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Owning a hot tub or garden spa is something which requires a lot of free time, something which a lot of potential buyers overlook before purchasing one of their own.
Most people tend to assume that a hot tub can simply be left idle, and then filled with water for when you wish to use it. However it’s substantially more complicated than that, if you want to use your hot tub safely and without germs.
1. Change Your Hot Tub Water Regularly
Depending on how frequently you use the tub, you’ll need to change the water at varying times. Ideally you should be changing the water in your tub at least every 4 months.
This is a relatively simple task, something which can be achieved even for those with very little free time, looking to enjoy and relax in their own hot tub every once in a while.
2. Add Weekly Chemical Treatments
The area which most customers leave as an oversight is that a hot tub still requires disinfectant chemical treatments, just the same as a swimming pool. This is to remove the bacteria from the water, ensuring you can relax in safe and sanitary conditions, and this should be an everyday task for a hot tub owner, although it rarely is.
Set a regular time of day, such as first thing after breakfast or as soon as you’re home from work, and stick to it. Even missing a single day can result in a whole host of problems awaiting you under the tub cover.
Scummy and foamy water can take days to clear; not ideal if you’re planning on using the hot tub the following day. So the importance of applying daily maintenance; regular and regimented chemical treatments, is vital to ensure your tub is looking great, and more importantly, remains clean.
Be wary of any retailers who claim that you can run a hot tub without chemicals; it’s simply not possible and certainly not safe. Nothing is as effective as chlorine or bromine at clearing bacteria from water.
You should also set aside a time once a week to check the pH balance of the water in your tub. A quick test with litmus paper, which can be supplied from most swimming pool retailers, will let you know how much foam build-up is in the water, and whether any anti-foam solution is required.
3. Clean Your Hot Tub Filters
Every hot tub is installed with a number of filters which ensure your water is clean and safe. The filters remove any debris and other substances from your water. Depending on how often you use it, and where your tub is located, depends on how often your filters will need replacing.
For example; if your tub is placed underneath trees, the chance of leaves and other debris entering the water is significantly higher than if it were placed in open ground. This sort of situation means your filters have to work harder and as a result, require replacement quicker.
Filters should be rinsed at least once a week with a hose, or can be removed and rinsed under a sink before being replaced.
Once a month, you should clean your filters much more thoroughly. This involves using specifically designed filter cleaning products which are usually sprayed on and then left to be absorbed by the filter. After about fifteen minutes, you should then rinse the filters extremely thoroughly with a hose, ensuring no foam remains.
This is the basic weekly and monthly maintenance, but every six months requires soaking your filters overnight in a mixture of 1 part muriatic acid to 3 parts water (make sure you wear protective gear when working with acid. Gloves, goggles and protective clothing).
This service is often provided by the company you bought your tub from, but if not it can easily be done yourself. Simply give the filters a good rinse the next morning and re-install. You might want to buy a second set of filters if you require use of the hot tub in-between this process.
You can also use a spa filter cleaner that is also sold at your local hot tub store, which is highly recommended.