Soaking in a hot tub is one of the best ways to soothe sore muscles, de-stress, and relax after a long day.
But, in order to get the most out of your hot tub, you’ll need to perform a little bit of hot tub maintenance from time to time.
Let’s face it – Nobody wants to get into a dirty hot tub, so in this article, we’ll go over the importance of inspecting and maintaining your spa.
We’ll explain how to clean out your hot tub and give you an example hot tub maintenance schedule that you can follow to ensure your hot tub is always ready for you to enjoy.
Why You Should Regularly Inspect your Hot Tub
Hot tubs are a luxury.
Relaxing in one can help calm your mind and soothe your body, but hot tubs are also prone to getting dirty. When you soak in a hot tub, your body releases dead skin skills, sweat, dirt, and other contaminants that can stain your hot tub or otherwise pollute the water.
Plus, dirt and debris can get into the tub from the outside environment.
All of these things can plug the filter and potentially make your hot tub an attractive breeding ground for bacteria.
Therefore, it’s important that you regularly inspect your hot tub, the water in your tub, and your filter for dirt and debris.
How To Maintain Your Hot Tub
The good news is that cleaning and maintaining your hot tub is generally quite easy.
As a general rule of thumb, you should always ensure that you’re using bromine or chlorine in your hot tub, as this will greatly reduce the odds of the water accumulating any sort of harmful bacteria.
But assuming that you’ve added the correct amount of chlorine or bromine, there are still some other tasks you should regularly perform to keep your hot tub in good condition.
We also suggest testing the water in your hot tub about once a week. This will allow you to see the various levels and add water care products as needed to balance the water.
You will be looking for the following when testing the water:
- pH
- Alkalinity
- Chlorine
- Bromine
- Iron
- Copper
- Salt
One of the most important tasks is checking your filter. If your filter gets blocked, then the water can quickly become contaminated with dirt, dead skins, and other stuff that you definitely don’t want to be soaking in.
A visual inspection will tell you if there is any major debris in the filter, but you should also regularly reach in and feel the filter to ensure that it isn’t clogged.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, you need to change the water in your hot tub about three to four times a year. It’s important to keep in mind that the frequency of how often you change the hot tub water can increase based on the frequency of use and how well it is maintained throughout the year.
To change your water, simply drain the tub using the drainage valve or a submersible pump, then refill the spa with cold water from a hose. Make sure that you remember to add your chlorine and other water care products to the new water.
An Example Hot Tub Maintenance Schedule
Here’s an example hot tub maintenance schedule that you can follow to ensure that your hot tub is always clean and in proper working condition.
- Every few days, add a little bit of chlorine or bromine to the hot tub
- Use a test strip or kit to test the water and add hot tub chemicals as needed to balance
- Before each use, inspect the filter for signs of dirt and debris
- Every 3-4 months, drain the tub and add fresh water
That’s pretty much it. By following these simple steps, you can keep your hot tub clean and operational so that it’s always ready for you to enjoy when you feel like going for a soak.
Also, keep in mind that if you want to buy a new hot tub or if you ever need professional hot tub maintenance services, then Paradise Valley Spas offers the best selection of hot tubs around, and their professional hot tub maintenance staff can help you with cleaning your hot tub, or any other hot tub or swim spa services you require.
