Tips to Stay Safe and Healthy When Soaking in a Public Hot Tub

By: Alice Cunningham
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:25:59
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Soaking in your personal hot tub brings pleasure and comes with the peace of mind in knowing how well you care for the water and tub. Vacations, business travel, or visiting a day spa present an enticing opportunity to take a dip in a public hot tub or spa. But before you dip, it's good to be prepared and assured that the facility is well cared for. After all, it's your health and your safety.

Ask the facility management if a National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF®) trained Certified Pool-Spa Operator® is responsible for maintaining the pool and spa. A certificate or wallet card should be readily accessible. If the management can't prove a trained operator cares for the spa, it may be wise to try another facility.

Healthy water means healthy soaking.

1. Clear water. The water should be free of any color or tint, and you should be able to see the bottom clearly. A good test for this is to drop a dime on the floor of the spa. You should be able to see if it's heads or tails. Or you should be able to read the ASME/ANSI certification statement which is on the drain covers. If the water is cloudy or colored, the water may not be sanitary, the filter may be dirty, or the water may not have been replaced and the spa cleaned often enough.

2. If there's foam, don't dip. Foam can sometimes mean there is presence of algaecides, which won't harm you. But typically, foamy water indicates a build up of contaminants in the water because of poor oxidation and improper filter maintenance, both of which can promote bacterial growth in the water. Foam is a signal to stay out.

3. Fresh smell. A properly maintained pool or spa should smell fresh and clean, like fresh laundry, not dank or heavy. A chlorine smell means that chlorine has reacted with dirty water and that there may not be enough "free" chlorine in the spa to destroy the contaminants. You need "free" chlorine to disinfect and keep the water sanitary. Also a musty smell suggests the water may not be sanitary, the filter may be dirty, or the water may not have been replaced and the spa cleaned often enough.

4. Test the waters. You can help protect yourself by testing the water quality before you get in. Carry test strips available from any hot tub or pool retailer. Check for adequate chlorine levels in the spa (3-5ppm) and pH (7.2-7.8) levels. You can also ask the facility manager to see the chlorine test records they keep.

5. Drain and clean. Be sure to ask how often the facility cleans the filters and drains and cleans the spa. The "rule of thumb" is to divide the gallons by three and then divided by the number of daily users. For example, a 600-gallon spa with about 10 daily users should be drained and cleaned about every 20 days (600 divided by 3 equals 200). In turn, 200 divide by 10 equals 20.

Safe facilities promote safe soaking.

1. Safety signs. Review and follow the posted safety rules.

2. Drain covers. Check to be sure the spa/hot tub drain covers are in place, not cracked or missing. If a drain cover is missing or cracked, the spa needs to be closed. Ideally, the spa has dual drains and anti-entrapment drain covers. These covers display a visible certification (ASME/ANSI A112.19.8M).

3. Time switch. Public spas are equipped with a 15-minute timer switch that controls the hydrotherapy jets. The timer should be located so that a person has to leave the spa to turn the jets on again.

4. Emergency switch. Locate the emergency cut-off switch, which is near the spa and turns off the circulation system in case of emergency.

5. Rescue equipment. Is it in the vicinity? Where is the staff located? Where is the emergency phone?

6. Spa surface. If you notice copper or iron stains on the bottom, this can indicate improper water balance at some time.

7. Overall maintenance. Is the area surrounding the spa well maintained? Clean? Free of rust, trash? Are the decks free of dirt and debris, glass, etc? These are sometimes indicators of how the facility is maintained for safety.

*ASME - American Society Of Mechanical Engineers
* ANSI - American National Standards Institute

For more information, visit www.nspf.org, www.theapsp.org, or www.olympichottub.com.

Alice Cunningham is co-owner of Olympic Hot Tub Company -- the most award-winning retailer in the United States. Olympic Hot Tub is the oldest spa and hot tub company in the Northwest with five retail stores in the Puget Sound. Founded in 1977, the company employs 45 exceptional team members and has a customer base of over 14,000 in greater Puget Sound and SE Alaska. For more information, call 1-877-4HOT-SPRING, or visit http://www.olympichottub.com.

Article source: Expert Articles