8 Common Salt Water Hot Tub Questions Answered

Do you have questions about saltwater hot tubs? We have answers! Here are 8 common questions answered!

1. Will the water smell like the ocean?

The ocean smells like salt, fish, and seashells and contains much more salt than our hot tubs. For every 1,000,000 molecules of water in the ocean, there are 35,000 molecules of salt, which means there’s 35,000ppm (parts per million). At HotSprings, our saltwater hot tubs use efficient diamond electrodes so only 1,200-1800 ppm is necessary. That’s less than a human can detect by taste. So, no. Your hot tub water will smell as clean as it looks.

2. How often do I add salt?

You typically only need to add salt when you fill the tub! You should only have to add it again every time you drain and refill the tub.

3. What temperature should I have it set to?

This is a personal preference, but 101-104 degrees F is pretty common. We recommend that you don’t go under your core body temperature (usually 98.6 degrees F) because then the water will feel cool. One thing to remember as well is to make slight adjustments until you find your desired temperature. A one-degree temperature change in the water feels like a much bigger jump than one-degree temperature change in the air because water transfers heat 25 times faster than air!

4. How much does it cost for my electrician’s pre-delivery work?

The electrician’s pre-delivery work mainly involves hooking up a 50 amp breaker in your utility box and running a cable from that to a disconnect box on the outside of your home somewhere close to your hot tub. The cost of this depends on your local electrician’s rate and where your breaker panel is in relation to where the tub is going to be. Basically, the further away your breaker is from the disconnect box, the more cable will have to be run.

It also depends on how easily your breaker panel can be accessed. For example, if your hot tub is in the backyard and the breaker panel is in the garage, the panel is fairly easy to access and shouldn’t be a huge expense. On the contrary, if your panel is in the opposite corner of a finished basement, this requires much more cable and is more difficult to run.

Good News: At HotSpring Spas & Pool Tables 2 we have several hot tub options that only require a 110-volt outlet and no electrician is required with these.

Note: Your electrician will need to follow local code. All states’ code requires the disconnect box must be at least 3 feet above the ground and there must be between 5 ½ – 100 feet from the disconnect box and the hot tub.

5. Will my jewelry rust?

To start off, rust is not caused by salt. Rust happens when iron, oxygen, and water combine. Salt is part of corrosion and is known to speed up the rusting process due to salt being an electrolyte. In short, saltwater could speed the rusting process along, but not with the levels of salt that are in our hot tubs. You must have at least 3,000-3,500 parts per million parts water(ppm) for saltwater to be corrosive. Our ACE saltwater systems use only 1,200-1,800 ppm so there is zero chance of your jewelry rusting.

6. Will the saltwater corrode my pipes?

No, the answer is the same as the previous question.

7. Will salt water fade my swimsuit?

All hot tubs are tough on swimsuits over time. A combination of hot water and chlorine both cause swimsuits to fade. With this in mind, we recommend having a cheaper swimsuit or two that you wear in your hot tub for daily use!

8. How long will the ACE salt cell last?

It depends on how much you use your hot tub! Just like how often you drive your car determines you often you’ll need new tires, your hot tub use determines how often you need a new ACE salt cell. With salt cells, you choose how often the salt cell produces which you determine based on the size of your tub and how often your tub is used. On average, the salt cell needs to be replaced every 14,000 producing hours.       

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