When I first heard about Float Tanks it was about 25 years ago.  A man named Crash down in the Los Angeles and Malibu area was serious about ozone and floating and let me into his magical world. If you are in the LA area, be sure to check out Float Lab.  I was thinking of opening my own Float Tank business here in San Luis Obispo (SLO) but decided to stick with www.LoveYourHotTub.com and my passion, ozone.

Over the years, Float Tanks and Float Pods started appearing at the Pool and Spa Trade Shows.  Momentum carried the industry until it became more and more popular.  The physical and mental health is INCREDIBLE when there is no outside stimulation and you and your body can have a minute to listen to one another.

25 years later, I finally tried Floating!  Last year my Word of the Year was self-care; time to listen to my body.  But where will I go?  Luckily, we finally got a legit Float business here in SLO, Central Coast Floats. Owned by a brother and sister duo, their place is awesome!  Super clean and relaxing with a staff who are knowledgeable, helpful and kind.  All-in-all I would say Good Vibes live there.

The first time I try things is the "scariest" as I am a creature of habit and unknown things are not my comfort zone.  I knew I just had to get the first float under my belt.  What better time to dive in (don't do that, by the way) then my birthday?  Here I go!

Things to think about: don't shave right before you go - SALT, OUCH!  Also, if you have any wounds or scrapes, the salt water can sting. It can also help heal, just like the ocean. For any cuts you don't want salt in, they will give you something to cover it with (like wax or Neosporin, I can't remember). Fortunately, I did not have either of these scenarios but thought it was important enough to share.

When this salt lands in your eye, it stings!  Since it happens often enough, Central Coast Floats sets you up with water to rinse your eye and  cloth to wipe it clean.  I was seeing if I could turn a full circle, and couldn't. In the process, I splashed myself. Live and learn, am I right?

At Central Coast Floats you get your own room, a shower (shampoo and soap), towel, and a neck pillow to rest on.  The tanks are NOT clostrophobia-enducing. For my first float, I left the light on, turned the music on and did not shut the door.  I was scared - this was all new!

After what seemed like 20 minutes, I fell into the float state. Relaxed and feeling good, I turned the light off, turned the music off, even shut the door.  The peace and quiet took over me and I then turned to my body.  "How you doing?  What's going on?" I expected to go deep into my body but what I experienced was also so much fun.  As a tall woman, I grew out of the bathtub (too) early.  Here I was, reverting back to a small child in a HUGE bathtub!  It was so fun!  With 1,200 pounds of salt, you simply cannot flip over (I tried). You can swirl, stretch, bounce back and forth from bottom to the top. I felt like such a kid; what a joyful feeling!

Other things I did not expect included the time flying by so fast. I thought, "How am I going to be still for SIXTY minutes?"  I honestly thought I would freak out. Alas, I did the opposite and loved it.

Another thing that caught me by pleasant surprise was how SOFT my skin felt afterward. It felt super great and, I don't know, refreshing?  The word does not exist yet for that feeling.  Additionally, when I got out, my hair was huge!  Salt embedded itself and it was just another fun, interesting feeling that I didn't know was coming in this new journey.  Remember, they have showers, so you can rinse it out.

As I went for my second float, the worries of the First Time were not present. I was relaxed and ready to float. I asked the super kind gal at the front if floating gets old, the novelty wears off. Her answer surprised me when she said they are allowed free floats each week as an employee. She told me it gets BETTER after each float and if she could float more than once or twice a week, she would!  Wow.  That says a lot.

Although I bought a Membership, I haven't been back in awhile. My full-time jobs picks up in the Fall, followed by the Holidays. I'm ready to float again and can't wait to see what comes up this time.

If you have been wanting to try floating, do it!  It's life-changing, for sure. Your spirt, your mind and your body all get such a neat experience together.  No screens, no texts, nobody else's thoughts...just YOU.  "Hello, you."

As we take a look at our lifestyles and surroundings to see where we may be exposed to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), pools and spas come into thought.

According to the CDC, "There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools and hot tubs. Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19."

Here is the CDC website for more information and confirmation.

