Will Hot Tub Water Kill My Grass?
Will Hot Tub Water Kill My Grass?
If you have a 650-gallon hot tub that has been installed in your backyard and it is almost time to drain and clean it, you are probably wondering if hot tub water will kill your grass or ruin your beautiful landscaping. In the article below, we will discuss how you can safely drain the water from your hot tub and not damage your grass, flowers or plants.
Before you even start considering draining your hot tuband how it can impact your lawn, you need to be aware of any potential local restrictions or guidelines. Before you plan to drain your hot tub, it is important to check with your municipality regarding any local regulations regarding water discharging laws.
Draining Your Hot Tub
Every three to four months, you will need to drain and replace your hot tub water. Follow these steps to safely drain and avoid flooding your yard.
- Turn off the circuit breaker to ensure that no components are running.
- Using a garden hose, remove the front panel on your hot tub to find the hose spigot.
- Find a safe spot to position the hose to drain such as your driveway to flow into the street. If left on your lawn, it will become flooded.
- Attach the hose, open the spigot and let the water drain.
- Once water flow has stopped, use a shop-vac to suck up and remaining water drops on the bottom of the hot tub and use a towel to dry.
How to Protect Your Grass
Chlorine and other water chemicals may damage or kill your grass. To protect your lawn, when you are almost ready to drain your hot tub, refrain from adding any chlorine or other chemicals to the water for at least two days prior. Chlorine is harsh, but it does dissipate quickly, especially if the cover is left off your hot tub. After two days, test the water and if the chlorine level is not yet at zero, run the hot tub for several hours with the cover off to remove the remaining chlorine.
How to Re-Use Hot Tub Water
Draining your hot tub can seem like a big waste of water. The good news is there are a few things that you can do to re-use and recycle your hot tub water.
Water Trees and Shrubs
Provided that the chlorine level was zero when you drained your hot tub water, you can use the water to safely water your trees and shrubs. If you would like to also use it to water your lawn, just make sure to check the pH level first as grass can be more sensitive. If the pH level is between 7.0 - 7.8, you should safely be able to use on grass. Test a small area first and move around the lawn every thirty minutes to not over saturate with the acidic pH.
Water Around Your Home
If the summer has brought a long-lasting heat wave or you live in a dry climate, you may want to water your home’s foundation or concrete driveway to prevent cracks in the material and it drying out.
Car Wash
The water drained for your hot tub is more than enough to wash your car with. As you drain the hot tub, you can position the hose in your driveway to spray the car and have a spot to place on the ground so that it will safely flow into the street and not flood your lawn while you are scrubbing your car with soap.
Now that you know how to protect your grass from the water in your hot tub, learn more about how to maintain your hot tub by downloading a buyer’s guide.
