Why Does My Hot Tub Smell?

Worries about the bad smell coming from your hot tub? Looking for an effective and reasonable fix for this? Bad smell in a hot tub can mean a lot of things, from improper chemical levels and water hardness, to bacterial build-up and filter problems. It might surprise you, but this is the most common issue for all hot tub owners. A foul smell in the hot tub could be because of several reasons and can be cured easily, which is what we will discuss further in this guide! 

A hot tub can have different smells at different times. A freshly filled hot tub will most likely not have any peculiar smell except for that of freshwater. When you add an aromatic oil to your hot tub, the water will emit the respective smell. Contrary to most opinions, sanitizers like chlorine and bromine should not significantly change the smell of the hot tub on their own. But instead of these smells if you get a smell that reminds you of a dirty sock, rotten egg, strong chlorine or even plastic, then take it as an alarm and give the health of your hot tub a check.

Hot tub smells can be annoying and frustrating, but there are several factors you need to consider while dealing with it. The first step in treating hot tub smells is to find out the reason behind it. It is important to know the source to treat the smell because even crystal clear water in your hot tub could have a smell. Depending on the cause of the foul smell, you can get rid of it with a few simple and effective solutions.

If the pH level is not in the 7.4-7.6 range, it means the water has bacterial build-up that can further lead to biofilm. Bacterial growth in a hot tub can be cured by purging the hot tub water with a bio-purge product. it is also advisable to use a chlorine based sanitizer rather than a bromine based one, as the latter tends to give false readings with pH strips. 

This needs to be constantly high enough in order to kill bacteria and keep the water clean with less or no odor. Shocking the hot tub with a sanitizer is a good way to keep the bacterial build-up in check. Most hot tub owners should shock their hot tub water with chlorine at least once a few week, depending on how heavily the hot tub has been used.

Mold build-up in a hot tub can’t be effectively treated and hence can be eliminated only by draining and refilling your hot tub. Additionally, make sure to keep checking the chemical balance regularly because irregular checking can give molds the chance to grow. Create a maintenance schedule for your hot tub wherein you perform a complete draining of the water at least once in 90 days.

If the cover of your hot tub is too old and needs to be replaced, do not delay this process as it can be an effective solution to combat smelly water. When the cover starts aging, it begins to trap water inside itself, leading to the build-up of microorganisms thus leading to a foul smell. So even if you take proper care of your hot tub, there are chances that the bad smell in your hot tub could be from the hot tub cover. Thus, it is important to properly clean and maintain the hot tub cover, and replace it when the time comes.

Along with draining the hot tub completely and maintaining the hot tub cover, it is important to keep a check on the functioning of the hot tub’s filter. Make sure it is always in a proper position. Timely replacement of the filter is another measure you need to add to the maintenance schedule of your hot tub. Old cartridges’ fabric can be worn out and eventually will trap debris within it thus leading to bacterial build-up.

The pipes of your hot tub need to be properly cleaned and maintain least a few times a year to reduce to ongoing buildup of bio-film. Just make sure to add enough sanitizer in conjunction with any purge treatment