The eco3spa system is a complete, non chlorine water treatment solution developed specifically for hot and cold tubs, rather than swimming pools. It is non-toxic and environmentally friendly and will not irritate your skin or eyes. eco3spa comprises 3 synergistic elements: 1. A cleaner which is used prior to use and at each water change to remove biofilm, scale and grease from the tub's pipework and from all surfaces. 2. A water conditioner which is applied to the water monthly to soften the water, hydrate your skin and enhance the performance of the sanitiser. 3. A multi-function water sanitiser that produces Active Oxygen to kill harmful bacteria. The sanitiser also helps with algae removal and oxidise any organic contaminants in the water. eco3spa will make your hot or cold tub water management amazingly quick and easy enabling you to relax and enjoy your tub.

Yes you can and many of our customers do! You will just need to remember that an inflatable spa's filtration system is typically a fraction of the size of that in a hard-sided tub which means that if you are using the spa several times a week then you will need to clean the filter weekly and replace the filter at at least monthly. But that's also the case if you use chlorine as a sanitiser!

Yes you can and many of our customers do! We have developed a version of our products with instructions specifically intended for cold tub users.

Absolutely not! Active Oxygen has well-known and well documented antimicrobial, fungicidal and viricidal effects and has been used since the 1950s in a range of medical, domestic and industrial applications. It has well documented antimicrobial effects against Escherichia Coli and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, the two bacteria most commonly found in hot and cold tubs, and our own research into this is available on the Test Data page. Many studies (including our own) have also shown the effectiveness of Active Oxygen in preventing biofilm formation. In recent times Active Oxygen has been used extensively worldwide to fight Covid-19, primarily because of it's non-toxic, and odourless properties.

No! In fact quite the opposite. eco3spa will give you naturally softer water with less minerals and heavy metals and, importantly, no chlorine or bromine bleach. You won't be using acidic pipe cleaners or sanitisers which means that your tub's components will last longer. The underside of you tub's cover as well as any soft headrests or cushions will also last much longer since they will not suffer from the usual staining and corrosion caused by chlorine and bromine.

When kept in a dry, cool area such as a cupboard the ingredients in eco3spa will stay active for at least 3 years.

eco3spa is manufactured in the UK by Surespa Ltd. 

There is a wealth of evidence that chlorine is harmful to health. For example, the United States Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) has published data that shows that the following effects have been observed in humans briefly exposed to chlorine (Nov 2010 Cas#:7782-5-5) : - mild nose irritation at 1-3ppm - eye irritation at 5ppm - throat irritation at 5-15ppm - immediate chest pain, vomiting, changes in breathing rate and cough at 30ppm - lung injury (toxic pneumonitis) and pulmonary oedema (fluid in the lungs) at 40-60ppm - death after 30 minute exposure at 430ppm - death after a few minutes exposure to 1,000ppm The concentrations listed above are approximate. In general, people who suffer from respiratory conditions, such as allergies or hay fever, or who are heavy smokers tend to experience more severe chlorine exposure effects than healthy people or non-smokers. Manufacturers of hot tub chlorine recommend a dosage of 5ppm of chlorine in your hot tub during daily use and significantly higher levels for regular shocking. There is overwhelming evidence that these levels of chlorine exposure are harmful to your body.

Very few! Both chlorine and bromine's biocidal abilities are severely hindered by water hardness and poor pH control, but bromine slightly less so. Both chlorine and bromine react with organic contaminants and this reaction leads to the formation of potentially toxic disinfection-by-products such as trihalomethanes, halomethanes, haloacetic acids and chloramines. It is these bi-products that cause smell and skin irritation and well as toxicity. There are arguably less undesirable bi-products of the sanitation process when bromine is used, but the process is still extremely toxic. The only slight benefit is that bromine remains more stable at higher temperatures than chlorine does. Active Oxygen has none of these undesirable properties.

There are so many reasons.... Chlorine causes skin irritation; chlorine smells of chlorine!; chlorine requires constant pH balancing for it to work safely; chlorine bleaches swimwear; chlorine is toxic to plants and animals........

