Hydrogen peroxide in hot tub

[I Think]

Any one using H2O2 in their hot tub?
How is it working, how often do you change the water"

[Corneliousrooster]

Peroxide oxidizes quickly. It may kill off all the bad guys when you first administer it to the hot tub but it does not hold a residule. Unless you are constantly adding peroxide to the water body you are leaving yourself unprotected.

Peroxide is an acid that can kill bacteria but will also kill your jet and pump seals. Most hot tub manufacturers now have a caveat in their warranties, making them void if peroxide is used.

If peroxide really worked safely, health canada would approve it and your local pool and spa dealers would love to sell it.

There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding with regards to proper use of bromine and chlorine. Being properly informed and following a proper maintenance schedule would eliminate the need for ever experimenting with alternative, possibly unsafe water care practices.

I sincerely hope people trying out peroxide or other " natural - no need for chlorine or chemicals" are not inviting friends and family over to be their guinea pigs.

Improper shocking and/or ph imbalance is the cause of almost all skin irritations - not chlorine (or bromine)

[I Think]

Our hot tub has no pump, no filters, and using h2o2, once for a recent fill has kept the water clear for 10 days daily usage.
we used to get 4/5 days then dumped the water and put in fresh. We are happy to have visitors and have a microbiologist (ret) on staff.
Am planning to dump the water tomorrow even tho it is still clear, because we did not heat it this evening, so we may as well start afresh, as it does not take that much more energy to heat new water after letting the old cool for 2 days.
You might term our tub as a "hill billy hot tub" as we do not like the noise and energy use of jets, much prefer sitting in still water, enjoying the calm clear hot water most evenings.

[Corneliousrooster]

Am planning to dump the water tomorrow even tho it is still clear,

The lower the PH, the more acidic the water - the more acidic the water, the clearer the water - just because it is clear does not mean it is safe. You are pouring acid (peroxide) into your hot tub thus making it more acidic and the water becomes more clear.


Why do you choose to use peroxide as opposed to chlorine? If you are dumping your tub every 4 to 5 days you would probably only need a couple of teaspoons of granular chlorine and everyone would be protected the whole time the tub is being used.


Right now the only time bathers are being protected is during the time the peroxide is actually being poured into the tub (meaning there would have to be a constant feed of peroxide while people are in it.)

[I Think]

Dear Rooster, Thank you for your input, your opinion re duration of h2o2 coincides with my bosses (a retired microbiologist) who also says the peroxide only lasts for a short time.
Her theory is that since some of the water is boiled in the firebox, and much of the water is brought to a near boil as part of the convective current caused by heating in the firebox, that some of the water is being sterilized as part of the heating process.
The boss no longer has access to the stuff to enable her to see what grows out in a sample of the water.
Our tap water is not chlorinated, and we do not wish to chlorinate the tub, would much rather just change water if it becomes suspect.

[Corneliousrooster]

your opinion re duration of h2o2 coincides with my bosses

Not an opinion - it is fact. As fun and relaxing as a warm body of water can be it can also become quite dangerous given the right conditions

Her theory is that since some of the water is boiled in the firebox, and much of the water is brought to a near boil as part of the convective current caused by heating in the firebox, that some of the water is being sterilized as part of the heating process.

There is a good chance that the water in the firebox (while it is boiling) would be sanitized - but that water would make up 1 tiny fraction of the total hot tub body of water (lets say for illustrative purposes 1/100). Now lets say there was a harmful contaminant breeding in the ideal conditions of warm water you have created in the rest of the tub for your personal enjoyment, do you really think that adding that 1/100 of sanitized water to 99/100 contaminated water is going to do anything? Keep in mind that the 99/100 contaminated water is multiplying the contaminant at a tremendous pace (thanks to the ideal conditions for growing bacteria that the warm body of water provides)

Our tap water is not chlorinated, and we do not wish to chlorinate the tub, would much rather just change water if it becomes suspect.

There is a huge difference between drinking water and marinating in the same water for days. Fill a glass with some of your drinking water and mix in a little sweat and fecal matter (keeping things real here, you put a couple of bums in a hot tub- even if they are wearing bathing suits - some amount of fecal matter will be left behind in that water along with a decent amount of urea and whatever else they might be excreting) Now heat that drinking water to a comfortable hot tub temperature for even 1 hr(most people keep their tubs at about 100 degrees farenheit). Now leave that glass on your counter for 4 or 5 days. Drink up???? And if not, why not?

If water becomes suspect it is usually too late (especially if the water has gone acidic, making it even more crystal clear)

The amount of chlorine needed to protect you in a hot tub is around 3ppm (the natural salt level in most tap water is in the range of 20 to 250 ppm - I have never detected salt when I drink it) Its not a significant amount yet you rather gamble and attempt using alternatives that are far more dangerous......doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I sincerely hope you are not letting children into this - at least adults are old enough to weigh the dangers and make their own decision.

[mckehl]

Corneliousrooster you called it an acid..it is not. You said it is harmful to hot tubs...it is not and it was even the company I bought my tub from who first recommended to me to use it due to my allergy to the cancer causing agents you like. You said h2o2 is not a sanitizer... it absolutely is.
I have been using h2o2 for 8 years and it is wonderful. I have gone as long as 1 year without changing the water and the reality is you can go indefinitely. h2o2 has many health benefits unlike chlorine and bromine. Who really knows how many people they are killing through cancer.

[I Think]

mckehl, how much H2O2 do you use, and how often do you use it?
I have a gallon of 30% and would like to compare notes.

