Should I Use A Floating Chlorine Dispenser In My Hot Tub?
Yes, chlorine dispensers help in the distribution of chlorine or bromine sanitizer. In addition, they can be set to regulate the correct amount of chlorine whenever the hot tub requires it.
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My recommended choice for hot tub Chlorine Tablets. These tablets come in different-sized containers based on weight.
My recommended choice for a hot tub chlorine tablet dispenser is this U.S. Pool Supply dispenser.
You cannot run a hot tub without chlorine or an appropriate sanitizer. But it’s human to forget adding chlorine to the hot tub.
Sometimes you could add the sanitizer in the wrong dosage because of human error, which is why you will often wonder should I use a floating chlorine dispenser in my hot tub?
The most crucial aspect to bear in mind is free bacteria to clean the hot tub. And this is the work of chlorine and bromine.
While the filter cleanliness will help maintain the water clarity by removing dirt and oils, the chlorine will kill any living organisms that might harm the hot tub users.
Therefore, it is critical to understand different methods for shocking a hot tub, including the use of a floating dispenser that I will explain in detail.
Should I Use A Floating Chlorine Dispenser In My Hot Tub?
Yes, it would help if you used a floating Chlorine dispenser in your hot tub because of their convenience and low maintenance costs. They are also relatively inexpensive and will work perfectly in the distribution of chlorine in the water throughout the week.
Besides, they can be used to sanitize the water for those who prefer using bromine without any limitations.
Chlorine is a fast-dissolving compound, and it is not always obvious to remember to add it frequently to the hot tub. that is why using a floating chlorine dispenser is among your best options. It will also mean spending less time with maintenance and more enjoyment of a soak.
If you have used a hot tub for some time now, you’d agree that balancing the water, dealing with the rashes, cleaning filters, and trying to figure out what chemicals to buy is not some of the things you’d like to face every day after work.
Instead, you’d rather have the hot tub ready such that you’ll just come to soak in the evening for relaxation.
Thus, a floating chlorine dispenser is intended to save you from frustrations, time, and money. It releases the correct dosages of the sanitizer into the water to prevent wastages and ensure that it is sufficient to keep killing bacteria.
Therefore, spend a small amount buying the floating chlorine dispenser, and you’ll have forgotten the hustles associated with the scheduled sanitization.
Can I Use A Chlorine Floater In My Hot Tub?
Yes, you can use a chlorine floater in your hot tub because it will allow the gradual dissolution of the tablets into the water. Besides, it will allow the tablets to last longer than when sold in the form of granules.
However, I would advise checking your manual to determine whether that particular chlorine is okay to use. In some cases, it might be too acidic and risk causing corrosion and discoloration.
The floater also helps protect the hot tub surfaces from direct contact with the highly acidic tablets that might cause corrosion.
While using the floater, ensure that the manufacturer allows chlorine or bromine tablets and use as recommended. The tablet and the dispenser are an exceptional addition to hot tub maintenance.
Please select an appropriate dispenser from your local dealer or online by reading all its specs. Also, don’t forget to check the U.V.-resistance capability for the tablets to be protected from sunlight.
Dispensers made from UV non-resistors will readily dissolve in the water after exposure to the sunlight.
Also, check the ease of opening the twist lock and easily adjustable vents at the bottom to allow chemical dispensation. Finally, I always look or ask for feedback from other people to understand the performance of a product that I have never used.
My recommended product to help you test your hot tub or pool water for accurate pH, alkalinity, bromine, and chlorine readings is the AquaCheck Trutest Digital Reader.
Stop wasting time and money with hot tub maintenance and confusing water chemistry! Get Instant access to this easy-to-use book and video course so you can spend less time cleaning and more time soaking.
Learn MoreHow Do You Use A Floating Chlorine Dispenser In A Hot Tub?
Using a floating dispenser in a hot tub is not complicated. You only need to unlock the top of the floating dispenser by slightly twisting it. You will then place the bromine or the chlorine tablets at the base.
Replace the lid and turn it to lock it back tightly. It would be best to place the dispenser in the hot tub. While floating around the water surface, chlorine tablets dissolve slowly and kill the bacteria.
Thus, using a chlorine dispenser with your hot tub is super simple. But you must remember to contact your manufacturer to ensure that it’s okay to use the chlorine tablets with your hot tub.
