In short, no, hot tubs really aren’t all that difficult to care for and maintain. You’ll need a basic understanding of water chemistry and a simple testing and cleaning schedule. Hot tubs usually need weekly water testing and basic cleaning, with a drain, deep clean and re-fill every few months. 

Are Hot Tubs High Maintenance? 

Maintaining your hot tub’s water is important for your health and the longevity of your tub. After you’ve filled your tub, test the water to get a baseline reading on pH and alkalinity levels. You’ll want to aim for a pH of 7.4-7.6; anything below will be too acidic and will likely cause irritation to your skin and your tub’s hardware. Alkalinity should be 100-150ppm. Check your water every week with test strips or a liquid kit and adjust your water chemistry as needed.  

Both indoor and outdoor hot tubs will accumulate debris and develop scum on the seats and interior shell. A weekly scrub will keep the scum and mildew at bay and depending on how often you use your tub, you’ll need to drain it and do a deep clean every 3-4 months. You’ll want to rinse your filters weekly, soak them in a chemical cleaner when you deep clean your tub and replace them when that soak stops working. You should always keep your tub covered. 

Many newer model hot tubs will automatically circulate the water a few times a day for 15-20 minutes to ensure that all of the water in the tub passes through the filters. Circulating the water will help keep your tub free of debris and contaminants and is important and easy preventative maintenance. If your hot tub doesn’t have an automatic cycle, make sure to turn your tub on for 15-20 minutes twice a day to keep the water clean. 

How to Maintain Your Hot Tub 

Make sure your tub has a cover to keep heat and chemicals in and debris and unwanted visitors out. A cover is a great safety feature that also makes cleaning easier. Depending on how often you use your hot tub and its individual features, you’ll eventually get into a regular cleaning and maintenance routine. Here is a basic schedule which will give you an idea of when you’ll need to do what on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis. 

Daily schedule can include:

• Circulate the water in your tub for 15-20 mins two times if it doesn’t automatically do it 
• Check the temperature to make sure it stays consistent
• Make sure that the cover is on securely 

Weekly schedule can include: 

• Test your waters pH, alkalinity and sanitizer levels
• Scrub above the waterline and wipe down seats and the interior shell
• Rinse the filters

Monthly schedule can include:

• Soak the filters in a chemical rinse
• Wipe down the cover

Quarterly schedule can include:

• Clean the cabinet
• Drain and deep clean your tub 
• Soak the filters in a chemical rinse 

Annual schedule can include:

• Flush the lines the remove biofilm and bacteria 

If you have any questions about your hot tub’s maintenance give us a call at 970-879-4390 or contact us here.