Soaking yourself in a hot tub has many benefits, including relieving stress, improving skin health, promoting muscle relaxation, etc. But you cannot enjoy all these benefits when your hot tub is not properly functioning or the water is full of impurities. Maintaining it doesn’t have to be complicated and time-consuming. It can be an easy job when you know the maintenance basics.
The easiest way to maintain a hot tub is to clean it regularly. You must have the right chemicals for the job. The chemicals help clean the water, avoiding possible contaminants, including bacteria. Here are seven easy hot tub maintenance tips to ensure it’s in good condition for a fantastic soaking experience.
7 Easiest Tips to Maintain a Hot Tub
Hot tub maintenance helps you avoid the possibility of the water going cold and becoming dirty with bacteria and germs. It also helps extend its lifetime, reducing any future repairs it may need as time goes on.
Your hot tub holds warm water, a perfect breeding ground for algae. The presence of bacteria can cause cloudy or unclear water, causing severe skin irritations when you soak yourself in such water. Hence, the need to maintain it! But how?
- Drain the Hot Tub
Over time, your hot tub water accumulates minerals, bacteria, and other impurities from body lotions, makeup, and sweat, affecting its clarity and quality, which makes it look nasty. You need to drain the water until it’s empty. You can use a submersible siphon or pump to ensure you drain all the water before you can start cleaning. This way, you can thoroughly wash every part of the hot tub.
- Deep Clean Your Hot Tub
Deep cleaning is one of the most crucial hot tub maintenance tasks you should practice regularly. When you have drained all the water, apply a nonabrasive cleaner to your hot tub walls and floor and wipe it down using a sponge or a soft cloth. Look out for areas with dirt or grime buildup and scrub them a little more using a soft brush. This way, you can keep the water clean and clear and prolong your hot tub’s lifetime.
Clean the jets using a 50/50 water-to-vinegar solution, running the water for at least 15 minutes to clear any buildup. Finally, drain the water while rinsing your hot tub shell, ensuring no cleaner or debris remains.
- Clean the Filters
Your hot tub filters can become clogged by debris, such as leaves and other large dirt particles. If not properly maintained, they become less effective and collect bacteria and contaminants not being pulled out of the water.
Remove the filters and clean them thoroughly using a filter cleaner or degreaser. To maintain the excellent condition of your filters, it’s necessary to rinse them every one to two weeks. Use a garden hose to rinse it and ensure it’s completely dry before putting it back into your hot tub.
For deeper cleaning, you can soak your filters overnight in a high-quality filter cleaner every few months to clear out any grime that has built up on them, which is also a way to extend their lifetime. If you realize your hot tub filters no longer get clean during regular maintenance, it might be time to replace them!
- Refill Your Hot Tub
Having cleaned your hot tub, refill it with fresh water per the manufacturer’s recommended level. Use a hose to ease the job. If you frequently use the hot tub, you should drain and refill it more regularly.
Otherwise, drain and refill it with water every three to five months, especially if you use a chlorine system. If you run a saltwater system, you can change the water less often, like once a year.
- Test Your Water’s pH Levels
Your hot tub’s water chemical levels should always be balanced and safe to soak. You must regularly test it to ensure that it’s balanced. You can use test strips or a digital pH meter to quickly show your water’s chlorine, calcium hardness, pH, and alkalinity levels. The hot tub water should have a PH level between 7.2 and 7.8.
The water becomes too acidic when the pH drops below 7.2, resulting in skin itchiness and eye burn. Even your hand sanitizer becomes less effective. Contrarily, high pressure can cause costly damage to your hot tub parts, including the surface, filter, and jets.
- Add Chemicals as Needed
If your hot tub water isn’t balanced as needed, use chemicals to bring it back to balance. You can use chlorine, bromine, and other sanitizers to help kill bacteria and other contaminants.
Some dust and dirt particles are too tiny to be caught by the water filters. Therefore, you must have clarifiers that help bind these small particles to sizes easily captured by the filters. You also need pH adjusters to adjust your water’s pH and shock treatments to increase the effectiveness of your sanitizer-helps in adding oxygen and eliminating bacteria and chloramines.
Each chemical comes with the manufacturer’s instructions and prescribed amounts, which you should follow when adding the chemicals to your hot tub to get the best results. Make sure you use gloves when handling the chemicals.
- Make Use of a Hot Tub Cover and Keep it Clean
Hot tub covers help maintain the heat and protect it from debris and other impurities. It should be your second option after purchasing your hot tub.
When choosing your hot tub cover, consider the climate in your area. If your area receives much snow and rain, you must consider a cover with a peaked top. You must also ensure that the cover properly fits your hot tub so that no debris can enter the tub. A well-fitting cover also reduces the amount of sanitizer needed in the tub.
Your hot tub cover also collects dirt, debris, and other contaminants, which you must wash away. You should wash it regularly and thoroughly and use a water hose to rinse and clean any remaining debris. Always cover your hot tub when you’re not using it. Lock it up when you’re away from home.
Address Your Hot Tub Issues Promptly
Don’t wait until your scheduled time to take care of your hot tub. You should always do regular checks and get them done immediately if you notice any problems with your hot tub. You may notice issues such as a strange odor or cloudy water, indicating a problem with the water chemistry or the hot tub. The water is unsafe for use, and you need to act quickly.
The easiest way to maintain your hot tub is to clean it regularly. You must periodically test the chemistry levels, including pH, and add chemicals to balance them to the required levels. Drain its water and deep clean it before refilling it. Clean the filters and the cover too. If you notice problems with your hot tub, such as an odor or a change in the color of the water, sort them out immediately. Enjoy a clean and well-maintained hot tub by following these simple steps and extending its lifetime.
Consult Hot Tub Experts
When you must maintain your hot tub in good condition at all times, keeping up with the necessary maintenance and cleaning duties can be challenging. You don’t have to do your hot tub maintenance alone and risk making costly mistakes.
Consult hot tub experts for any significant issues. At Ajax Pool and Spa, we will offer professional guidance on maintaining your hot tub. We also offer custom installation and repair services. Enjoy a fantastic soaking experience with a well-maintained hot tub and get the most out of it as you enjoy the many benefits of owning a hot tub. Contact Ajax Pool and Spa today at 970-279-5253 or visit our website and request a quote.