[mckehl]

I Think You have me curious about your h2o2 as I have never seen 30% before, only 29% or 35%. Clue me me in. I use about
one and a half cups per week for a small 250 gal tub. Many things determine how much is needed, such as how big the tub , how many people are using it, how much clothing is being worn, how free from oils the bodies are..etc. One thing that I know for certain is it is almost impossible to use too much. It would take about 8 gallons of h2o2 to make a 3% concentration in my tub, which would then only equal what you buy in the store to pour on cuts.

[Corneliousrooster]

Corneliousrooster you called it an acid..it is not. You said it is harmful to hot tubs...it is not and it was even the company I bought my tub from who first recommended to me to use it due to my allergy to the cancer causing agents you like. You said h2o2 is not a sanitizer... it absolutely is.
I have been using h2o2 for 8 years and it is wonderful. I have gone as long as 1 year without changing the water and the reality is you can go indefinitely. h2o2 has many health benefits unlike chlorine and bromine. Who really knows how many people they are killing through cancer.

Ignorance is bliss!

Please post a link demonstrating peroxide is not an acid - thanks in advance.

If you purchased your hot tub in Canada and they recommended peroxide they are going against standards set out by health Canada and should be reported for jeopardizing people who don't know any better (like yourself)

H2o2 is not a stabilized sanitizer and if you do not understand this than do some research before you continue to put yourself and guests at risk with your poor choices.

I suggest you google hot tub warranties and peroxide so you can see that most hot tub warranties are void if you are using peroxide- why do you think that is?

You clearly know very little about chlorine and bromine - most likely you are not allergic to either and have never learned how to properly shock and balance your water. There is more chlorine exposure with contact with newsprint than there would be in a safely chlorinated hot tub. As for cancer - how many Olympic swimmers, divers, synchronized swimmers have been diagnosed? These people spend far more time than the average person in water that is chlorinated in levels higher than recommended for residential use ( being they are training in commercial pools with a higher chlorine residual)

Thanks for your anecdotal evidence that is dangerous to be encouraging - get educated before spreading misinformation

[I Think]

mckeh Thanks for your answer, I could not remember the exact % of my h2o2 it is just under 30%. what concentration are you using.

CR
erred when he set out that perhaps 1% of the water in our tub boiled, to bring the water up to temp we probably run 30% through the fire box. and when we start with cold water the percentage is much higher.

He was correct tho in stating that h202 is an acid.

Hydrogen peroxide, also known as dihydrogen dioxide, has a pH level anywhere from 1 to 5, depending on the solution's concentration and how it is produced. Many hydrogen peroxide solutions contain stabilizers that affect the product's pH. The solution's pH level can be increased or decreased depending on the exact stabilizer that is used.
CR also wrote

Right now the only time bathers are being protected is during the time the peroxide is actually being poured into the tub

I would ask him to provide a link for this opinion.

BTW as parent of a high level diver, I can assure you that quite a lot of promising swimmers drop out of training because they become asthmatic. I know of a few divers who have dropped out also for the same reason.

[mexi cali]

Then there's the risk of turning your body hair blonde. That could be a problem. ;)

[mckehl]

CR.... h2o2 has the acid strength of milk or rain water... my tap water has a ph level of over 6 and the only thing added to it, is chlorine..... Stop being stupid as it is no worse than chlorine in that way. Have you read up on any info on chlorine? They are now finding in studies that chlorine is causing asthma...damages the lugs much like smoking. My wife had to stop her swimming for exercise because of health problems from it. Now she is fine. Do some research.



I Think......I use 29% h2o2 since suppliers where I live stopped carrying 35%

[Corneliousrooster]

CR.... h2o2 has the acid strength of milk or rain water... my tap water has a ph level of over 6 and the only thing added to it, is chlorine..... Stop being stupid as it is no worse than chlorine in that way.

Who is being stupid? You clearly don't even understand what you are talking about - and you did not even know that Hydrogen peroxide is an acid... why should anyone think you have any kind of informed opinion when you keep highlighting your ignorance? Your tapwater is formulated for drinking - not for bathing in for over a year - that is why it needs to be adjusted and sanitized properly.

You are not filling your Hot tub with rain water or milk now are you? So why the comparison? If you did fill your hot tub with rain water or milk, I would hope that you have the sense to balance the alkalinity and PH so as not to cause issues with your seals and equipment as you are choosing to have them remain in an acidic bath for up to a year you brag (you clearly have stated that you do not care for the bathers you have invited into your tub)

Stop being stupid as it is no worse than chlorine in that way.

If used in the SAFE parameters, chlorine is harmless. The difference is chlorine holds its residual far longer than the quickly oxidizing, unstable hydrogen peroxide (but I am sure you know this already) - peroxide would be perfectly safe if it was continuously being fed into the hot tub to constantly maintain a residual of 3% (but I am sure you already know that and have invented the mechanics necessary to do this - market the product, you can be rich)

They are now finding in studies that chlorine is causing asthma...damages the lugs much like smoking. My wife had to stop her swimming for exercise because of health problems from it. Now she is fine. Do some research.

You should do the same (perhaps a little less anecdotal research could benefit you a little more) - no one is denying that inhaling chlorine will increase mucous production in the respiratory system (even in healthy people - not just asthmatics) - the key is limiting exposure. What you need to keep your hot tub safe and what is used in a public commercial pool is a massively different dose of chlorine. If YOU do a little research I think you would be surprised just how much contact you have with chlorine in your daily life (besides water).

[Corneliousrooster]

CR also wrote Right now the only time bathers are being protected is during the time the peroxide is actually being poured into the tubI would ask him to provide a link for this opinion.

Dear Rooster, Thank you for your input, your opinion re duration of h2o2 coincides with my bosses (a retired microbiologist) who also says the peroxide only lasts for a short time.

Your retired microbiologist boss already confirmed "my opinion" (its a fact not an opinion - don't hate on me, hate science)
Try google - or Wikipedia - or a grade 10 high school science text book