CLEAN WATER.  How often do you think about clean water?  For most people, it's not something they ever think about.  You go to the faucet, you grab some water, no biggie.  You take a long, hot shower (feels good, right?), no worries.  You fill up your pool or spa as often as you want without batting an eyelash.  What if your water source was unsafe?  In fact, you had zero safe water to use.  Period.  Just think about that for a day.

Let's do something about the fact that in the past decade more people have died from Waterborne Illnesses (such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Shigella, and norovirus) than from all wars combined.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Global access to safe water, adequate sanitation, and proper hygiene education can reduce illness and death from disease, leading to improved health, poverty reduction, and socio-economic development. However, many countries are challenged to provide these basic necessities to their populations, leaving people at risk for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-related diseases."

This past April 2018 LoveYourHotTub donated a mere $386.40 to this amazing Non-Profit group, Friendly Water for the World.  "David, what can you possibly do with $386?"  His answer empowered me.

Turns out, $386 American Dollars can help eight entire families by supplying them with BioSand Water Filters that Friendly Water teaches (typically) women to build, sell and maintain as a source of income, while saving the lives of family and friends in their community, building a stronger future.  BioSand Filters are proven to remove bacteria, viruses, protozoa, amoebae, worms, and heavy metals from the water supply.

With our $386, Friendly Water will be donating water systems to Tuinuane Foundation who provides "support for orphans of war and other refugees in eastern Congo until appropriate infrastructure can be put in place to support ourselves."  Every family that is able to adopt an orphan will receive a BioSand Filter.

Facts that you may not know, according to the CDC:

• An estimated 801,000 children younger than 5 years of age perish from diarrhea each year, mostly in developing countries. This amounts to 11% of the 7.6 million deaths of children under the age of five and means that about 2,200 children are dying every day as a result of diarrheal diseases
• Unsafe drinking water, inadequate availability of water for hygiene, and lack of access to sanitation together contribute to about 88% of deaths from diarrheal diseases
• Worldwide, millions of people are infected with neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), many of which are water and/or hygiene-related, such as Guinea Worm Disease, Buruli Ulcer, Trachoma, and Schistosomiasis. These diseases are most often found in places with unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and insufficient hygiene practice

Our goal is not to gross you out over your morning cup of coffee.  Our goal is simply to share that we found an easy, inexpensive way to reach out and show your love to people in real need.  It's hard to hear stories like this a keep drinking your cup of Joe without reaching over to your wallet:

• Families impacted by HIV who lived on a hill in a place called Ilemela. The families would have to buy water at the bottom of the hill, and then, as they became weaker, had to either take their kids out of school to haul water up, or pay people to do it (and, generally, there was no money for that purpose)
• Women of Minova, who have been through so much, having been raped by their own national army, and who have now built and installed almost a thousand BioSand Filters and stopped cholera epidemics in two refugee camps
• Singida is a semi-arid region in central Tanzania with a population of almost a million people, with 93% of them living in rural areas. It is not uncommon for women to walk up to 8-13 kilometers (5-8 miles) daily for water, which is collected from open ponds and small rivers, where it is shared with livestock. Wells, when they exist, are virtually all dried up and abandoned. Only 33% of people in the region have even intermittent access to clean water, and cholera, typhoid, and dysentery are common
• People with Albinism live in great fear in Tanzania, as they are often hunted for their body parts, thought to bring good luck, especially in gold mining and fishing. More than a hundred people with albinism, often youth, are murdered each year, and this often happens among young people walking for water. Unable to protect them generally, the government has moved people with albinism into reserved areas, often without access to adequate food, water, schools, or employment

Thank you to LoveYourHotTub's customers for donating 5% of their ozone sales for a few days.  As you can see, it went a long way!!  We will continue to provide opportunities to donate.  Of course, you can go right to the source at FriendlyWater.Net!

Chances are you have never seen a pool as crystal clear as a pool sanitized with Advanced Oxygen Process (AOP). AOP has been evolving for decades (back to 1980s). Primarily used for wastewater treatment, AOP can break down more in the water than either Ozone or UV-C separately. Put together, and the result (AOP) is currently the most powerful sanitation for pools and spas on the market today.

