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Should I Use a Floating Tablet Dispenser in My Hot Tub?

By: Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on  - Last updated:

Categories Hot Tub Operational Tips, Hot Tub Water Chemistry

Hot tub chemicals can be very confusing when you first get started. There are powders, liquids, and tablets. So everyone eventually asks – should I use a floating dispenser in my hot tub?

A hot tub floater is a great way to ensure a hot tub stays correctly sanitized without consistent testing and adjusting throughout the week. It is a set-it-and-forget-it system that only needs to be refilled weekly. And by picking it up, it’s easy to see and hear if it needs more tablets.

From my experience of owning four hot tubs over the years, I have tried many methods, and different ways of dispensing the chemicals, and the use of a floating dispenser remains a firm favorite.

But there are other things to consider, and I will go through them in this article.

So let’s dive in.

Ready to Spend Less Time On Maintenance and More Time Enjoying Your Hot Tub?

Let’s face it. Balancing the water, cleaning filters, dealing with rashes, and trying to figure out which chemicals to buy and add can make you feel more like a chemist than someone who just wants to relax after a long hard day!

That’s exactly why The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course is so valuable!

This is from Matt over at Swim University and he developed it for people looking to save money, time, and frustration. His tips on chemicals can save you $100/year just by making sure you buy only what you need.

So if you’re ready to stop being confused or frustrated with your hot tub and start spending more time in it, check out The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course.

Just click that link to learn more on their website.

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How does a hot tub floater work?

A hot tub floater is simply a chemical dispenser in which you add tablets of bromine or chlorine (but never both) to your hot tub (or swimming pool).

The rate of dissolution of the tablets is over a period of a week or so, providing a slow release of sanitizer. You can also adjust the adjustable ring of fins on the side of the dispenser to open or close more, depending on how your water measures on a test strip.

In other words, if you have your adjustable vents fairly open and the readings are a little high a day later, close them off a little more. And the opposite of that is also true. If your test strip is too low a day later, open the fins up a bit more.

There are lots of different types of dispensers, from novelty ducks and turtles to more conventional shapes, but they all do the same thing and are a great labor-saving device. Saving you having to remember to add chemicals throughout the week is one of the main benefits.

Mixing chlorine and bromine results in a dangerous chemical reaction, so once you start using one type in the floater, stick with it. Buy another if you want to switch next time you change the water just make sure to rinse it out thoroughly.

Even though you’re using tablets for your regular sanitizer, it’s important to shock the water once a week to reactivate the sanitizer by increasing the available free chlorine in the water. Between 11/2 to 2 teaspoons per 100 gallons of water should be sufficient.

But if you use bromine tablets in the floater, can you still use chlorine shock??

Luckily, I wrote about this in a recent article. I get into how bromine and chlorine interact, if you can use chlorine shock in a bromine spa, and the 1 surefire way to create skin irritation by mixing the two.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Does a floating dispenser in a hot tub work for bromine or chlorine?

Floating dispensers work equally well for bromine and chlorine tablets. Just make sure to get the 1-inch tablets designed for hot tubs as pool chemicals; while similar, they are sometimes different.

Chlorine and bromine work in entirely different ways in sanitizing your hot tub.

But which is better?? I wrote about this in a recent article, where I do a complete breakdown of both chlorine and bromine and all the pros and cons.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Chlorine oxidizes contaminants and kills off bacteria within them, leaving behind chloramines. This is what causes skin irritation and the bad smell often associated with chlorine.

Bromine tears apart contaminants through ionization, leaving bromamines, which aren’t as bad as chloramines, but they still need to be filtered out.

Both bromamines and chloramines reduce the effectiveness of the sanitizer, which is why you also have to shock the water regularly.

It is also essential that filters are cleaned regularly as all of these by-products eventually find their way into the plumbing system, leading to cloudy water and bad smells.

Can I get in my hot tub right after adding more tablets to my floater?

Yes. A hot tub with a floater is perfectly safe to get into immediately after putting more tablets in the floater.

The tablets take time to dissolve, so it is usually safe to get in right after adding them, provided everything else about the water chemistry checks out. It’s best to remove the floater while the tub is in use though. It can just get annoying with the jets on, as it will often bounce onto you repeatedly.

But if you use liquid chlorine or powder sanitizer or shock, you do want to wait before getting in.

