Importance Of Proper Hot Tub Circulation
The maintenance of an automobile is not as much fun as driving it just like the maintenance of a Hot Tub is not as fun as having a soak staring up at the stars. The being said if you key in on one item of maintenance which is the Importance Of Proper Hot Tub Circulation you will be sitting back, relaxing soaking in the night sky with that favorite drink in no time flat. Really there are 3 things to keep in mind when it comes to keeping on top of proper Hot Tub Circulation.
PROPER FILTERATION
A clean filter means a happy hot tub and a happy soak in your hot tub. A dirty or soiled filter will affect so many aspects of your Hot Tub experience. Not only will a dirty filter alter the clarity and feel of the water but it can also affect the mechanical side of the spa. A soiled filter can and will prevent your heater from turning on if you leave it unattended long enough. Fortunately filters are one of the easiest items on a Hot Tub to maintain. They are usually near the top section of your spa and easy to pull out and rinse off. We recommend you do this 1x week depending on your bather load. Typically when you see the FLO message pop up on your topside control you will know there is an issue with your Hot Tub Circulation. Most times the cause of the FLO message is a soiled filter. If you rinse off your filter and the FLO message does not go away, don’t be discouraged. Sometimes the oils and greases can really imbed themselves deep in the pleats of your filter and you will need to secure a filter degreasing agent to remove the greases. Pop in your spare/new filter while your dirty filter is soaking in the degreaser so you have no downtime with your Hot Tub. Degreasing agents and spare filters can both be purchased at your local Sundance Spas Service Center.
CIRCULATION RUNTIME AND DURATION
Most Hot Tubs these days will be smart enough that you can program your circulation pump to run for certain parts of the day. In warmer climates you may want to reduce your runtime to limit kinetic heat transfer to the Hot Tub but in colder climates you will want to increase this runtime so you always have warm water circulating through all of the plumbing in the Hot Tub. Set your circulation pump to run 24hrs a day. Not only will this protect the Hot Tub from outdoor freezing weather but it will also turnover the water more frequently and this will help to keep the water clear and clean. Short circulation run times can cause a hiccup in the use of your Hot Tub. You will have longer heat up times and the plumbing in the Hot Tub will be more prone to freezing in winter environments with a short circulation time.
PROPER WATER CHEMISTRY
Water chemistry is important when it comes to Proper Circulation in your Hot Tub. The lack of proper water chemistry can knock out your mechanical seal on the circulation pump. A failed mechanical seal will allow water to leak out of the pump housing. This water will not only cost you money in lost heat, chemicals and re-filling but it can leak into the electric motor of your pump and cause a short that will shut the Hot Tub down. The last thing you need is your Hot Tub shutting down in the middle of winter! Poor water chemistry can also knock out your heater element. If your PH is to low this will create an acidic environment for the heater. If your PH is to hi this will create an alkaline environment for the heater. Both of these environments left unchecked will inhibit proper circulation through the heater and can cause your heater to stop working, fail or cause a short that will shut the Hot Tub down. Many Hot Tubs these days have UV assist sanitation devices installed inline of the circulation system. This can help greatly in your maintenance and proper water chemistry of your Hot Tub. If you don’t have a UV assist on your Hot Tub contact your local Sundance Spas Support Desk for cost and availability on ClearRay UV or better yet stop by with a water sample of your Hot Tub so you can be up to date on your water chemistry and also learn about the latest in Hot Tub Circulation.
