The last thing you want in your hot tub is a pool of bacteria that can disrupt your relaxing warm bath experience.
This is especially true if you don’t keep a well-maintained hot tub. Accumulation of hot tub Biofilm can damage your equipment and cause many health risks to hot tub users.
If you are stuck with a hot tub slime, this article is for you. Tune in until the end to learn proven and tested ways to get rid of Biofilm in your hot tub.
What Is A Hot Tub Biofilm?
Before we get into the ways to get rid of Biofilm, let us first understand what this culprit is and what results in having them in your hot tub.
This living organism is a sticky mixture of bacteria, dirt, and organic materials. The hot tub surfaces within a spa and the hot tub’s plumbing may build up an excessive quantity of hot tub Biofilm, or filth and bacteria, over time.
Biofilm might start as a base made of body oils, dead skin cells, moisturizers, cosmetics, and other substances before it grows, makes a protective layer, and spreads on its own. It is most prone to appear in spas with unstable water chemistry or heavy bather usage where there is poor water circulation.
Especially in a spa with water within it without the filter system working for an extended time. This bacteria can grow and spread inside your spa plumbing if any dampness is left. Because of this, many jetted bathtubs mostly contain biofilms.
The worst thing is that sanitizers can’t remove a hot tub biofilm because it’s a protective layer of organic matter. Once it accumulates in the hot tub, this is typically difficult to remove. The foaming, cloudy water and bad odors would persist even in high dosages of the strong and common spa shock.
4 Ways To Get Rid Of A Hot Tub Biofilm
Thankfully, a deep cleaning can do the trick, especially when you regularly use these five effective ways.
1. Remove And Clean The Filters
Most of the time, the initial step involves removing and cleaning the filters. To guarantee that all bacteria and other germs are eliminated at this initial stage, it is advised to use a specific filter cleaning solution.
If the filters were surface-affected by the slime buildup, gently scrub them with a brush. Leave them to dry after you’re done while you focus on other parts.
2. Flush Or Purge The Hot Tub Pipe Lines
The built-up hot tub Biofilm inside the spa pipes will be removed when using this step. This is crucial because if the Biofilm isn’t cleared, water will continue to flow through biofilm-filled pipes, reintroducing bacteria into the spa no matter how clean the inside is. Biofilm will accumulate in piping lines over time.
It is important to remove any detachable spa pillows and other accessories before purging the lines.
3. Put A Hot Tub Biofilm Cleaning Solution
Many organic substances inside the hot tub’s piping will disintegrate if you add a potent cleaning product to the spa before removing the water. Drain and clean the spa after adding this solution.
Some of the greatest biofilm removal options are bleaches, surfactants, and aggressive oxidizing cleaners. The source of surfactants is petroleum. While they can kill bacteria, due to the users’ risk, not all of these things can be utilized with a hot tub.
For instance, bleach and other strong chemicals are inappropriate in biological environments. Surfactants are utilized in handwashing soaps and cosmetics. However, they are also bad for the environment.
Experts recommend using yeasts from the microorganisms formed by specific strains of the candida yeast, as they are now the most effective and safest products. These yeast varieties will improve the efficiency of your chemical treatment, remove resistant biofilms, and reduce their toxicity and adverse effects on the environment.
4. Drain And Clean Hot Tub
The simplest method is to drain and clean the spa. Start with cleaning the surfaces within a spa. Use a soft rug to clean the debris off the hot tub shell. When cleaning, pay close attention to the waterline or pipeline where the buildup would mostly occur.
Spa pillows should be removed and cleaned with mild soap and water or with a suitable water-cleaning product. If you want to use a soap solution to remove any soap residue, rinse properly so the remainder of the spa will be clean.
Two procedures are available for draining a spa. The first is to drain the spa’s water using a submersible pump. The second method entails connecting a garden hose to the drainage valve and letting gravity take care of the task. A hot tub might take up to two hours to drain. However, this depends on the spa’s size and the volume of water it can contain.
5. Refill With Fresh Water
Start filling your hot tub with water once all the above parts have been thoroughly cleaned. The system can then operate normally by turning on the power and jets. To keep the temperatures and heat the hot tub more quickly, you can think about using a hot tub cover for it.
Tips To Avoid Biofilm Accumulation
Prevention is always better than having to find a cure. That is why keeping your water properly balanced and maintained is important to prevent hot tub biofilm infestation. The chemicals can effectively remove microorganisms from the water when they are in balance.
Additionally, these are the tips to avoid biofilm accumulation in your hot tub.
- The filter should be cleaned frequently and replaced as needed.
- Even when not used, keep the water flowing in the hot tub overnight. Water should not stagnate anywhere within the hot tub. Thus, it must have proper circulation. Keep all jets open to ensure a constant flow of water.
- To avoid accumulating and spilling impurities into the spa water and contaminating your spa, replace broken and waterlogged lids.
- Whenever you drain the spa water, use a biofilm remover for hot tubs or a biofilm cleanser for a jetted tub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about how to get rid of Biofilm in Hot tubs.
Is Biofilm Common In Hot Tubs?
Hot tubs frequently have this issue, which results in higher chemical usage and poor water quality. Hot tub plumbing develops Biofilm, which clings to the surface and coats itself in a layer of protection immune to sanitizers like chlorine or bromine.
Can Biofilm From Hot Tub Make You Sick?
Yes. Biofilm can seriously harm the plumbing and filters in your hot tub if it is not removed. Hot tubs with a biofilm buildup may have many issues, such as developing dangerous germs that can make hot tub users sick and cause hot tub rash.
How Do You Know If Your Hot Tub Has Biofilm?
Bad odors, hazy water, too much foam, or slime are all indicators of biofilm accumulation in a spa. However, improper sanitation can also contribute to unpleasant odors. This can be fixed by routinely adding chlorine or bromine to the water.
Will Shocking A Hot Tub Get Rid Of Biofilm?
The simplest technique to prevent Biofilm is to shock the hot tub system with a lot of chlorine if you think you could have a problem with it. This will destroy the Biofilm and kill the bacteria. You can also employ a hot tub enzyme cleaning to decompose the Biofilm and organic materials responsible for the contamination.
Conclusion
Biofilm accumulation is one of the worst enemies that can seriously damage your hot tub and pose a health hazard to you and the hot tub users in your home. While they can be challenging to remove since they are resistant to sanitizers, deep cleaning will do the trick and help you achieve a clean hot tub surface and hot tub water. Make sure to follow the ways presented above to eliminate Biofilm and enjoy your warm bath experience easily.
