If you’re lucky enough to have a hot tub, you want to make the most of it. Staying on top of maintenance and troubleshooting any potential issues will ensure you can enjoy it all year long—and that your backyard will always be the place to be.
Keeping your hot tub clean and sparkling isn’t just about esthetics, it’s also a question of health and safety. With regular maintenance, you can avoid costly repairs.
Village Media spoke to Richard from Heritage Home Hardware in Sault Ste. Marie to find out how best to perform regular cleaning and basic hot tub maintenance.
Balancing the chemicals
For the cleanest, safest and healthiest spa, it’s important to maintain the right pH balance and alkalinity in your hot tub’s water. You can test the water on your own using hot tub test strips; monitoring the levels is quick and easy this way. The results will let you know when you need to adjust your hot tub chemicals.
Alkalinity
Having balanced alkalinity in your hot tub helps to control the pH levels. Aim for a total alkalinity level of 80-120 mg/1 ppm. Anything below this and the water can become acidic and corrosive; it could also cause the water to turn green, because your hot tub will no longer be able to balance phosphates, which feed algae.
When the alkaline levels are too high, you might see cloudy water and scale growth. An alkalinity increaser can help increase alkalinity in a hot tub that has a balanced pH level.
pH
The other important measure, as mentioned above, is pH. These levels measure both the acidity and the alkalinity in water, with the ideal level between 7.2 and 7.8. Anything lower results in increased acidity, which can cause itchiness and burning eyes; it can also reduce the effectiveness of your sanitizer.
Levels higher than 7.8 can cause the water in your hot tub to become cloudy or foamy and cause scales to grow. If the pH levels in your hot tub are low, a pH increaser can help; if they’re high, opt for a pH decreaser.
Chlorine vs. bromine
To kill bacteria you can use either chlorine and bromine. Chlorine oxidizes contaminants, while bromine ionizes them. It’s one or the other, as you never want to mix the two together, otherwise you risk causing a dangerous chemical reaction.
Chlorine
- Kills contaminants more quickly than bromine
- The ideal level of chlorine in a hot tub is 1-3 parts per million
- Too much chlorine can cause eyes to sting and reduce the effectiveness of your sanitizer
Bromine
- Kills contaminants more slowly than chlorine
- Has a lower pH than chlorine
- UV light destroys bromine more quickly than chlorine, so use a hot tub cover on outdoor hot tubs
- The ideal level of bromine in a hot tub is 3-5 parts per million
- More bromine is required to achieve the same results as chlorine, but you don’t need to use it as often
How to clean a hot tub
Any water that is kept at a high temperature can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria and mould. To keep your hot tub performing at its peak, follow these tips:
1. Drain your hot tub
- Turn off the power
- Flush the lines with a special cleaner
- Drain the water, taking care to follow the manufacturer’s instructions
- Use a submersible pump to speed up drainage, if necessary
2. Clean both the inside and outside of the hot tub
- Apply a hot tub cleaner to the interior
- Wipe down all the grooves, nooks and hot tub jets with a soft sponge or cloth
- Rinse all surfaces
- Spray down the exterior with warm water
3. Remove and clean the hot tub filters
- Remove the filters and rinse them with warm water
- Spray filters with a filter cleaning product
- Rinse the filter cleaner away
- For a deeper clean, soak filters in a professional cleaner first
- Replace damaged or excessively dirty filters
4. Refill and treat the water
- Close all of the hot tub drains
- Position the filler hose into the filter well and fill the hot tub
- Once filled, test the pH and chlorine levels
- Treat the water with a bromine or chlorine sanitizer, or hot tub shock
- Add and adjust chemicals as necessary
The importance of water circulation
The more water that circulates through your spa, the cleaner the water and your spa will be.
When water circulates through your hot tub filters, it helps to trap algae and other contaminants, making it more difficult for bacteria to breed. That circulation also helps to push water through the heaters, which helps the water in your hot tub stay at a set temperature.
Maintenance schedule
Sticking to a cleaning schedule is important; it will keep your hot tub healthy and safe. Richard recommends following this schedule:
Every week
- Wipe down the hot tub cover and check that it is secure
- Test the water chemistry levels at least twice per week
- Wipe down the hot tub with a sponge above the water line
- Sanitize and shock your hot tub water once per week
- Remove and rinse spa filters once per week
Every month
- Give the hot tub filters a chemical rinse
- Clean the hot tub cover
- Inspect the hot tub lines and jets for clogs
- Clean the hot tub cabinet
Every season
- Drain and thoroughly clean your spa every 3 to 4 months
- Give the spa filters a chemical soak for a deeper clean
- Flush and cleanse the hot tub lines to remove biofilm build up
Every year
- Inspect the hot tub for damage and make necessary repairs
- Hire a hot tub service professional for a tune up
- Take steps to winterize your hot tub
Not everyone uses their hot tub during the winter months. If you don’t plan on using it again until spring, follow these steps:
- Drain the hot tub completely
- Turn off the heater and activate the blower to purge water from lines
- Loosen or unscrew fittings to get all the water out, then tighten or replace them
- Remove drain plugs to ensure the pump housing, filter canister and heater are completely dry
- Blow any remaining water out of the jets with an air compressor
- Install a secure hot tub cover to keep debris out
Safety tips to keep in mind
To help keep your family and guests safe, there are a few general rules to follow.
First, make sure you rinse off before soaking in the tub; this will prevent contamination from oils, creams and fragrances.
Don’t allow any glass containers in or around your hot tub.
It’s also recommended that you refrain from consuming alcohol while having a soak, as the warm water temperatures can heighten the effects of intoxication.
Keep the water temperature below 40°C for adults and 38°C for children, and don’t sit in hot water for more than 15 minutes.
Children must always be supervised and no diving or dunking should be allowed.
Finally, make sure you know exactly where the emergency cut-off switch is located, in the event of body entrapment or hair entanglement.
When you follow these tips, you’ll have more time this summer to enjoy soaking under the stars!
For more suggestions on hot tub care and maintenance, visit Heritage Home Hardware or call 705-759-5101.