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!

; )