If you’ve decided to invest in or have recently acquired a hot tub through purchasing a house or cottage, spa maintenance may not be the first thing on your mind. However keeping your hot tub in good health will let you enjoy your spa for years to come. By creating a care routine for your spa, you should be able to recognize potential problems and will trouble shoot potential issues that may crop up.
Some important information to know when caring for your spa is the brand of spa, water capacity, age of your hot tub and any local water difficulties ie: high mineral count. This information will be advantageous when servicing your spa in the future. The three c's ( circulation, cleaning, and chemistry) are also vital to keeping your spa a bubbly, soothing oasis.
- Circulation, or your filtration system, is your first defence against debris and particles from entering your spa. The water runs through your filter cartridge where the contaminants are grabbed and held in the folds of the cartridge, helping to keep that water clean and safe. Keeping your filter cartridges clean is an important part of the maintenance program. Checking them weekly, monthly and yearly will help to prevent water issues and keep your circulation system running well.
- Cleaning your hot tub is extremely important. Both indoor and outdoor spas are prone to forming scum and grime, but if your hot tub is outdoors you will also need to keep an eye out for debris like leaves, grit, and the occasional stick, too. Use a spa skimmer net to remove the large debris from your hot tub surface, and use a hot tub vacuum to remove the smaller pieces of debris from the bottom of your spa. By doing this the debris you scooped out will not enter your filtration system which helps to avoid potential water issues. A weekly clean with a sponge on your spa’s jets and shell will also help keep things neat and tidy. Use it to scour away the scum line at the water’s edge as well. Make sure you clean the inside of your spa whenever necessary, and give the spa cover a quick once-over while your at it. A weekly clean is fundamental to hot tub care, but plan to drain your spa completely to get a complete clean every three to four months, and more often if you have a high bather load. Cleaning your filter cartridge is also an invaluable part of the maintenance routine of your spa. Keeping your filters clean with a weekly cleaning schedule will extend the cartridge's life and improve the quality of your water.
- Balancing your hot tub's water chemistry is the last part of the 3 c’s and a very important part of spa maintenance. The 3 elements of the water chemistry that should keep balanced are pH, alkalinity and sanitizer levels. When starting your spa or after a fresh fill, getting a base reading of your water makeup will help you to anticipate any ratio adjustments that may need to be done. Taking a weekly water chemistry test with water testing strips to make sure your spa is balanced. You want to aim for a pH level of 7.2-7.6, measurements below this range will be too basic. Low pH will reduce your sanitizer’s performance, and can make it prone to cloudiness as well as potentially damaging spas components. Measurements above the range will be too acidic, and the water will likely irritate your skin and eyes and may cause damage to the spas hardware. With alkalinity you want the ratio to be between 80 -150 ppm in your water, if the value gets too high it can cause scaling and foggy water. For your sanitizer, follow the instructions on the package for dosing based on the water volume of your spa. Always make sure to test the water to ensure chemicals are balanced as keeping water chemicals balanced is very important to the health and enjoyment of your spa. You will also want to make a shock product part of your weekly cleaning routine to ensure your water stays clear and safe.
Creating a spa maintenance schedule (from daily tasks to yearly maintenance) is necessary to help relieve stress and make up-keep feel less overwhelming.
Daily Routine
- You will want to check the water temperature to ensure there has not been a drastic change in water temperature which can indicate a system issue.
- Look for damage to the cover of the hot tub and ensure the cover is securely covering your spa to keep the heat in and keep debris out.
- Some sanitizers are added every time you use the hot tub
Weekly Routine
- Wipe above the water line to remove debris and grime that may enter your water.
- Complete a water test to ensure your chemicals are in correct ratios.
- Correct water chemical ratios and use a shock treatment
- Remove your filters and give them a rinse with your hose, a filter brush can be very helpful
- A quick wipe of your spa cover inside and out is a great way to keep your spa tidy
Monthly Routine
- It's time to remove your filters and do a more thorough clean by using a filter soak. This will remove oil and debris that are lodged into the filter media, helping to keep your water crystal clean.
- Inspect your jets for clogs or wear so you can address the issues before they become disasters
Every 3-4 Months
- Completely drain the hot tub
- Give the inside a good clean and inspect for any damage
- Refill with fresh water - it is vital for the health of the water to start with fresh, clean water about every 3-4 months depending on how often you use the tub.
Yearly Routine
- Give the lines of the spa a flush to remove buildup and biofilm.
- Inspect the spa from top to bottom including hardware and wiring
- Open side cabinet to check pumps are operating correctly, check for leaks
- Give the spa a good scrub inside and out.
Creating a basic and consistent care routine for your backyard oasis should help you to troubleshoot potential problems and make water maintenance easy and worry free. With a little bit of work everyday, some forethought and planning, keeping you spa at its best is simple and stress free, which leaves you and your family more time to enjoy the bubbly bliss of your relaxing spa.