How to keep your hot tub clean: One of the most important factors in deciding when to change your hot tub water is the level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)-a measure of everything soluble in your spa’s water. High TDS levels can indicate organic contamination and other problems. You can avoid doing full water changes by taking a page from aquarium enthusiasts and performing partial water changes at more frequent intervals than you would full ones. Rather than emptying your tub completely, remove a portion of your spa’s water, check the levels with a TDS meter , and adjust as necessary until your water is balanced and healthy. Low TDS levels make balancing your water chemistry much easier and help your sanitizers work more efficiently. Partial water changes are especially helpful in cold climates, where a full water change might not always be practical due to inclement weather or extreme temperatures.
Advices for buying a hot tub : Hot tubs that need to be moved in the future should use a Plug-and-Play connection. These fit a standard 120 volt outlet. Many spas have convertible voltage if you want to hard wire the tub in the future. 240V hard wired spas heat faster and stay hot longer than Plug and Play tubs. Qualified electricians must wire 240V systems. This also means installing a spa GFCI disconnect panel for safety.
Here are several advices on how to maintain your hot tub and also a suggestion if you live in Colorado. Always shower first with soap and water to reduce the likelihood of contaminating the spa water and minimizing health risks. Lotions, oils, and other things contribute to build-up in your spa. In cold climates, it’s not advisable to drain it — so save yourself the extra cost of a possible repair bill by rinsing off before and after. Besides: isn’t it nice to get into a really clean tub? Limit your soak time to no more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Cool off, then re-enter if you like.
Keep your spa water clean from algae, bacteria and other unwanted impurities by maintaining a safe amount of sanitizer. With too much sanitizer in your spa water, your lungs, skin and eyes may become irritated.
The spa filter can be under the skimmer basket accessed from inside the spa, or it can be a small tank that is opened up underneath the spa. You’ll need to locate it first in order to clean or replace the filter during your spa care routine. If underneath the spa, you may have a valve that can be shut to prevent water from rushing out when you open the filter. Loosening a large nut or just turning the filter body counter clockwise is the usual method to access the filter cartridge. Some water spillage is inevitable when opening it up, but if you are careful it can be very little.
Your daily maintenance tasks are all about ensuring good water quality. In a hot tub that means checking two things: PH and sanitizer levels. This is easy stuff, and can generally be accomplished by dipping a single, color-coded test strip into the water to check that everything is as it should be. If you’re diligent about maintaining your tub, most days this won’t mean doing anything more than walking out to your tub, dipping the test stick in the water, and heading back inside. If your PH or sanitizer levels need adjusting, however, you’ll need take an extra few minutes to dump the proper additive into your water to get things back their proper levels. Doing so will prevent a host of problems, including scaling, mineral buildup, corrosion, skin irritation, and cloudy and stinky water. This spa care tip is so often forgotten. However, if the skimmer starts to suck air, it could possibly damage the pump. The water level should be in the middle of the skimmer intake or a little higher. You don’t want it too high, and you never want to overflow the spa, so keep a close eye on the water level while filling.
But first let’s view the hot tub choice of the month : This Hudson Bay Spa from Home & Garden Spas offers an affordable high-end spa solution for the masses. The beautifully constructed hot tub comes equipped with 14 powerful jets and an energy efficient motor to provide you with a high quality therapeutic massage without consuming immense amounts of energy. Even though this tub is advertised as being big enough for 4 people it is more aptly suited for couples or small families at best. What it lacks in size it more than makes up in quality, performance and price making this hot tub a top contender on this list. Discover more information on Complete Hot Tub repair services on all makes and models in Colorado.