If your home is your castle, then your backyard is your oasis. A place where you can relax and recharge after a long day. For many, incorporating a hot tub OKC into your backyard design is the perfect addition to helping you unwind, but find themselves hesitating due to the upkeep. You want to spend most of your time enjoying your hot tub, not cleaning and maintaining it.
With advances in self-cleaning systems and durable materials, maintaining your spa has never been easier. Here are 3 quick and simple things you can do to keep your hot tub looking its best without any unnecessary hassle.
1. Keep Your Hot Tub Covered
This is an easy and simple tip that tends to get overlooked. When you keep your spa covered while not in use, you keep unwanted debris out of your hot tub, preventing clogged filters and saving you time.
Keep you cover looking its best with these simple cleaning tips:
- We recommend CleanAll Spray, an alcohol free cleaner, and a soft bristle brush to gently scrub (in a circular motion) your spa cover, then rise.
- For vinyl covers, use an appropriate vinyl conditioner (check your owner’s manual for compatibility). Never use a petroleum-based product or other cleaning agents as they may damage the finish of your spa cover.
- If your hot tub cover is exposed to tree sap, use a small amount of olive oil or margarine to loosen the sap without causing damage to the vinyl. Wipe clean and immediately apply vinyl conditioner to the area.
2. Clean Your Filters
This is another easy step, if you do it regularly (about every three to six weeks). If you take care of your hot tub filters, you can significantly extend the life of your filter and help keep your water clear. Bullfrog Spas recommends you replace your filters annually to prevent any undue stress to the pump caused by a clogged filter.
When cleaning your filters:
- First place your spa in “hold” mode, then remove the filter cap, filter plate, and the filter cartridges (turn them counterclockwise to remove).
- Once the filters are removed from the spa, use a high-pressure garden hose to clean the fabric filtration material.
- Work from top to bottom of each pleat and avoid using a brush, as brushing/scrubbing may damage the filter.
3. Change Your Water
Even with the best care, you will want to change out your water on a regular basis (about every one to four months), depending on water conditions and usage. If your water becomes cloudy, you will want to change your water sooner than later.
Before you start, find an area in your yard that you can drain a large quantity of water. Most spas drain at 5 gallons per minute. Avoid areas near a basement window well, neighbor’s yards, or any other area that could lead to water damage.
If you chose to drain on vegetation, test your water first to ensure the sanitizer level is not harmful—the chlorine or bromine of the water should be less than 0.5 PPM.
To change your spa’s water:
- First, turn off the power at the breaker, then locate the drain. Pull the drain out with a slight clockwise turn, then remove the drain cap.
- Attach a standard garden hose to the drain spout to activate the drain. Once the spa is completely empty, pull the drain spout all the way out, remove the hose, replace the drain cap, and push the drain back into the spa.
- While the spa is drained, clean the acrylic shell with a spa surface cleaner. Be careful not to expose the spa to direct sunlight while it is empty, as it may cause serious damage to your spa’s interior.
- Refill your spa by simply placing your garden house into the filter compartment and turn on the water. Filling at the filters will help prevent air pockets and keep your water clean.
- Once your hot tub is refilled, follow your manufacturer’s instructions for sanitizing the new water.
A hot tub is a wonderful investment and one, with proper care, that will last you a long time. Learn more about hot tubs and other useful tips at Bullfrog Spas of OKC.