Rash From Hot Tub

[botsjt1839]

I have reviewed other topics relating to rashes on this formum prior to posting this. They contained a great deal of useful info, so my thanks to all that posted. I feel my situation is a bit different and I was wondering if there was anyone out there that could help me out.

We got our hot tub in mid October. It has an ozinator and is sanitized with lithium. We used it for a few months, with numerous people in it and a few times as well as for long periods of time without incident. I purchased new filters (so we would have set to rotate) and swapped them in around mid November. The weather warmed up in December for a few days so I did a drain and fill replacing the water and the filters with the ones we purchased with the tub. Around the end of December after a few nights of usage I noticed a red bumpy rash on the inside of my arms. I didn't think much of it so I continued usage of the hot tub sometimes for two hours at a time up to the end of December. The rash spread and got itchy but not unbearable. We used the tub periodically through January but due to the cold weather probably only about once per week. Pretty much after each time I noticed the rash was back but nowhere near the extent that it was in late December. We had six people over in the first week of February and we were in the tub for a few hours. The next day I had red bumps on my sides, stomach and what appeared to be scabs (sorry for the graphic nature) on my skin. I even had some red bumps on the side of my face. I decided it was time to do a drain and a refill with a change of the filters and I did that the next week. My wife and I used the tub last night and this morning I woke extremely itchy around mid day today was when the rash peaked (bumps and scabbing). Currently it appears to be subsiding.

A few things to note:

- I am pretty good at ensuring the CL, PH and TA are within the proper range

- I add Lithium to the water every few days and shock it once per week

- The water has been crystal clear over the past few periods since I have cleaned it

- I have been using a cartridge cleaner on the filters (SpaBoss)

- I used an organic cleaner on the top (not on the inside) of the shell

- The last time I drained and refilled the tub I did not flush the system

The cartridge cleaner and the organic cleaner are the only variables in the pre/post rash usage. I clean the filers with a pressure attachement and then I clean out in between each pleat in the filter. I let the filters soak in the cartridge cleaner in line with the directions on the bottle and then rinse each pleat of the filter again.

So my questions are (1) is the cartridge cleaner necessary? If it is is there another alternative I can try? (2) Is there anyone out there with a similar situation? (3) Any and I mean any suggestions (besides turing it into a 250 gallon bird bath)?

Again sorry for being graphic and sorry for the long post I just wanted to get as much info in as possible.

Please note this is our first hot tub and it was a great experience while it lasted.

Thanks.

[hottubdan]

A few questions:

1) Does anyone else besides you get the rash? If only you, you may be sensitive to something, i.e. chlorine.

2) Do you add lithium during these long soaks. If not, odds are you have no chlorine residual during them.

3) Have you considered other types of sanitizers?

[Roger]

A few questions:

1) Does anyone else besides you get the rash? If only you, you may be sensitive to something, i.e. chlorine.

2) Do you add lithium during these long soaks. If not, odds are you have no chlorine residual during them.

3) Have you considered other types of sanitizers?

Only your doctor can tell you for sure what your skin condition is. I had a type of exyma that came out after hot tub use. Not all the time but just when I soaked to often and didn't drink allot of water, Extreme temperature changes brought it on. And here in Northern Minnesota that can happen during winter soaks.

[usguys spa service]

A few questions:

1) Does anyone else besides you get the rash? If only you, you may be sensitive to something, i.e. chlorine.

2) Do you add lithium during these long soaks. If not, odds are you have no chlorine residual during them.

3) Have you considered other types of sanitizers?

Only your doctor can tell you for sure what your skin condition is. I had a type of exyma that came out after hot tub use. Not all the time but just when I soaked to often and didn't drink allot of water, Extreme temperature changes brought it on. And here in Northern Minnesota that can happen during winter soaks.

you might want to do some research on a condition called folliculitis.

[chem geek]

You can use the table in this link to help distinguish a chemical sensitivity from a bacterial infection (i.e. Pseudomonas aeruginosa).

[botsjt1839]

A few questions:

1) Does anyone else besides you get the rash? If only you, you may be sensitive to something, i.e. chlorine.

2) Do you add lithium during these long soaks. If not, odds are you have no chlorine residual during them.

3) Have you considered other types of sanitizers?

