Kerosene in Hot Tub Water?

Question:

"Help! I accidentally poured kerosene into my hot tub. Will it harm it or should I just drain the tub and re-shock? Please help me - obviously I am not too smart and grabbed the wrong bottle. Thanks so much."

Answer:

Yes, you should drain the tub, flush it with fresh water, and then re-fill it. A small amount of kerosene in the water will probably not hurt the tub, but you definitely do not want to soak in it.

The kerosene should float on the surface of the water, unless you turn on the pumps and start mixing it up, so you can skim it from the surface by soaking it up with a towel (or a "Scum Bug" if you have one) before you drain the tub. If you do accidentally turn on the pumps, just turn them off and let the water sit still overnight. The kerosene should float to the surface again where you can skim it off.

The filter should probably be replaced, because some of the kerosene will be retained in the filter, and then it will be released again over time after the tub is re-filled with clean water.

Also, after you re-fill the tub, you may want to throw in a "Scum Bug" to attract any residual oils from the kerosene. You can order these online from several retailers - just search for the name "Scum Bug" and you will find them.

Don't feel bad - everybody makes mistakes. Just remove all traces of the kerosene and you should be enjoying your hot tub again in a very short time!

; )

Thawing & Restarting a Frozen Hot Tub

Question:

"...Due to a power outage while away my tub was completely frozen solid.

During the recent thaw I have removed the ice and there is (no) water draining out the hose. However even when I flip the circuit breaker back on there is no power to the tub. Is there a switch or something that has been tripped inside that needs to be reset? I have the panels off and I don't see any leakage etc.

I'm hoping this can be repaired, as the tub is only 3 yrs old."

Answer:

Check for fuses on the electrical panel inside the hot tub if you cannot find a reset button. Although each manufacturer uses different components, you will find that either a reset was tripped or a fuse was blown if the power came back on when everything was frozen.

Be certain that everything has completely thawed before you re-apply power, because it will only blow the fuse again if there is still ice inside the pump(s).

Also, you must be very lucky if there is no water leakage. Typically, PVC plastic pipes will crack, although flex hoses will usually survive a freeze. The pump(s) should also survive, but the junctions to the hoses may crack, and you need to make sure they are undamaged before completely filling your tub again.

Good luck!

P.S. I always try to post answers here in this blog so that others can also benefit from reading your questions. So, if you send me an email, please be patient because it sometimes takes a few days for me to get the answer posted. Although I always try to reply promptly, if you have an urgent issue, you should contact your manufacturer or dealer for immediate help.