You've thoroughly cleaned your spa inside and out, your filters are well taken care of, so what's the next step towards beautiful, crystal clear water? The water itself, of course!
Water care is one of the most important aspects of spa maintenance, and although everyone’s maintenance experience is different, there are some general concepts that apply to everyone. Water quality affects every aspect of your spa, from the internal components to bather enjoyment, and though maintaining good water is not difficult, it does require regular attention. Being proactive before a problem begins is much easier than correcting issues later.
Why Consistent Water Maintenance Matters
Establishing a regular water care routine is key to clean and clear water, and helps you avoid chemical imbalance and damage from neglect. Excellent water quality is a matter of four main principles:
- Sanitation
- Filtration
- Chemical balance
- Regular maintenance
The Four Pillars of Clean, Clear Spa Water
Sanitation
Sanitation is the use of a sanitizer in the water. Bromine and chlorine are the two recognized sanitizers for spa use in Canada. These sanitizers are designed to kill viruses, bacteria and other organic material by breaking them down to safe levels.
Filtration
Cleaning your filters regularly is a simple and effective way to keep your water clean and your plumbing system working properly. While the sanitizer is busy making sure all that debris and residue can't harm you, your filter is busy getting those dead particles out of your beautiful water. If your filter becomes dirty or clogged from all those particles, it causes your pump and heater to work harder, shortening the lifespan of the parts and possibly even causing them to fail. It also has an effect on how effective your sanitizer is and the amount of sanitizer used.
Chemical Balance
Testing your water regularly for chemical imbalances and making the appropriate adjustments is also very important to ensure your water remains at safe and comfortable chemical levels. Adding chemical testing to your regular maintenance routine is essential for clear, clean water.
Regular Maintenance
With your sanitation, filtration and ensuring all chemicals remained balanced, it can be hard to keep track of everything. Creating a maintenance routine not only makes your job simpler, but it also ensures you won't miss anything - just remember the steps of your routine!
Building a Reliable Water Care Routine
Maintenance Schedule
With average spa use (usually 2 people using the spa 2-3 times a week), your maintenance schedule should look a little something like below. If you use your spa more or less often, or with more or fewer people, make sure you adjust your maintenance schedule accordingly - water chemical levels can be quite different if you're using your spa every day as opposed to someone who only uses it twice a week.
Daily Tasks or Before Soaking
Do a quick test of your spa water using test strips or a water test kit to ensure chemical levels are comfortable for bathing
Weekly Tasks
Weekly, you should test the water chemical levels and adjust as necessary. Shock your water weekly and rinse your filter (including between the pleats) with a garden hose or filter tool.
Monthly Tasks and Filter Care
Do a chemical soak of your filters to ensure all oils, scale, debris, etc. are fully cleaned from your filters (a weekly rinse isn't quite enough to remove more stubborn particles).
If you can, let the filters dry before putting them back in the spa, or rotate between the two pairs of filters so one set is always clean while the other is drying.
Quarterly Tasks and Deep Clean
Fully drain your spa and give it a good clean (see our previous blog for tips), then fill it with fresh water. This is also a good time to give your spa a once-over and make sure all equipment and plumbing appear in good working order.
Yearly Inspection
First, have a good look at your filter, as even with stellar maintenance, it will need to be replaced after about a year. When your filter starts to wear down, you'll notice the edges of the pleats may start to fray, and they'll start to look a lot more rounded and bloated, specifically at the edges, instead of sharp, folded edges like a piece of paper.
If you didn't have a look during your quarterly checkup, now is the time to inspect your hot tub. Look for any signs of wear, such as leaks (even minor), noises, smells, water flow issues, and even error messages on your equipment. If you can catch minor issues before they become a major problem, they'll be a lot easier to handle.
Keeping Your Spa Water in Harmony
Now that you've developed your own maintenance routine, on our next blog, we'll take a closer look at each chemical in your water, why they're important, and how to make sure everything stays in harmony for beautiful, crystal clean and clear water.