Maintaining your hot tub is not as difficult as you might think. I’m sure you will want to keep your hot tub clean and functional, so you can use it at any time. Here we have prepared a checklist that you can use to make sure your hot tub is maintained properly. Even a complete beginner will be able to follow this simple checklist.
Balance your hot tub water chemistry
If you know something about balancing pool water, well this is similar. Obviously, a hot tub is a lot smaller than a swimming pool, so some adjustments need to be made. Now, what hot tub chemicals do you need? Here are some basic chemicals that you should have:
- pH increaser and pH decreaser
- Sanitizers such as bromine or chlorine
- Shock, non-chlorine or dichloro
- Defoamer, this one is optional but nice to have
- Test strips or a liquid test kit to check if the chemical levels of your hot tub are proper
- Alkalinity increaser to keep the pH level stable
You can use the liquid test kit to see the chemical levels of your hot tub. From the result, you can make some adjustments to calcium hardness, pH, alkalinity, and sanitizer levels regularly using the tools above. You may need to test the water 2-4 times per week. Here are some guides for the balanced chemical levels:
- Chlorine: 1.0-3.0 ppm
- pH: 7.4-7.6
- Calcium Hardness: 150-250 ppm
- Bromine: 2.0-4.0 ppm
- Total Alkalinity: 80-120 ppm
Clean the hot tub
Of course, the hot tub needs to be cleaned regularly to make sure nothing can make the water dirty. Clean all surfaces thoroughly every time the water is drained. You can drain the hot tub every 3-4 months. Also, when you are cleaning the hot tub, don’t use any household cleaning products or soaps. Use cleaning chemicals for your hot tub surfaces. Stay away from cleaning products that contain nitrates, phosphates, and other contaminants that can affect water quality.
For accumulated dirt and debris at the bottom of the hot tub, you can use a small vacuum made specifically for hot tubs and spas. Vacuum the seats and floors with it until they are spotless. This kind of vacuum is usually battery-powered, but there are other types available as well. For floating debris, you can use a good old skimmer net. This tool is useful if the hot tub is outdoor.
Clean the hot tub filter
The hot tub or spa filter is usually located under the skimmer basket. Try to check the side of the hot tub and see if you can find it there. It can be a small tank assembly that can be opened up from underneath the hot tub. Located the filter and clean or replace it during your clean-up or maintenance routine.
Also, check if the filter has a pressure gauge attached to it. If there is a pressure gauge, you can clean the cartridge if the pressure is 9-10 PSI higher than normal, or when the flow is reduced. If there is no gauge, however, you can just clean the filter weekly or biweekly. You can check with the manufacturer to know exactly how often you should clean it.
Usually, you should replace the hot tub filter every 12 months. But, how often you use the hot tub should also be taken into consideration. The general of thumb is to change the filter every 10-15 cleanings. Because cleaning is also related to usage, so the more often you clean the filter, the more likely It’s going to break down.
As you can see, maintaining your hot tub isn’t difficult at all. Besides having a regular schedule, the tools are rather easy to use and affordable as well. To create a cleaning schedule and get the tools you need today.
Image Source: Unsplash