When a woman called asking her for guidance to determine whether or not her little daughter could get in the pool in 30 minutes to take a swim lesson, my background in law told me to be very cautious. She thought there was something wrong with her pool water (her actual pool water is pictures above). In trying to describe something she had never witnessed before, words like, "oily sheen" and "slick" came out. But what she was actually seeing was the most crystal clear water she had ever seen in her life!  Thanks to her AOP50.

The reason her pool was so sparkly was because AOP not only kills everything in your pool (99.99%), it completely obliterates the particles that build-up in normal pools.  After killing and blowing everything up (bacteria, viruses, metals and organics), it cleans up after itself. In scientific terms, it micro-flocculates the particulate matter.

Imagine everything in your pool water...keeps flowing through your filter. Your filter isn't good enough to catch it, and you just get use to it. Often times, you can SEE the water flowing over the light lenses. You can see the dust.

When AOP comes along, it gets the job done fast and efficiently.  First it sanitizes; then it purifies; lastly, it micro-flocculates the water. All within the first 24 -48 hours. What comes after this initial period is crystal clear water that is easy to balance.  It will leave your guests wondering what your secret ingredient is. Ironically, you are not adding anything; you are only subtracting. And when you have nothing left in your water, the ability for light to refract is present. The result: water that sparkles like a diamond.

OZONE.  Simply put ozone is O3, or activated oxygen.  There are two basic ways to generate ozone for pool and spa use:  Ultra Violet Rays (think sunshine) and Corona Discharge (think lightning bolt).  Imagine up in the Upper Atmosphere, ozone is naturally created when the UV rays from the sun or the "energy fields of light" split the passing-by oxygen molecules into two single atoms.  Not happy in this state, they quickly reform as oxygen (O2) and a single atom attaches to an oxygen molecule for an instant, making an ozone molecule (O3).

UV OZONE.  Again, ozone is made either with UV or CD generation.  UV ozone is mild and virtually ineffective in most cases (with the exception being DELZONE UV generators which are no longer available).  Producing low levels of ozone, these UV ozone generators also don't live very long (9,000 hours).

UV-C STERILIZATION.  UV ozone and UV-C both come from light bulbs, but one has a shorter wavelength.  One creates UV ozone, and one creates UV-C sterilization.  Both are "UV", both are light bulb technology, but the outcome is quite different.

Let us eliminate the weakest method:  UV OZONE.  UV ozone is antiquated technology that uses more electricity, dies faster, and doesn't save you as much in chemicals as either CD Ozone or UV-C sterilization.  So, bye bye UV Ozone!

That leaves us with two awesome methods to sanitize your pool or hot tub:  CD Ozone and UV-C sterilization.  CD Ozone outperforms UV-C in one critical way:  ozone cleans up its mess; UV-C does not.

When UV-C is done doing its job (changing the DNA in organisms so they can't reproduce), it leaves behind all the carcasses and debris.  It is the job of chemicals or enzymes and the filter to remove the mess.  Ozone, on the other hand, kills EVERYTHING in the water 99.9999999%, then cleans it all up in a process known as micro-flocculation (which means to clump).  So, first ozone destroys, oxidizes, and blows up the bacteria, viruses and other organics in pool or spa water.  Then it clumps it all back together until the chains are long enough to get filtered out.

UV-C sterilizer's end result:  water that is safe to swim in, but gets cloudy and dirty fast.  The dirtier the water the less the UV-C can penetrate and clean the water and the cycle continues until you have to shock or dump the water.

Ozone's end result:  water that not only safe to swim in, it is CRYSTAL CLEAR.

WHICH ONE WOULD YOU PICK?  Ozone, of course!  Check out our spa ozone and pool ozone sections for more information..

Ever hear, "the sum is greater than its parts"?  Well, this is the case with ozone and UV-C sterilization!  Turns out, when you inject ozone into a UV-C sterilizer, they create a reaction leading to an even more powerful sanitizer than either ozone or UV-C:  ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESS (or AOP).  Check out our AOP pool systems and our AOP hot tub and swim spa systems.

