Using a hot tub should be a relaxing, healthy and refreshing experience. But if your hot tub water is dirty, cloudy and smelly you will hardly feel refreshed and relaxed. It doesn’t take a lot of work to keep your hot tub water clean, but you will definitely need to follow some basic steps to ensure it remains healthy and fresh. In order to help you with a positive hot tub experience, we’ve come up with some tips on how to keep hot tub water crystal clear.
Invest in A Good Hot Tub Cover
No matter how excited you are about your new hot tub, it will sit unused much more often than it will be full of people. When there’s no one in the hot tub you should cover it up to prevent dirt, dust and other contaminants from getting into the water. Not only does a good fitting hot tub cover help keep your water clean it also lowers the amount of chemicals you need while reducing the amount of energy needed to keep the water warm. Basically, a hot tub cover is a massive money saver – invest wisely.
Remove Debris
The fact is, if you plan to actually use it, you won’t be able to keep your hot tub covered all the time. This will allow airborne contaminants such as pollen, fungal spores, leaves, twigs, and bird droppings to get into your hot tub. Rather than let your filter system deal with these large particles, skim them out yourself with a net skimmer. It will reduce the amount of work your hot tub system needs to do and keep your water cleaner for longer.
Power of The Shower
Probably even more of an influence on water quality than dirt and other airborne contaminants are the surfactants that we bring into the hot tub with our bodies. Soap residue, deodorants, perfumes, and body oils all change the chemistry of the water in a hot tub. Over time these impurities will cause the water to become cloudy and murky. By taking a shower before entering the hot tub, you can easily reduce the amount of these adulterants that end up in the water. Taking it even a step further you might consider wearing a bathing cap to keep hair products from getting into the water.
Water Testing
Regularly testing your water will ensure everything remains in balance. You won’t need to have a degree in chemistry to do these tests, but you will need to take time out of your week to make sure they are done regularly. Testing for levels such as pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness only takes a few minutes, but it’s important to have this information to keep your water chemistry balanced. Depending on how often you use your hot tub you’ll need to perform these tests a few times a week up to every day.
Add Chemicals
The results of your water tests will let you know what kind and how much of each chemical you’ll need to add to your hot tub. It’s simply a matter of following instructions. The added chemicals will keep the water clean, balanced and fresh.
Filter Maintenance
Your water filters will take care of any of the particulate matter that you can’t take care of yourself. Making sure your water filters are clean and in good repair is an important part of having clean and clear hot tub water. Inspect them regularly and clean or replace them as needed.
Change the Water
Unless you’re having major problems with your water chemistry, you’ll only need to change your hot tub water every six months or so. This will also allow you to get in the tub and give it a good cleaning before refilling it with water. Using filtered water to refill the tub will also make sure contaminants from your local water supply don’t skew your test results.
To learn more about hot tub maintenance, download a hot tub buyer’s guide.