Congratulations! It’s party time, as your hot tub installation is finally complete! Have a great time getting the family and friends over and relaxing (and enjoying numerous health benefits!). As your wonderful new aquatic portal to nirvana improves the lives of everyone immersed within you may wish this moment to last forever. Thing is… it absolutely can. If you are diligent and smart about hot tub maintenance.
“Water water everywhere!”
It’s important for you to know how your hot tub functions, as well as all of its features, key components and especially maintenance recommendations – so read and keep the manual! This is important because it can help you diagnose any problems independently, and if you do have to call in a repair engineer – you’ll be able to explain the fault and probable cause quickly, saving time (=money!).
The Important Bits for a wooden hot tub, garden hot tub or mosaic hot tubs
1. The Water Filtration System and Master Pumps
Hot Tubs feature hidden filtration cartridges and catch and absorb contaminants that are unavoidable with relaxing humans. We’re talking about hairs, skin oils and the salts and minerals released from sweat. The filter cartridges are analogous to HEPA filters for air filtration, and so need to be replaced regularly – with the intervals determined by how much your hot tub is used.
Your hot tub will have a special ‘filtration cycle’ to direct water flow through the filtration cartridges, and BISHTA (The British and Irish Spa and Hot Tub Association) recommends running the cycle for 4 hours, twice a day. Of course, much like the cartridges themselves, the cycle may need to run for longer, or not as much – depending on usage.
2. The Bathing Space, Seats and Jets!
All the good stuff! After making sure that your cycling water is purified by chlorination (about 60g of Cl granules per 1500L1 – and we can take care of this for you during installation), make sure to sponge-wipe all surfaces inside the tub, including the jets, about once a week. Just to make sure that no oils or debris are starting to build up (which could lead to clogging).
Also, two or three times a year – it’s a great idea to drain the tub completely to thoroughly scrub the seating space with a water and white vinegar solution (3 parts water:1 part vinegar is a good ratio).
3. The Water!
An empty hot tub is just a seat. Let that sink in. Making sure that your water is clean, free of contaminants and is balanced is critical. So let’s look at some guidelines:
- Acidity Levels (pH) – 7.4 to 7.6 is best2, you can test this with a water-acidity measuring device (expensive) or look for a solid darkish-green when you dip litmus paper into your water. If the test returns another colour – give us a call.
- Limestone (Hard Water Areas) – you may need to add salts (like a dishwasher), to certain compartments of your hot tub to remove limestone deposits in the water when filling from your domestic supply. Ask your local water company for the water hardness rating for your local area (ideally down to the postcode or zip code)
- Physical Debris – Hot Tub Covers are a great way to avoid leaves, bird droppings, insects and even rodents looking for a swim! Otherwise, invest in a pool skimmer to remove debris regularly when the tub is off – otherwise, there’s a chance that the debris could be sucked into the pumping mechanism which can cause serious damage.
Anything else?
We’ve installed Hot Tubs, Saunas and Swim Spas in countries across five continents. Want some of our knowledge? Get in touch!
Sources
[1] https://www.outdoorlivinghottubs.co.uk/blogs/inspiration-advice/beginners-guide-to-hot-tubs-water-care | Retrieved 12/10/19
[2] Ibid.