Tips and Tricks for Extending
the Life of Your Hot Tub!

As a hot tub owner you know that it’s not all about relaxing, reading, drinking, and whatever else you decide to do in your hot tub – no judgment here. You need to take care of it! That means, cleaning it, testing it, adding chemicals, and making sure it’s safe for everyone that uses it.

Here are some of the very best information that the hot tub industry and Rintoul's Pools and Hot Tubs have to offer to share with you their coolest, most unique, most unconventional hot tub care tips and tricks.

Perhaps some of these you may know already and are currently performing them, but I can assure you there are some cool tricks and tips in here that even I didn’t know about and I’m sure you’ll find useful.

Take Advantage of Off-Peak Heating

A lot of people can take advantage of off-peak heating to reduce their energy consumption/heating bills.

If you’re not sure of your off-peak hours, check with your utility provider to find out the details.

If you have a well-insulated hot tub, you often can program it to heat primarily when your energy costs are the lowest

Cover Your Hot Tub When It’s Not Being Used

Simple but very effective: Keep your hot tub covered when not in use, and use Bromine.

Because hot tubs are so much smaller than pools, the amount of bacteria has a greater concentration, therefore making Bromine a much better chemical treatment than Chlorine.

Covering up your hot tub at all times will keep harmful UV rays from dissipating the Bromine, extending the life of your sanitizer.

You should drain and clean your hot tub every 3 to 4 months, or more if it’s used often. Always think of your hot tub as a large bathtub. Bathtubs need to be drained and we all know why. The chemical build-up, body oils, and just general “funk” can accumulate in your hot tub water.

Close Air Control Valves When Not In Use

Make sure that the Air Control Injection Valves are closed when you finish using your hot tub. These are the knobs on top of the hot tub that allow air to mix with the water coming out of your jets. Since these valves let cold air into the water, it will take much longer to heat your hot tub if they remain open during the heating cycle.

Avoid Oil and Soap Products in Your Hot Tub

Try to avoid getting oil-based or soap-based products in your water. When cleaning your hot tub, avoid products like Glass Plus, Fantastic, Formula 409, or car cleaners. These products contain soap or ammonia-based degreasers and are very bad for your water chemistry.

Also, try to avoid products like hair spray, hair mousse, styling gels, deodorant, anti-perspiration sun tan lotion, excess sweat, and skin creams of any sort ( ie, Jergens, Nivea, Soft Sense, arthritis creams ), or excess soap or dyes in bathing suits. Any of these products will seriously cloud up your water and clog your filter. Although inconvenient, try to have bathers shower before going into the hot tub.

Keep Baseball Caps Near Your Hot Tub

Keep some baseball-type caps near your hot tub so that people with long hair can tuck their hair up under the cap to keep it from getting into the water. This will keep a lot of hair spray and hair products from getting into the water

Test Your Tub Regularly

Your hot tub water needs to be tested regularly. The frequency depends on your region, weather conditions, and how much it gets used. A good rule of thumb is four to five times per week and a good quality test kit is vital to provide safe water for your friends and loved ones.

Use Caution When Adding Spa Chemicals

Adding chemicals to a smaller body of water can be extremely challenging because adding too much can cause major shifts in chemistry. It’s extremely important to accurately measure any chemical needed based on the gallons of water in the hot tub to prevent equipment damage or skin damage.

My biggest thing with adding chemicals is when someone adds too much, and if it’s not properly balanced, it can ruin the heating element.

Keep Your Hot Tub From Freezing

In many areas of the world, the temperature may drop below 32°F (0°C). We recommend the hot tub is always filled with water and running at normal temperatures. By doing this you will minimize the risk of freezing. If it is necessary to leave your hot tub unattended for long periods during the cold weather conditions, you should drain it to avoid accidental freezing caused by power outages. 

  • Ensure that you have fully drained the hot tub.
  • Disconnect the hand-tightened union fitting going to and from the jet pumps. Be careful not to lose the o-rings between the unions and pump housing.
  • Leave the drain valve in the open position and the safety cap off.
  • To completely drain the plumbing lines, a wet/dry shop vacuum can be used to draw out any remaining water. Place the vacuum hose over the jet fittings in the hot tub as well as the plumbing lines in the equipment area. You should also disconnect the plug on the crystal clear ozone injection tube (if your hot tub has this).
  • Remove the filter cartridge and store it in a warm, dry area.
  • Clean the shell and place the cover on the hot tub. Be sure to lock the cover in place in case of high winds or rain.

Emergency Situations – To eliminate freezing in the event of an equipment failure, use a small heater via extension cord and place it in the equipment area, keeping it away from plumbing lines. This will help for a short period until proper service can be rendered.

The above are guidelines ONLY. Potential freeze damage may still occur