For hot tub owners, one of the most consistent pain points is water care, but the Jacuzzi True Water system aims to ease that burden.
“[True Water] technology is the next evolution of water care in the Jacuzzi brand,” says Larry Ovalle, vice president of innovation and technology at Jacuzzi. “The development journey began [with asking] how we could [create] a system that delivers clean, clear water in the fewest steps.”
Erica Moir, senior vice president of design, engineering and product marketing at Jacuzzi, says the team wasn’t satisfied with simply following existing industry trends.
“We looked inside the industry and decided we needed to go outside … Where is water technology outside our space?” Moir asks.
This approach led to partnerships with companies and suppliers who hadn’t previously worked in the hot tub industry.
“It was [about] finding technology leadership, investigating, building prototypes and proving to ourselves that this road of many years is worth it to find something unique we could adapt and bring into our industry,” Moir says.
Nanobubbles and cutting-edge technology
Oxygen nanobubbles are the key to the True Water system. Nanobubbles are 2,500 times smaller than a grain of salt, Ovalle says, and they behave differently from bubble technology currently used in hot tubs known as microbubbles, Moir adds. While microbubbles rise to the surface and burst, releasing gas, nanobubbles remain suspended in the water, scrubbing surfaces and keeping the water clean for months.
Jacuzzi took cues from wastewater treatment and agriculture, industries where nanobubbles are already used. This inspired the company’s goal: reducing chlorine use to less than what’s found in drinking water. Moir says one of the most frequent comments they’ve received from testers is that the water feels and looks “sparkly.”
“It’s the visual, it’s the smell — we don’t have that [odor],” she says. “And [when] you get out, you don’t feel residual chemicals [on your skin].”
Simplicity in water care
When the hot tub is filled, True Water begins generating nanobubbles automatically, so there’s little for the owner to do beyond balancing the pH and alkalinity at start-up.
“Our goal is to make this the simplest water you could have and make the experience amazing,” Moir says. “There is only one action you have to take every six months — replace the small silica gel cylinder that acts as a dryer.”
By incorporating low-dose chlorine management through FROG’s @ease system for Jacuzzi, True Water keeps water consistently clean without daily upkeep or regular chemical adjustments.
Testing and validation
The True Water system underwent extensive testing in controlled labs and real-world environments.
“We had to get enough products in regions with different weather environments and types of water — [homes with] well water, those in a really humid or really dry environment — and we had to get those tests in backyards,” Moir says.
In addition to field tests, True Water was validated by researchers at the University of Maine, who were already studying nanobubbles for NASA. Moir says nanobubble technology is being studied and implemented by a small, collaborative group of organizations, including NASA.
“You can only take so much water to the space station or in a shuttle,” she says. “Every drop must count for them. Water is absolutely crucial. So [we knew] we were on the right path with this technology.”
Ovalle says Jacuzzi also ran lab trials, testing the system by introducing harmful bacteria into hot tubs to ensure nanobubbles could eliminate pathogens like Legionella. The system killed 99.9% of contaminants, often within 15 minutes.
A user-friendly experience
True Water integrates seamlessly with Jacuzzi’s Smart Tub technology, allowing users to monitor their hot tub via a mobile app. With simple controls for different levels of use — light, medium and heavy — the system takes the guesswork out of water care.
“It’s cool and it’s easy,” Ovalle says. “It’s effective, and it’s only from our brands.”