If you’re a first-time hot tub owner, you might have a few questions. These will likely include how much water is needed to fill your hot tub, what chemicals you need to keep a healthy balance and the costs of maintenance moving forward. After all, water is a huge part of the overall hot tub experience. Below, we’ll break down the basics of hot tub water and what you can do to keep it in a healthy state.
How Much Water Do You Need to Fill Your Hot Tub?
To answer this question, you need to take into account the size, shape, make and model of your hot tub. While there’s no definitive answer because of various external factors, a four-person hot tub can typically hold more than 300 gallons of water. If you want to know the exact amount, there’s a simple equation you can use that determines the hot tub depth. This equation divides the deepest and shallowest parts of the hot tub and then finds its average point. You can start by listing down the width, length, and depth of your hot tub. Next, you should put the numbers into their respective places in this equation: W x L x D x 7.5. Here, 7.5 refers to how many gallons are in one cubic foot. The answer you get will let you know how much water is needed to fill up the specific hot tub model you have.
What’s the Best Way to Fill a Hot Tub With Water?
Once your new hot tub is installed right where you want it, filling it up with water comes next. Most homeowners find that the simplest way to do this is by using a garden hose. Even though you might find it a bit slow, this method is pretty straightforward. Plus, you can easily use your hose to refill your hot tub back to the ideal water level whenever you need to.
Keeping the Water Clean and Balanced
Now that you know how much water your hot tub holds, you’ll also be able to determine what you need to keep it crystal clear and safe for use. It’s important to maintain a pH balance of 7.2 to 7.8, and using the right hot tub chemicals can help you do just that. To ensure that your hot tub provides a safe, enjoyable, and relaxing experience, the water should neither be too acidic nor too alkaline. When it’s too acidic, which is 7.2 or below, it can cause itchy or burning eyes. This is an indication that the water is not as sanitized as it should be. Plus, high acidity levels could damage the functioning parts of your hot tub. On the other hand, if the water is too alkaline, which is more than 7.8, there could be scale build-up as well as a cloudy, murky appearance.
It’s important to note that it’s perfectly normal for the water levels to be off at times. This is because a number of external factors can cause imbalance, such as rainwater, dirt, debris and deodorants or creams worn by those who use your hot tub. With this in mind, you can rest assured that you’re not necessarily doing something wrong to cause it. All you need to do is test the water regularly using testing strips or kits. This will give you an idea of if and when more chemicals are needed. It’s a good idea to make sure that you have the basic chemicals in stock, such as chlorine, so you can easily use them to shock your water back to the ideal level. Additionally, these chemicals are important because surface cleaning may not be enough to keep bacteria away.
There may be cases when the pH levels constantly need to be adjusted. If you find yourself having to do this, an easy fix would be to drain your hot tub and refill it with fresh water. If you want to learn more about the basics of using hot tub chemicals, it’s a good idea to get in touch with a spa dealer near you.
To learn what to look for when buying a hot tub, download our free buyer’s guide today!