Common Hot Tub Issues & How To Solve Them

When you’ve been in the hot tub industry as long as we have, you get to see all kinds of things. In this article we will review the most common hot tub issues we see, and show you how to solve them.

Foamy Water

Probably the most common hot tub issue we see is foamy water. This typically happens when oils and lotions build up in your hot tub water. When air is added to the water, these oils and lotions cause bubbles to form on the surface of the water. Eventually enough of these bubbles will build up to cause a thick foam to form on top of the water’s surface.

So how do you fix foamy water? In the short term, you can add anti-foaming chemicals to break the surface tension of the water, preventing bubbles from forming. While this does stop the foam from building up, it doesn’t cure the cause of the foam. For that you will need to remove the oils and lotions from your hot tub water. This can be done in a few different ways:

• Oil absorbing sponges. These special sponges float in the hot tub when you’re not using it, absorbing any oils they come into contact with.
• New / cleaned filters. Your hot tub filters are able to catch some amount of oils and lotions, though they will need to be regularly cleaned in order to get ahead of a foam issue. If the filters are more than 12 months old, they will likely need to be replaced to be able to help deal with a foaming issue.
• Drain and refill the water. If the water in your hot tub is 3-4 months old it’s probably best just to drain and refill it with fresh water.

Soapy Water

Another common cause of foamy water is soap; most commonly introduced by bathing suits. Bathing suits actually hold onto some of the detergents used when they’re machine washed. When put into your hot tub, the detergents caught in your bathing suit will escape into the water; negatively affecting your water balance and causing foam to build up over time.

To get as many of those detergents out of your bathing suits as possible we recommend doing an extra rinse cycle if you’re machine washing them. If you also machine dry your bathing suits, avoid dryer sheets as these will introduce other impurities to the bathing suits that can affect the quality of your hot tub water.

Cloudy Water

Another very common water quality issue in hot tubs is cloudy water. Cloudy hot tub water is caused by one of two things:

• A build up of organic materials in the water; commonly dead bacteria.
• A build up of minerals like calcium caused by high alkalinity and/or high calcium hardness.

Water clarity chemicals can be added to the water to improve clarity in the short term, though (as with anti-foaming chemicals) these only mask the problem rather than solving it.

To properly treat cloudy water you will first need to determine the cause. The best way to do this is to get your water professionally tested. If the tests reveal high calcium hardness / alkalinity you can add balancing chemicals to bring them back into balance. If the tests show low sanitizer levels, you may simply need to shock the water to remove those built up organic materials.

Flow Errors

Another issue that hot tub owners can come across is error codes. By far the most common error codes that we see are flow errors (commonly displayed as either FLO, FL, FLOW or LF). All hot tubs have sensors which are used to monitor the water flow through the hot tub’s heater. Flow errors occur when these sensors don’t detect enough water flowing through the heater.

Although they’re only caused by one thing – the flow sensor(s) reading low water flow – there are actually several potential causes of flow errors in a hot tub. So how do you diagnose and fix a flow error? Follow our guide here.

Dry Skin / Red Eyes

Another very common issue reported to us by hot tub owners is experiencing dry skin or red, itchy eyes after using their hot tub. The good news is that in the vast majority of cases, these issues can be solved simply by rebalancing the water. To ensure that your hot tub water stays clear and comfortable to use, we recommend testing it every 2-3 days using a home test kit.

Based on the results of those tests, you may need to add in some small amounts of balancing or sanitizing chemicals. If you’re unsure about what to add, or how much of it to add, consult your local hot tub retailer for more info. If you notice that the hot tub is consistently out of balance, bring a sample of your water to your retailer for a free professional test and a more in-depth water care consultation.

“Chemical” Feel To The Water

Another common issue reported by hot tub owners is a “chemical” feel to their hot tub water. As with dry skin and red eyes, the issue here is usually one of water balance. Unbalanced water typically has a “harsh” feel to it as your body negatively reacts to things like high / lo pH or higher than typical levels of sanitizer. Getting these levels back in line will often give the water a softer, more natural feel. If the water still feels a little off, however, there are water softening chemicals available that can further soften the feel of the water, without affecting its balance.

High Energy Costs

Energy costs are on the minds of many hot tub owners these days. Fortunately, there are many simple ways of reducing your overall energy costs without affecting your enjoyment of your hot tub. These ways can include using “economy” mode, making sure your cover is in good shape, and simply lowering the water temperature by 1 degree. For more information, check out this article.

Heavy Hot Tub Covers

Probably the most common hot tub cover issue reported to us is the cover becoming heavy over time. This is fairly normal and is usually simply a sign that the hot tub cover needs replacing. For more information about why hot tub covers become heavy, and how you can tell when it is time to replace your cover, consult this guide.

Damage To The Underside Of The Hot Tub Cover

A slightly less common issue we see with hot tub covers is a slow deterioration of the underside of the cover. This is caused by one of two things:

• Poor water balance.
• Chemical fumes released when shocking the water.

The way to prevent this damage to your cover is to first make sure that you keep your water in balance. You should also leave your cover fully open for at least 30 minutes after shocking your hot tub water. Shocking the water helps your bromine or chlorine work more effectively by releasing gases like Nitrogen that bond to them. If you close your cover after shocking these gases can’t escape, reducing the effectiveness of the shock treatment and damaging the underside of the cover.

Wrapping Up

As you can see, there are many potential issues that can arise over the time you own a hot tub. Fortunately, most if not all of these issues are quite simple to fix! If you’re experiencing an issue with your hot tub, or simply have additional questions about hot tub ownership, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our hot tub experts! We will be happy to help you with whatever you need.