Spas with ozone use fewer chemicals.  But when ozone dies around the three year mark, water chemistry goes haywire.  pH becomes a nightmare and you find yourself running to the local spa store for more and more chemicals.  Spa ownership is now un-fun.

Smelly hot tub water could be an indicator bacteria is present.  Ozone kills 99.99% of all known bacteria and viruses and leaves only oxygen behind.  It is natural, powerful, and clean.  Ozone is not a stand-alone sanitizer.  It breaks so fast, there is none left behind (there is no residual).  Visit our blog post Recipe for Perfect Spa Water if you need guidance on a spa water regime that works well.

The main reason ozone generators fail is because ozone check valve sticks shut, giving ozone nowhere to go but backwards, and the result is a failed ozone generator.  Changing the spa ozone check valve is the single-most important part of spa ozone maintenance.  It is affordable, relatively easy and keeps your ozone generator flowing freely for years.

Not many hot tub owners realize they need to change the check valve annually.  They bought the hot tub, waited until the 5-year warranty ran out, then waited for a problem to arise.  Customers who keep their ozone generators maintained often keep their hot tubs living for 20 years.  Now THAT is a smart investment!

Keep your spa ozone generator running smooth;y.  We're here to help.

Four main indicators help determine if your spa ozone generator is working:

1. WATER CLARITY.  Spa water should be crystal clear and odorless.  Anything less than perfectly clear and balanced water is an indicator that one or more of the following is true:

• Spa Ozonator has expired and needs replacing
• Check valve failed and ozone is not getting into the water
• Spa Ozonator is not producing enough ozone to properly sanitize spa water
• Injector may be clogged or needs to be replaced
  

2. WATER CHEMISTRY GOES AWRY.  If you starting to feel like, "what's wrong with me?" because you can't balance your hot tub water chemistry, it just might be that your spa ozone generator has expired.  Ozone is responsible for MANY things, but one of the most important is that it removes little particles from your hot tub.  When your ozone doesn't work, the particulate matter builds up and your chemicals can't figure out how to solve the problem.  pH becomes harder and harder to balance.  The spa water now begins to also get cloudy (see #1).

3. ODOR. If your spa water smells like a footlocker, you could have bacteria and/or viruses building up.  This is an indicator you have no ozone generator, or that the existing ozonator has expired.  200 times more powerful than chlorine, ozone kills 99.99% of all known viruses and bacteria (chlorine and bromine do not), leaving water safe and clear.

If your spa water smells like a chemical factory, don’t get in it!  Contrary to common belief, smelling toxic levels of chemicals does not mean your spa is safe; it could indicate your chlorine or bromine is locked up, ineffective, and dangerous to soak in or breathe.  With a properly-designed ozone system, spa water should smell fresh and clean.  Ozone reduces chlorine to .5PPM and bromine to 1PPM.  It reduces the need to use shock, metal out, pH Up and pH Down, water clarifiers and adjusters.  With ozone, water is as easy on your eyes as it is to balance.

4.  AGE.  The average lifespan of a Spa Ozone Generator is 3 years.  Most people do not know what style of ozone generator they have, but if you do, here is a basic lifespan guide to help you know if you need a new ozonator: 

UV Ozone Generators.  UV Ozone Generators light up for years, giving the impression there is ozone.  The reality is that UV ozonators use Mercury to create ozone.  Over time the Mercury vaporizes and ozone can no longer be created.  Just because the bulb is glowing does not mean there is adequate ozone to sanitize spa water.  Most UV owners believe if they light is glowing, their ozonator is “working.”  But that is not necessarily true.

The DELZONE ZO-300 and ZO-302 UV Ozone Generators produced the most ozone of all UV Spa Ozone Generators.  These UV units tend to last years, particularly when the generator runs 24/7 (some customers claim up to 18 years!) However, when run in cycles, the ballast burns out and the lifespan decreases significantly.  If you have anything other than a DELZONE UV Ozone Generator (Balboa, Prozone, UltraPure, Clarathon, JED, AquaSun, etc), expect only 1.5-3 years.  Some UV ozonators produce such low levels of ozone, you don’t even know when they die (because you never knew you had it!). 

