Having your hot tub water turn green can be a serious issue, particularly if it just happens out of the blue.
The problem is that some hot tub owners experience and they panic because they have no idea why it’s happened or what to do.
If you have ever had this happen to you before, don’t worry because we are going to cover why this happens and what to do about it.
So to learn the top reasons why your hot tub water turns green and to make sure it never comes back again, keep reading.
Why Hot Tub Water Turns Green
As soon as people see their hot tub water turn green their first instinct is to panic. After all, green is definitely not an appealing colour when it comes to water and it can make your hot tub look incredibly dirty and cloudy.
However, there are a number of reasons why your hot tub water may turn green and it’s important to pinpoint exactly why it has happened.
One of the most common reasons for hot tubs turning green is because of algae build-up. Algae can build up in your hot tub if it hasn’t been cleaned properly for a while.
Usually when algae begin to accumulate it’s a sign that your hot tub sanitation level isn’t high enough.
This means the dosage of the chlorine and bromine you are using in your hot tub is wrong, so you may want to consider altering your dosage.
Another reason for your hot tub water turning green is that the minerals in your water aren’t right.
For example, if the iron, manganese, and copper aren’t right it can cause your water to turn green.
3 Steps To Getting Rid Of Green Water In Your Hot Tub
The good news is that if your hot tub water is green, you can actually get rid of it fairly quickly. The process is also simple and it doesn’t take up a lot of your time either.
Something you should keep in mind is that the earlier you can get rid of the green water, the better.
If your hot tub has had green water for a while then it can be more challenging to get rid of it, however, there are still methods that you can use.
1.) Drain the green water
One of the first things that we would recommend you do to eliminate the green water that you have in your hot tub is to drain the water out.
This is because the green water can turn the hot tub cloudy making it more difficult to see into it so if there is anything clogging up the pipes or excess residue it may not be visible.
Also, the green water needs to be drained so you can start cleaning the rest of the hot tub.
2.) Start Cleaning
Once your water is drained, now it’s time to start cleaning the hot tub the whole way through.
You should start by getting rid of any large amounts of excess residue, if there are any algae or other thick residue then it’s important that you remove it from the drains.
Also, if there are any build-in pipes or thick residue then it needs to be removed, a pair of cleaning gloves and a sponge can help with this.
After you have got rid of any of the bigger bits of residue, you want to do a more thorough clean.
To do this you can take a clean cloth and use some hot tub cleaning solution.
It’s really important that you cover every single part of the hot tub with a cloth to remove any bacteria which may still exist.
3.) Refill Your Hot Tub
Once you’ve got to this last stage, it becomes much easier, this is because you have gotten the hardest parts out of the way.
This final part is all about refilling your hot tub, with fresh clean water, so all you need to do is switch on your water supply and allow the water to fill up.
It is worth noting that you should leave 12-24 hours after thoroughly cleaning your hot tub before you fill it up again.
This is because the cleaning solutions can take some time to settle before the hot tub is ready to use again.
The last thing you want is to fill up your hot tub while it still is full of cleaning solutions, this will cause the water to smell and some solutions aren’t meant to have immediate direct contact with humans.
Key Factors To Be Aware Of
There are some instances when your water may have turned green quite suddenly, if you notice that this does happen then it may be reversible without needing to drain the water.
In this case, you should remove your hot tub pillows and add roughly 60g of bromine or chlorine per 1500ml of water.
Then you should remove the hot tub cover and put the jets on a cycle. Once you see the water has gone clear, leave it for 12-24 hours then you can enjoy relaxing in your hot tub again.
When using hot tub cleaning solutions, it’s always important to use a solution that is from a reputable supplier and that you follow the instructions.
How To Prevent Your Hot Tub Water From Turning Green
Now that you know how to get rid of green hot tub water, it’s time to learn how to stop it from coming back.
After all, if you have spent all that time needed to get rid of it why would you want it to happen all over again.
The first step is to have a general hot tub cleaning schedule that you complete on a frequent basis.
While this may sound like a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be, so make sure that you set out a day and time that suits you roughly once a week in your calendar.
You may also want to consider shocking your hot tub once weekly too as this helps to ensure any buildup of residue or odours is eliminated.
The next thing we would recommend is that every month you drain your hot tub so that it doesn’t get an excess build-up of algae.
This not only removes residue but it also means that you will get a fresh supply of water each time you do it.
These are just a few of the tips that we have for taking care of your hot tub, if you would like to find more, check out some of our other blogs.