Hot Tubs Review

Tips for Home Spa Care and Maintenance

Spa Technical Services

Your home spa can give you more in terms of service if you make sure it undergoes maintenance on a regular basis.  Maintenance not only makes sure that your home spa is working properly but also guarantees that it is safe to use.  Here are some key points you should remember to keep your home spa clean and functional:

Keep your Filter clean

If your home spa filter is disposable, replace it regularly.  Depending on how heavily it is used, do this after about 8 months or simply follow the manufacturer’s recommendation.  In between, detach the filter unit and clean it manually.  Remember that a clean filter system means clean water.

Clean the Tub

You can prevent stains and discolorations from forming by simply using a vacuum or a skimmer net to remove floating residue.  Each time you use your home spa, body oils, sweat, grease, dirt, dust and additional oils from cosmetics can mix with the water and form residues on the side of the tub.  For maintenance, simply wipe off the residue or use a mild cleanser for more stubborn stains.

Disinfect your Home Spa

Home spa maintenance is never really complete without disinfection.  The warm temperature and dampness is an ideal environment for germs and bacteria to grow.  Algae and mold can also appear, which can cause allergies and other health risks.

After cleaning, make sure your home spa is disinfected.  Simply mix some disinfectant into a pail of water and use this to rinse your tub.

Ensure Circulation

Checking the circulation of your home spa is part of its maintenance.  Observing the circulation will alert you to any defect in your equipment.  Good circulation also means that water is moving efficiently throughout the tub and that it mixes thoroughly with chemicals.  For maintenance, run the circulation system of your home spa for 3 to 4 hours every day.

Change Water

Sooner or later, the water in your home spa will get dirty, even if you clean your filter regularly or add chemicals.  Grayish, cloudy, discolored and smelly water means you will have to drain your tub and replace it with new water.  This usually happens after 3 to 4 months of regular use.

A professional can ensure that the equipment is working properly and that any defects are immediately repaired.

Safety Tips on Using Hot Tubs

Kids Play in a Tub

Hot tubs are a wonderful addition to a home since they provide relaxation from the massage. Furthermore, it has wonderful health benefits for the user. However, just like any other swimming pool, a hot tub is a place where safety precautions should be exercised. Here are some safety tips when using your hot tub.

Maintain the tub clean

Any water-containing facility can be a breeding ground for bacteria such as Legionella bacteria and Pseudomonas bacteria. Legionella bacteria can cause a fatal disease called Legionnaires disease. Meanwhile, Pseudomonas can trigger skin rashes, pneumonia, and eye infections.

Make it a point to drain the tub and scrub the walls of the hot tub monthly or twice a month, depending on the use, to remove dirt and bacteria. Also scrub the surfaces and decks around the tub clean.

Also use the right level of disinfectants to guarantee clean water in the hot tub. Monitor the level of disinfectant since when the tub is often used, the disinfectant level goes low.

People who use the tub should shower before dipping in the hot tub. We are dirty from pollution, dust, and everything else caught in city life. Therefore, we are a source of bacteria. So a shower with soap to wash away the dirt would be good to decrease the level of bacteria in the tub.

Hot tub temperature and its disadvantages

Since these tubs operate on a high temperature, it could cause overheating which triggers dizziness, rashes, burns, heat-related diseases or even death. The temperature should never exceed 104ÝF or 40ÝC.

Pregnant women and children are also at risk when using hot tubs. As for pregnant women, they shouldn’t stay more than 10 minutes in the water as it would be detrimental to their health. Lowering the temperature to 102ÝF or 39ÝC would be best when pregnant women are using the hot tub. Meanwhile, children are more prone to overheating and drowning. They should stay in the tub not more than five minutes. Parents should always supervise their children for them to stay out of harms way.

Fainting would be fatal since it could trigger heart attack or even death.

Proper use of every household appliance would ensure your family’s safety and yourself as well.

Covermate - Spa Lifting Cover

The spa cover is an essential appliance to protect your hot tub from dust, debris, and even from your neighbor accidentally taking a dip. This is also measures to keep the water in the hot tub clean and ready to be used. Here are some tips in protecting your spa cover.

Clean your spa cover!

A clean cover will keep a clean tub. Get a garden hose and spray the water on the surface of the cover. Get a soft brush and a large sponge to scrub on the spa cover. Do it with a mixture of dishwashing liquid and water. Rinse it well with water. As for the underside of the cover, wash it with water and dry with a rag.

Never, let the soap get into your hot tub! It will be a lot of trouble if it happens since you have to get it out of the tub.

