What is a Jacuzzi?

Many people use the word Jacuzzi to describe a hot tub or spa, but in fact they are incorrect as Jacuzzi is a brand name.

It's just the same as how people use the brand name 'Hoover', to call a vacuum cleaner.
Many people commonly use the word Jacuzzi for any bath tub with jets in. This is because most people have experienced the in ground hot tubs found at hotels, health clubs and on cruise ships which are normally called Jacuzzi's

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The reason why many people use wrongly the word Jacuzzi is due to the Venturi jet that Roy Jacuzzi invented and patented in 1968.

What is a Jacuzzi?

A Venturi jet is one that induces air into the flow of the water creating the bubbling effect. The ratio of air to water can be adjusted by using an air control.

The hot tubs on today's market have a pump that circulates the water through pipes and then out of underwater Venturi jets. This then creates the bubbling effect within the tub that provides the hydrotherapeutic relaxation which many people enjoy.

It was during the 1900's that the Jacuzzi brothers wanted to help their family member that had an arthritis problem. They invented a portable "hydrotherapy pump", this being a pump that increases the water pressure through a small massage jet.

During the 1960's, Roy Jacuzzi took over the business and then started marketing and selling the first Jacuzzi hot tub using the same jet systems that was invented by this family.

The Jacuzzi brother's patent ran out 10 years later in 1976 which lead to the American hot tub market taking off as they were able to use the Jacuzzi type jets. Hot Tub manufactures have improved the jets to give a better hydrotherapeutic effect.

Since the America Hot Tub market has taken off it has been spreading over to the UK, but within the UK most people will call them Hot Tubs where as people in America use Spa, The only time you will see the word Jacuzzi is when the brand Jacuzzi are are being sold or when they sell Jacuzzi Hot Tub spare parts, but no other company can use name Jacuzzi.

What is a Jacuzzi?

Are Hot Tubs a Cause of Urinary Tract Infections?

If you aren't sure what causes urinary tract infections, don't feel bad, you aren't alone. In a 2003 survey sponsored by the Bayer Corporation, 75% of the women questioned did not know that bacteria, such as E. Coli, are the origin of utis.

The urinary tract is a sterile environment. Urine is also sterile. E. Coli bacteria generally live in the intestine and do no harm there. Sometimes, however, they spread to the urinary tract and cause a painful infection.

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How does E coli get to the urinary tract? The major ways are sexual intercourse, wiping from back to front after urinating, and sometimes from soaking in warm water.

Are Hot Tubs a Cause of Urinary Tract Infections?

Clean, well-maintained hot tubs do not cause utis all by themselves. If the water is cloudy or has tiny particles floating on it or in it, probably it hasn't been cleaned recently. The best time to use a hot tub at a health club is in the morning, when, hopefully, it has just been cleaned and not many other people have been in it yet. The hot tub filters need cleaning, too; not just the tub itself. And some hot tubs have too high a level of chemicals. This can upset the pH balance of your urinary tract if you use the tub often, making it a more welcoming environment for the bacteria.

Just because the bacteria reach the urethra, doesn't mean you will get an infection. Bacteria like a warm moist environment to grow in. You need to make sure they don't get it. If you wear a swimsuit in the hot tub, take it off immediately when you get out. Take a shower after your session. Don't wear tight-fitting pants. Do wear cotton undies. Definitely go to the bathroom as soon as you feel the need.

Another good way to protect yourself from a uti is to use an herbal remedy two or three times a year to keep your system in balance. It will maintain the health of the urinary tract, bladder and kidneys and help eliminate contaminants like bacteria and viruses.

Herbs often used in natural uti remedies are buchu and bearberry leaf. They both stimulate the production of urine, causing you to go to the bathroom more often, flushing out your system. Bearberry leaf also has astringent properties that tone the lining of the urinary tract, making it harder for the bacteria to attach themselves.

There are many causes of urinary tract infections. Hot tubs can contribute to an infection, but you don't have to give up enjoying the physical and mental health benefits they can provide. Just be careful about how you use them; and pro-active, keeping your body healthy naturally.