CD Chip Ozone Generators.  The CD Chip Ozone Generator CDS-16 was manufactured by DEL Ozone since 1998 as a more eco-friendly alternative to UV Ozonators.  In 2000 DEL introduced the same technology to the after-market spa sector in a product known as the Spa Eclipse Original.  Using less raw materials and electricity, the CD Chip units were designed to last 9,000 of operating hours, with an expected life of 1.5-3 years.

CD Electrode Ozone Generators.  DEL Ozone introduced the CD Ozone Electrode Spa Ozonators for the industry in 2000.  Keeping this high-end technology a privilege to a hand full of Spa Manufacturers, DEL finally released the MCD-50 Original to the spa after-market in 2008.  Twice the ozone and lifespan, the MCD-50 Original was a low-energy user compared to UV Ozone Technology.

APG Ozone Technology.  DEL Ozone mastered ozone technology with their Advanced Plasma Gap Ozone Generators.  The APG Ozone Module works so well, DEL discontinued all the other technology.  Effective and long-living, the modern Spa Eclipse Next Generation, MCD-50U Next Generation and the MCD-250U Next Generation all utilize the 9-1056-01 APG Ozone Module inside.  These three spa ozone generators easily replace any spa ozone generator out there, so step up to DEL's APG Ozone Technology today!

We hope this article helps you determine whether or not it is time to replace your existing Spa Ozone Generator.  Feel free to contact us directly with specific questions.

When spa water gets out of whack, what do most spa owners do?  Dump it.  Now that water is contaminating the environment.

By installing a Spa Ozonator you get water that is healthier and lives much longer than your average spa water.  Eventually most people finally dump your water out of fear that somethings GOT to be wrong (even though all the signs tell you nothing IS wrong). 

What ozone does in spa and hot tub water:

1. Ozone removes particulate matter.  This is the single most important job ozone does to help balance water.  Ozone micro-flocculates (clumps) tiny bits of metals, minerals and other contaminants.  Imagine going from silt to oatmeal.  During this 24-48 hour period, water typically looks cloudy.  DO NOT SHOCK!  The process with start all over again.  But, DO clean your filter(s) until the water is crystal clear (no longer than 48-hours).
   
   1. Ozone works well with others.  Chlorine, bromine, non-chlorine shock, spa mineral purifiers, ionizers, salt generators, UV Sterilizers, you name it.  The jury is out on whether it works well with Baquacil products.
      
2. Ozone kills 99.9999999% of all viruses and bacteria.  Ozone allows you to bring your chemicals to the lowest possible point without losing power needed to kill viruses and bacteria.  After ozone does its job killing viruses and bacteria, it removes the carcasses using the powerful micro-flocculation process described above.
   
3. Ozone reduces chlorine residual down to .5 PPM.  Better news:  ozone breaks down chloramines which are the eye-burning, swim suit-destroying, skin irritants!  With ozone and .5 PPM of chlorine, the experience is odorless and amazing.  Please make sure your water test strips read low levels of chlorine so you are not forced into using the typical 3-5 PPM.
   
4. Ozone reduces bromine residual to 1 PPM.  Careful not to over-brominate when paired with ozone; it's easy to do.  Make sure your bromine test strips can read low-levels of bromine so you are not forced into using the typical 3-5 PPM.  In high doses, ozone and bromine will eat each other up so you use more bromine, hot tub looks and smells bad, and you wonder, "what happened?"  REDUCE your bromine to 1 PPM.
   
5. Ozone breaks down oils.  What's left for chlorine or bromine to do?  Not much.  Be a good little back-up.  Again, with ozone all you need is .5 PPM of chlorine or 1 PPM of bromine; no more.
   

Ozone sanitizes, oxidizes, and purifies.  The only by-product of ozone is pure, life-giving oxygen.  It is simply the most natural, organic and powerful product you can use in your hot tub or spa to ensure water that is safe, healthy and easy to balance.

