Congratulations!  You’ve purchased a home with a hot tub. With the uptick in the real estate market, more and more people are buying homes, many of which have hot tubs in the backyard.

If you’re the new owner of a hot tub, you’re probably looking forward to enjoying all of the health and relaxation benefits that a hot tub provides. And, you’re probably thinking about entertaining friends in your new backyard. 

New to hot tub ownership, read on for what to do before you take that first dip.

1) WHAT IS IT? Get as much information from the seller of your new home as possible. Specifically, what brand of hot tub and model name or number have you inherited?  Find out if there is an owners manual for its operation. Without the brand and model you’ll have a hard time buying filters and covers and you won’t know the capacity in gallons in order to judge the proper amount of water care products to add.  An analogy would be calling a car dealership and saying that you had “a car” and were in search of parts or tires.  If you don’t know the brand or model, measure the width and height so you’ll be able to calculate the volume of water it holds so you can measure water care products accurately for your model.

2) NEW FILTERS ARE A MUST. You’ll save hours of headaches by starting out with filters that aren’t cracked, clogged or simply past their effectiveness.  Filters have a life of 2-3 years and are typically not replaced by a seller before putting a house on the market.  Bad filters are the #1 cause of cloudy water because they aren’t able to filter properly. If you don’t know the brand or model of your new hot tub, you’ll have to remove a filter and measure it.  With the measurements, you can call local hot tub retailers  for the proper size.  Do not install a filter that’s not the proper size in a spa.

3)  CHECK THE COVER AND LIFTER. Is the cover heavy, broken in the center, or cracked and peeling?  If yes, then it’s definitely time to get a new cover.  A cover that is heavy is water saturated and not able to hold the heat in.  Why pay in energy costs? A new cover will save your precious energy dollars and make your hot tubbing experience more fun.  The lifter should sit straight on the hot tub with straight arms and top bar.  If they’re bent or crooked, you’ll have a much harder time lifting your new cover and it may not sit completely on the hot tub rim to form a heat retention seal.  A new lifter will save your back, save your new cover and possibly save you energy dollars, too.

4) OUT WITH OLD WATER CARE PRODUCTS. Buy new water care products. Put everything that the former owner left you in a box and drive to the nearest Olympic Hot Tub store. Our hot tub water care experts will help you sort out what you need and don’t need.  I am amazed at what people bring into our stores.  For example, water in Western Washington is very soft. It is disconcerting to see a bottle of water softener, which is totally unnecessary and will actually harm the equipment.  Too, many people try to save a few dollars by buying swimming pool chlorine sold at box stores and discount warehouses and using it in their hot tub.  Note that pool chlorine is not stable in hot water, causes cloudy water, dissipates too quickly and is the wrong pH for hot tub use.  The difference in chemical formulation is slight, but crucial to your enjoyment of your hot tub.  If your hot tub uses chlorine (most older systems do), make sure it is specially formulated for hot tubs and has “dichloride” not “trichlor” as the major ingredient.

5) YOU DON’T HAVE TO USE CHLORINE!  Check out new water care options like SilkBalance which eliminates testing, mixing and adding of all of the balancing products.  Makes hot tub care a cinch and gives you soft, smooth skin!

6) BUY AMERICAN MADE WATER CARE PRODUCTS. Most online and box store brands use offshore products with fillers that can be harsh on your skin, cause a rash or worse. Don’t take a chance! American made water care products pass rigorous safety standards. And, don’t mix products from different brands. Each brand has its products formulated to work well together.

7) SIGN UP FOR A WATER CARE LESSON AT YOUR HOME. For a small investment, a water care lesson will put you on the right path for your health and safety. Save hours of time and many dollars, too! You’ll learn how your new hot tub works and how to care for it.  Call Olympic’s Valet Service for a tutorial.  1-800 431-2876.  A home visit by one of our experts is your best bet for learning maintenance shortcuts and proper water care.

Now you’re ready to soak.  Enjoy!

RES EST SERVA VOLUPTAS. Pleasure is serious business.

Thanks for reading Hot Tub Bliss. We hope you went from “Ahhhh” to “A-Ha”! Be sure to ‘Like’ our Facebook Page and follow  Olympic Hot Tub Company and Hot Tub Bliss on Twitter.