The consistent dosing pattern is one of the most significant benefits of using the chlorine dispenser.
It serves as a labor-saving device that dispenses chlorine when the floater is suspended on the hot tub’s surface. This saves you the hustle of applying chlorine to the water from time to time.
As long as your manufacturer has no issue with the use of chlorine, I can assure you that this is possibly among the most inexpensive way to eliminate bacteria from your hot tub.
I also admire that it requires you only to set it and forget it, as a few tablets in the dispenser will go a long way.
Can You Put Chlorine Granules In A Floating Dispenser?
No. It would be impractical and unreasonable to add the powdered form of chlorine into the floater because all of it would be dissolved in minutes. In addition, the powder has a larger surface area for dissolution into the water, so it might take a much shorter duration to dissolve completely into the water.
The answer to the above question will be clear if you understand the difference between granules and tablets. Chlorine granules are usually in powdered form, usually called Sodium Dichor.
On the contrary, the tablets, called Trichlor, are much bigger with sizes of up to a 50p piece. With this knowledge in mind, we can refer back to the question, “Can you put chlorine granules in a floating dispenser?”
Chlorine granules are intended to be added to the water directly.
If it was put in the floater, it might overdose the hot tub, which is not healthy for the bathers because excessive acidity might cause skin rashes. It could also irritate the delicate parts of the skin. These are why you must never add chlorine granules to the floater.
My recommendation for chlorine granules is SpaChoice!
How Often Should I Put Chlorine Tablets In My Hot Tub’s Floater?
You should add chlorine tablets to a hot tub chlorine floater once a week. This gives the chlorine tablet time to dissolve without saturating the hot tub with sanitizer.
If you decide to use a floater with your hot tub, the next thing you will want to know is the intervals with which you’ll be adding the chlorine tablets.
You’ll need to understand how you decide whether it is the right time to add more chlorine and whether what you put into the dispenser worked.
Of course, what works for you might not work for another person, which is why tests are necessary to ascertain that you engage in helpful practices.
So, if you wondered how often you should add chlorine tablets into the hot tub’s floater, the answer is once a week. If you’re using a big hot tub, add 3 to 5 tablets.
On the same note, one to three tablets will be sufficient for the small hot tub owners. However, you may realize the need to use more tablets if more people are using your hot tub or in cases where the frequency of use is higher.
Always test the chlorine levels in the water to determine whether there’s a need for oxidizing or adding more granules.
The chlorine tablet usage varies with the rate of water flow, size of the hot tub, and the number of users.
This is why I recommend checking whether the chlorine levels have is too high, low or ascertaining if it is just right for proper adjustments to be made.
If you use the chlorine tablets for some time with a floater, you will establish the frequency they need to be added based on the specific conditions and your hot tub usage.
How Long Does It Take For Chlorine Tablets To Dissolve?
Chlorine tablets will usually dissolve slowly over a 5 to 7-day duration. These tablets are usually in the size of about an inch, and you can add about four of them to your dispenser, based on the size of the hot tub.
The rate of dissolution is primarily affected by temperatures. Chlorine is highly sensitive to heat, meaning that hot water in your system will make the tablets dissolve much faster.
If the hot tub is shielded under a shade, the dissolving rate will be lower than exposed to the sunlight.
Other than the heat, the dissolving rate is affected by the water flow rate and the frequency of the hot tub use. A sparingly-use hot tub would stay longer with the tablets than the one used heavily.
But the rate of dissolving is much slower than that of the granules. Thus, it is always the best option to use with the floater.
The initial duration of your hot tub to dissolve the tablets is essential because it will give you an idea of the amount of time you will be taking before adding more tablets into the dispenser.
Do You Leave The Chlorine Floater In The Hot Tub All The Time?
No, always remove the chlorine floater from the hot tub when bathing. The floater is intended to maintain the correct chlorine levels in the water. It can stay in the water as long as nobody uses the hot tub.
But when you want to soak, remove the floater and place it on a surface that cannot be bleached. Remember chlorine is acidic and should not come into contact with your skin.
If you insist on bathing with the floater on the water surface, it might get into contact with your skin and cause burns and irritation. As such, I always recommend removing the floater before starting bathing.
At the same time, failure to remove the floater from the water would increase the dissolution rate because the water will be excited.
