If you’ve recently purchased a hot tub and been enjoying relaxing soaks and hydrotherapy massage treatments in the comfort of your home, you may not have thought about servicing your hot tub yet. Dirty water or clogged filters can lead to more serious problems with the components of your hot tub and if not properly maintained will cause serious damage. As a new hot tub owner, it is important to ensure that you keep your hot tub in the best condition possible so that your investment will last for years to come. If you’re wondering what kind of maintenance schedule needs to be kept or how often does a hot tub need to be serviced, keep reading below for the answers.
Hot Tub Maintenance 101
There is a range of tasks that need to be completed on a regular basis to ensure that your spa water is safe and that your hot tub remains in optimal condition. The good news is that most of these tasks just take a few minutes and can be scheduled into a regular maintenance routine. Setting up a calendar with daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly tasks makes it easier to remember when your hot tub needs service. You can use an app, email calendar, or even a wall calendar to keep track – the important part is just remembering to do the tasks on time.
Daily Hot Tub Tasks
Besides enjoying your hot tub every day, the necessary daily tasks are super simple and can actually be done while you’re soaking. Basically, it is about paying attention to your hot tub and checking the temperature of the water to ensure it is staying at the desired level. Sudden temperature changes could point to more serious problems. As you’re soaking, inspect the various elements of the hot tub, including the cover, to see if there’s any noticeable damage or flaws. Catching these things early can save you bigger headaches or costly repairs later on.
Weekly Tasks
You’ll want to check your water chemistry and make any necessary adjustments on a weekly basis at the very least. If your hot tub is getting frequent use, you might want to up this to twice or even three times a week. The water should also be shocked on a weekly basis to ensure it remains clean and fresh. The hot tub filter cartridge needs to be hosed down at least every 30 days and should refer to the manufacturer’s recommendation on properly removing the filter. This can be done by simply pulling it out and rinsing with a garden hose to remove particles like body oils and cosmetics that could be prohibiting proper flow. Last, give your hot tub cover a good wipe down to avoid any mold or mildew build-up and keep your hot tub smelling fresh.
Monthly Tasks
Even though you should hose down your filter at least once a month, it should also be chemically cleaned by using a spray-on cleaner and degreaser every 60 days. This dissolves a lot of the oily dirt that’s not so easily removed by hosing off the filter cartridge with a garden hose. Even though you’ve been checking the water chemistry every week or more, taking a sample into one of our locations every month will ensure everything is properly in balance. Imbalanced water chemistry can lead to a myriad of problems, so it is much better to prevent them from happening by being proactive.
Quarterly Tasks
Every three to four months, your hot tub should be drained and thoroughly cleaned including wiping down the inside of the tub and the outside of the cabinet. While you do so, inspect these areas for any damage. Now is also the time to give your filter cartridge another deep cleaning by using the degreaser.
Yearly Tasks
If you’re serious about keeping your hot tub in the best condition possible, a professional tune-up should happen annually. We can assess the electrics, mechanical components and give you any advice on issues you’d noticed during other inspections. We also recommend that you replace your filter cartridge once a year.
Now that you know how to maintain your hot tub and how often it requires service, download a hot tub buyer’s guide to learn more about keeping your hot tub in great shape.