Before you take a relaxing soak in your new hot tub, it’s important to remember that your new piece of kit is going to require some maintenance. However, do not worry! In this guide, we will explain the hot tub care process. Whilst most of our tubs are low maintenance, there are still a few key steps you can take to ensure a safe and enjoyable bathe, so let’s dive in.
How To Test Your Hot Tub Water
Testing your hot tub water is a simple but important task. To do this you will need a pH strip, which can be used to measure how acidic your water is. If your pH is too high or low, it can become unsafe for you and your guests. A high pH can lead to discomfort, causing skin or eye irritation, whereas a low pH can be corrosive and damage your spa equipment. The ideal pH range is between 7.2 and 7.6, depending on what sanitising chemicals you use.
Simply dip your strip in the spa water and a reading will be produced. If your strip reads higher or lower than the ideal levels, you will need to add increaser or reducer, there is a variety of products available to help keep your water well maintained.
We offer a few options for pH strips such as the Insta Test 4 pack of 40 tests and the FROG pack of 50 test strips. If you’re looking for something more permanent, we also offer a range of digital hot tub testers, these are quicker and easier meaning more time to enjoy your spa!
You also need to ensure you have adequate levels of sanitiser in the water. Chlorine and Bromine are the most common sanitisers used. The sanitiser prevents the growth of bacteria in your tub, ensuring it’s safe for use. This is a key part of the cleaning process! We have a selection of both Bromine and Chlorine tablets and granules available to purchase on our website.
Using Shock Treatment
Alongside using sanitiser to keep your tub clean, it is also suggested you oxidise your water, known as ‘shocking’ your hot tub. Adding a shock dose will kill bacteria and remove organic contaminants that are non-filterable or may have become resistant to your sanitiser. It also keeps the water clean and clear, to perform this easy treatment, you can browse our range of shock treatments and clarifiers. Make sure to keep your hot tub cover off whilst you are shocking it, so it can breathe. You should also calm the water before you shock it, keeping the jets on low and the blower off. Remember to shock your tub when you first fill it up and after heavy usage to prevent the build up of bacteria.
Clean Your Filter
How often you clean your filter can depend on how often your hot tub is used, although it is recommended to do so at least every month. To clean your filter you can use our Fi-Clor Filter Cleaner Sachet. This sachet provides one dose which you will need to soak your filter in overnight. This cleaner will remove oil, grease and other debris from your filter helping it stay healthy and last longer. If cleaned regularly, your hot tub filter can live a much longer life, but generally, your filter will last between 1-2 years.
Having trouble deciding when your filter is on its last legs? you will need to pay attention to signs of wear or damage such as the material breaking up. This means the filtration has become less effective and the best practice is to replace it.
TOP TIP: to improve the life of your filter, have a spare and swap them regularly, this will also mean you can still use your tub whilst the other filter is being cleaned!
Clean The Spa
Every few months it’s a good idea to drain your hot tub and give all the surfaces a thorough clean, making sure to remove any parts such as seats or headrests to disinfect these areas. Ensure you remove any dirt or debris from the surface with a damp cloth. DO NOT use any abrasive cleaning products or harsh chemicals, as this could damage your hot tub (and that’s the last thing we want!). You should also clean the waterline and pipes to eliminate any contaminants. Remember that how often you drain your hot tub largely depends on usage, if you use it a lot it will need the water replacing more often.
When buying a hot tub, maintenance is often one of the first questions people have in mind. Hopefully, this guide has shown you that the basics of hot tub care don’t have to be difficult or time-consuming – especially when we offer all the right tools to help get you started! Now, off you go and enjoy that soak.
