Spa Maintenance – 7 Tips to Keep Your Spa Running Smoothly

Did you know that hot tubs can have a lifespan of up to 20 years?

It’s true! Quality-built hot tubs can provide a significant amount of relaxation, but how long yours lasts is ultimately up to you.

Your spa maintenance routine is the most important factor in how long you can expect your hot tub to last.

With a poorly designed routine, you’ll drastically increase your risk of costly repairs and frequent water problems in the future!

However, by including a few essential steps, you’ll be able to feel confident in your routine, knowing your water is balanced, your system is running smoothly, and be able to soak in peace anytime you want!

Curious about how you can maximize the lifespan of your spa?

Then keep reading! Below, we’ll give you all the best (and easiest) ways to care for your hot tub like a pro!

7 Easy Spa Maintenance Tips You Won’t Want to Skip

Maintaining your spa doesn’t have to be hard, and with the right steps in place, you’ll find it’s not only simple but also takes far less time with a well-rounded routine.

Caring for your hot tub is more than simply testing and treating your water.

While this is certainly a significant (and influential) part of it, there is so much more you’ll want to ensure you include in your routine to avoid costly repairs down the line.

Here are some of the best ways you can keep your spa running smoothly and make caring for it simple, saving you time and money in the future.

1. Maintain Your Water Chemistry

As mentioned above, your water care is a vital part of your spa water maintenance, and you should never skip over it.

The quality of your water can have a significant impact on various aspects of your hot tub.

Not only does keeping it clean and well-balanced ensure your water is safe to soak in, but it also protects your entire system from damage.

Your water has three influential factors that you’ll need to ensure are properly maintained:

• pH
• Alkalinity
• Sanitizer

If these levels are not kept within a safe range, your water can begin damaging your entire system, from your plumbing and filtration to the surface of your shell.

To maintain these levels, you’ll need to include a few basic chemicals in your routine.

• pH increaser
• pH decreaser
• Total alkalinity increaser
• Your chosen sanitizer (chlorine, bromine, salt, etc)

These levels should be as follows:

pH: between 7.2 and 7.8

Alkalinity: between 80 and 120 ppm

Your sanitizer levels will depend on which sanitizer you use, with the most common two being chlorine (1 to 3 ppm) and bromine (3 to 5 ppm)

2. Use The Right Spa Chemicals

Your water quality and how often you enjoy your spa will have a significant influence over which chemicals you may need to use in your spa maintenance schedule.

While we already touched on the importance of pH, alkalinity, and sanitizer and what you’ll need to manage their levels, there are some additional hot tub chemicals that you may find helpful.

Shock Treatment

Each time you enjoy a relaxing spa session, oils from your body or bathing suit will be pulled into the water. Most commonly, these oils include:

• Lotions
• Perfumes
• Deodorants
• Makeup
• Detergent residue
• Hair products

These oils are called “organic matter” and are not able to be broken down by your sanitizer.

A non-chlorinated oxidizing shock treatment will help combat this.

Oxidizers are able to support your sanitizer by deteriorating these oils while also breaking down the chloramines that are produced as your sanitizer kills the bacteria in your water.

Not only will this keep your water sparkling clean, but it’ll leave it smelling and feeling great!

Calcium Hardness Increaser

If you live somewhere with soft water, including a calcium hardness increaser to your water change routine will make re-balancing it after a refill easier.

Minerals are an essential part of your water chemistry, and while too many are certainly not good to have, you do need some to make your water quality manageable.

Adding a calcium hardness increaser to your water will help make adjusting your alkalinity easier and reduce the amount of chemicals needed to bring your water into balance.

3. Clean Your Filters

Your filters have an important job, and your spa maintenance should reflect that.

As water circulates through your filtration system, your filters pull out any debris that’s gotten into your water.

Over time, this debris will build up on your filters, making it more difficult for them to effectively clean your water, which can lead to longer run times and even result in cloudy water.

With an expected lifespan of 12 months, keeping them clean is an essential step you won’t want to skip.

To best maintain your filters, you’ll want to include three different types of cleanings in your routine:

• A weekly rinse
• A monthly clean
• A quarterly soak

During your weekly rinse, you’ll simply be rinsing your filters under gently running water to wash away any surface debris.

Each month, you’ll need to spray your filters with a filter cleaner to remove the deeper set grime that’s developed over the month.

Let the filter cleaner soak in for 15 minutes, then rinse them off before returning them to your hot tub.

Every three months, during your water change, you’ll want to soak your filters in a diluted mixture of water and filter cleaner.

This will lift any stubborn build-up that’s developed over the last few months, ensuring any grime that’s been stuck between the pleats gets pulled out.

After your soak is finished, you’ll be left with a refreshed filter that’s ready to effectively maintain your water’s cleanliness once again.

4. Use a Spa Vacuum

Even though your chemicals will be keeping your water clean, the surface of your shell that’s below the water can develop a slippery layer of grime over time.

This is a natural development simply from being surrounded by water for extended periods of time.

The good news is that this film is easy to remove using a spa vacuum.

Each week, simply use your spa vacuum to remove any slippery buildup from the underwater surfaces of your spa.

This will not only keep your water clean but reduce the risks of you or your guests slipping as you get in and out of your hot tub.

5. Don’t Skip Water Changes

Over time, your water will become overloaded with your treatment chemicals, making it increasingly difficult to maintain your water’s chemistry.

Not only that, but this also leaves you vulnerable to cloudy or foamy water!

Water changes help give you a clean slate to work with every few months and ensure you’re soaking in clean, safe water each time you step into your spa.

Every three months, you’ll want to completely drain your hot tub and perform a deep clean using a shell cleaner.

This will help wash away any residue that’s been building up on your shell and ensure your fresh water won’t be contaminated when it enters your spa.

6. Inspect Your System Monthly

While issues may be few and far between with a quality hot tub, including a thorough inspection in your spa maintenance routine is essential.

Small problems can quickly turn into expensive repairs if they’re missed, and with a system that’s in constant contact with water, those issues can expand fast!

Each month, you should perform a thorough inspection of your system, including:

• The seals of your water pump
• Your heating element
• The pipes
• The insulation
• Your cabinet

During this inspection, you’ll want to look for any puddles or wet spots that shouldn’t be there.

If you discover an unexpected puddle of water or damp insulation, you’ll need to diagnose where the leak is coming from and make the repair right away before it becomes a bigger issue.

7. Include Professional Service Visits

While inspecting your system can go a long way, it’s easy to miss something when you don’t have the expertise of a professional.

This is where including a professional service comes in.

Scheduling time for a professional technician to come out and inspect your system once every few months is a great way to ensure issues don’t get missed and minor repairs can be made before they begin affecting other areas of your system.

It’s also a good idea to call in the professionals at the first sign of issues.

Whether you’re struggling to keep your water clear or have noticed your water level dropping faster than usual, having a trained technician come out to diagnose the issue can save you a lot of money in the future.

Professional Jacuzzi® & Sundance® Spa Maintenance in Vancouver

Whether you simply want to take the work out of your spa maintenance or need a service technician to diagnose an issue with your spa, Crystalview Pool, Spa & Patio in Northern Vancouver can help.

With nearly 40 years of experience, our experts can help you manage all your spa maintenance needs with ease.

Contact us or request a service appointment online today.

Looking to upgrade your current spa or take the plunge and buy your first hot tub? Visit us in-store to get started!