Hot tubs are a popular relaxation method that you can enjoy by yourself or with a group of your friends. While hot tubs intend to ease worries and anxieties, murky water can cause concern to spa users and spoil the entire experience. Luckily, there are easy ways to maintain your hot tub, and if done regularly, you can keep it running smoothly and prolong its life. All you require is the right equipment and dedication to making your hot tub maintenance effortless.
- Buy and Use the Correct Cover
After buying a hot tub, purchase a cover that protects it effectively, depending on your area’s climate. For instance, if you stay in an area that experiences snow and cold temperatures, it’s essential to ensure you purchase a cover that has a peaked top to allow snow and rain to overflow. Doing this protects the covering from any damage throughout the year, enabling it to last longer.
Clean your hot tub regularly to keep it in good working condition since it plays a considerable part in keeping your spa safe. Use a gentle purpose cleaner and a soft sponge to clean the hot tub cover. Choose a warm or sunny day when you plan to wash your hot tub cover to get maximum sun to dry well.
Most available hot tubs constitute primarily weather-resistant vinyl, but you must ensure the vinyl stays clean to lengthen the life of your spa cover. Condition your wrapper to prolong its life since doing that protects against UV rays that break the chemical bonds and trigger the surface to harden and crack. Conditioning also protects your cover against mildew that can damage it if it grows on damp vinyl.
- Clean Your Spa Filters
A clean and functioning hot tub filter cartridge is vital for managing normal levels of chemicals in spa water. According to Hal Denbar, the National Pool Partners co-founder, cleaning your spa’s filter solves one-third of the equation to a perfect hot tub.
When you don’t clean your filter, it becomes oversaturated and won’t hold contaminants as they pass through. The contamination results in murky water full of debris.
To prolong the life of individual hot tub components and limit bacterial growth, clean and replace your filters regularly. Maintaining a regular cleaning schedule ensures your filter cleans the hot tub efficiently. To unclog and clean your spa filter:
- Remove the cartridge.
- Run water over each interlace in the cartridge and wash every dirt out of the filter.
- Ensure the case air dries totally before returning it to your filter.
A good quality filter will last between one to two years, depending on how often you use your hot tub. Ensure you inspect your filter regularly for any damage and replace it once it shows signs of tear. You’ll know it’s time to replace the filter if it no longer appears clean during your regular hot tub maintenance routine.
- Balancing Your Water Chemistry
It’s essential to test the pH and alkaline levels to maintain the balance of your hot tub water. If one is out of balance, water will cause harm to your spa’s filters, plumbing, and even your tub surfaces if left for a long time.
Low alkaline levels imply the water is very acidic, which, if not treated, can cause corrosion on the hot tub’s surface. If the alkalinity of your water is high, it may be a sign of excessive chemicals in the water, sweat, oils like body lotions, makeup, or bacteria. It could also be due to hard water.
You should test the hot tub water two to four times weekly and adjust levels to stabilize the water within the proper scope. The compounds and their ideal ranges include:
- Chlorine: 1.0 to 3.0 ppm
- Bromine: 2.0 to 4.0 ppm
- pH: 7.2 to 7.8
- Total alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm
- Calcium Hardness: 175 to 275 ppm
- Total Dissolved Solids: 1500 t0 2000 ppm
For more accurate results, you can bring a water sample to Ajax Pool & Spa Aspen for a free and extensive water test and a customized treatment scheme for your hot tub. Use the results as a manual to treat and balance your spa water and make notes on the adjustments. In most cases, you’ll eventually start noticing a pattern in the water chemistry, more so with pH and sanitizer levels.
- Change Your Water Regularly
Changing your water is an essential part of hot tub maintenance. Your frequency of doing this depends on your spa type and how much you use it.
- If it’s a typical family spa, you’ll need to drain and refill the water in your hot tub after roughly every three to four months.
- You can rely on the total dissolved solids (TDS) test stripes to decide when to change your hot tub water. You can get the strips in our store.
- Add a flush product to your spa water before draining it to help keep the equipment in your hot tub clean.
To interchange the water in your hot tub:
- Drain it thoroughly and clean it before refilling.
- Get a submersible pump, and you’ll save time.
- Once you’ve drained the water, scrub it clean and disinfect all surfaces since the hot tub can contain dead skin and other contaminants.
You can pull out floating debris using a skimmer net and scoop up leaves under the water.
- Use the Right Products to Treat Your Water
The products you use to treat your hot tub depend on your chosen water system. The basic sanitizers for your spa will be chlorine, bromine, minerals, or a saltwater system. Most outdoor spa owners use chlorine to sanitize their water because it’s cost-effective, easy to use, and a potent bacteria killer.
Chlorine kills contaminants by corroding, and in this chemical reaction, it produces waste products known as chloramines which cause a smell. If you hear the smell of chlorine, it is a sign that it’s over from your water, and you should add more. Always remember the ideal range for chlorine is 1-3 ppm.
Bromine lasts longer than chlorine and has a lower pH, making it easy to keep the water balanced. It’s gentler on the skin, hence a preference for many hot tub owners. However, it works slowly and is unstabilized; thus, it’ll burn off quickly under the sun. Bromine’s acceptable range is 3-5 ppm.
At Your Service
Do you need spa maintenance or repair services? Whether you’re a hot tub guru, everyone often requires a little help. Your schedule could also not allow you to follow the above steps whenever you want to clean your spa.
With the help of our professional service technicians at Ajax Pool & Spa, we’ll help you with a solution that works perfectly for your hot tub to perform excellently. Additionally, if you want to install a new spa in your backyard, our team can help. Contact us today at 970-279-5253 or text at 239-225-8626 to request a quote. We offer free deliveries of chemicals or supplies for orders over $100.
