Unfortunately owning a hot tub isn’t all fun and games. There are regular maintenance procedures that need to be taken care of as well. However, once you have a good understanding of things such as how often to change hot tub water, you’ll fall into a routine that makes keeping your hot tub fresh and clean as simple and habitual as brushing your teeth. In this article, we go over some of the indicators that will let you know that it’s time to change the water in your hot tub.
How Often Do You Need to Change Hot Tub Water?
Generally speaking, you should be changing your hot tub water about three or four times a year. How often you actually have to change the hot tub water will depend on how much the hot tub is getting used, how many people are using it, whether they’re showering beforehand or not, how often you check and rebalance the water chemistry, how clean you keep the water, etc. As you become more experienced with your hot tub, changing the water will become more of an intuitive process that depends on your observations and senses. Below are some examples.
The Hot Tub Water Is Leaving Deposits
If you’re noticing deposits of salt or scaling around the mechanical components of your hot tub, it’s likely that your calcium hardness and total dissolved solids levels have become too high. While low calcium hardness levels can be remedied using a calcium hardness increaser, the only real solution for high calcium hardness levels is draining the hot tub and starting again with fresh water. It’s important to take care of this before the deposits start to affect the mechanical components.
The Hot Tub Water Stinks
Smelly hot tub water isn’t just a nuisance, it’s a sign that something is out of balance. If there’s a strong chlorine smell, your sanitizer has likely been depleted by a buildup of ammonia in the water. Adding more sanitizer can help reduce odors. Similarly, a buildup of organic materials introduced into the hot tub by the bathers can make the water smell bad. This could be the result of body oils, soap residues or other personal care products and cosmetics. The best way to prevent this buildup is to ensure everyone has a shower before getting into the water. If a sanitizer doesn’t stop the smell, it’s time to change the hot tub water.
The Hot Tub Water Is Murky
Murky or cloudy hot tub water may be caused by a buildup of organic materials. It might also be caused by an increase in calcium hardness levels or total dissolved solids. You might be able to remedy the situation using a spa shock. This simply means adding a potassium or chlorine-based cleaner to the water. If shocking the water doesn’t clear it up, it’s time to drain the hot tub and refill it with fresh water.
Foam Is Building Up in The Hot Tub
While bubbles are a necessary part of running the hot tub’s water pump, if they morph into persistent layers of foam, you’ve got a problem on your hands. Foam that sticks around is likely caused by organic compounds building up in the water. You can use hot tub defoamers to get rid of foam, but this isn’t a permanent solution. The only way to rid your hot tub of permanent foaminess is to drain it and fill it up again with clean water.
Now that you have an understanding of some of the reasons why you would need to change the water in your hot tub, download a free buyer’s guide for more information.