Hot Tub Maintenance- What should you be doing?
So, you have done your research, shopped around and you have finally decided on the best Hot Tub for you. But once it is installed what is expected of you? How much maintenance is needed to keep your spa in tip top condition?
Here is our helpful guide to cleaning and maintenance…
Daily
Every day you should be getting out to your spa and getting the lid completely off. This helps with releasing chemical gases that can, if left underneath the cover and unable to escape, can cause some deterioration to certain components like headrests and control panels. Leave it open for at just a few minutes.
Also, daily you should be testing your water with testing strips to check the chemical levels in the water. In a solid Hot Tub, the levels you should be maintaining are your sanitizer, hardness, PH and Alkalinity. Adjust the levels if required and remember to run the jets for 15 mins after adding each chemical.
Also give the shell of your Tub a quick wipe down, especially the waterline, which can accumulate scum.
Weekly
Once a week your filters will need a good rinse under the hose, getting rid of any debris. Also, a weekly treatment of a shock is advised. These usually come in chlorine and non-chlorine versions. Sometimes they include a clarifier within the product, if not also add this alongside the shock to keep your water crystal clear. We recommend leaving the cover off for at least 30 minutes after the shock treatment to allow the impurities to burn off.
Monthly
Every month your filter will need a deep clean in some sort of ‘soak’. It’s sometimes worth having a spare filter so when one is soaking, the other can be in the tub and alternate them every month. This also helps with the shelf life of them, getting between 12-18 months out of 1 filter.
Also, it’s worth giving the outside cabinets and cover, inside and out, a good clean using a UV protector.
Every 3 months
It’s advisable to change the water in your Hot Tub every 3 months. You can use a pipe cleaner at this stage which is put in whilst the water is hot, ran through pumps for around 30 minutes then drained away. The shell inside the tub will need a wipe over using a spa friendly cleanser, rinsed and dried.
TOP TIP- Fill the spa up 3-4 inches and drain again to make sure all the cleaners used are completely out of the pipe work.
Then refill and balance your chemicals. On first fill from a hose, it’s recommended to add a shock treatment to the water first, as the water from the hose will have bacteria in.
Annually
Your Hot tub should have an annual service carried out. Usually the company you purchased the spa from will carry out services and it will coincide with any warranty you have on the spa. This usually involves a deeper pipe clean and a full inspection of the internal components too, as well as a water change and clean of the full spa.
Here at North Outdoor Living, we give your full training on maintenance and chemicals when you purchase a Spa from us, as we know how important it is to keep your tub in full working order! We pride ourselves on our Customer Service and if you would like more information about the Hot Tubs we sell, pop into one of our showrooms!