What to Do If Your Hot Tub Has Green Water

Most of the time when you think of a hot tub, an image of a small, clear body of water with steam and bubbles comes to mind. The last thing you want to disturb that fantasy is a hot tub with green water.

It counts as green water even if it just has a greenish tinge. The water could be dark and cloudy or on the clearer side with a greenish tint. Either way, clearing green water is something that anyone can do.

Here's how to fix green hot tub water and get back to swimming.

What Makes Hot Tub Water Green?

The most common reasons hot tub water turns green are lack of sanitizer, pH imbalance, and metal minerals in the reason.

Lack of Sanitizer

Sanitizer helps keep the hot tub water clean and clear. Without it there will be nothing to stop green algae to grow. With little to no sanitizer, hot tub water can turn green in as fast as a day.

pH Imbalance

Algae enjoys higher pH levels. If your hot tub’s pH level is higher (and stays that way for a while), it can create the perfect environment for algae growth. This will make the hot tub use more sanitizer, and once the sanitizer is depleted, the hot tub water turns green.

Metal Minerals in Water

Another reason for a hot tub to turn green is if it has minerals from metal in the water. These minerals can enter the hot tub either by the water or hot tub piping. Once the minerals are introduced to an oxidizer, they will make the water have a greenish tinge to it, though the water usually remains fairly clearer.

How to Clear Green Water from a Hot Tub

The reason your hot tub's water turned green will determine the necessary steps to take to return the hot tub water to its normal hue. The only way to figure that out is by testing th ewateOnce the proper approach has been determined from testing, it should not be difficult to clear a hot tub.

Test the Water

If you don’t start a road trip without directions then why would you treat green water without knowing why it’s green? Testing the water of a hot tub is no more difficult then testing for a pool (and very similar, too). Once you have determined if all the chemicals are at the proper levels or need to be adjusted, you'll know how to fix your green hot tub water.

Adjust All Chemicals

It's likely that off-balance chemicals are the cause of your green hot tub. A hot tub with no sanitizer is the perfect environment for algae. Sanitizer is the main chemical in a hot tub meant to destroy algae and most bacteria to keep the water clean and clear. Another culprit is a high pH. Algae specifically enjoys a higher pH environment, which will cause the water to use up more sanitizer and the water to eventually turn green.

If there are any chemicals not in balance, adjust and add more sanitizer to shock the water. The water should return to normal after about a day.

Change the Water

If a more immediate result is desired or all the chemicals are in their proper range and the water is still green, then the water should be changed. When changing the water, it is important to use a pipe cleaner before draining to ensure that all the remaining water in the piping is clean. It is also a good idea to wipe down the hot tub when it's empty to remove any film that could be there.

Additional Options

To give your green hot tub a deep clean, use an algaecide and clean the filter. If algae is the cause for a green hot tub then, after balancing the chemicals, an algaecide can help speed up the return to normal. And cleaning the filter is always a good idea to remove the dead algae in the filter and to ensure that no leftover algae can contaminate the new water. Not to mention, cleaning the filter will help restore proper flow and efficiency to the filtration system.

Tips for Preventing Green Hot Tub Water

• Regularly test and adjust all chemicals

• Change the water every 3 to 4 months

• Clean the filter regularly

• Wipe down the hot tub at regular intervals

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if my hot tub water is green but the chemicals are balanced?

If the chemicals are balanced, then it is more than likely that metal minerals are causing the hot tub's water to be green. To fix this, either clean the filter out and slowly remove the minerals, or drain and refill the hot tub.

Why is my hot tub water green and foamy?

Green water in a hot tub usually indicates algae grown or metal minerals in the water. If your water is foamy, bio film is present in the water. Clean the filter, and if that doesn't fix it, then drain the tub and wipe it down.

Read the original article on The Spruce.