So you’ve just invested in a hot tub and are eagerly waiting for it to arrive and be installed!
While you wait, there’s an important step you should be taking to be prepared for this new journey – learning how to care for your hot tub properly.
There’s a common misconception that hot tub maintenance is difficult, but the truth is, if you create an easy-to-follow, thorough schedule, it’s an easy job that won’t take too much work at all!
The fact of the matter is your hot tub is an investment, and you’ll want to ensure you’re doing everything needed to maximize its lifespan.
After all, anything filled with water for extended periods of time will need close attention to maintain it.
Not sure where to start?
This guide is for you!
Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of every step you should include in your hot tub maintenance routine and how often each one should be getting done.
A Step-by-Step Hot Tub Maintenance Checklist
Your hot tub maintenance schedule will be made up of many small and a few large tasks spread throughout the course of each year.
Not all tasks will get done each week. In fact, some are only required once every three months!
As you go through this guide, create a quick checklist to follow to make your hot tub care easy.
Let’s get started!
Daily Hot Tub Maintenance
Circulate Your Water
Whether you use your spa each day or not, you’ll want to make sure you circulate your water by running your pump for at least 30 minutes each day.
Bacteria thrives in still water, so not only will circulating it each day help reduce the bacteria build-up, but it will also push your water through your hot tub filters to strip out any contaminants in it.
If you live somewhere with tiered electrical prices, try to schedule your pump to run during the lowest peaks of the day, such as the early morning or evening.
Worried about trying to find 30 minutes to run it at once? Break it up into two 15-minute rounds or even three 10-minute rounds spread throughout the day.
Check Your Water Temperature
Your water temperature is typically one of the first things to fluctuate when issues arise in your hot tub, so checking its temperature daily is important.
The great news is this only takes a short minute to check and can be done as you’re on your way out the door for work in the morning or before bed.
Even better, if you enjoy a soothing soak at the end of each day, you can check the temperature right before you jump in!
Weekly Hot Tub Maintenance
Rinse your filters
Your spa filters come in contact with any contaminants that enter your water, whether that be dust or bugs. Taking the time to clean them is essential in maintaining your filtration system to ensure it is always running smoothly.
Once a week, remove your filters from your spa and rinse them off under gently running water.
Once they’re clean, quickly inspect them for any damage, then return them to your spa.
If you find any damage during your inspection, you’ll want to exchange them for new ones right away to ensure your filters are effectively maintaining your water.
Test and Treat Your Water
Your water chemistry will have a significant impact on your spa’s entire system, so testing it regularly to ensure all your levels are properly balanced is an important step you won’t want to miss.
Using your pH strips, water test kit, or digital meter, you’ll want to test your water and get a reading on three important components:
- pH
- Alkalinity
- Sanitizer
Your pH and alkalinity levels can show you how basic or acidic your water is. If either one falls out of balance, your water can become corrosive or result in hard scale build-up, causing damage to your shell and hot tub system.
Your pH levels should always be between 7.2 and 7.8, whereas your alkalinity should be between 80 – 120 ppm (parts per million).
Your sanitizer level will show you how much of your chosen sanitizer, such as chlorine or bromine, is in your water.
If your pH, alkalinity, or sanitizer begins to fall out of balance, you’ll want to add the appropriate chemicals to bring them back into their expected range.
Don’t stress if they fall out of balance. It’s a natural occurrence and is easy to fix. Check out our hot tub chemical guide to learn how to bring your water chemicals back into balance.
Add an Oxidizer
As you use your hot tub, your water will be exposed to various organic matter, such as make-up, body lotions, hair products, and even dead skin cells.
This organic matter isn’t something your sanitizer can break up and can only be managed by adding an oxidizer to your water.
To keep your sanitizer working effectively and maintain your water’s crystal clear state, add an oxidizing shock treatment once a week.
Wipe Your Shells Exposed Edge
Each time the cover is off your hot tub, the top edge of your shell above your water line will be exposed to the elements.
Because this edge is damp from the heat, dust and dirt being blown around by the wind will begin sticking to it and can wash into the water if not cleaned.
