http://www.azpatios.com/images/hotspot.jpgSpas and hot tubs

Spas and Hot tubs have enjoyed huge popularity of the last few years. If you’re a lucky owner you know how relaxing, therapeutic and fun they can be. Better than a pool because in most areas the spa season is 9 months long! Great as they are, spas can be troublesome at times. Unlike a pool, a spa usually holds 3-500 gallons of water. This means they are not as forgiving of neglect or haphazard maintenance. Spas also carry hot water that affects sanitizers and the kind of water problems that can develop. A few simple tricks and precautions can avoid trouble.

Rough gritty spas surfaces are not uncommon. This is caused by dissolved minerals adhering to the walls and accumulating. Use of a rust and scale remover can cure this in short order. Another tip to keep the inside of your spa nice and slick is to apply a coat of a good quality liquid car wax. The wax helps prevent build up and stains and provides additional protection from chemicals, sunlight and environmental conditions.

A spa or hot tub should be shocked with the appropriate sanitizer after use. What happens to the waste products while the shock does its job? Easy, the gunk collects on the under side of the spa cover and causes unpleasant odors and will ultimately shorten the life of your cover. The solution is to leave your spa cover partially open for 15-20 minutes after shocking to let the contaminated by-products dissipate in the air. Then replace the cover until next time.

The higher temperature of spa water affects the sanitizing chemicals used. Bromine is the more popular choice because it retains it potency in hot water while chlorine’s performance begins to degrade after about 85 dgs. F. Bromine tablets are about 40-50 % chlorine so the two products are completely compatible. Even though ozonators are great remember that ozone leaves no residual. Within twenty minutes after shutting off your spa all the ozone is gone! Even with an ozone generator use bromine or chlorine tablets to keep a sanitizing residual.

Now for the fun stuff. Many spa lovers use the tub during the winter. I know from personal experience how great that can be. There is always, however, getting to and from the spa in cold weather. Try this: Take the towels you plan to use for the spa and put them in the dryer on high for about 15-20 minutes. Take the towels out immediately and place them in a large soft drink/beer cooler. Take the cooler out to the spa and when you’re ready to get out there are nice warm towels ready to use. Sound goofy? It works! The insulated cooler keeps the towels warm and ready to keep out the chill on that FAST trip back inside.

Hope this proves useful. Spa on!

Rob “Dr. Duck” Coxworth

http://www.authorityspas.com/images/home_spa.jpg

Spas and hot tubs

How To Crank Your Hot Tub Back Up In The Spring

If you were careful with the steps to winterize your hot tub in the fall, then it should not take long to get your spa up and running again in the spring. Your tub has waited patiently for you all winter long, and is ready now to give you a warm and rewarding soak.

  • Remove the special winter hot tub cover or the tarp if you put one on top of your foam core hot tub cover. This should have protected your expensive spa cover from the winter elements.
  • If there is any water inside the tub you might have to use a “shop vac” to suck it out, or soak it up with towels. If water froze in the spa over winter it might have damaged the acrylic hot tub shell. Cracks might not be visible but will become apparent when you start filling the spa with water.
  • Find the filter you packed away in the Fall. If you did not clean it then you need to take the time to do so now. There are special filter cleaners which you can get from your local spa dealer or buy online. If you are in a real hurry, you can spray it down with a garden hose by directing the water at an angle and dislodging all the trapped dirt between the pleats. Reinstall the filter.
  • Most hot tub covers have a foam core with an outer covering of vinyl. Now is a good time to clean and condition the spa cover. There are special cleaners and conditioners that you can buy online or at your local spa dealer. You have made a significant investment in your hot tub cover, so now is not the time to scrimp on $20 worth of the proper chemicals necessary to help protect the top from cracking and discoloring.
  • Inspect the plumbing and look for any obvious signs of cracked pipes. If you find one, unless you are very handy you might want to call a professional to do the repair work.
  • Close all the drains that you opened in the fall, and reconnect all the lines to the heater and the pump.
  • Get out the garden hose and start filling! As the water level rises be on the look-out for any leaks or other signs that the spa was damaged over the winter. If you see leaks, stop filling until you can have them repaired.
  • If you fill the tub and all looks good, then you can turn on the power. Before you turn on the pump or heater, be absolutely certain that all valves are set to allow water to circulate through the network of plumbing. If so, time to turn on your pump and heater.
  • Check other items such as blower and lights to make sure everything is working properly.
  • Balance your chemicals.

Now dance around anxiously waiting for the water to heat up. When it reaches that magic temperature, it’s time to enjoy!

Rodney Wallin writes on a wide variety of subjects and has enjoyed hot tubs for over 20 years. For lots of additional information on spas and hot tubs and on choosing the right hot tub cover, head over to his website at http://www.spa-hot-tub-covers.com.

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admin on May 8th, 2008