As your hot tub is a warm environment, its chemical balance is constantly changing. This could be due to changes in outdoor temperatures, rainwater, bodily oils like sweat and even hard water – if you live in a hard water area. The easy way to keep your water safe and clean is by testing it regularly. Then, just add the right chemicals to keep bacteria at bay.
Caring for your hot tub
Maintenance schedule:
Carrying out regular maintenance is essential to keeping your hot tub working efficiently while also safeguarding the health of yourself and other hot tub users. To ensure longevity and safe use of your hot tub, we recommend following this maintenance schedule.
Failure to maintain your hot tub may result in your claim being void.
PLEASE NOTE: If your hot tub has a headrest, we advise you to remove the headrests when the hot tub is not in use to prolong their life. This is advised to ensure the chemical gases (that sit on top of the water) do not cause damage over time.
IMPORTANT: If you are in a hard water area, we recommend using Stain and Scale Control weekly, If you do not know if you have hard water or not please feel free to get in contact with the team.
DAILY HOT TUB CARE
• Test sanitiser, alkalinity, and pH levels • Add a registered sanitiser after use to maintain the sanitiser levels (Refer to testing strip)
• Check and maintain sanitiser levels even when the hot tub isn’t being used
• Check the water temperature • Ensure the hot tub cover is clean and secure
WEEKLY HOT TUB MAINTENANCE
• Shock the water • Add stain and scale control (if needed) • If necessary, and as required, adjust water pH and alkalinity
• Wipe off debris above the water line to reduce contaminants
• Rinse the filters (if needed) • Wipe down all sides of the hot tub and cover to prevent mould and lime-scale
MONTHLY HOT TUB MAINTENANCE
• Clean the filters properly
• Check that jets are working to full capacity
QUARTERLY HOT TUB MAINTENANCE
• Clean the pipes with Hot Tub Flush
• Empty and clean the hot tub
• Remove and install a new or clean filter
• Refill water
• Add chemicals and test levels
• Clean hot tub exterior wall
ANNUALLY HOT TUB MAINTENANCE
• Inspect your cover for potential damage
• Organise servicing of your hot tub by a professional engineer
Chemicals and sanitiser
It is essential to keep your hot tub clean and clear of bacteria for a safe and pleasant bathing experience. The basic elements that go into maintaining and balancing your hot tub water are sanitiser, pH adjusters and shock treatments.
Sanitiser
Your hot tub will need to be treated with a sanitiser to control and prevent bacteria growth. There are two main sanitisers available to keep your hot tub clean; chlorine or bromine.
Chlorine
Chlorine is the most popular sanitiser choice amongst hot tub users. This is due to it being the most cost-effective and fast-acting sanitiser available.
TOP TIP: Add a sprinkling of chlorine granules each time you exit your hot tub to keep it clean and hygienic ready for your next dip. Make sure to always stir the granules in a clean beaker and fresh warm water before pouring into the hot tub. For safety always remove your floating dispenser (if you have one) when your hot tub is in use.
IMPORTANT: The spa needs to be above 26°C before adding chemicals or they will not work as intended.
Chlorine Granules
Chlorine can be added by pre-diluting in a container of warm water. We suggest adding chlorine in small amounts to start (unless the level is very low). Once added, leave the water for about two hours, before retesting - this will give time for the chlorine to work. If the water is very dirty then all the chlorine will be used up, and you will have another low reading. If the water is properly balanced then a chlorine residual will remain, and no more chemicals will need to be added.
Chlorine Tablets
You can also add chlorine by placing the tablets in a floating dispenser. We advise you to start by adding three to four tablets and adjusting the dispenser flow as necessary. The dispenser base can be twisted to adjust the flow of water into the unit. Simply twist the base to allow water flow through one hole, two holes, three holes or four holes. There should always be tablets in the dispenser. DO NOT leave them until they are completely depleted before replacing them. Re-test the water again in approximately two hours to see if the level has been raised sufficiently.
Bromine
Bromine is an alternative sanitiser to chlorine. It is slower acting, which means it takes longer to show a reading when testing, which can result in cloudy water. To use bromine tablets, simply follow the same instructions as chlorine tablets.
Testing your sanitiser level
To test your sanitiser level dip a test strip in the hot tub water about 12 inches/30cm under the water level. Follow the instructions on the test strip container, and compare the colour to the chart on the test strip bottle. The amount of chemical in hot tubs is usually measured in PPM, which stands for parts per million. If you are a chlorine user, please ensure you keep the chlorine level at between 3-5ppm. If using bromine, try to keep your level between 2 and 5 ppm.
Every hot tub owner uses their hot tub differently, so it is impossible to say how much sanitiser is required. Therefore, we recommend that you test your TA, PH and sanitiser level as often as possible and adjust accordingly. You may wish to reduce these checks to every few days if you find your water doesn’t need adjusting that often. However, if your usage increases then return to daily checks.
