To lower the pH level of your hot tub water, you can take four cups of vinegar and pour it in the water. Remember to circulate the water in the tub before you pour in the vinegar. You can either use the vinegar you have at home or use apple cider vinegar. Turn off the jets and test the water after a few hours.
In order to lower both the pH and alkalinity of your hot tub water, you will need to add acid. Common choices are liquid muriatic acid or dry sodium bisulfate. When the acid is introduced to the water, it increases the hydrogen concentration and lowers the pH.
Lower the pH of the water by measuring out four cups of vinegar and pouring it directly into the water. You can use either white household vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
There are two main chemicals typically used to decrease pH in hot tubs, muriatic acid and dry acid (also known as sodium bisulfate). Although they are designed to do the same thing, pay attention to which chemical you are using, because how you add the chemical differs.
Things You'll Need
As many homeowners know, the ideal pH for a hot tub or pool should be between 7.2 and 7.8. If the water is too acidic, it's going to quickly to wear out the heater element. Baking soda can raise the alkalinity of the water and bring your pH back up to an appropriate level.
Having pH levels that are higher than 7.8 or lower than 7.2 can cause problems for your and you hot tub. High pH is a common cause of calcium and scale build up at your hot tub water line and cloudy or dull water. It also causes bathers to often experience itchy skin and burning eyes.
Vinegar is safe to use on a hot tub or spa. White vinegar is an acetic acid solution made from grain and water, and is used for both cooking and cleaning. Using vinegar to clean a hot tub or spa is a safe and effective method.
Ordinary household vinegar could in theory be used to lower the pH of your pool. The pH of vinegar is about 2.5, which is quite acidic when compared to your pool water. Household vinegar is very weak though (when compared to a strong acid like muriatic acid), so you would need quite a bit to lower pH.
If you wish to lower the pH without also reducing the Total Alkalinity, simply pour the dose of muriatic acid about the pool. “ This would all be wonderful if it was only accurate. Still, just like the mythological “Chlorine Lock,” folkloric tales within the swimming pool industry do persist.
Other benefits of vinegar
While vinegars won't affect your pH, regular consumption may have other benefits. Here are some benefits of vinegar: May kill harmful bacteria. The acidic properties of vinegar make it a great cleaning and disinfecting agent.
What causes high pH in my hot tub? The primary reason for a high pH and the tendency for the pH to stay high is a very high total alkalinity. Total alkalinity is the buffer to keep pH in range. If the total alkalinity is not in range, it cannot buffer the pH to stay in the desired range for hot tubs.
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate is naturally alkaline, with a pH of 8. When you add baking soda to your pool water, you will raise both the pH and the alkalinity, improving stability and clarity.
Dilute 1 part acid into 10 parts of water (never the other way around). Mix up the solution in a large bucket using a wooden stir stick. Carefully pour the solution into the tub and let it circulate for a few hours. Retest the water and adjust the pH level if necessary.
Water with a pH that's too high also can cause skin rashes, cloudy water and scaling on pool equipment. Over time, scaling inside pipes can build up, restricting water flow and putting a strain on your pool circulation system that can lead to costly repairs.
Swimming pool pH reducer is made of granular sodium bisulfate and will act quickly to correct your pool's pH level to re-establish an ideal swimming environment. pH reducer can be used to lower swimming pool pH levels whenever they rise above 7.6 ppm.
Cleaning Your Hot Tub Without Chemicals
Empty your hot tub. Mix a solution of ½ part water and ½ part vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray the vinegar and water solution in liberal amounts over the hot tub.
To clean your hot tub, first, add a gallon of vinegar to your water and run it through the lines for at least two hours. This attacks biofilm in the tubes and jets. Next, make a 1 to 1 solution of vinegar and water to use for wiping down your tub cover and shell.
Vinegar is a weak acid that dissolves scale, and it's safe enough to drink, so cleaning hot tub filters with vinegar is one of the methods recommended by spa maintenance professionals.
After adding pH increaser or decreaser you'll want to wait about two to four hours, although some chemical manufacturers suggest a full turnover cycle, before retesting. The smaller the increments you need to adjust for pH, the less time you'll need to wait for the results to become stable.
High chlorine levels decrease the pH of your pool's water, making it more acidic. The more acidic the water, the higher the likelihood of corrosion. This corrosion can affect metal piping, equipment, and the surface of your pool (tiles, liners, concrete, etc.).
Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to the hot tub for every 100 gallons of water it holds. For example, add 4 tablespoons of baking soda to a hot tub that holds 400 gallons of water.
Natural contaminants on your body will lower the pH and make it harder for the chlorine to work. Adding too much shock, especially if the pH is already low, will make it harder to get your water in the proper range. When you add chemicals to your hot tub water, the goal is to keep it clean and clear.
Hot tubs are often at a pH level of 7.2 – 7.8. Adding chlorine will increase this number slightly, but because the chemical also reacts to form hypochlorous acid, which reduces acids and makes your hot water less acidic, there's no change unless large amounts of chlorine are added.
While this higher pH doesn't pose any health risks, it can cause skin to become dry, itchy and irritated. So, if you or your children are having any skin issues, the pH of your well water could be a reason. Many companies have advertised the benefits of alkaline water, that is, waters with pH levels greater than 8.5.