Are Hot Tubs a Cause of Urinary Tract Infections?

(c) Debra Higgins, 2008

Debra Higgins has been researching herbal and homeopathic remedies for physical and mental health for many years. Visit her website at http://www.FourSeasonsVirtualAssistance.com to find more articles on natural/alternative remedies.

Salt Water Pool Review

Over the past four decades thousands of backyard swimming pools have been installed. The use of chlorine was the norm for sanitizing the pool. Be it liquid or dry, a whole industry sprang up producing chemicals for swimming pools. Unfortunately dry skin, damaged hair, and red burning eyes where the result after a day of swimming. Since nothing could be done people tolerated these problems, all the while dreaming of a solution.

Then someone came up with the idea to use salt in pools. When one thinks of salt they think of the ocean. These pools are not like the salt water found in the ocean. They still have chlorine but at lower levels. This confuses people but shouldn't, the salt is used to generate chlorine as the salt passes through a cell. The salt ranges from a low of 2700 parts per million to a high of 3400 parts per million. Each system is a little different so the owner's manual should be consulted.

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Salt water pools solve the problems of dry skin, damaged hair and red eyes as the solution of salt is at the right levels to give one a comfortable swimming experience. Another benefit is not having to transport chlorine from the pool store. This also makes for lower chemical costs. Should you purchase a salt water system? Lets look at some of the drawbacks before you make that decision.

Salt Water Pool Review

Lets start with the initial cost of the system. They can run well over a thousand dollars installed. The cell may only last five to seven years depending on how well the systems is maintained. By this I mean that the salt levels must be kept at the correct parts per million or damage may occur to the cell, which can be expensive to replace. So you still need to purchase the salt, this may be only a few times a year depending on how much is purchased at one time.

Another drawback is the pool still needs to be tested for chlorine and acid demand. Yes you still need to test for chlorine. The salt cell generates the chlorine but adjustments must be made to prevent the levels from becoming to high or low. Then you need to test for the ph level. If the ph level becomes too high or low the salt cell can be damaged leading to replacement and extra cost.

Then there is the question of how much time is needed to run the pool pump. Many people want to run their pump a few hours a day. They become accustomed to the low electric bills. Then when they purchase the salt system they find that more hours are needed for the system to work correctly. This leads to higher bills so people tend to turn the pump time back down. Guess what happens then? Well if the pool experiences heavy use the chlorine level drops or disappears. So one has two choices, they can either run the system longer or add liquid chlorine. The later kind of defeats the whole idea of a salt water pool.

Another drawback is that a salt system cannot be installed in pools that have copper pipes. Many pools in the sixties and seventies had copper plumbing. Salt will eat away at the copper over a period of time. So plastic pipes need to be installed which can become very costly.

These are the major pros and cons of owning a salt water pool. You decide is it worth it to have soft skin nice hair and the absence of red eyes? Many think it is the only way to go and wouldn't ever go back to fresh water pools.

Salt Water Pool Review

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Treating Smelly Hot Tubs

Does your spa or hot tub smell? Does it have odors that you just can't get rid of? Let's try to figure this out. More often than not, many spa owners blame the odors on "too much chlorine." Unfortunately, that is rarely the case - especially if you're not using chlorine! Some odors are chemical, some are environmental. Most odors can be successfully treated and cured. Odors can even be prevented with proper maintenance.

Smelly Spa & Hot Tub Odors are caused by:

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• Improper sanitizer use
• Improper water balance
• Lack of regular maintenance
• Insufficient drain & refill procedures
• Environmental reasons caused by uncontrolled biofilm build up

Don't try masking odors with spa fragrances & aromatherapy products. You'll only make the situation worse. Deal with the root causes.

Treating Smelly Hot Tubs

Chlorine and bromine are both excellent sanitizers used in spas and hot tubs. When they are used, they do breakdown, actually combine with, waste products of what they have sanitized. These wastes are typically in the form of nitrogen and when the nitrogen combines with the chlorine, they become smelly chloramines; when combined with bromine, they become bromamines. The real bad news is that chloramines are virtually worthless at killing bacteria. Bromamines however, are still somewhat effective sanitizers.

