that everyone enjoys themselves -- including you.  The good news is, once you adjust, it’ll be reassuring to know that you’ve adjusted to the right techniques and approaches to help you make the most out of your tub and its comfortable use.

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