Not only are salt water hot tubs easier to maintain and gentler on your skin, but there's also no annoying chlorine smell, creating a more enjoyable spa experience. Fewer refills mean you can conserve more water, making salt water systems more eco-friendly.
A salt water system in your hot tub makes the water feel more natural and comfortable for everyday use. With the softer water experience with less chance of skin or eye irritation from chlorine.
Since saltwater is gentler on your skin, it can enhance circulation in the body. If you have sensitive skin and eyes, you can expose them to irritation when your soak yourself in chlorinated water. In saltwater hot tubs, chlorine is naturally generated, which means chloramines aren't likely to build up.
Spa salt cells usually last 2-5 years, depending on the model.
When it comes to cleaning your ACE saltwater hot tub, two of the most important things to clean are your ACE salt cell and your filters. For those with a saltwater hot tub, keeping your ACE salt cell clean plays a major role in the performance of your hot tub. We recommend cleaning your ACE salt cell every 60-90 days.
Rotate the filters. Test your chlorine level and adjust the output needed to maintain a FCl (Free Chlorine) reading of 1-3 ppm. Test your pH/Alkalinity levels, adjust as needed. Confirm the output level you have it set at is appropriate for your use level.
Pros of Saltwater Pools
There's less chlorine and less of the heavy chemical scent and content. They're gentler on the skin, with less irritation to the eyes, hair and swimsuits. The water has a softer, silkier feel to it compared to chlorine water. They have lower maintenance costs than chlorine pools.
What you really need is hot tub salt. It's more often labeled as “pool salt,” which is perfectly fine to use in your hot tub. It's chemically the same thing as table salt, but it's a coarser grind to work better in a chlorine or bromine generator. And you can buy it in bulk, which will save you a lot of money.
A salt water hot tub costs $6,500 to $18,000 on average. Adding a salt water system to an existing hot tub costs $500 to $1,700 and is mostly compatible with premium and luxury spas. A saltwater generator costs less than chlorine or bromine and removes the need to use chemicals.
The pros of salt water treatment are: Though they carry chlorine, salt water hot tubs and pools are gentler on the eyes, scalp, and skin. It fosters buoyancy, which can be very beneficial in the overall relaxation experience of the hot tub. Salt water does not produce an unpleasant odor.
It is a good idea to shower or at least rinse your body after soaking in a hot tub, especially for people with sensitive skin. Chemicals and germs in the water may cling to your skin and hair, potentially creating rashes and irritation.
Change Your Spa Water Every 3-4 Months, Here's Why:
That water is saturated. The same thing starts to happen as the hot tub's water gets “older”. The water will start to get hazy and you might even experience grit on the shell.
How often do I add salt? You typically only need to add salt when you fill the tub! You should only have to add it again every time you drain and refill the tub.
A hot tub that smells like chlorine is often the result of too many chloramines in the hot tub. To get rid of chloramines, add 30g (1 capful) of oxidizer to the spa. Another reason could be the pH is not balanced correctly. The pH should be between 7.4 and 7.6.
Any hot tub can be a saltwater hot tub with the addition of a salt chlorine generator. Instead of adding chemicals directly to your hot tub, you add salt (about two pounds per 100 gallons of water), which dissolves to produce natural chlorine that's needed to keep your hot tub clean.
Corrosion that does occur in a salt water tub is from producing too much chlorine. Often customers will set their use level too high and then not use the tub enough.
Corrosion. Even in small amounts, salt has natural corrosive properties. While this is unlikely to cause any significant damage to your hot tub, it's still a good idea to wipe down exposed metal parts on a regular basis.
Certain species of mosquitoes breed in saltwater pools. Two of the most common species are Aedes taeniorhynchus (also known as Saltwater mosquito) and the dangerous Asian Tiger mosquito that spreads diseases like encephalitis.
Your water can emit an odor if there's low levels of sanitizer, your pH is out of range, or there's bacteria or algae growth. For addressing this issue we will potentially need either dichlor chlorinating granules, pH Up, or pH Down.
Salt systems using sodium bromide have been flagged as a health risk by Health Canada. Because of this, manufacturers will no longer offer parts or supplies to support these kinds of salt systems. The good news is you can keep your spa.
Foam will appear if the pH balance of your hot tub water is off. This is caused by using cheap chemicals or inaccurately mixing them. Water with low calcium or too much pH or alkaline can lead to cloudy water. If you use your hot tub frequently, you yourself could be causing foam to appear.
Saltwater spas and hot tubs should never be drained on a lawn. However, more traditional chlorine-treated hot tubs can be drained safely if the cover is left off and the chlorine and bromine levels are allowed to dip below 1 ppm or, even better, below detectable levels.