Your hot tub should be a source of relaxation, family fun and therapy, not work. Many spa owners feel that hot tub water testing is either difficult, time consuming or frustrating, therefore they decide not test their hot tub water. The truth is, regular hot tub testing helps improve water quality and bather comfort. By doing this, owning your hot tub will easy and not difficult, time consuming or frustrating. Maintaining proper water chemistry also helps to extend the life of your hot tub equipment and increase the efficiency of your maintenance chemicals.
Hot tub water testing Tech Tip# 1: Water Balance
With regular testing you will notice that pH tends to rise and alkalinity tends to fall in hot tubs. This is a normal result of the chemical reactions that occur within your tub when the cover is on. For this reason you will need to adjust your water balance on a regular basis to ensure optimal water chemistry. There are many different systems to maintain your hot tub – traditional petrochemical systems, botanical systems, the Mineraluxe or the Trio System. They all have their own unique water balancing parameters to ensure your regular program of weekly products works as hard as you do.
Hot tub water testing Tech Tip# 2: Fresh filling
Regular testing will help you to know when you need to drain and refill. The water lab team can test for your Total Dissolved Solids or TDS, this gives us an indication of how much ‘extra stuff’ has accumulated in your water and will help guide you in how long you can use your tub before you need to drain and refill, based on your usage habits. The real key to using as little chemicals as possible is to drain and refill your hot tub often enough. Typically this is every 6 to 8 weeks but hot tub water testing can personalize this for you.
Hot tub water testing Tech Tip# 3: Problem Solving
Spa water testing can help you to diagnose and remedy any water problems you might be experiencing. Any time your water:
- looks like it isn’t as ‘sparkling’ as usual
- you are experiencing foam that does not dissipate when you pick it up
- your water is cloudy
- you are experiencing staining or water line build up more than usual
you should bring in a sample for testing. Our water analysis team can work with you to figure out what is causing your water issue and what the appropriate remedy is. For example, a foamy hot tub can be 9 different imbalances and only partnership with a spa professional and full diagnostic work up can help you solve the problem with as little time and money as possible.
Regular hot tub water testing really is the key to help you work less, spend less and enjoy your spa more. We recommend coming in for a test right after you freshly fill your tub for some initial balancing and start up chemical recommendations. After that, we advise coming in monthly for a check-up, or more often if you having a hot tub water issue. Book a water test today!
