Rash after hot tub

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Nsharder

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Feb 15, 2015
1
Victoria, BC, Canada
We have a fantasy Drift hot tub and are new to owning a hot tub in the last year. We did have a problem with biofilm that has been resolved and have since sent our water into a specialty testing facility where it shows nothing growing in the tub, etc.
We have drained and treated the tub three times since biofilm was present and biofilm is no longer in the tub. We treat the tub with Mineralux Cubes and Dazzle Chlorine Granules as recommended. We test our water every day or second day with all levels reading properly. We both break out in rashes after the hot tub usage even though we shower immediately after use. We are at a loss because we love using a hot tub but the itching and rashes are driving us nuts. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Welcome to TFP! :wave:

The Dazzle Chlorine Granules appear to be Dichlor while the Mineraluxe Cubes appear to be surfactants for biofilm removal, but I could not find an MSDS (or SDS) sheet for either of them. For clearing out biofilm, we recommend Ahh-Some. After that, one just needs to properly maintain the chlorine level in the spa. If you use only Dichlor, then the buildup of Cyanuric Acid (CYA) will lower the active chlorine level (at the same FC level).

As James noted, if you are adding any sort of non-chlorine oxidizer, it can contain an irritating component. Maybe the Dazzle Chlorine Granules aren't just Dichlor and also contain MPS (with some persulfate contaminant) or some other chemical for which you have sensitivity. As shown in this link, there is no Dazzle Chlorine Granules product registered as a pesticide with Health Canada. Instead there is a Dazzle Bromine Granules product that is Dichlor with sodium bromide so would produce bromine (especially after continued use to build up more bromide from which bromine is made). Is there a Health Canada pesticide registration number on the bottle?

You can look at this chart to see if you can figure out if your rashes are due to a chemical reaction or a bacterial infection, though you should really see a doctor to make that determination.
 
I have somewhat sensitive skin. We've maintained our hot tub for over a year by only adding Kroger plain old bleach, about half a cup per day. And the wife puts some epsom salts in sometimes. For us less is best. Even when I have dry skin from winter the hot tub doesn't make it worse. Definitely recommend giving chemical free a try.
 
pooldv said:
I have somewhat sensitive skin. We've maintained our hot tub for over a year by only adding Kroger plain old bleach, about half a cup per day. And the wife puts some epsom salts in sometimes. For us less is best. Even when I have dry skin from winter the hot tub doesn't make it worse. Definitely recommend giving chemical free a try.
Click to expand...

If you were using bleach with no CYA in the water, then the chlorine would be too harsh, on both equipment and on you. This is why we recommend the Dichlor-then-bleach method (or otherwise add CYA initially before switching to using bleach). With CYA in the water, the active chlorine level is significantly moderated so that it isn't too strong. I'm not sure why you say that using bleach would be "chemical free" -- minimal chemicals, yes.
 
Good points. I meant pool store chemical free. I have always maintained CYA in my pool and never put any in my hot tub. I will definitely put some CYA in my hot tub. Can't believe I never even thought about it.
 
Ok, 2.7 oz of cya is deployed in a sock in the tub.

Still feeling like a dummy. I have been a devoted TFP pool maintainer for years. I have memorized (almost) every word of pool school! My pool has been perfect, clear, cheap and sparkly since day one. Reading back on your comments here and other posts about cya is causing me to notice that since we got the hot tub a year ago my main hot tub suit has deteriorated much faster than my others. The smell of bleach/chlorine is sometimes stronger and lingers on the skin/hair in the hot tub and never in the pool. Dang it! I guess i figured since it is covered, by roof and a cover that cya was not needed.

Looking forward to the next few days as the cya dissolves. It'll be like a whole new hot tub!
 
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