Adding chlorine to hot or cold tub water is not straightforward. You need to get the Total Alkalinity, pH and Calcium Hardness levels in your water just right before you add any chlorine (this process is otherwise known as 'balancing'). If you don't balance the water the chlorine becomes ineffective and won't kill all the bacteria. Just the process of adding chlorine granules or tablets to the water will alter the water pH value so you need to constantly test and adjust the water's balance. It can be a never ending loop! In contrast eco3spa has been shown to be effective over an extremely wide pH range and independent research has demonstrated that the sanitising effectiveness of eco3spa is virtually unchanged between pH 5.6 and pH 8.5. What's more, the eco3spa Step 2 Water Conditioner contains a pH stabiliser so, if you do need to adjust the pH of the water in the tub because your source water has a very high pH (ie it is extremely hard), you only need to do it once when you fill your tub. Thereafter you don't need to worry about pH again until your next water change.

eco3spa Step1 Cleaner is an advanced blend of surfactants and organic salts that very effectively clean the internal workings of your hot or cold tub and all exposed surfaces, removing biofilm, scale and body fats and leaving the pipework and equipment sparkling clean. eco3spa Step1 Cleaner is added to the water in your jetted tub prior to using eco3spa for the first time and then prior to each drain. It cleans the parts of your tub that you can't reach, removing bacteria and bacterial food and so reducing the need for high levels of sanitiser. It is also used as a surface cleaner to remove bacteria and scale from all accessible surfaces. Unlike most biofilm removers, eco3spa Step 1 Cleaner is non-corrosive and non-acidic, it will not damage your tub cover or equipment and it is safe to discard on garden plants and grass.

eco3spa Step 2 Water Conditioner is is the environmentally friendly, non-toxic heart of the eco3spa system. It is made from natural coconut, minerals and plant extracts with natural enzymes and a proprietary formulation of non-foaming surfactants. The Step 2 Water Conditioner not only enhances the quality of the water in your tub, it also stabilises the pH and reduces the demand placed on the sanitiser, enabling the Active Oxygen generated by the sanitiser to effectively and efficiently eradicate bacteria. The coconut extract has the additional benefit of being an excellent skin softener and hydrator.

eco3spa Step 3 Sanitiser contain a triple potassium salt which dissolves in water to produce Active Oxygen. It is available in both granular and tablet form and it also contains proprietary additives to assist with algae removal, water clarification and cleansing. This sanitiser is at least as effective as chlorine in neutralizing harmful bacteria and oxidising organic waste such as body oils, sweat, dead skin, saliva, mucous, urine, faeces etc. As hard as you might try, you cannot avoid these contaminants getting into the water and it's very important to remove them or, over time, they will enable harmful pathogenic bacteria to easily grow and thrive in the water. eco3spa Step 3 - Sanitiser does not contain any chlorine or bromine. Water treated with the sanitiser will not irritate your skin or eyes, it is non-toxic and safe to discard onto your garden plants or grass.

Coconut is a natural surfactant, cleansing agent and emulsifier. Coconut fatty acid is natural and biodegradable. It is used in many soaps, bath products, household and industrial cleaning products. Coconut contains a high level of lauric acid which makes it an effective and natural skin conditioner. This is why bathers who use a tub that has been treated with eco3spa Step 2 Conditioner come out of the water feeling that their skin is soft and moisturised.

Bacteria can be found in two states within any hot or cold tub: planktonic (or free living bacteria) present in the water; and sessile bacteria which adhere to the surfaces and form biofilms in the pipework, under the head rests and in the filter etc. eco3spa removes these bacteria from your hot tub in three synergistic ways... Firstly, the Step 1 Cleaner removes biofilm and other organic contaminants from the plumbing system, jets and surfaces, removing the sessile bacteria and the bacterial breeding ground present in untreated tubs. Secondly, the eco3spa Water Conditioner breaks down organic contaminants which would otherwise remain in the water and create more food for harmful bacteria to thrive on. Thirdly, the Step 3 Sanitiser produces Active Oxygen throughout the water that safely eradicates any remaining planktonic bacteria.

The eco3spa Step 3 Sanitiser has been shown in formal experimental testing to be an effective bactericide over the pH range 5.2 - 8.5, with no drop-off in performance at each end of the scale. It is unusual for UK tap water to be outside of this range (the legal requirement is for the pH of UK tap water to be between 6.5 and 9.5) so, as long as your source water is within or close to this range, eco3spa will function effectively with no need to test. This is in complete contrast to chlorine that will only effectively sanitise if the pH of the water is within a very narrow band between 7.4 and 7.6.

Surfactants work by reducing molecular surface tension. They are compounds that separate other compounds at a molecular level. Surfactants are found in almost every household cleaning product and are responsible, for example, for the grease-cutting power of washing-up liquid. The surfactants in the eco3spa Step 1 Cleaner break down the ‘sticky’ layer of bio-film that grows and multiplies in all wet pipework, enabling it to be released into the water and drained away. The surfactants in the eco3spa Step 2 Conditioner break down organic waste in the water and help to kill bacteria by disrupting the cell membranes. All surfactants in eco3spa are completely safe, biodegradable, vegan and environmentally friendly.

