Chemical alternatives for wood tub users.

[Arby]

Hello,

I'm a new owner of a cedar wood fired hot tub. Been using it for a little over 2 weeks. My tub has no jets or filter. Just an under water wood stove and hot water.

Thus far, I have drained it twice, due to water getting rather thick looking and causing me to itch because of the tannins....and a birthday party involving ten 10-11 yr old girls leaving behind much hair, body spray, lotion, grass, etc.

My intent was to use 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide as my main (only) sanitizer. I have only used it twice though so don't have a good feel for how much I'm going to be using every month. I would like to keep water in this tub for as long as practical yet not be spending an arm and a leg on sanitation.

So far, my family has been good about showering well just before entering the tub. We plan to keep it that way. There's only three of us. We will use the tub ~4 times weekly.

Though I'm now using hydrogen peroxide, I'm looking for other chemical free options should I choose another route. Has anyone used "The Natural"? How about the enzymes "Natures Hot Tub Treatment"? Anyone using peroxide and if so, what was your experience? Any other alternatives that work without a pump/electricity?

I'm guessing that traditional chemicals will be cheaper than legitimately effective alternatives. I'm fine with that. Just hoping to figure out the most cost effective way of doing it alternatively.

All insight appreciated. Thanks.

Arby

[Isaac-1]

Just remember that just because something is "alternative" does not make it safer, or more enviromentally friendly than traditional sanitizer options like Chlorine or Bromine.  Some have healthy sounding names like Mineral systems, but if you look into it these "minerals" are often Silver or Silver and Copper, ever hear of heavy metal poisioning?  Remember sanitizers work by killing things in the water that you don't want to be there, one important aspect to this is water circulation regardless of the sanitizer used it is important for it to come in contact with whatever it is you want to kill.  Personally I like the combination of ozone and chlorine, it is effective, and simple, but I don't know if there are special wood tub concerns.   Any effective hot tub sanitation sytem is in reality a choice of pick your poision, because that is what it is.

[dunecritter]

Just remember that just because something is "alternative" does not make it safer, or more enviromentally friendly than traditional sanitizer options like Chlorine or Bromine.  Some have healthy sounding names like Mineral systems, but if you look into it these "minerals" are often Silver or Silver and Copper, ever hear of heavy metal poisioning?  Remember sanitizers work by killing things in the water that you don't want to be there, one important aspect to this is water circulation regardless of the sanitizer used it is important for it to come in contact with whatever it is you want to kill.  Personally I like the combination of ozone and chlorine, it is effective, and simple, but I don't know if there are special wood tub concerns.   Any effective hot tub sanitation sytem is in reality a choice of pick your poision, because that is what it is.

Well Said Isaac

[Arby]

Thanks, Isaac. I wouldn't have thought of heavy metal poisoning. Do you have a link to examples of this  happening with hot tub users?

I like your "pick your poison" way of looking at it too. I wouldn't have considered food-grade peroxide poison though given that upon contact with water, it simply turns into oxygen ions and water. It's frequently used in aquaculture labs when a form of aquatic safe sanitation is needed.

For me, living in a desert receiving less than 12" of precip/year, it seemed foolish to drain my tub without watering plants with that water. Peroxide used in this way would actually be beneficial to my plants.

Additionally, I'm not comfortable with all the unknowns of skin absorption & inhalation of Chlorinated Disinfection By-Products.

Others are having good results using peroxide....but I can not confirm success with wood tub users. Since posting, I am learning that my cedar tub is using far more (to keep it in the recommended 50-100 ppm range) than is being reported by those using it in plastic/acrylic tubs. I don't know if it's the tannins leaching from the cedar that's "eating" up the peroxide so quickly or what. Perhaps once my tub is done leaching these tannins, I won't have to use as much peroxide. I hope that is the case, because, on paper, peroxide seems to be a good solution for me. 

I would love to hear the experiences of others who have or are using peroxide...especially in cedar tubs. I would equally like to hear from those with experience in using "The Natural" sold by Roberts Hot Tubs, enzymes, and other alternatives to chlorine and bromine.

Anyone?

[rosewoodsteel]

Hot tub water has never seemed to hurt my trees or plants and i've always used bromine

[Tman122]

Yea you should be able to drain it when the CL/BM level is below levels city municipal water supplies use.

Chem Geek? Where r u?

[chem geek]

If the disinfectant level is not constantly maintained then bacteria can grow and they can grow quickly doubling in population every 15-60 minutes so after a few hours, especially 8 hours or more, you can have biofilms form.  With hydrogen peroxide, it needs to be up at around 50 ppm to be a disinfectant though is slower in kill rates than chlorine which is why it is not approved by the EPA for the U.S., but it is approved in Australia.

As far as low cost sanitation, it doesn't get much lower in cost than the Dichlor-then-bleach method because bleach is so inexpensive.  However, with chlorine you'll have to add it every day or two to the spa which is fine if you use it every day or to.  If you use the spa infrequently, say only on weekends, then bromine may be a better choice since you can use bromine tabs for slower dosing or if you have an ozonator than the ozone can oxidize bromide to bromine if you initially set up a sodium bromide bank.