Oil and soap based products are the number 1 enemy of crystal clear spa water. Never
use regular household cleaners for cleaning your spa. These products contain soap or
ammonia based products and are very bad for your water chemistry and if you don't get all
of the product out of the spa you could wind up with a very large "bubble bath".
One of the most common causes of foamy hot tub and spa water is residual detergent in
bathing suits. Try running an extra rinse cycle in the washing machine, or re-rinse
swimwear by hand.
When not using your spa, keep the Air Control Valves closed. These are the valves or
dials on top of the spa that allow air to mix with the water coming out of your jets.
Besides these valves letting cold air into the spa water and increasing heating costs,
this air can also be full of air borne debris and algae spores that can cloud your water
and increases your chemical usage.
Personal hygiene products belong in the shower. Hair spray, hair mousse, styling gels,
deodorant, anti-perspiration, sun tan lotion, excess sweat, make-up, skin creams of any
sort and excess soap or dyes in bathing suits will cloud your water and clog your filter,
reducing its life and increasing your maintenance time.
Floating oil-absorbing sponges are fantastic at reducing the amount of clogging oils
that are sent through your filter. Remember to squeeze them out occasionally and to
replace them when they start to deteriorate or when they no longer float.
Make sure your filter cartridge is fully seated in the filter compartment. This ensures
100% of the water passing through the filter, rather than bypassing it. Remember to clean
the cartridge once a month for maximum longevity and to replace it every 1 to 2 years. The
fibers of the cartridge start to break down and deteriorate after a while and wont do an
adequate job of filtration after a while. It's a not a bad idea to have two filter
cartridges on hand for your spa and use them on an alternating basis. This way, while one
is being cleaned by soaking in a "Filter Cleaner" solution, the other one can be
used in your spa to reduce the down time of your spa.
Make sure to test your spa water at least once per week and always after adding new
water. Make sure that the pH and TOTAL ALKALINITY is within the proper ranges. This is
MOST important. Either adjust the pH and Alkalinity manually each week, or use a pH
Balancing product. If you're using a liquid test kit be sure to clean it after every use,
keep the solutions out of the sun and to replace them ever year. Also, always get your
sample water from at least 12 inches below the surface. If you're using test strips be
sure to replace them if they are 6 months past the expiration date.
One quick and easy way to vacuum debris from the bottom of your spa is to simply use a
garden hose and siphon it out.
If you have an in-ground spa you know you should never drain the water if it's rained
in the last few weeks, or if the ground is wet (if you didn't know this, glad you're
here). If you do it's very possible that the spa will float out of the ground. But if you
find yourself in that position and you need to change the water here's a neat little
trick. Drop a sump pump in the bottom of the spa, them spread a large sheet of plastic
over the top of the water. As the sump pump removes the water, run water from a garden
hose on top of the plastic. If the hose and pump are running at the same speed the water
level wont drop and the old and new water wont mix.