To avoid this. Use a soft cloth to quickly wipe around the edge of your spa once a week during one of your spa sessions.
Monthly Hot Tub Maintenance
Spray Your Filters
Even though you’re rinsing your filters once a week, they’ll need a deeper clean each month to remove any debris that’s more stubborn to remove.
Using gloves and a filter cleaner spray, saturate your filter and allow it to soak for 15 minutes.
Then, rinse the cleaner and any debris off the filter with gently running water, carefully moving the pleats apart with your thumb to allow the water to rinse in between.
Check for damage the same as you would during your weekly clean, and return the filters to your spa.
Wipe Down Your Cover
Your cover is a powerhouse when it comes to protecting your spa from the elements, however, that protection means the underside of your cover is exposed to a significant amount of moisture 24/7.
Even though your cover is designed to withstand it, you’ll still need to take care to wipe the inside down once a month.
Using a damp cloth and a mixture of one part bleach and ten parts water, gently clean the underside of your cover.
This will help kill any mold or bacteria that’s been gathering on it over the last few weeks. This step will help ensure your cover will remain in its best shape, maintaining your water temperature and keeping your water clean.
Inspect Your System
While hot tubs are designed using advanced technology, many of their parts are in constant contact with water, and it’s important to check to ensure no damage has occurred.
Each month, you should perform a quick inspection of your system to check that nothing is leaking and everything is working as it should.
This regular inspection will help you catch issues early should they arise, ensuring they don’t become larger, more expensive problems by going unnoticed.
Even if your hot tub is brand new, including this step in your hot tub water maintenance routine is vital and should not be skipped.
Quarterly Hot Tub Maintenance
At the beginning or end of each season, your hot tub will require additional attention, however, every aspect included in this section can be done at the same time, making it easy to do them all in one afternoon.
Soak Your Filters
Filters have a general life expectancy of 12 months, and even though you are keeping up with your other filter cleaning steps, you’ll need to give them a deep clean every few months.
Once every three months, remove your filters, and soak them in a bucket of diluted filter cleaner (as per the directions on the bottle).
Let your filters soak for up to 12 hours. This will give the cleaner time to be deeply absorbed into the filters and loosen up any debris that’s embedded itself into the pleats.
After 12 hours, remove the filters and rinse them under gently running water, checking for damage as you do.
Set them aside and allow them to dry fully, then place them back into your hot tub.
Drain Your Spa
Over the course of a few months, your water will begin to become oversaturated with your treatment chemicals, along with general organic matter.
This can lead to a higher chance of your water becoming cloudy or more difficult to maintain.
That’s why every three months, you’ll want to drain your hot tub fully.
You can do this using the drain that’s built into your spa or by using a submersible pump or a quick drain hose to cut down the drain time significantly.
Perform a Deep Clean
After you’ve drained your spa, you’ll want to inspect your shell and jets, then thoroughly clean the entire surface of your shell using a high-quality shell cleaner.
This will ensure you wash off any remaining chemicals that may be lingering on your shell’s surface. This will also allow you to clean in the tight spaces you wouldn’t be able to while your spa is filled, such as around the jets.
Once cleaned, thoroughly rinse off all the cleaning products, and refill your hot tub with fresh water. Then, simply test your water, and treat it as necessary to bring it back into range.
If the weather permits, during this time, fully remove your cover and set it out in the sun to completely dry out. Over time, your cover will absorb the moisture it’s constantly surrounded by, causing it to become heavy.
Giving it time to dry fully will help remove any built-up moisture and make it last longer.
Wipe Down Your Cabinet
Finally, after you’ve turned on the water and your spa is refilling, using a damp cloth, wipe down the outside of your hot tub’s cabinet to remove any dust, dirt, or grime that’s built up over the last few months.
Hot Tub Maintenance in Prince George, BC
Whether you’re in search of supplies to include in your maintenance routine or simply want to have a professional manage your hot tub maintenance for you, the experts at Eden Spas are here to help.
Contact us today to schedule your service appointment, or visit our showroom to discover your dream hot tub today!