To find out how soon you can use your hot tub after adding bromine or chlorine granules, check out this recent article here on my website. Just click on the link to go straight to it.

High bromine levels or levels of chlorine can cause irritable skin and eyes, and if the level is above 5 parts per million (ppm) it can cause nausea, headaches, and breathing difficulties.

There are other factors you need to consider as well. Sanitizer only works if the pH and total alkalinity (TA) are within range, so it is important to check these levels too.

The pH of your spa water must stay within the range of 7.2 – 7.8. Any fluctuation in TA above or below 80-120 ppm may cause the pH to become unstable, reducing the effectiveness of the sanitizer.

At a pH of 8.2, chlorine is only 15% effective, so it is important to keep this in check.

You should use test strips to check these levels – if the pH is greater than 7.8 ppm, then it is too high, and this can cause scale to form on filters, pipes, and jets. Alkalinity should be below 120 ppm. To lower alkalinity and pH, you should add an acid such as sodium bisulfate or even vinegar (acetic acid).

You should test the water 2 or 3 times a week or before each use to be sure you are getting into a tub that is safe.

How many tablets should I put in my hot tub floater?

3-5 tablets per week are perfect for bromine in a large hot tub that may get used 3-6 times per week. three to five 1-inch chlorine tablets will be about right. However, chlorine breaks down faster in hot water and may require refilling your small chlorine tablets midway through the week.

So, the number of tablets you put in your floater depends on whether you are using bromine or chlorine as your sanitizer. Generally, with bromine, you need more but less often. Just twist the lid open, pour in the tablets (never touch hazardous chemicals with your bare hands), close the twist lock cap when you’re done, and toss it in.

If you decide to go with bromine, one of the best products is Leisure Time Bromine Tablets on Amazon. That you can get here on Amazon by clicking on the link.

Before using Leisure Time Brom tabs in your hot tub for the first time, you need to raise the bromide concentration in the water to 30 ppm by adding ½ ounce of sodium bromide per 100 gallons of water. Once at this level, just add the tablets to maintain a level of 4-6 ppm.

Bromine is more stable than chlorine, so it works better in the warmer water of a hot tub.

But many still prefer to use chlorine, so for those, I recommend Clorox Pool & Spa Tablets from Amazon. Each 1” tablet will serve 500 gallons, providing 3-5 ppm chlorine residual.

For the best floating chlorine dispenser, this Hot tub floater on Amazon is easy to use, and it is easy to control the rate of release by adjusting the dial on the bottom.

Chlorine is depleted by sunlight, so placing the tablets in a UV-resistant dispenser increases the amount of time the tablets last in the water.

As you will be testing the water as you go, you will soon get to know how many tablets work best for your hot tub.

It is not safe to go in a hot tub with high chlorine levels, and you can read about why in this recent article here on my website by clicking on the link.

The level of chlorine in your hot tub water should not exceed 5 ppm. If it does, you shouldn’t go in as you risk burns, itchy skin, and eyes.

If you use bromine, you should add more but less often to maintain a level of 4 to 6 ppm.

Final thoughts

There’s no doubt that using a chlorine floater is a convenient way of adding sanitizer to your water over a period of time without overloading. It also greatly simplifies your hot tub maintenance. But you have to remember to check all the other things that go into keeping your hot tub safe.

Make sure the pH and total alkalinity remain in range and don’t forget to shock the water once a week as well.

Whether you decide to use bromine or chlorine as your sanitizer of choice, stick with that choice. Don’t chop and change between the two. If after 3 or 4 months and you come to change the water, then you might consider changing sanitizer, but make sure you use a different dispenser.

And don’t forget to click on those links to read other associated articles here on my site.

Ready to Spend Less Time On Maintenance and More Time Enjoying Your Hot Tub?

Let’s face it. Balancing the water, cleaning filters, dealing with rashes, and trying to figure out which chemicals to buy and add can make you feel more like a chemist than someone who just wants to relax after a long hard day!

That’s exactly why The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course is so valuable!

This is from Matt over at Swim University and he developed it for people looking to save money, time, and frustration. His tips on chemicals can save you $100/year just by making sure you buy only what you need.

So if you’re ready to stop being confused or frustrated with your hot tub and start spending more time in it, check out The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course.

Just click that link to learn more on their website.

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Jeff Campbell
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