Answers to the Top 5 Hot Tub Service Questions
April 20, 2012
Answering Service
You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers.
Here are answers to the five top questions our service center team receives everyday. Olympic Hot Tub’s Service Manager, Dennis Blair-a 15 year hot tub industry veteran, weighs in on the answers:
1. Why isn’t the heat working?
Probably the most common reason you spa might stop heating involves the filters. If they’re clogged, dirty or need replacing, they’ll interfere with the heating system, because every drop of water in your Hot Springs Spa passes through the filters before it returns to the spa. You can confirm that the filters are causing the heat loss by removing them and checking to see if you have heat in an hour. If the filters haven’t been cleaned in a month or more, they need attention – even if they look clean, body oils and other small particles could be clogging them. Hose off the loose debris, spray on SeaKlear filter cleaner, let it work for 10 or 15 minutes, then hose it off. If the filters are more than two years old, replace them. For a complete explanation of the importance of filters in your hot tub, read “Hot Tub Filters Everything You Need to Know”.
If you’re sure the filters are not causing the heat loss, hit the reset button if your tub has one, or turn off the power off for 10 or 15 minutes and see if heat returns when you turn it on. As a last resort, call the service center for help 206 431-2876 and we’ll send a technician if you need one.
2. Should I drain the hot tub if I’m not going to be using it for a while?
Draining the hot tub is not recommended – in the winter you risk freeze damage, in the summer you risk biofilm buildup. Better to leave the tub full and running on its lowest setting, with plenty of chlorine to keep it sanitized while you’re not using it.
If you must drain the tub, vacuum as many lines as you can with a shop vac against the jets and leave the drain caps off. In the winter, leave a light on in the equipment compartment to keep the pipes from freezing.
3. What’s wrong with my ozone bubbles?
If you don’t have any bubbles at all, the air is blocked somewhere along the line. That tubing should be cleaned once a year at least, and you might have to replace a check valve or tubing if a blockage has built up.
If you have bubbles but your water is still musty or cloudy, you may be getting air without ozone. The unit is designed to last two or three years. You can buy a simple 30-second test to check for ozone. The hot tub doesn’t require ozone, but if you don’t have it, you’ll need to add chlorine more often and the water quality will not be easy to maintain. Without a working ozonator, you’ll have to work much harder to keep the water clear, clean and safe.
If you’re not clear what an ozonator does or why it’s essential. check out our blog post: “The Secret to Easy Hot Tub Water Care: Ozone”.
4. Why do I need to drain and refill my spa every four months?
We recommend the four-month cycle in order to get rid of the old chemicals, called Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) that accumulate in your water over time. The chemicals stop working after a while, but they’re still in the water and make it harder to keep clean and clear.
5. Why should I use special chemicals in my spa?
First of all, it’s important to use water care products made for spas instead of the much stronger pool chemicals that can damage your hot tub and even make the water unsafe for bathing. Among the choices for spa chemicals, remember – you get what you pay for. Cut-rate products from big-box stores might include more fillers and cheaper chemicals, making them much less of a bargain. They also are likely to be from a foreign country and made without the strict standards we have in the US. We’re talking about water you bathe in. Olympic Hot Tub Company uses SeaKlear Spa Products, made locally in Washington State with only the highest-grade ingredients – so you can relax.
Thank you, Dennis, for giving us the straight scoop. You must have hot tub questions of your own. We’ll be happy to answer them, so send us your questions via the comment section below.
RES EST SERVAS VOLUPTAS. Latin for Pleasure is Serious Business
MORE…
Hot Tub Filters Everything You Need to Know
