Water is the most important ingredient in any hot tub. If you want the safest and most luxurious soaking experience possible, your water should be as clean, clear, soft and fresh as it can possibly be. Good water can also increase the longevity of your machine.
Hot tub water care is therefore a key consideration for anyone looking to make a purchase. In this guide we’ll take a look at all things hot tub water care, offering guidance from your first fill, through hot tub water treatment, to draining and refilling.
How do you maintain hot tub water?
How you maintain your hot tub water will depend on the water care technology found within your hot tub.
Basic models will require manual testing and chemical handling, while higher quality hot tubs will feature a range of technologies designed to maintain and enhance hot tub water quality with minimal effort from your side.
An investment in a high quality hot tub water care system can therefore pay itself back over time, by demanding less work, using less water and chemicals, and maximising your use of the spa.
Filling your spa for the first time
Hot tub water care starts on day one, with the first fill. Our comprehensive guide tells you all you need to know, but in short, you should:
- Spray and wipe the hot tub cover and shell with a non-abrasive cleaner.
- Fill your spa with a garden hose. If filling with bore or rainwater use a Fresh Start® Clean Screen filter.
- Follow the instructions to activate your water care system or manually add chlorine/bromine.
- Test and balance the pH, alkalinity and calcium levels in your water using the Hot Spring Spa Care Starter Kit.
PRO TIP: If you choose a hot tub fitted with the FreshWater® IQ System, it will automatically test the water and tell you exactly how to balance it.
Ongoing hot tub water care
Having filled your spa and balanced your hot tub water chemistry, you then need to maintain that water.
Hot tub chemicals
A few different hot tub chemicals are used to keep your water clean, clear and safe:
- Chlorine: While it’s the most common chemical used in hot tubs, it isn’t the only option nor perhaps the best option…
- Salt: Clever water care systems can organically convert salt to chlorine, which can reduce odours, irritations and chemical use.
- Bromine: Similar to chlorine, bromine is gentler on skin and fabrics, dissolves slower, disinfects better at higher temperatures, and is less impacted by pH swings.
- FreshWater Ozone: Ozone is a natural sanitiser, pulled from the ambient air through electricity, that can reduce your use of chlorine, salt and bromine.
You’ll also need to conduct ongoing testing of pH, alkalinity and calcium levels to ensure they sit in the appropriate range, ideally a couple of times a week using test strips. (Although our FreshWater® IQ system can completely automate this work.)
Water care systems
Your water care system will determine how much time, effort and money you spend maintaining your hot tub water.
Some basic spas don’t really have water care systems, relying instead on manual methods. At Hot Spring, meanwhile, we offer a range of systems that cleverly combine cartridges, chemicals and automated testing to lower the cost and work of hot tub maintenance.
- FROG® System: A cartridge-based system that minimises the confusion, time and effort of hot tub water care.
- FreshWater™ Salt System: A titanium cartridge automatically converts salt to chlorine. Sprinkle the salt in, set the chlorine output level, and the system does the rest!
- FreshWater™ Ozone System: Featuring corona discharge (CD) technology, this system pulls ozone from the air and feeds it into the water, which it sanitises gently and naturally while reducing chemicals, odours and irritations.
Then there’s the ultimate in hot tub water care: the Hot Spring FreshWater® IQ system.
FreshWater IQ: a revolution in hot tub water care
Say hello to the most intelligent hot tub water care system on the planet.
Never touch a test strip again. FreshWater® IQ automatically conducts ultra-accurate water testing every hour, and provides you with clear instructions whenever adjustments are required.
It pairs with our FreshWater™ Salt System to generate the perfect amount of chlorine at the press of a button. You’ll less chemicals and create the most luxurious water that can stay clean and fresh for up to a year*.
A first-in-world technology, FreshWater® IQ reduces your hot tub water maintenance schedule by up to 70%. It saves you money while delivering The Absolute Best Ownership Experience™.
Hot tub filter systems
Hot tub filter systems deal with the debris and invaders that either fall or are carried into your spa. These systems are made up of hot tub filters, such as our dishwasher safe Tri-X filters, and pump systems that pull water through the filters, such as our SilentFlo 5000.
A range of hot tub filter systems are available, from basic to high-end. Our complete breakdown explains the differences in detail, but the five main options are:
- 100% no-bypass filtration: This system is unique in filtering 100% of your water 100% of the time, even when the jets are running. It’s silent, super-efficient, and features ceramic filters. Found in the Hot Spring Highlife collection.
- 24-hour filtration: Almost the same system as above, but bypasses the filters when the jets are turned on. Found in our Limelight collection.
- Two-speed pump (no-bypass in filtration mode): Hydromassage jets and water circulation are handled by a single two-speed pump. Found in our Hot Spot and Freeflow collections.
- Two-speed pump (bypass): The industry standard, a power-hungry two-speed pump bypasses the filters in both low and high speed mode.
- One-speed separate pump: Cheap to buy but expensive to run, as water is circulated at a single speed. These pumps consume 8-9x more power than the Hot Spring Highlife 100% no-bypass systems.
Most filters should be cleaned weekly or fortnightly. Tri-X filters, however, only need to be cleaned about once every 4 months, and last up to 5x longer than a standard filter.
Draining and refilling
How often should hot tubs be drained? It depends on your water care system. For standard systems, the general rule is once every 1 to 3 months. For the FreshWater IQ system, it can be as little as once a year!
It usually takes 2-3 hours to drain and refill your hot tub.
To drain the spa with a garden hose, turn it off and find the drainage spigot. Attach one end of the hose to the spigot and the other end at a drainage point lower than the base of your spa. Turn the spigot on to drain.
To drain the spa with a submersible pump, turn it off, place the pump at the base of the spa, then feed the outflow hose to a drain. Turn the pump on to drain the spa.
Once drained, take the opportunity to clean the spa with a microfibre cloth and purpose-built cleaner, then refill it with a garden hose via the fill pipe.
Win back time with smart hot tub water care
Hot Spring’s FreshWater® IQ and FreshWater Salt Systems are designed to enhance both the soaking and ownership experiences. When you invest in the finest hot tub water care technologies, you save money and win back that most valuable of resources: time.
The only question you have to answer: what will you do with the time you win back?
