You are doing everything right — testing the water before each use, using the recommended products, taking a shower before hopping in the hot tub. But when you open up the cover to your hot tub, the water isn’t as clean and clear as you expected.
Taking care of your hot tub requires a certain amount of maintenance. However, it doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. You need to establish (and stick to) a water care schedule. It’s also important to regularly clean your spa and maintain good water circulation.
But there are a few hot tub maintenance secrets that veteran hot tub owners have learned. These tips will go a long way in keeping your water clear.
Hot Tub Maintenance Secrets
To make water care easier, Master Spas recommends a basic routine. Hot tub owners should test and treat the water after each use; adjust pH, alkalinity, and sanitizer as needed three times a week; and clean the filters once a month.
It’s also recommended that hot tub owners drain and refill their hot tub every six months.
Beyond the general guidelines, hot tub owners have found there are some tips and tricks to maintaining water quality.
Sequestering Agent
It’s normal for the water level of your hot tub to drop. The spa will “lose” water from people getting in and out, children splashing, and evaporation. But you are more likely to top off the water rather than go through the initial fill-up process. It’s important, though, to remember that your source water might contain heavy metals. When you add water to your hot tub, you might also need to add a sequestering agent. Without it, your water might have a green or aqua tint.
One of our hot tub maintenance secrets is to add a sequestering agent when you top off your water.
Adjust for Increased Use
The more people that use the hot tub, especially at one time, the greater the chance that you’ll need to bump up your chemicals.
When a person gets into the hot tub, they are introducing everything on their body to the water — hair, body oil, body care products, and so on. These things affect the quality of your water. When more people are using the spa or you are using it more frequently, you might notice a difference in your water quality.
It’s important to adjust your water care schedule if you are using your spa more. You might need to add more sanitizer or rinse the filters more often.
Clean Your Jets
A regular water care routine helps remove things like bacteria and other contaminants that you don’t want in your water. But it’s important to go beyond the water when keeping your water clean. Take your hot tub jets. Minerals can build up on the jets, and you will need to clean them.
The jets in your Master Spa can be removed for cleaning by turning them counter-clockwise until they release and then pulling out the jet. Soak the jets overnight in white vinegar and then rinse with water. Reinstall the jet(s). It may be necessary to clean grit and deposits from the white jet body by using a small-bristle brush.
First Comes Alkalinity
When it comes time to balance your chemicals, it’s not just about what to add and how much. There’s an order to how you add hot tub chemicals to the water. You should always adjust (as necessary) alkalinity first, followed by pH, before adding sanitizer. If alkalinity and pH are not in proper range, it will prevent the sanitizer from doing its job.
Give it Time
You hop out of the hot tub and wrap yourself in a comfortable towel. It’s easy to close the hot tub cover and head inside. But it’s a good idea to sprinkle in some sanitizer and leave the jets running for at least 15 minutes. The jets keep the water moving so the sanitizer can do its job. While the extra time can seem like an inconvenience, it will help keep your water clear and chemicals balanced. You’ll definitely appreciate that you took the extra step the next time you soak.
Don’t Forget the Filters
It’s easy to focus on the test strip and chemical levels when you are taking care of your water. However, your filter is one of the most important components of your hot tub. The specially designed fabric catches large contaminants and cleans your water as it flows through.
Master Spas recommends cleaning your filters once a month and periodically rinsing filters in the interim. To clean your hot tub filters, turn off the spa and remove the filter elements. Spray the filter using a garden hose and soak overnight in a filter cleaner. So you don’t have any down time, it’s a good idea to have an extra set of filters on hand.
Water Care Made Easier
Master Spas hot tubs feature the EcoPur Charge water filtration system. The unique fabric filter combined with natural elements helps keep hot tub water clean and clear with less effort.
This mineral filtration system takes advantage of how copper and zinc naturally purify water and remove dirt, bacteria, and algae. When your hot tub water flows through the filter, the minerals are released and oxidize to clean the water.
EcoPur® Charge also controls scale, bacteria and algae, safeguards the hot tub’s plumbing and helps prevent damage to swimwear.