IMPORTANT: Never add water to chemicals, always add the chemicals to the water.
TOP TIP: Hold your test strip horizontally to avoid the colours running into each other. DO NOT shake
PH levels
The term pH is a way of describing whether your water is acidic or alkaline. The pH scale works from 0-14 with 7 being neutral. Anything below 7 is classed as acidic, and anything above 7 is considered alkaline. You must keep your pH level within the range of 7.2 to 7.8, and ideally 7.2 to 7.4 or you may experience some of the following problems
highlighted below.
Common low pH problems:
• Corrosion of components
• Skin and eye irritation
• Poor sanitiser efficiency (you keep adding more sanitiser)
Common high pH levels problems:
• Scale build up
• Cloudy water
• Skin and eye irritation
• Poor sanitiser efficiency (you keep adding more sanitiser)
If the pH level is incorrect you will have problems balancing your sanitiser Level. Always adjust this prior to adding sanitiser (but never run the hot tub without sanitiser in the water). To test your pH level, dip a test strip in the water, following the instructions on the test strip container, and adjust accordingly by adding pH minus or pH plus. The goal you should aim for is a balanced pH, meaning neither the alkalinity nor acidity of the water is too high or too low.
TOP TIP: Correct pH levels will stop scale build-up in your pipework and pumps.
Shock treatments
After choosing your choice of sanitiser, it is recommended to shock dose or oxidise your water every week with a non-chlorine shock treatment if using bromine or a chlorine shock if using chlorine. To prepare for shocking the water, turn the hot tub on to allow distribution of the shock, ensuring you turn off any air jets or aerators so the chemicals can work effectively.
Shock dosing is required to do the following:
- Break down chloramines
- Kill bacteria
- Remove organic compounds
TOP TIP: A cap full of non-chlorine shock a week will help keep your water clear. If cloudy water appears first, you can increase the filter cycle as this will normally clear it.
Non-chlorine shock
Non-chlorine shock is a powerful, odourless oxidising agent, which works to eliminate contaminants in hot tub water. Oxidation is different to sanitisation and is the breaking down of the oils and organics in your water.
IMPORTANT: Non-chlorine shock works with all sanitisers, but please DO NOT replace them with this. It is not a sanitiser, more a complementary chemical. If you are using any other products, please refer back to the instruction provided with the chemicals.
Cleaning your hot tub
It is vital to clean your hot tub on a regular basis. Even if your sanitiser levels are perfect, hot tubs can still develop biofilm. Bacteria feeds on this, which ends up in your water, eating up chlorine and potentially exposing you to contaminants which long-term may cause legionnaires disease and E. coli.
Before emptying your hot tub, we recommend using pipe cleaning fluid called Spa Flush which will clean out the pipework and remove any biofilm. Once added, let the fluid circulate for around 20-30 minutes. If you see foam, don’t worry - this means it’s working. After the 20-30 minutes is up, you can begin emptying your hot tub (please see page 15 for information on how to empty your hot tub safely).
Whilst your hot tub is draining, we recommend using this time to clean your filter. Simply grab a bucket and fill it with warm tap water. Add some Hot Tub Filter Cleaner to the water, swirl the water slightly to dilute and then submerge the filter. Leave it to soak for 24 hours and then rinse thoroughly with fresh, clean water. You will need to let the filter air dry before placing back in the hot tub. We recommend using a spare clean filter whilst carrying out this task.
Now that your hot tub is empty, spray the shell with a Hot Tub Cleaner fluid (not household cleaning products) and use a microfibre cloth to remove any residue. Don’t forget to wipe around the jets too. Rinse all surfaces and drain the rinsed water to prevent foaming when you refill your hot tub. Finally, clean the underside of the cover to protect it and prolong its life.
Draining the water
Water can only be chemically maintained for so long before excess build-up occurs and requires replacement. We recommend draining and refilling your water every three-four months. Prior to emptying, use a hot tub flush to remove any dirt, debris and loosen any calcium from the pipework – this will all be washed away with the drained water. Before you refill your hot tub and use again, we recommend using Spa Surface Cleaner to sanitise and clean the hot tub shell and surface.
To empty your hot tub safely, follow the guidance below:
• Turn off your hot tub completely at the isolation switch. If you have a Plug & Play hot tub, switch off the plug socket.
• Once switched off, locate the drainage valve on your hot tub (usually positioned on one of the sides).
• Unscrew this to open it, fit a hosepipe and point the other end towards suitable drainage.
• At this point, we recommend adding a submersible pump in the water with your hose close to a drain.
• Once positioned, switch the submersible pump on at the main switch.
• Allow your hot tub to empty (please note, it could take a couple of hours to fully drain.
TOP TIP: We recommended you drain your hot tub using a submersible pump – this can be purchased directly with us.