The natural surfactants and enzymes in the Water Conditioner together with the Active Oxygen sanitiser are constantly circulating through the entire tub pipework and filtration system. Together, they are constantly cleaning the inside of the pipes and filters. In tubs that use the traditional chlorine or bromine based water treatments filters get clogged up and need frequent cleaning because biofilm, organic wastes and scale gets trapped in the filter pores. However, eco3spa removes biofilm, breaks down organic wastes and eliminates scale, thus reducing the need for frequent filter cleaning and replacement. We recommend that with normal hot tub use, filter cleaning need only be carried out every 4 to 6 weeks using our non-toxic filter cleaner. Obviously the frequency will depend on the size of your filters compared to the volume of water in your hot tub and the amount of use that the tub gets. NB. Inflatable Spa filters will usually need to be cleaned more frequently.

The first simple step in the eco3spa process is to use Step 1 Cleaner to remove biofilm, body fats and scale from the pipework and all surfaces of your tub. If you are starting with a brand new tub then there will be biofilm growing in the pipework from when the tub was wet-tested in the factory. Similarly, if your hot tub has been left empty unless it was thoroughly dried, which is almost impossible to do, there will be biofilm growing in the damp pipework so you still need to complete this step. 1. Ensure the tub is full of warm water to 50mm above all jets and water outlets. Open all air inlet valves and centralise any diverter valves. NB If you have a cold tub without circulation you can ignore this and jump to Step 8. 2. Remove any fitted head rests or cushions and leave them soaking in the tub water. Remove the filter(s) from their housing. 3. Tip the bottle of eco3spa Step 1 Cleaner into the water, reserving a small amount of the product to clean the shell of the hot tub and headrests after the flushing process. NB For cold tubs use the amount specified on the bottle. 4. Turn on all jet and/or circulation pumps and run for at least 60 minutes. It is normal for a lot of foaming to occur and dark coloured biofilm particulates to be seen. 5. Allow the water to stand for at least 30 minutes and then turn on all pumps again for a further 30 minutes. 6. Drain the tub. The drained water is safe to empty onto grass or plants. 7. As the water drains down, wipe away any visible residue left on the shell and rinse the surfaces with fresh water. 8. Wipe all surfaces, including cushions and head rests, with a small amount of the reserved cleaner on a soft, clean, damp cloth. Rub as necessary to remove any stubborn scum marks or biofilm deposits. 9. Rinse away the cleaner thoroughly or foaming may occur when the tub is refilled. 10. When the tub is completely drained, refill with clean water and clean and replace the filter(s).

Use eco3spa Step 2 Water Conditioner immediately after cleaning your hot tub with eco3spa Step 1 Cleaner and filling with fresh water. 1. Turn on all air and water pumps, shake the bottle and add 300ml of eco3spa Step 2 - Water Conditioner (for spas up to 2,000 litres). Always use in conjunction with eco3spa Step 3 Multi-Function Water Sanitiser. NB For cold tubs use the amount specified on the bottle. 2. Add a further dose after one month and the final dose one month later. After 3 months drain and clean the tub with eco3Spa Step 1 Cleaner and start the process again.

Use the sanitiser (tablets or granules) immediately after adding eco3spa Step 2 Water Conditioner to the water and before each tub use. 1. After the initial cleaning and conditioning of the water add two eco3spa Step 3 Multi-Function Water Sanitiser Tablets or four level scoops of Sanitiser Granules to your hot tub. For cold tubs use the quantity of sanitiser specified on the bottle for your size of tub. It is preferable add the sanitiser directly to the filter compartment or to the skimmer basket with a circulation pump running and ensure that the tablets have fully dissolved before using the tub. If that is not possible or you don't have a filtration system on your tub then the sanitiser may be pre-dissolved in a small amount of warm water before adding to the tub water, or a fully open floating dispenser may be used with the tablets. NB ensure that the tablets have fully dissolved before using the hot tub. 2. Prior to each use add the maintenance dose of sanitiser (half of the initial does) to the water as above. 3. If you haven't been using your tub you just need to ensure that you add at least one maintenance dose of sanitiser each week. 4. If the water ever becomes dull or foamy add an extra dose of sanitiser daily until the problem subsides. 5. For hot tubs, extra sanitiser may be required and is advised before and after heavy use.

eco3spa sanitises effectively across the pH range of all tap water within the UK (the product has been tested between pH 5.2 and pH 8.5 with no drop off if efficacy). In addition, eco3spa does not change the pH value of water, in fact it stabilises it. So the answer is NO, you do not need to worry about measuring the pH of the tub water to ensure that eco3spa is working effectively. However, if the pH of your source water is lower than 7.0 it will be slightly acidic and this in itself can lead to skin irritation in rare circumstances, so if you do suffer from any skin irritation whilst using eco3spa then try raising the pH above 7.0 If your water's pH is higher than 8.5 some scaling of your hot tub equipment can occur, even with the Step 2 Conditioner in the water. This will require the eco3spa Step 1 Cleaner to work harder, but the scale should still be removed by the cleaner at each water change.

