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Here at The Sundance Spa Store we are often asked  "What is Spa Shock?" and "Do I need to use it my hot tub?". This blog will give you the lowdown on Spa Shock, and show you how useful it is to help keep your Sundance hot tub water looking and feeling great!

What is Spa Shock?

Spa Shock is a water treatment that oxidizes (gasses off) dead chloramines, body oils, sweat and other contaminates from your hot tub water. 

Spa Shock is commonly available in two different forms. There is chlorine based shock (Sodium Dichlor), which increases your sanitizer levels as well as shocking the water, and non-chlorine shock (potassium monopersulfate or MPS) which is purely for oxidizing the water.

If you have purchased a hot tub from The Sundance Spa Store, then you will have received a bottle of "Spa Shock" in your water care kit, which is a non-chlorine shock.

Here is a guide to what your chlorine free spa shock is and what it does in your Sundance hot tub's water.

How Does it Work?

The main purpose of Spa Shock is to break-down organic waste contaminants which cause bad odors and cloudy or foamy hot tub water.

It does this by oxidizing the water, which is the process of rapidly removing the outer electrons from contaminants in the water that the Spa Shock comes in contact with.

The loss of these electrons makes a contaminant vulnerable to attack at a cellular level, which quickly destroys the molecule.

The oxidizing process also works to eliminate any chloramines that might be present in your water. Chloramines occur when a chlorine particle attaches itself to a dirt particle, becoming tied up. Shocking the water will convert chloramines back to active or "Free" Chlorine.

On your AquaChek Test Strips, there are 2 tests for chlorine. The first pad on the strip tests for "Total Chlorine", that is, the total amount of chlorine present in the water.

The second test is for "Free Chlorine", this shows the amount of Free or Active chlorine present.

If the Free Chlorine level is lower than the Total Chlorine level, it is time to add some spa shock to bring the level of Free Chlorine up to where it needs to be.

Once the Spa Shock has been added water quality and clarity is often completely restored, and any bad odors in the water are removed.

Does it work with any sanitizer?

Regardless of which sanitizer system you use, periodic shocking is essential for safe, clean and clear hot tub water. Regular use of Spa Shock will also allow your sanitizer to perform at peak efficiency.

non-chlorine shock is 100% compatible with chlorine granules or pucks, bromine granules or pucks, Ozonators, or Sundance Spas ClearRay UV-C Water Purification System.

It is the ideal primary shock to use with any of these sanitizers on a regular basis.  

When should I use it?

Spa Shock should be used at least once a week as part of your regular maintenance routine.

Other times when you should add Spa Shock include after heavy hot tub use or if the water has been left untreated for a long period of time.

Additionally, if you use a test strip and the "Free Chlorine" level is lower than the "Total Chlorine" level, then you should add some Spa Shock to reactivate your sanitizer and free your chlorine up to continue killing bacteria.

As Spa Shock is MPS based and does not contain additional sanitizer, it is safe to use the spa a short time after adding it to the water.

There is no need to wait for 12-24 hours before use which is the case with pool shock, which is a much harsher chemical than Spa Shock, so you don't need to worry about messing up your hot tub party plans!

How Much Should I add?

The standard treatment is 100g (4 Capfuls) of Spa Shock. After heavy use, this level can be increased to deal with excess contaminants.

As the Spa Shock that we provide is chlorine free, it is completely harmless so there is really nothing you can do wrong. You cannot harm your hot tub equipment or yourself with chlorine free Spa Shock!

It is better to add a higher level, and get the job done rather than use a low dosage and leave organic matter undealt with in the water that can get cloudy, smelly, foamy or form a nasty scum line.

For more information on Spa Shock or general hot tub water maintenance, please call any of our 6 locations (Burlington, Hamilton, Mississauga, Oakville, St. Catharines & Vaughan) and our team of hot tub specialists will be glad to help you out and answer your questions. 

The Sundance Spa Store is a provider of high quality Sundance Spas and Finnleo Saunas who service the GTA & Niagara Regions.

We deliver and service our products in cities such as Cambridge, Waterdown, Carlisle, Grimsby, Stoney Creek, Brantford, Binbrook, Caledonia, Smithville, Vineland, Pelham, Crystal Beach, Wainfleet, Port Colborne, Beamsville, Thorold, Brampton, North York, York, East York, Woodbridge, Etobicoke, Nobleton, Caledon, Georgetown, Toronto, Milton, Orangeville, Halton Hills, Welland, Markham, Richmond Hill, Niagara On The Lake, Fort Erie, Thornhill, Niagara Falls and many more!