September 3, 2019 – Well, Labor Day has come and gone. Hard to believe it! We’ve been having some lovely weather here in the Northwest, and it appears it’s going to continue for a bit. September in the Northwest, however, can be deceptively sneaky. We can be having some wonderful weather—and then wham! Things will cool ten degrees and it will be raining before you know it, signaling the coming fall is not far away.

Even with the weather we’re enjoying right now, evenings are a blissful time for a hot tub. The temperature will be ideal for a pre-bedtime soak. As the weeks wear on, it will be an even more welcoming treat—IF your hot tub is ready!

Have you done what you should to get your tub in shape for the coming season? If not, here are some things to think about and attend to now so you’ll have a wonderful transition into fall with your hot tub.

• Do a complete drain and fill of your tub. This is the time to make sure things are in pristine shape. Before draining, get a bottle of Clean Start. This wonderful elixir has the ability to deep clean and sanitize the plumbing lines and parts of your tub you can’t reach. You’ll be confident every little bit of residual biofilm has been stripped and your tub is in the best shape possible to accept a fresh batch of water.
• If you haven’t done so before, it’s a good idea to incorporate a pre-filter into your hot tub fill routine. Source water is changing a lot and there is more “stuff” being put into municipal systems that you’d rather not have hit your hot tub. If you filter out sediment, rust and metals before they get to your tub, your tub’s filtration won’t have to work to get rid of them once you start it up.
• Thoroughly clean your filters or get new ones. Your filters are the hardest working component of your tub. They’re tasked with making sure your water is clean and safe. They can only do this if they are clean—and not too old! Cleaning filters require you clean them. This means you need to do more than just rinse them with a garden hose. The Filter Wash Tabs we sell are a terrific easy way to give your filters a deep clean. To get inside the sleeves of them and get any sediment/pine needles that might be inside, a filter cleaning tool like our Aqua Comb is awesome.
• Give your cover a good cleaning and conditioning—or get a new one. Clean the underside of your cover with baking soda to deodorize it. Clean the seams/stitching so they’re mildew free. (Simple Green also does an excellent job on this.) For the exterior of the cover, use mild dishwashing liquid to clean the vinyl. Once dry, condition the vinyl with 303 Protectant. It will provide UV protection and help water bead up and roll off the cover instead of getting absorbed into it. (NOTE: No tarps over your cover or Armor All on it! Both will trap moisture and cause your cover to waterlog faster.) Now, if your cover is over three years old and it’s heavy, do yourself a favor and get it replaced now. It won’t be any fun if it fails on you in the middle of the fall/winter season ahead! Or, if you want to ditch the idea of replacing waterlogged vinyl covers, consider replacing it with a Smartop once and for all.
• If you have a Hot Spring Spa with an ACE Salt Water System, be sure the cell is working and clean. If you’re in our service area, our Valet Team can come perform this service. If you’d prefer to clean it on your own, follow the instructions in your ACE Salt Water Manual or give our Service & Outlet Center a call for guidance. (ACE salt cells need replacing every about every three years.) If you have our new FreshWater Salt System, remember the cartridge needs to be replaced every four months—no cleaning necessary. If you’re using a silver ion cartridge in your tub or our @Ease System (on Hot Spot Spas), be sure you have what you need to replace them.
• Lastly, clean the area around your tub so you and your family/friends aren’t tracking extra dirt, leaves or debris into your tub! If something does indeed get tracked in, a Paradise Spa Vac is ideal to tackle it quickly and keep things crystal clear.

If you’re like me and you tend to have a busy life, folks in Olympic’s service area can take advantage of our Valet Service.  We can come out, get your tub thoroughly cleaned/detailed and ready for you! Nothing will give you better peace of mind. For more details, give our Service Center team a call. They’ll be happy to get you set up for success.

Hopefully this helps! Crisper nights are in the not too distant future. Be sure your hot tub is ready to treat you to wonderful healthy soaks. You deserve it!