If you’re planning to install a hot tub, you have to consider its maintenance process because it will affect its usage age and the quality of the water. Whether you decide to buy a hot tub for personal or entertainment purposes, you don’t want to be inside dirty and acidic water. Keeping your hot tub water clean with a balanced chemistry level can make your hot tub last longer and be free from bacteria.
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How to Take Care of Hot Tub
Water Circulation
An outdoor hot tub is more likely to get exposed to all contaminants that can cause bacteria to grow faster. One of the ways that you can use to prevent this from happening is to make sure that the water circulates well.
Some hot tubs come with automatic settings that can schedule the circulation time by themselves. For people who have a standard hot tub with manual settings, you can do it by turning on the hot tub for about 15-20 minutes.
Water Chemistry
Checking water chemistry can be done at least twice a week to prevent a high acidic level that may cause irritation to your skin, eye, hair, and the hot tub itself based on these points:
- pH: the safe pH range should be between 7.4 – 7.6. Less than this means that it’s too acidic and the number above this means that the water is too basic and will make the sanitizer works less.
- Alkalinity: the alkalinity level should be between 100 ppm (parts per million) to 150 ppm. If the number is too high, it might make the water becomes cloudy and cause scaling.
- Calcium hardness: it needs to be about 100 ppm to 250 ppm. It might cause corrosion if it’s too low and might scale and create cloudiness if it’s too high.
Filters
You can do this step at least every two weeks. There are three ways to clean the filter:
- Rinsing: rinse it with warm water or by using a hose to clean the build-up.
- Soaking: soak the filter with a filter cleaner for deep cleansing and remove stubborn contaminants.
- Spraying: use a cleaner and rinse it with clean water.
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Sanitizing and Shocking
This step can be done if you’re not using the hot tub for a while or when you have been using it often. Two chemical products that many people use are chlorine and bromine.
- Chlorine kills contaminants faster than bromine but can leave smells. It can be harsh on the skin, hair, and eyes if you put too much product.
- Bromine kills more slowly but barely leaves any odor. Also, it’s more gentle on the skin. Another point that you can consider is that the price of bromine is quite more expensive than chlorine.
Hot Tub Cover
Hot tub covers are another part that might show mildew due to dampness.
- By using a clean and soft cloth, wipe the cover twice a week up to once a month to make sure that bad odor and build-up are away.
- Take off the cover and air it out to keep any bad odor away for one or two days. If you’re going to wash it, choose a sunny day so the cover dries faster.
- If there are any rips, grab tape or patch quickly and cover the ripped area.
Exterior and Interior Cleaning
Scrub the surface of the hot tub to clean any dirt, grease, and build-up, especially if your hot tub is installed outdoors.
- Use a soft sponge to wipe down the shell and around the jets.
- Regular tub cleaning can be done weekly before or after use.
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Those are some steps that you can follow to keep your hot tub healthy, last longer, and free from any contaminants!