Consequently, you might end up having higher concentration levels of chlorine than required. Even if you’re using bromine tablets, it is always a good practice to remove the floater when you want to soak.
Why Are Chlorine Tablets Good?
Chlorine tablets are among the most popular ways of sanitizing the hot tub to ensure it’s free from bacteria. The popularity of this sanitizer has increased over the years because of its efficiency in sanitizing hot tubs.
Some acrylic manufacturers discourage using these tablets because of their acidic nature that lowers the pH and alkalinity levels. High chlorine levels in the hot tub are also undesirable because they could damage the hot tub components.
Interestingly, chlorine tablets are equally good and desirable for many hot tub users because their slow-dissolving nature allows for consistent dosing over time.
As such, the chlorine will rarely drop below the recommended 3-5ppm levels on the test strip. Another benefit associated with chlorine tablets is the cost-effectiveness.
Indeed, they are considered the most economical way to kill bacteria in hot tub water.
People who do not use hot tubs frequently find the chlorine tablets useful because they will sanitize the water over a reasonable duration.
One does not require to attend the hot tub every time as long as the floater is dispensing the correct dosages of chlorine.
What Size Chlorine Tablets For A Hot Tub?
Chlorine tablets are available in two main sizes, the one-inch diameter, and the three-inch diameter, weighing 20 grams and 200 grams, respectively.
The large tablets are usually intended for the swimming pools, but the smaller, 20g tablets are intended for the smaller splasher pools and the hot tubs.
Hot tubs are relatively smaller with a much lower water capacity. As such, experts discourage using the larger chlorine tablets with hot tub floaters because this might lead to higher chlorine levels in the water, increasing acidity and the probability of corrosion to the hot tub components.
I advise that you always use the 20g tablets with your hot tub. You can add 1 to 5 tablets every week based on the size and usage.
Consider Using a Water Care Monitor
Monitoring the health of your hot tub can often be challenging if you are not testing the water on a regular basis. This can also be a problem if you go on holiday or you are unable to take care of your hot tub due to mobility issues.
A test system I highly recommend is the Exact Industrial Test System. This system is great for hot tubs and pools and gives your a highly accurate digital readout of your water chemistry compared to other methods.
The pHin Smart Water Care Monitor for pools, hot tubs, and inflatable spas continuously tests the water and alerts you when to add chemicals with the integrated mobile app.
This water care monitor also takes constant readings of the temperature inside your hot tub. This will give you peace of mind while away from your spa.
The mobile app will inform you when to add chemicals such as chlorine, and how much chemical is recommended. This is done by entering your hot tub or pool’s unique dimensions.
This mobile app is great if you’re wondering “does chlorine raise pH in a hot tub?” sometimes it’s not always clear.
Simply scan the bar code of any chemical brand and the pHin app will calculate how much chemical is to be added to the water. Most products and brands are recognized by the application.
The pHin device will sample water more than 1000 times per week to give you an accurate reading compared to using test strips.
The pHin device works with different water types including chlorine, bromine, and saltwater hot tubs, swim spas, inflatable hot tubs, and pools.
This unique device comes with a lifetime warranty to ensure your water remains clear and ready for you to use at all times.
Should I Use A Floating Chlorine Dispenser In My Hot Tub: Conclusion
You now know that you can use a floating dispenser with your hot tub. You only need to open them, place the correct number of tablets and leave them floating on the hot tub water.
While soaking, you should remove the floater from the water and avoid placing it on a corrosive surface because chlorine is acidic. The floating dispenser saves you from the hustle of frequent maintenance of the hot tub.
Once you understand the duration of adding more tablets, your work will be much easier.
But you must remember to test the chlorine levels when adding tablets to make the necessary adjustments if it is lower or higher than the recommended levels.
The hot tub chlorine tablets are 20g in weight and 1 inch in diameter. The number of tablets you can use at a time depends on your hot tub size and activity.
Heat and sunlight increase the rate with which these tablets dissolve in water; thus, you need to be careful.
I recommend buying a floater made of UV-resistant material if your hot tub is located outdoors.
I hope this article on floating chlorine dispensers was helpful.
Thanks for visiting spatoolkit.com
James Brockbank
Stop wasting time and money with hot tub maintenance and confusing water chemistry! Get Instant access to this easy-to-use book and video course so you can spend less time cleaning and more time soaking.
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