Common Mistakes Made By Hot Tub Owners

Whether you’re a new hot tub owner or have had one for years, it can be easy to make simple mistakes that can lead to water issues or costly repairs down the road. In this article, we will cover some of the most common mistakes we see hot tub owners make, and show you how to avoid them.

Not Maintaining Proper Water Balance

One of the most crucial things for the long-term health of your hot tub is to maintain proper “water balance”. Water balance is a term used to describe the relationship between different chemical measurements in your hot tub water. It is based around the fact that water dissolves and holds minerals until it becomes saturated and cannot hold any more. We will refer to this as the water’s “saturation point”.

Water that is below the saturation point is corrosive. It tries to saturate itself by dissolving everything it comes in contact with. Water that is above the saturation point is scale forming. It can’t hold all of the minerals that are dissolved in it. These excess minerals group together and form scale on any surfaces within the water.

Water that is well balanced is neither corrosive nor scale forming. This is the water that you want in your pool or hot tub. How do you maintain well balanced water? With regular water testing!

Not Testing The Hot Tub Water Enough

Many hot tub owners simply don’t test their hot tub water enough. To ensure that your hot tub water stays clear, comfortable and balanced we recommend testing it every 2-3 days using a home test kit. The goal of these tests should primarily be to ensure that your hot tub water has enough sanitizer (bromine / chlorine) in it. If the sanitizer level is low, simply add a small amount of powdered sanitizer to bring the levels back up. If your levels are consistently low, you may want to consider increasing the amount of sanitizer that you add in your weekly maintenance checks.

Your home test kits can also let you know if the balance of the water is off. If you notice that the balance is slightly off you can try adjusting it yourself with small amounts of balancing chemicals; however we generally recommend taking a sample into your local hot tub retailer to get a professional test. These tests are much more accurate than home test kits, and test for more things. Following the recommendations of these tests will ensure that your water stays balanced, without the need for guesswork.

Not Maintaining The Hot Tub Filters

One of the most common mistakes we see hot tub owners make is not properly maintaining their filters. Hot tub filters perform two important functions:

They trap debris like leaves, bugs and sand before they make it to the hot tub pump. This not only helps to clean the water, it also protects the pumps from sucking in debris that could clog or damage them.
Hot tub filters trap oils and lotions that build up in the water through regular use. By removing these from the water, the filter helps to keep the water cleaner, clearer and easier to maintain.

Over time, the amount of debris trapped in your hot tub filter increases to the point where it can no longer effectively do its job and it will need to be cleaned to restore it to its peak working condition. We recommend rinsing your filters off with a hose or in your laundry tub every 2-4 weeks to remove any dirt and debris caught in it. If you find that there is dirt and debris caught deep in the filter pleats that simply won’t come out, you can buy a tool like the Filter Flosser to provide a deeper clean of the filter.

Along with these basic cleanings, you should also chemically clean the hot tub filters every 3-4 months to remove trapped oils and lotions. To chemically clean a hot tub filter you will need to purchase a specialty hot tub filter cleaner.

Your hot tubs filters should also be replaced after 18-24 months of use, depending on how often you use your hot tub. If the hot tub water is fresh but still has a hard time staying clear, chances are your filters are ready to be replaced.

Not Rinsing Your Bathing Suits

One of the most common issues that hot tub owners face is foamy water. Foamy water 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.

For many of those hot tub owners, their bathing suits are a contributing factor to the foamy water they’re experiencing. This is because 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.

Not Showering Before Using The Hot Tub

Another common way that oils and lotions build up in hot tub water is from the bathers using the hot tub. Body oil, deodorants, beauty products and body lotions will all contribute to foam buildup over time. To reduce the amount of these oils and lotions that you introduce into your hot tub, we recommend simply rinsing off in the shower before you use your hot tub.

Not Changing The Water Often Enough

Hot tub water needs to be changed when the water becomes too saturated with minerals (known collectively as Total Dissolved solids or TDS). The more a hot tub is used and the more chemicals are added to the water, the more minerals dissolve and build up in the water. While not harmful, saturated water will negatively affect your hot tub experience in three ways:

• The water will have a slightly harsher feel to it.
• The water will look hazier than normal.
• Chemicals added to the water won’t dissolve as easily as they would in fresh water. This makes the water harder to balance.

If you find that your hot tub water just doesn’t seem to stay clear, foams excessively, or just doesn’t feel “fresh” anymore, chances are it’s time to change the water. The water in your hot tub should be drained and refilled once its TDS reaches a level of 1500 (Your local hot tub retailer can test your TDS level). While the exact timing of this will depend on your source water and how often it gets used, for most hot tubs this will mean draining the hot tub water every 3-4 months.

Closing The Hot Tub Cover After Shocking

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.

Being Too Concerned With Energy / Chemical Costs

While there is nothing wrong with trying to save a little money; some hot tub owners go a little too far and ending up costing themselves more money in the long term. While there are plenty of ways to reduce your hot tubs costs, taking them too far can do more harm than good. Two of the most common mistakes people make when trying to reduce their hot tub’s running costs are:

• Not using enough chemicals. Chemicals are essential to the long-term health of your hot tub as well as your comfort when using the hot tub. Not using enough of them will lead to water balance issues that can make the water more harsh on your skin. These issues will also reduce the lifespan of key components of the hot tub (like the heater and pump); costing you money in the long term.
• Not running the filtration system long enough. Some hot tub owners have decided to combat rising energy rates by simply running their hot tub’s filtration systems for less time. The issue with this is simply that filtration systems need to run for a certain amount of time every day in order to keep the water clear and safe to use. If the filtration system doesn’t run long enough you will end up with water balance issues and water quality issues that can cost $100’s of dollars to solve.

Wrapping Up

Owning a hot tub doesn’t have to be complicated; as long as you avoid a few common pitfalls. By staying on top of routine maintenance, regular water testing, and following manufacturer guidelines, you’ll protect your investment and keep your spa running smoothly for years to come.