The Consequences of Inadequate Chemical Maintenance on Your Well-being
It’s no surprise to anyone that poorly maintained chemicals / dirty water can be a health hazard. Just how bad can it get? Are there long-term effects? Can it be fatal? Just how worried should we be? We are going to explore these questions and more. The truth is we should certainly be concerned enough to educate ourselves and practice proper maintenance. Waterborn illnesses, bacteria, viruses, and long-term adverse health conditions can be caused by dirty water. Large outbreaks of Cryptosporidium, E.coli, Legionella, Norovirus, and many others have been reported to the CDC over the past decade. It’s important to understand that certain strains of Bacteria and Viruses can require an extended period of time to be fully eradicated in good chemically balanced conditions. What happens when the chemicals are not balanced? The germs spread, multiply, and people get sick.
People Most at Risk:
- Children and Elderly
- Pregnant Women
- Pre-Existing Health Conditions
- Compromised Immune Systems
- Those on medications that can lower the body’s ability to fight off germs and sickness
- Organ transplant recipients, cancer patients, and those with HIV
Common Symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Skin Rash / Severe Irritation
- Ear Pain
- Coughing / Congestion
- Eye Pain
How Water Born Illnesses Spread in Water:
- Swallowing the water.
- Open sores or wounds.
- Breathing in mists or vapors from the water that are infected with germs.
- Chemical gasses that have accumulated in the air.
- Diarrhea.
How to prevent Illness from Recreational Water:
- Showering well before AND after using a pool or spa.
- Staying out of water if you or your child has been sick with Diarrhea in the past two weeks.
- Do not enter the water if you have any of the health conditions stated above.
- Do not enter the water if you have open sores or wounds.
- Do not swallow or allow the water to enter your mouth, Rinse / Dry face, ears, and eyes well.
- Practice a strict regimen of proper chemical maintenance.
- Avoiding public pools / spas that display obvious signs of poor water quality / maintenance.
- Always make your Doctor or Health Care Provider aware that you own a pool or spa, or that you frequently use commercial or public recreational water facilities. This can help your doctor diagnose odd or uncommon health conditions you may encounter.
The Impact of Inadequate Chemical Maintenance on Your Spa or Hot Tub
Common Symptoms:
- White haze on waterline.
- Unpleasant smell of the water.
- Stinging sensation on skin after entering the water.
- Turbidity (cloudiness) in the water.
- Water is green, brown, yellowish, or otherwise discolored.
- Frequent repairs of pump seals, and heater elements.
- Jets, valves, and other plastic components become thin, and brittle.
- Frequent leaks in plumbing / jets.
How It Happens:
- When PH goes low, the water becomes Acidic.
- Acidic water will slowly destroy plastic, O-rings, vinyl tubing, pump seals, heating elements, and other parts of your hot tub.
- When PH goes high, the water becomes Alkaline.
- Alkaline water will cause calcium in the water to come out of solution and adhere to the surface, waterline, skimmers, etc. It will also make balancing chemicals more difficult.
- Chemical residue can cause discoloration, aesthetic damage, and seize up moving parts like jets, and skimmer weirs.
How to Prevent / Lessen Chemical Damage:
- Chemical damage is not fully preventable. Over time some chemical damage will occur.
- Create and consistently follow a strict maintenance schedule.
- Drain, fill, and rebalance chemicals every 90 days or more depending on situation.
- Purchase only quality chemicals from trusted sources. Avoid cheap knock off foreign made “Bargain Chemicals”.
- Address all water quality issues immediately. Do not wait, the problem will only worsen with time.
- Make needed repairs quickly, so water stays moving and filtering, and chemical maintenance can resume.
- Never let the hot tub or spa sit full of water and idle for extended periods of time. A full spa must be in operational condition. Otherwise, it should be drained, protected, and if in cold weather conditions, fully winterized.
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