In this article, we will provide you what we believe is the recipe for perfect hot tub water!  By "perfect" we mean crystal-clear, hassle-free and healthy.  

LoveYourHotTub.com gives you ultimate ownership of your spa's water quality.  You are the boss of your hot tub water, so be aware:  more is not better and balance is key.

Bromine or Chlorine?  Based on years of field experience, our preferred choice is to pair Ozone with Chlorine.  Chlorine does not live long in hot water.  Chlorine alone would be hard to manage, but when used in tandem with Ozone, we believe the combination is safe and healthy.

Bromine (high levels) and Ozone produce negative results and should be avoided.  If you choose to stay with Bromine, only use 1 PPM when used with Ozone.  Make sure you have low-chlorine, low-bromine test strips that read down to .5 PPM or even 0 PPM (most strips tell you that you need to add more Bromine to achieve the industry standard of 3-5 PPM).  If you rarely use your tub, Bromine might be best for you because it is more stable in hot water.

Chlorine and Ozone are synergistic.  Ozone will kill everything organic (viruses, bacteria, oil) in the water, allowing chlorine to be reduced to a minimal .5 PPM.  However, due to the fast burn off in hot water, you may experience even lower chlorine levels when you get back into your tub.  For regular users, Chlorine and Ozone is ideal.  Make sure your test strip reads 5 PPM and not the standard 3-5 PPM.

What about Salt Generators, UV Sterilizers, and Minerals such as SpaRx?  We are fans of all three!  Ozone works incredibly well with the three systems, and should be always be utilized to keep water chemistry at ease.

Recipe for Perfect Hot Tub Water:

1. Starting with “fresh” water is preferred, but you decide: is your water good enough to start with? If not, dump and refill.
2. SHOCK.  Per manufacturer’s recommendations on the bottle of your choice of chlorine-based or non-chlorine shock, SHOCK YOUR WATER!
3. AFTER shocking your water, install an ozonator*.  Upon introducing ozone for the first time, water often gets cloudy in the first 24-48 hours. This is natural and GOOD.  Clean your filter; don’t shock at this time.  When the water sparkles like a diamond, you’ll know it’s ready for action.
4. If you are a regular soaker, put a little chlorine in after each use.  An example from Natural Chemistry's Spa Chlorine bottle prescribes that after each use, with the pump on, scatter 1/2 teaspoon for every 100 gallons (don't overdo it!).
5. Weekly shock the hot tub water with chlorine-based or non-chlorine based shock.

Ozone has many benefits to hot tub water, but the two most important are:

• Ozone kills 99.99% of ALL known viruses and bacteria
• Ozone micro-flocculates the water, removing the tiniest particulate matter. The result is crystal clear water that is EASY TO BALANCE

Ensure your spa or hot tub is equipped with an operable ozone generator so you can enjoy perfect spa water with fewer chemicals and a lot less hassle.

"Yellow Goo" in your Spa Ozone Tubing is a collection of Nitric Acid.  Nitric Acid is formed when Nitrogen in the air mixes with moisture in the air.

Yellow Goo is not new!  But the one thing that did change for the better of the environment is the fact that a few years ago the tubing in the United States joined the European standard and so now tubing biodegrades!

This is great for environmentalists, but does require added awareness that hot tub owners (or their Qualified Technicians) replace Spa Ozone Tubing as frequently as they change their Spa Ozone Check Valve, which is once a year (18 at the latest).

We here at Love Your Hot Tub think it's best to remove the traditional Hartford Loop (looptie loop) in the Spa Ozone Tubing  and simply make the ozone tubing go up and back down to the point of injection.  This way, there is no place for the Yellow Goo to puddle up and cause a blockage in the Tubing.  When ozone is blocked from flowing forward, it flows backwards into the Ozone Generator and will eat itself alive!

So, again, replace your Tubing and Check Valves every year, up to every 18 months if your climate is mild and not humid (ie, Spa Ozone Generators live longer in places like California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, and they live shorter lives if you live in Texas, Louisiana or Florida).