Quick Tips for Maintaining a Home Spa
A home spa or hot tub is a great way to relax, especially when the weather turns a bit chilly. A spa can even be therapeutic, as its warm water and jets can massage muscles and increase blood flow, improving your overall flexibility. However, your spa will need some regular maintenance and care to keep the water healthy and to ensure it's ready for you when you want to relax. To keep your spa or hot tub in good condition, note a few tips for its overall maintenance.
Filter
As with a pool, a spa will have a filter that traps dirt, silt and other sediment that gets into the spa water. This filter needs cleaning and then eventual changing. How often this needs to be done will vary according to the type of filter you choose, but note that you may want to clean and change it more often than recommended if your spa is often covered in sand or silt. The filter may also suffer more wear and tear if you use body lotions or oils that get trapped in the water when you're enjoying the spa. Err on the side of caution and check the filter often for needed cleaning and for signs of needed replacement so you know the filter is always working as it should.
Spa cover
The cover of your spa will absorb heat from the spa water, which can soften the cover's material and make it more prone to holding dust and dirt. The cover may also absorb oils that are trapped in the water, as these oils can cling to humidity and steam created by the spa. To keep the cover in good condition, remove it completely on occasion and clean it with a solution recommended for the material of the cover itself, and allow it to dry completely, so it can stay strong and durable.
Cleaning the spa
A common mistake made by many spa owners is using pool cleansers when cleaning the spa walls and floor. Unless your spa is made from the same material as your pool, you want to avoid this, as a cleanser meant for pool tile or concrete might be caustic for a vinyl or acrylic spa and could cause scratches and other such damage. This can actually cause the spa to leak and hold sediment that won't get filtered away. Only use cleansers meant for your spa's material in particular, and clean the spa often so that the water is healthy and the filter is not overworked.
Contact a company that provides spa parts to learn more about maintaining a home spa.