Consumer studies have shown that people actually like the smell of chlorine; at least when it's in its useable state! A "fresh" chlorine odor reminds people of cleanliness & sanitary conditions. Chloramines are a different matter especially when further combined with carbon dioxide gassing from the air jets, while also driving up the pH. That's what gives you that acrid or acidic "chlorine" odor that nobody likes. That's one of the "false" reasons people then switch to bromine. But bromine has its own di-stink-t odor (sorry, I couldn't resist).

In order to break up these combined chlorines & bromines, it is necessary to shock the water. Shocking, using additional chlorine or a non-chlorine oxidizer such as potassium mono-persulfate, breaks the chemical bonds. The trick is to allow the waste to fully gas off from the spa water. What happens if the waste is not allowed to gas-off? Chloramines and bromamines recombine with a vengeance. Excess chloramines & bromamines can also lead to "red-eye" (tear gas is a form of chloramine). You won't only smell the problem, different parts of your body will feel the problem.

The gassing-off process is simple: after shocking, leave the spa cover off of the spa for at least 1 - 2 hours (ideally). If the waste is not fully allowed to gas-off, the waste chloramines and bromamines literally hit the underside of the spa cover and fall back into the water! Even if your spa is not regularly used, it is an excellent idea to remove the cover for at least one hour weekly to let the "bad air" gas-off.

Keep in mind that as similar thing happens with an indoor spa thereby requiring good & constant ventilation especially while the spa is being used. The condition can become worse as the waste gasses and un-oxidized bacteria are aerosolized into the room. People with asthma or other breathing trouble can experience a condition known as "hot tub lung."

We sometimes hear of customers noting similar "choking" odors when using biguanides such as BaquaSpa or Soft Soak or Leisure Time Free. A similar scenario is taking place: "used" biguanide molecules with attached wastes are being aerosolized out of the spa and into your face! Proper shocking with the hydrogen peroxide shock is necessary on a weekly basis to break up this un-filterable waste. Don't be afraid to double or triple shock. Do NOT however, use swimming pool hydrogen peroxide - the odor will be worse. Only use spa formulated biguanide products.

Poor water balance - especially very low or high pH - will affect the chlorine & bromine levels leading to chloramines and bromamines as mentioned above. Low pH (under 7.0) can cause the water to give off very acidic gases leading to coughing, wheezing or other health problems. Water having a High pH (over 7.8) can lead to stale & funky smells plus additional scaling.

Regular maintenance of your spa includes periodic (weekly at least) cleaning or wiping down of the spa surfaces (waterline, pillow areas, drink-cup rests, etc). This wiping also aids in removing the biofilm build-up on visible areas. Further regular cleaning involves cleaning the filter (chemically cleaning, not just rinsing) and cleaning the inside of the spa cover (monthly spray of Pristine) helps kill mold & mildew that grow in or on the insulating foam.

Draining & refilling of your spa or hot tub on a regular basis is the simplest, single best thing you can do to control odors. Be sure to know often to drain & refill; this varies with spa size, use, time of year, parties, even showering BEFORE using the spa. Typically every 4 to 12 weeks is good. Smaller 2 person spas normally need more frequent water changes than larger 8 person spas (except if 8 people are using the spa more than twice a week!). Take a look at our article about Purging, Draining & Refilling. Following that formula be sure to Purge (removes biofilm build-up), Drain, Clean (all surfaces & filter), and Refill.

Environmental reasons for spa & hot tub odors are due to the build-up of bio-films on spa surfaces and plumbing lines that contribute to the formation of White Water Mold and Pink Slime and all of their odors. As biofilms build, multiply, and spread throughout the spa system, odors worsen dramatically. For that reason it is almost mandatory to use plumbing line cleaning products such as Spa System Flush or Spa Purge.

Enzymes can further help prevent and eliminate odors by "eating" or consuming much of the greases, body oils and waste that interfere with whatever type of sanitizing system you use. With a little effort (no more than 15 - 20 minutes each week) you can effectively control and even eliminate odors in your spa.

Treating Smelly Hot Tubs

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