GUIDE / SPAS
Spa Maintenance Guide for Beginners
Before you dive into the hot water of your new spa, take a moment to familiarize yourself with some key terms. For example, it may be called a portable spa or simply a hot tub. Some people will name each spa a: Jacuzzi. However, this is a case of universalizing a brand name.
It is important to know the make and model of your hot tub. Having this information at hand makes it easier to get parts and services when you need them.
It’s also helpful to have your spa’s « vital statistics » at hand. These include water capacity, age and specific water problems (such as water that is hard) that you may need to consider when servicing your spa.
The 3 basic rules of hot tub care
You can think of your hot tub as a small pool, as it requires the same basic care.
- Maintain good water circulation and filtration.
- Maintain a simple cleaning schedule.
- Balance your water chemistry.
1. Maintain good circulation in the spa
Circulation of water helps remove contaminants as it passes through your spa’s cartridge filters.
Depending on the model, your spa may have an automatic circulation program that ensures it runs once or twice a day. These cycles circulate the water for a few hours to ensure that all the water in your spa passes through the filters.
Don’t be afraid to run the filters. The more you run your spa, the cleaner and easier it will be to maintain.
Tip:We recommend a minimum of 10 hours of filtration per day.
2. Follow a simple spa cleaning schedule
Cleaning your spa is an essential part of maintenance.
Keep an eye out for debris such as leaves and trash blown in by the wind. Keep the water line and seats clean to avoid potential water problems.
A weekly sponge cleaning of your spa’s shell and jets will keep things in order. Also use it to remove the foam line at the water’s edge, if applicable.
While you’re at it, take a look at the spa cover, use Clean and perfect to prevent mold.
Plan to completely drain your spa for a thorough cleaning every three to four months, and more often if you use it a lot, have a lot of guests in it, or both. Use the Mineraluxe Cleanse and Drain 24 hours prior to emptying to thoroughly clean your spa.
How to clean your spa filters
Video here!
They’re at work as soon as your spa is on, and your spa filters need a good cleaning to function properly. You can clean them using three methods: rinse, spray and soak.
- Rinse your spa filters as often as possible with hot water or your garden hose, especially if you’ve been using your spa more than usual.
- Spray your filters weekly with Power Blue Cartridge Cleanerto clean them thoroughly. Don’t forget to rinse them afterwards.
- Soak your filters with Mineraluxe Filter Revive every month to extend their life and loosen any stubborn particles. Then rinse them thoroughly.
Tip: When your filters reach a point where even a chemical soak isn’t enough to clean them completely, it’s time to replace them. See collection here!
3. Balance your spa’s water chemistry
The balancing of your hot tub water is similar to that of a swimming pool, but a bit trickier due to the drastic difference in size. Before you add anything to your spa, you need to get a baseline reading of your water chemistry. Once your spa is full, test your water for pH and alkalinity levels.
Keep a good supply of essential chemicals on hand so you’re ready to modify your water if necessary:
- Mineraluxe Ph minus & Mineraluxe Ph plus adjust your pH.
- Mineraluxe Alkalinity Plusto prevent pH fluctuations.
- Mineraluxe Calcium Plus to protect the mechanics of your hot tub (calcium hardness).
- Mineraluxe Oxygen to give your disinfectant a boost by adding active oxygen.
- Test strips to make sure all of your chemical levels are in the right range.
- Defoamer (optional) for quick relief from foaming spa water.
Simple and effective maintenance for your spa
Like your car, your computer, or, of course, yourself, your hot tub needs regular maintenance to be in tip-top shape. Your spa will have its own specific needs in terms of water chemistry, accessories and repairs. These tasks, which are broken down into daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual intervals, are universal.
Tip: Use the Mineraluxe, a true wonder! See video
- Water Test:Each week, check your alkalinity, pH and sanitizer levels and, if you adjust them, test them again. Do a full branch test once a month.
- Sanitize and shock the water. Add 1-2 pellets of chlorine or bromineto your float. Afterwards, sprinkle a bag of Mineraluxe Oxygen (remove the cover in your spa for 30 minutes.)
- Protect your spa: Add 1 Mineraluxe Cube near your filtration system to protect your mechanics from scaling and bacteria.
- Rinse your spa filters:A clean filter is worth its weight in gold and protects against cloudy water, unpleasant odors, bacteria and biofilm growth.
- Wipe down your hot tub cover:By cleaning the inside and outside of the cover, you’re protecting yourself from mold and the unpleasant odors it produces.
