Creating a greener lifestyle is all about making small, simple changes in your daily life to reduce your impact on the environment. For hot tub owners, there are a number of ways to make your hot tub more eco-friendly, while still continuing to enjoy this relaxing retreat to its fullest.  Here are a few tips for making your hot tub a little greener, protecting yourself and your family from harmful chemicals, and saving money in the process.

Invest in a Good Hot Tub Cover

One of the easiest ways to make your hot tub more eco-friendly is to invest in a hot tub cover. We all know that heat rises, and when it comes to your hot tub this means that huge amounts of energy can be wasted if you don’t have a cover to lock the heat in from above. Not only do hot tub covers conserve energy, but they can also significantly reduce your heating costs. It’s equally as important to replace old covers that have tears or have become water-logged, because even small areas of damage can dramatically decrease the cover’s effectiveness in conserving heat. In addition to reducing heat loss, hot tub covers can also minimize the need to add more chemicals and decrease water loss through evaporation. Look for a rigid insulation cover with an insulation value of at least RSI 2.1.

Re-Think Your Sanitizers

One simple change you can make to your hot tub maintenance routine is to add sanitizer at night. The sun’s UV rays break down chlorine and other chemicals, creating excess waste that can be easily avoided by adding the chemicals in the evening instead.

While at least a small amount of chlorine is advisable for keeping the water clean and free of bacteria, it’s possible to minimize your chlorine usage by supplementing with alternative sanitizers. One option is to use sphagnum moss to naturally clean the water and control bacteria, or you can add a UV lamp or ozonator, both of which deactivate viruses and bacteria in the water.

Use Best Practices When Draining

In general, hot tubs should be drained every three months, and fortunately, there are a few ways you can make this regular process more eco-friendly. Since you’ll likely be discharging your hot tub water onto grass, bushes, flowers or other vegetation, it’s important that the water’s chemical levels are as low as possible. Try to stop chlorination three or four days before draining your hot tub, giving the chlorine time to dissipate. You can check the chlorine levels with a chlorine test kit before draining. It’s also a good idea to use a natural clarifier to remove any harmful phosphates that may have built up in the water. Remember never to drain your hot tub water into streams, storm drains, rivers, lakes or other surface waters. Instead, try to direct the water into a field, or in urban settings, draining into the sewer is often permitted.

Have questions about buying a hot tub or how to properly care for one?  Feel free to contact us here, our hot tub specialists will be happy to answer any questions you may have.  International Pool and Spas is Ontario’s leader in pool and hot tub supplies.  Come visit one of our locations across Ontario or shop online, we offer free shipping across Canada.