Making your Spa Last Longer with Regular Maintenance and Hot Tub Service

When it comes to hot tubs, there is a wide variety of information and advice regarding hot tub service and maintenance. It can be confusing, especially when you begin to read all about chemicals, pumps and filters. Sure, you can buy all the hot tub accessories necessary to care for your spa when you purchase it, but then what? We have developed a basic informative page for you, to help you understand the process and why hot tub service and caring for one are so important.

Clean water is the most important aspect of owning a spa. Bacteria will form and continue to grow, faster than you might realize, especially in warm water. You will want to add sanitizers, which destroys bacteria. Before we discuss the choices you have for sanitizing the spa, a water test should be conducted. Hot tub accessories, like test strips can be purchased. All kits come with directions and strips that will show you what certain balances are in the water (more below about pH).

You have a few options to choose from for sanitizing the hot tub. Chlorine, Bromine and Biguanide are three kinds of sanitizers you can use. Then, there is Ozone, which is referred to as an oxidizer, and it can help so that you will not have to use as many sanitizer tablets. Additionally, you can use mineral cartridges that fit right into your spa’s filter cartridge. A lot of folks prefer the mineral methods, as they do not contain as much Bromine or Chlorine.

There are some ways to keep the water cleaner, along with chemical treatments. It is recommended that you do not enter your spa if you have applied suntan lotion or any oils or other lotions onto your body. These additives will then be in the water and therefore, end up going through the filter, which can cause the pump to fail sooner than it should also. Additionally, if the hottub is located near trees, leaves will fall into it. Other items that can end up in the water happen naturally, like bugs and pollen. The water in your spa should be drained and refilled every 2-3 months as well.

Other aspects of caring for a hot tub are: shock oxidizers and pH balance. Shock oxidizers will help clear the water of things likes flakes of dry skin, oils or other additives that have entered the water and cannot be seen by the human eye. Water pH is basically an acid-like substance that can form in water, otherwise known as hydrogen ions. The balance should be at 7.2-7.8, which is low.