In response:

1) It appears to be only me, no one in my family. With guests you may never know - they might be too shy to ring it up

2) No - only a the end of a soak. I was never told to add lithium during a soak - should I?

3) Yes but I have know idea what would be involved in that - I will talk to my retailer.

Thanks!

[botsjt1839]

A few questions:

1) Does anyone else besides you get the rash? If only you, you may be sensitive to something, i.e. chlorine.

2) Do you add lithium during these long soaks. If not, odds are you have no chlorine residual during them.

3) Have you considered other types of sanitizers?

Only your doctor can tell you for sure what your skin condition is. I had a type of exyma that came out after hot tub use. Not all the time but just when I soaked to often and didn't drink allot of water, Extreme temperature changes brought it on. And here in Northern Minnesota that can happen during winter soaks.

Thanks - I am going to book and appointment next week - I will ask to be referred to a dermatologist but the rash will probably be cleared by the time that appointment comes around.

[botsjt1839]

A few questions:

1) Does anyone else besides you get the rash? If only you, you may be sensitive to something, i.e. chlorine.

2) Do you add lithium during these long soaks. If not, odds are you have no chlorine residual during them.

3) Have you considered other types of sanitizers?

Only your doctor can tell you for sure what your skin condition is. I had a type of exyma that came out after hot tub use. Not all the time but just when I soaked to often and didn't drink allot of water, Extreme temperature changes brought it on. And here in Northern Minnesota that can happen during winter soaks.

you might want to do some research on a condition called folliculitis.

Thanks I have done that but given the time it takes to appear (and how we keep the water) think it is chemical.

[botsjt1839]

You can use the table in this link to help distinguish a chemical sensitivity from a bacterial infection (i.e. Pseudomonas aeruginosa).

Thanks I saw this table in another thread on this forum - that's what led me to beleive it is chemical (cartridge cleaner or cleaner on the side - and not bacterial.

[hottubdan]

A few questions:

1) Does anyone else besides you get the rash? If only you, you may be sensitive to something, i.e. chlorine.

2) Do you add lithium during these long soaks. If not, odds are you have no chlorine residual during them.

3) Have you considered other types of sanitizers?

In response:

1) It appears to be only me, no one in my family. With guests you may never know - they might be too shy to ring it up

2) No - only a the end of a soak. I was never told to add lithium during a soak - should I?

3) Yes but I have know idea what would be involved in that - I will talk to my retailer.

Thanks!

My concern about adding Lithium during the long soak is I am sure you are using up all sanitizer. If you were to check your chlorine level in the middle of a long soak with friends, I'll bet you would have none.

I agree you are probably sensitive to a chemical. Finding out what is anybody's guess.

[botsjt1839]

A few questions:

1) Does anyone else besides you get the rash? If only you, you may be sensitive to something, i.e. chlorine.

2) Do you add lithium during these long soaks. If not, odds are you have no chlorine residual during them.

3) Have you considered other types of sanitizers?

In response:

1) It appears to be only me, no one in my family. With guests you may never know - they might be too shy to ring it up

2) No - only a the end of a soak. I was never told to add lithium during a soak - should I?

3) Yes but I have know idea what would be involved in that - I will talk to my retailer.

Thanks!

My concern about adding Lithium during the long soak is I am sure you are using up all sanitizer. If you were to check your chlorine level in the middle of a long soak with friends, I'll bet you would have none.

I agree you are probably sensitive to a chemical. Finding out what is anybody's guess.

My guess is the cartridge cleaner as it is the only variable - as I said I used the tub for almost 2 months without incident. Do you know if the cleaner is necessary or is there something else I can use - perhaps a household item to clean the filter?

[chem geek]

Just so you know, if you are starting off using lithium hypochlorite right after a fresh refill of your tub, then you are over-chlorinating your tub and risking a much shorter hot tub cover life as well as other components that could wear faster. You need some Cyanuric Acid (CYA) in the water to moderate the chlorine level, but not too much. 30 ppm is probably about right (at least 20 ppm, but not more than 50 ppm). Using Dichlor initially for around a week will get you close to that amount if you add around 4 ppm FC per day.

If you aren't soaking with chlorine, then I'm not sure what chemical you are reacting to. It could be the ozonator if it's on while you are soaking and if it's too strong or you are sitting near the area where the ozone is getting injected into the tub.

Richard