No, it's not necessary. However, if you are in a very hard water area and you want to continue to use anti-scale then you can do so if you wish. Be aware that an anti-scale will suspend the scale particles in the water which can result in some cloudiness. Anti-foam products are not advised with any form of sanitiser because they will always degrade the water quality. Water foaming is almost always an indication of bather contaminants being introduced into the water (skin creams and lotions, make-up, hair products, fake tan, detergents or fabric conditioners from swim wear etc etc) and the obvious solution is to make sure that these contaminants are not introduced by the people using your tub. Dirty filters can also cause foaming as can liquid aromatherapy products. If you do experience any foaming try just scooping the foam off the surface for a few days and you will probably be able to solve the problem. If you do need to use an anti-foam as a last resort then there is no reason why you shouldn't, but be aware that the water quality will deteriorate.

Yes, as long as they are in good condition and are clean. You should clean your filters with a good quality powdered filter cleaning product, preferably eco3spa Revive, before starting your tub on eco3spa and clean the filters approximately monthly thereafter. NB Powder filter cleaners are much better at removing the scale that clogs up the micro-pores in the filtration media than liquids or sprays. When cleaning your tub filters you need to remove particulate matter and also bacteria, scale and biofilm.  Rinsing them under a tap, even a high pressure does, does not clean them adequately. Most first time users of eco3spa tend to fit new filters at the same time as using eco3spa to give the tub the best start with our water treatment system.

Aromatherapy products can be used if they are made from natural ingredients and without emulsifiers, perfumes and preservatives. The eco3spa range of aromatherapy crystals are made from naturally occurring Dead Sea salt crystals with pure essential oils and will not affect the sanitising properties of eco3spa or water clarity in any way. Do not use any form of liquid fragrance/aromatherapy products.

If you have been using chlorine or bromine there is likely to be a build-up of biofilm in your tub's plumbing system which needs to be removed with the eco3spa Step 1 Cleaner. To start using eco3spa simply add the Step 1 Cleaner to your existing water to remove the bio-film, drain and refill with fresh water. NB it would be prudent not to discard this water onto your garden. Then follow the instructions for use of the Step 2 Water Conditioner and the Step 3 Multi-Function Sanitiser.

Yes! You do not need either of these, but both are very good ways of helping to sanitise your hot tub water. Bear in mind that both ozonators and UV sanitising systems rely on consumable components (CD chip or UV bulb) that need replacing every 12 months or so in order to keep them working properly. The eco3spa system is powerful enough to keep the water clean without the assistance of an ozonator or UV system so there is no need to replace your ozonator chip or UV bulb, but of course you can do so if you wish and eco3spa will work happily along side any additional devices.

To understand why you need to change the water it is important, first of all, to understand what is happening to the water as you use your tub. The very act of you getting into the water in your tub contaminates it. Over time the amount of bather waste builds up in what is a relatively small volume of tub water. These wastes contain solids that accumulate and result in an increase in the Totally Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the water. eco3spa works hard to counteract this problem but, eventually, the tub's pipework, jets, pumps and blower etc will all accumulate a layer of TDS. In addition to the TDS, biofilm is building up in the pipework due to inevitable bacterial growth. If you have a hot tub, the hot water evaporates over time, but only the water itself is removed by evaporation, not the solids and bacteria it contains, so topping up with fresh water doesn't help the TDS or biofilm situation. Over time the TDS and biofilm accumulate and reach unacceptable levels. As this happens the water can become cloudy and foaming can occur. If you were to measure it, you would also find that more sanitiser is being used up as it tries to keep onto of the biofilm problem. The only way to rectify this situation is to drain the water from your tub, use the eco3spa Step 1 Cleaner and refill with fresh water.

