5 Surprising Saltwater Hot Tub Facts

1. It’s not salty! The ocean’s water is about 3.5% salt, according to Science Daily. In other words, for every 1,000,000 molecules of water in the ocean there are 35,000 molecules of salt. The human tear is 9,000 parts salt per million parts water (ppm) and the human tongue can’t taste salt that’s less than 5,000 ppm. At HotSprings, our salt water hot tubs use efficient diamond electrodes, so only 1,200-1800 ppm is necessary. You can see this proportion demonstrated in the photo on the left! It’s so little sodium you could actually take a sip from the tub!

2. Your pipes won’t rust or corrode. The science behind it is interesting. Because the ACE salt water system isn’t just a chlorine generator. Instead, it produces high energy active oxygen by splitting H20 molecules which then release oxygen that cleans the water. The active oxygen then combines with sodium to create chlorine, which further cleans the water. This way your tub’s hardware keeps choochin’ and you keep living the dream. *Most salt water systems void the hot tub manufacturer’s warranty. So always check with your manufacturer. The ACE salt water system was engineered for HotSpring Spas and doesn’t void the warranty.*

3. Your skin will thank you. The active oxygen acts as a mini skin treatment. It’s also perfect if you have certain chemical sensitivities. After taking a muscle-soothing, relaxing soak you step out of the water and think (as one of our customers put it) “…my skin feels smooth, not dried out or itchy.” This is because our salt water hot tubs have softer water (as mentioned above). In addition, it’s easy on your eyes and won’t leave your lips tasting like salt.

4. Salt water hot tub maintenance is slightly less costly than chlorine. Saltwater tubs require less regular chemical input than chlorine tubs, which will save you money over time. Unfortunately, saltwater tubs do require a new salt cell about every 14,000 hours of run time, which is rather costly. Another money-saving plus with the ACE system is that you won’t need to change the water as often as a chlorine-based system! At the end of the day, running saltwater tubs does end up costing slightly less than chlorine tubs when you do the math.

5. Not all salt water hot tubs are created equal. Depending where you buy, the above claims may not be true. We can only speak for our own products. We can tell you that Hot Spring Spas is the only hot tub manufacturer with the ACE Saltwater System, which is made specifically for our tubs. When researching potential salt water tubs there are several important things to consider. Look into how many parts of salt per million to parts of water is involved (aka “ppm”). See what your salt water is actually producing: bromine or chlorine? Does the salt water system void your hot tub’s warranty? We’d also recommend reading customer reviews.

For more an in-depth explanation of how the Ace Salt Water System for HotSprings Spas works, check out this video!