20 Hot Tub Top Tips

20 Hot Tub Top Tips to keep your hot tub in perfect condition, tips to help you save money and ways to keep your tub wonderfully clean. We spoke to our head engineer and asked him what his top tips were for hot tub owners. Below we have our top 20 hot tub tips which we hope will help you make the most of your spa and keep it in perfect condition.

• Prevent scum lines – Drop a few tennis balls into the water and let them soak up the oil, hair products, lotions, and other grime. The yellow fuzzy fibres help to catch waste products and stop them from clogging up your system.
• Invest in a good vacuum – to help keep the grit, gunk, and small debris out of your spa and help keep your spa in tip-top condition.
• Set a timer – when you are refilling your hot tub to avoid a flood. It is easy to get carried away with other jobs and lose track of time.
• Use a hose filter – to make sure the water you are starting with is a clean as possible, this will help you with your pool chemistry.

• Keep your filters clean – a weekly rinse, a monthly clean with a spray cleaner, and a quarterly soak or replacement (This depends on how often you use your tub), this will keep them in great condition. A clean filter will help keep your water safe and clean.
• Keep a set of spare filters – there is nothing worse than having to delay your hot tub time because you do not have a filter.
• High TDS – Cloudy water and chlorine lock happen when your water has too many total dissolved solids (TDS). A high TDS can leave your water unable to respond to chemical changes and you may be finding It hard to balance your water. One way to avoid this is to do partial water changes more frequently than you would a complete drain down, this will help with your TDS lower and your water safer.
• Save money – Insulate your tub and run the heater during off-peak hours. Added insulation in the panels can help maintain your hot tub’s temperature especially during colder months which will keep your energy bills lower and lessen the stress on the system of your hot tub. If you have peak and off-peak then try setting your system to heat during the off-peak hours, you will notice a significant difference in your bills.

• Remove limescale – Using an acid such as white vinegar will affect your chemical balance so use it carefully ad sparingly, however it is great for removing calcium build-up in your jets and around your hot tub. A little can go a long way and it can really help to get things flowing again.
• Protect your cover – Leave the cover off after you shock it, this will allow the corrosive gases to disperse and help prolong your cover’s life.
• Protect your pillows – By removing them when not in use and especially when adding shock in order to prevent bubbling and corrosion.
• Keep your tub covered – Firstly it will help keep the heat in, secondly it will stop your water and chemicals evaporating and thirdly it will stop bugs and other unwanted visitors from getting in.

• If in doubt dump it out – as we have mentioned sometimes it just is not possible to save your water. You could spend days trying to tweak it and end up wasting your chemicals. If you are struggling to get the chemistry right, then simply dump the water do your flush and start again fresh.
• Stick to hot tub chemicals – not pool ones. Many pool products contain additives that are beneficial to pool water but can be extremely detrimental for hot tub water.
• Close the air valves after use – Air valves let cold air in during use, which is great for bubbles and relaxation. However, the cold air makes it harder for the tub to heat up and maintain temperature therefore turning it off will make the heating process a bit faster.
• Avoid soap-based cleaners – they are not designed to be used in hot tubs and end up lingering on surfaces and causing havoc on your water chemistry.

• Shower beforehand – Ask everyone to shower beforehand, this helps remove contaminants such as body lotions, deodorant, and other creams and stops them from entering your tub causing excess foam, cloudy water, and difficult rebalancing.
•  Test your water regularly, how often you test your water will depend on how often you use it, what the weather is like and where you live. A good rule of thumb is to top up any used chemicals after each use, however, this may not always be preferable so checking it at least 5 times a week will help to keep it in great condition.
• Less is better when it comes to adding chemicals, it is far easier to add more than try and reverse. High levels of chemicals can cause your hot tub internals to start corroding and wearing away.
• Do not let your hot tub freeze, some choose to not use their hot tub over the colder months, in this circumstance you can either turn the tub down low or you can empty and winterise it, we recommend keeping it full and on an incredibly low temperature to prevent freezing. Even if the pipes have been emptied you can still run the risk of frost damage as some pipes may still have small amounts of water in them which will freeze and potentially damage the internals of your hot tub.