If you have a slight green tint to water that is otherwise clear and you have used the sanitiser as directed then the problem will be caused by algae.  This isn't dangerous but it is obviously unsightly and needs to be resolved. This issue is caused by phosphates in the water. Phosphates are often added to our tap water to prevent lead from old pipes entering the water supply and to prevent scale from forming in the supply system.  They can also be produced by any plant debris allowed to enter the tub and and by some personal hygiene products, soaps and detergents. Unfortunately for us, phosphates are a primary food source for algae and high levels of phosphates can lead to high levels of algae growth.  Whilst the eco3spa Active Oxygen multi-function sanitiser will combat this problem to some extent it isn't as strong as a high dose of chlorine in this regard. The amount of phosphate in your source tap water can vary considerably from month to month so you might suddenly experience this problem when you haven't seen it before. Conversely, you might see the problem for a while but find that it has gone away after your next water change. If you do experience a green tinge to your water the first thing to try is adding a double dose of sanitiser to the water each day for a few days and the problem is very likely to clear up. If additional sanitiser doesn't help then we have a product, eco3spa Water Clarifier, that you can add to the water to solve the problem.

If you water is clear and you have been using the sanitiser as directed then this is nothing to worry amount. A musty smell when you lift up the cover is from the warm water vapour that has been trapped under the cover since you last lifted it.  If you were sanitising your tub with chlorine or bromine then the chemical would be the overwhelming smell when you lifted the cover.  Because eco3spa does not smell in the same way you can sometimes smell the musty water vapour but the smell will soon dissipate with the cover off. Keeping the underside of your hot tub cover scrupulously clean will help to resolve this problem.

Lack of a filter will definitely impact the water quality and the water is likely to go cloudy quite quickly, but it won't directly impact the level of bacteria in the hot tub and you can still use eco3spa If you have jets and circulation use the Step 1 Cleaner to clean biofilm from the pipework; then use the Water Conditioner to help with water quality and protect from skin irritation and use the Step 3 Sanitiser as directed to kill bacteria. It is difficult to say how long you will be able to keep the water in your hot tub without a filter. However, if you purchase some eco3spa test strips and use them to ensure there is sufficient sanitiser in the water you will know that your tub is safe to use, even if it is looking a bit cloudy.

When first switching to the eco3spa system, the sanitiser can occasionally be used up more quickly than expected. This happens because tubs that have been run on chlorine or bromine for a while often have very resilient biofilms in the pipework that are sometimes not fully removed by just one application of the Step 1 Cleaner. Consequently there is a requirement to add more sanitiser to overcome the bacteria that the biofilms are shedding into the tub. This problem is usually resolved after the second application of Step 1 Cleaner and the subsequent water change. If you are concerned that you might be experiencing this problem then we recommend that you double the dose of Step 3 Sanitiser that you are using and purchase some eco3spa test strips which will enable you to ensure that there is sufficient sanitiser in your tub prior to each use.

If you are going away for a week then that's no problem at all. Just apply a dose of sanitiser before you leave and another one on your return. If you are going away for 2-3 weeks then turn the temperature of the hot tub down to around 25degC and put in a double dose of sanitiser before you leave. If your tub will be due for another dose of the Step 2 Water Conditioner whilst you are away then apply it before you go. Also insert clean filters and leave any automatic filtration cycle operating as normal. When you return double dose the tub with the sanitiser again. Over the next few days if the water appears cloudy or at all smelly apply a double dose of sanitiser daily until it clears. This procedure also applies to cold tubs although, obviously, you won't need to turn the temperature down. If you are going away for 4 weeks or more and you don't have anyone to apply a regular weekly dose of eco3spa Step 3 Sanitiser to your tub then we recommend that you drain your tub and start again with the Step 1 Cleaner when you return. These procedures should ensure your hot tub is ready and safe to use when you return but if you have any doubt then purchase some eco3spa test strips and use them to ensure that the sanitiser level in your tub is sufficient before you bathe.

Yes, that's no problem at all. Just make sure that you continue to use a weekly dose of sanitiser and keep the filters clean.

Yes, the quantities shown on the hot tub instructions are for tubs between 1000 litres and 2000 litres. If your tub is only 500 litres then you can use half of the recommended doses, although we do recommend using the full dose of Step 1 Cleaner on the first application.

Possibly not easily, unfortunately! The chemical content of the mains water is continuously monitored whereas borehole water may have a high metallic content (eg copper, iron or manganese) and may also have high levels of dissolved minerals. If there is a high metallic content in the water the oxidising effect of the eco3spa Step 3 Sanitiser can cause the metals to precipitate out of solution resulting in metal staining on surfaces and discolouration of the water in the tub. It should be possible to fill your tub and treat the water before adding the eco3spa to remove the metals. There are a number of proprietary products on the market, primarily aimed at swimming pools, that should be able to help with this but it is not something that we can advise on with any great certainty unfortunately.