Remedies for unwanted dirt

Anything can get on your spa cover such as tree sap, paint, grease, or grime, especially when your hot tub is under a tree or in your backyard. Tree sap can be annoyingly hard to get off, but a little bit of lighter fluid will do the trick. Don’t use too much because it will damage the vinyl cover. Right after the application of the fluid, apply your preferred spa cover conditioner or soap.

Once it dries, it remains there forever. Yes, there are solvents used to remove paint, but its a different story once you apply it on the spa vinyl cover. Solvents used to remove paint can damage your vinyl cover permanently.

Damages, blisters and whatnot

Sometimes fading color, blisters, or puddles show up on your spa cover. When the bottom vinyl of the spa cover sags like blisters, it means the water chemistry of your tub water is off. Improper water chemistry may manifest on your spa cover by color change, its being easily ripped, or falling into the water. The best remedy for this is to replace your spa cover.

These are just some tips on how to protect your spa cover. It saves money and it saves a heck of a lot of worry.

Effective Hot Tub Maintenance

Jacuzzi Hot Tub

Your hot tub is built to be tough and durable, able to withstand all that heat and weight but without proper maintenance, it won’t be long before you’ll need to replace it.  Avoid this unnecessary expense and use these simple maintenance tips to prolong the life of your hot tub so you can enjoy its benefits longer:

Know your hot tub

Your hot tub comes with the manufacturer’s instruction manual.  Read this guide before using your hot tub and try to familiarize yourself with your particular tub system.  Hot tubs might have the same use but not all of them have the same functions.  Try to learn about how your unit works.

Learn to identify your tub’s pump, heater, control box, timer, thermostat and filter.  Familiarize yourself with how it’s supposed to work, look and sound so if anything goes wrong, you will be able to tell immediately.

Clean your filtration system

Your filtration system is the main hot tub component that keeps the water clean and safe.  If you’re a regular hot tub user, clean your filters regularly; at least once or twice a week.  At first, your filtration system will do an excellent job at making sure your water is good to use.  Over time, the filters will start to degrade even with regular cleaning.  Replace your filters after about 10 to 12 months.

Check your heater and pumps regularly

Part of your hot tub maintenance schedule should be to inspect your heater and pumps to ensure that they are working properly.  If you notice any deficiency in performance, such as when water temperature becomes too cold or too hot even when controls are set or if water is not drained properly, check these components immediately.  It is much easier to correct a problem with your equipment early on than to wait until it breaks down.  If you are unfamiliar with the problem, call your manufacturer or have your hot tub serviced immediately.

Clean your hot tub

One of the reasons why you should be conscious of the maintenance of your hot tub is water safety.  Test the water regularly to determine its pH level.  Apart from the fact that the inappropriate pH level can affect your skin, it can also promote corrosion of the heater coil.  Once the coil is corroded, the heater will become inefficient in producing heat.  Test your water at least once weekly.  You might also want to change your water every 8 to 12 weeks, depending on use.

Spa Equipment

Waterproof Floating Radio

Now that you have your new Hot tub, just a few more accessories and your home spa equipment will be completed.  Here is a list of hot tub accessories you might want to buy next time you pass by your home spa store:

A jet pump

A hot tub can become an inexpensive and relaxing home spa with a simple installation of a jet pump.  A jet pump can suction the water and release it back to produce a softer therapeutic effect that improves relaxation.  An ozonator

This hot tub accessory will minimize the need to replace your water too often.

Test kit

The test kit usually contains test strips used to determine the water’s pH level.  A test kit will ensure that you maintain your water’s usability.  You can check its pH level to see if the water is still fine for soaking.  Maintaining a good acid-alkaline balance will also help preserve your heater coil and prevent it from getting corroded.

Floating thermometer

A thermometer will let you maintain the proper water temperature so you relax in your warm bath without worrying that water temperature might rise without your knowing it.  High water temperature can cause hyperthermia which can lead to unconsciousness.  With a water thermometer, you will be alerted about any unnecessary increase in temperature and ensure your safety.

Lighting

Add to the relaxing ambience by installing waterproof underwater lights to your hot tub.  These lights can add to the peaceful, calming mood or enhance a lively hot tub party.

Thermometer

Since most hot tubs will have a built-in thermostat that will regulate water temperature, you might not think an accessory like a thermometer is necessary.  A floating thermometer can give you a good, accurate reading of the water temperature to ensure you are within safe, comfortable levels.

Entertainment

If you love sharing your hot tub with family and friends, why not splurge on entertainment gadgets especially designed for hot tubs?  Try a mounted TV, DVD player, waterproof game cards or a floating spa radio to provide you with a more enjoyable hot tub experience.  If you’re entertaining, add useful hot tub accessories such as a floating bar and side trays so you can serve fruit and juices.