Hot Tubs 101

Matt Giovanisci: 00:00

Everyone, and welcome to hot tubs 101 by Swim University, where we help you keep your hot tub clean and clear all year. My name is Matt, and I'm the founder of swimuniversity.com. And on this episode, we're talking about how to drain and clean a hot tub. Let's dive in. Real quick, if you want more help taking care of your hot tub, be sure to grab our free hot tub cheat sheet at swinu dotcom/spa sheet.

Matt Giovanisci: 00:37

Did you know that you should drain and clean your hot tub every 3 to 4 months? Well, that's because contaminants and biofilm build up in your pipes and cause cloudy water, slime, and scum lines. And the only way to get rid of it is by flushing your pipes and draining the water. So first, here's a list of supplies that you're gonna need to drain and clean your hot tub. You need a hose and a hose filter, a sump pump.

Matt Giovanisci: 01:01

You don't need a sump pump, but it's nice to have. A hot tub line flush cleaner, a surface cleaner or diluted white vinegar, a soft cloth or a towel, a hot tub filter cleaner, a hot tub cover cleaner, and, of course, your regular chemicals to balance your water after you refill your hot tub. So the first step is to add a hot tub line flush cleaner. Adding this hot tub line flush will purge your plumbing of any gunk and build up. So before you drain out any water, add the line flush to your water, turn your jets on high, and then let it circulate for 20 minutes.

Matt Giovanisci: 01:38

You might notice some gross looking foam on the surface of the water as the cleaner, it circulates through your plumbing system, and that means it's working. So pulling out all of that nasty biofilm that's been building up inside your pipes. And step number 2 now is you wanna drain your hot tub. Now before you start draining, you wanna shut off the hot tub at the circuit breaker. You don't want your jets or pump to kick on while there's no water in the hot tub.

Matt Giovanisci: 02:03

Now there are two options for draining your spa. You can just connect the hose to your hot tub's drain spout. All you have to do is unscrew the cap and connect the hose, then you open your, drain's ball valve, and then you turn the base of of your drain to start the flow of water, and the water will drain out over the next few hours. A second option, and it's a much faster option, which is why I said it was optional, is to use a sump pump. All you do is attach a garden hose to your sump pump and then place the pump inside the deepest part of your hot tub.

Matt Giovanisci: 02:37

Then you plug in the pump and you turn it on. If it unless you just plug it in and it just automatically turns on, which may be the case. Just be sure to keep an eye on the water level because if the pump runs dry, you can actually burn out the motor. So as soon as you so so turn the off the pump as soon as you see the water, go getting too low. And if there are a few inches left in the bottom of the hot tub, you can open up that drain spout at the end.

Matt Giovanisci: 03:03

What whichever one you choose, be sure to drain the water into the sewer, clean out port, or utility sink in your home. You do not wanna empty the water into a storm drain, and be careful of emptying it onto your lawn or your garden since the water will have chemicals in it. And as another tip, you could if you if you can do this, you can use the drain spout and a sump pump and make it even faster. Step number 3 is we're gonna clean and replace the filter. So, while the water's draining from your hot tub, it's time to clean that filter.

Matt Giovanisci: 03:38

You wanna grab a 5 gallon or a 20 liter bucket and fill it partway with water. Then you wanna add your hot tub filter cleaner, give it a quick stir to dilute the cleaner, and then submerge the filter. Leave it to soak for 24 hours, then you're gonna rinse the filter thoroughly with clean water before placing it back into your hot tub. Because any residual cleaner might cause foaming when you try to restart the hot tub. And if you remove the filter and it's extremely dirty or completely worn out, it's probably time to replace it.

Matt Giovanisci: 04:10

And step number 4, we're gonna clean the hot tub shell. So once the water is all drained out, it's time to just clean all of those surfaces. What I would do is spray your hot tub shell with a hot tub cleaner or you can just use diluted white vinegar. I think we we we pretty much recommend 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water. Use a soft towel to remove the residue, and then be sure to get in all those nooks and crannies, and also wipe down the headrest because that's where mold can start to you can even pull the headrest off if you can and get behind the headrest because mold can start to grow there.

Matt Giovanisci: 04:44

Then you wanna rinse all of the surfaces. You be sure to drain out all of the rinse water to prevent foaming later because if you I mean, unless you're using white vinegar, but if you're using a hot tub cleaner, it can cause foaming. And then double check that all your jets are open because this will prevent water pressure problems and trapped air when you add fresh water. This is called, an airlock. It can sometimes happen.

Matt Giovanisci: 05:10

So as long as your all of your jets are open, all your, air valves are turned up, then it and then as you fill well, we'll get to that. Step number 5 is you're gonna refill your hot tub. So before adding fresh water, make sure that your main breaker is still off. Just be just be sure. And be sure to close your hot tub's drain spout if you used it.

Matt Giovanisci: 05:30

Insert the hose into your filter well, your filter compartment, and then turn the spigot onto your hose. This forces that trapped air out of your plumbing system and helps prevent that airlock. And be sure to use a hose filter to remove minerals like calcium and copper, especially if you have hard water or you have well water. And don't leave your hot tub unattended as it refills because overfilling can cause the water to backflow into your heater when you start up your hot tub. Number 6, step number 6, is to clean your hot tub cover and clean the cabinet.

Matt Giovanisci: 06:05

So as your hot tub refills I don't know why I said it that way. As your hot tub refills, right, clean your hot tub cover. This prevents bacteria from building up. Wipe down the inside and outside of the cover with a with a cover cleaner, or you can use the same diluted white vinegar. Now, just just a quick note on vinegar, only use distilled white vinegar.

Matt Giovanisci: 06:28

Don't use champagne vinegar, rice wine vinegar, wine vinegar, red vinegar. Do use dilute it white vinegar. Plain and simple. If your hot tub is outside, you may also wanna apply a protectant to the cover to help avoid any sun damage. Then you wanna clean your cabinet.

Matt Giovanisci: 06:47

So if your cabinet's made from wood, you can just use a gentle wood cleaner and a soft cloth. Step number 7 and the final step is to start up your hot tub. So first, be sure that you've replaced your hot tub filter, then turn on your hot tub's main breaker, turn off the air valve so they don't disrupt the chemical distribution, Then turn on your hot tub and let it run for 20 minutes. Next, you're gonna test the water, adjust the alkalinity, pH, calcium hardness, and your chlorine or bromine one at a time. And if you're not sure how to add them, we have plenty of guides on how to do that.

Matt Giovanisci: 07:26

We have plenty of podcasts on how to do that. Super simple. After adding your chemicals, allow the chemicals to circulate and let the water heat up to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 27 degrees Celsius, but no higher than a 104 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees Celsius if your hot tub even goes that high. Then you wanna retest the water and make sure that your water's balanced. And that's it.

Matt Giovanisci: 07:49

So remember, if you need more help with hot tub maintenance, grab our free hot tub cheat sheet at swimu.com/spa sheet. And if you found this episode helpful, subscribe for more hot tub maintenance tips on your favorite podcasting app. And when you do, please leave us a review because your support will help more hot tub owners just like you find this show. That's it. Thanks again, and happy soaking.