There are several key steps to take when it comes to taking care of your spa and hot tub. The prelude to the first step, is perhaps, the familiarization with the hot tub & spa chemicals.

Spas and hot tubs serve numerous purposes, including the preservation of beauty and relaxation. After a long day or a couple of days, a long soak in your hot tub can help you to relieve the day’s stress. Due to their importance, it is important to know the proper ways to care for your spa and hot tub. Poor maintenance of your spa and hot tub can transform it from a relaxing pool of water to a swamp-like nightmare.

The ways in which you can care for your spa and hot tub include:

Maintain The Normal Water Chemistry

The water in your spa possesses certain parameters, such as pH, total alkalinity, and hardness, that need to be regulated and kept within certain ranges to maintain a healthy spa. Their values fluctuate from time to time due to several factors, such as the composition of the pipes through which the water flows. You can test the water with a water-testing kit 2-4 times a week and make the necessary adjustments.

Furthermore, you may keep a journal of your periodic tests to better understand the correlation between the chemicals.

Clean And Remove Impurities From Your Spa

After ensuring that parameters such as pH, alkalinity, and hardness are up to scale, the next step is to make your spa safe by sanitizing it. There are several options, however, chlorine and bromine are the most commonly used. These chemicals kill the microbes that would otherwise grow in the water without causing harm to the mechanism of the spa.

The removal of impurities after disinfection involves the use of chlorine or bromine-based shock to oxidize dead organic matter including microbes. Failure to remove impurities from the water after disinfection may cause the water to become cloudy. However, you should change the water every 4-6 months, even after keeping up with the removal of impurities, to ensure proper safety.

Clean Your Spa Filter

Your spa filter is due for some cleaning if the pressure gauge attached to it reads 8-10 PSI or higher. In the absence of a pressure gauge, you can tell if your spa filter needs cleaning if the water flow becomes slow. Alternatively, you can clean your spa filter weekly or biweekly depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.

Furthermore, it is recommended to replace your spa filter every year or after 10-15 cleaning sessions. This is because, every time the filter gets cleaned, its fibers lose more of their dirt-trapping ability.

The spa filter can generally be found beneath the skimmer basket and is accessible from the side or underneath the spa. To clean the spa filter, you must first turn off the valve that controls the flow of water into the spa.

Keep Your Spa Covered

When it’s not in use, make sure to cover your spa with the spa cover to keep out potential contaminants. However, it is also important to air out the spa cover occasionally (at least twice a week). You can also clean the spa cover with a spa cover cleaner to remove airborne contaminants such as dirt and pollen.