Hot tub maintenance doesn’t have to be costly, nor consume a bunch of your time. In fact, a few minutes of prevention on a regular basis can potentially save a costlier fix due to neglect down the road.
With the help of our spa technicians, we’ve put together a guide to help you plan for regular maintenance throughout the year. Here’s what we suggest:
Interior Maintenance
Following Each Use:
Remove Residue/Restore Clarity – Add 1/2 Teaspoon of Chlorine Concentrate per 100 gallons. After adding, run the spa with the cover off for 20 minutes. Following very heavy use, add 1 Tablespoon of Chlorine Concentrate per 100 gallons.
One Time Per Week:
Shock – Add 3 Tablespoons of Enhanced Shock per 500 gallons. Turn jets on high. Keep cover off and do not use for 20 minutes.
Enhance – Add 1 ounce of Simple Blue Simple Spa per 100 gallons. This is a convenient solution for perfectly clean and clear water that provides a silky-smooth feel without irritation. It lifts biofilms, calcium, and scale for filtration and removal from your hot tub.
Test Water from Home – There are three ways to test hot tub water: Test strips, test kit, or bring a sample into your local Zagers Pool & Spa location for testing. Unless you fancy yourself a chemist, using a test strip is most convenient for weekly water testing to allow for the adjustment of pH and total alkalinity.
Monthly:
Rinse Filters – A quick filter rinse will keep your tub film-free and scale-free.
Professionally Test Water – We recommend having your water tested professionally at least once a month. We’re happy to help at any of our four Zagers Pool & Spa locations – bring in a water sample for testing to keep your water clean, calibrated, and your systems operating safely under the care of one of our technicians.
Quarterly:
Clean Filters – Although you are rinsing your filters monthly, they will get clogged with debris (dirt, oil from your skin, lotion, etc.) that requires a cleaner. You may experience an unpleasant filter odor or poor water circulation that prevents your hot tub from heating if this step is skipped.
We strongly recommend that you clean your filter every 2-3 months with any of the following options. The Simple Blue Filter Cleaner tabs are most popular and requires soaking the filter overnight. Another option is using a spray cleaner, such as Kleen It or SpaGuard Filter Cleaner; spray the filter, let it sit for 45 minutes, and then rinse with water. (Note: you can also soak your filters with the spray formula by using a ratio of cleaner to water given on the bottle).
*Pro tip: Purchase another set of filters so that you always have one set that you are using and another set that is being cleaned and dried so that you never have to wait to use your hot tub.
Drain, Clean, and Refill – Drain out the old water, wipe down the interior of the hot tub with Off the Wall, and refill with a hose.c
Annually:
Once per year, pour in a bottle of Purge and let it sit for 12 hours in the tub prior to draining. This will loosen any grime in the pipes and allow it to drain out.
*Pro tip: When filling your hot tub, remove your filter cartridge and place the hose down in the compartment to prevent air locks from occurring.
When refilling, you will need to add startup chemicals.
- Fresh Start – while filling the tub, pour an entire bottle of Fresh Start evenly around the tub’s edge.
- Once the spa is full, run it for 24 hours, then rinse the filters.
- Have your water tested at Zagers Pool & Spa. Adjust pH, total alkalinity, and total hardness of the water as recommended by the technician.
- Insert a new mineral cartridge, replacing the old one.
- Add 1/2 Teaspoon of Chlorine Concentrate per 100 gallons.
*Pro tip: If you know you have a lot of metals in your water source, you may need to repeat steps 1 & 2.
Exterior Maintenance
Don’t forget about the outside and the spa cover! Covers protect your hot tub from the elements and help keep the water fresh and clean. Neglect of the cover is a pretty common thing, as owners are typically so focused on the INSIDE that they completely tune out the exterior elements.
- Wipe down the top of the cover using 303 Aerospace Protectant (use this only on the top/outside of your cover) and a soft cloth so as not to scratch it.
- During these West Michigan winters, it’s important to gently remove snow off of the cover with a broom. (No shovels!)
- Avoid getting any cleaner used for vinyl in the water; it will impact the water chemistry and could potentially cause other issues.
- Let the cover fully air dry before reapplying to the tub.
- As the outside case or shell of most hot tubs is made of acrylic, they are simple to clean. Wiping down the shell with a damp cloth periodically will keep the tub exterior looking shiny and new.
Maintaining proper levels and being attentive to regular maintenance will make your hot tub water clear and comfortable, kill bacteria that multiply rapidly in a spa, protect surfaces from stains caused by metals, and protect your equipment from scale.
If you need help with your hot tub’s maintenance or would like to track down the chemicals or equipment mentioned in this guide, please contact your preferred Zagers location.