Hot tubs are a great way to relax, but they can also get dirty fast. Warm water creates a perfect spot for bacteria to grow, which means you need to take steps to keep your hot tub germ-free. Treating your hot tub with chemicals is part of the process, but you also need to empty your hot tub and replace the water every once in a while. Replacing your water on a regular basis is important because even chemicals can’t keep the water clean forever. If you want to know more about replacing the water in your hot tub and how often you should replace it, we’ve got you covered.
The tricky part about keeping your hot tub clean is that everyone uses their hot tub differently. Just because some people can get away with changing their water every six months doesn’t mean you can. It’s important to consider how often you use your hot tub as well as how many people use the hot tub at once. The average person should change the water in their hot tub at least once every three to four months in addition to treating the water with chlorine.
For families that use the hot tub often or have a lot of people in the hot tub at once, it’s important to change the water a little more often. The more time people spend in the hot tub, the dirtier it’s going to get. You also have to consider the fact that children may be dirtier than average hot tub users, so that may contribute to more frequent water changes.
Fortunately, there’s a formula to help you figure out how often you need to change the water in your hot tub. Simply take the number of gallons of water that your hot tub holds and divide it by the number of people who use the tub. This will give you the number of days that you should go in between water changes. For example, a 400-gallon hot tub that’s used by 4 people should have its water changed every 100 days. Keep in mind that this is a minimum, so you might want to change your hot tub water more often.
Why Do I Need to Change the Water?
When people get in the hot tub, dirt and oil from their bodies wash off into the water. Because the water is hot, it rinses off even more dirt and oil than normal water would. Even worse, warm water is a breeding ground for bacteria, which means the stuff that gets into your hot tub will grow and get worse over time.
Changing the water in your hot tub can help prevent odors in addition to keeping you and your family safe from germs. The last thing you want is to climb into a hot tub that smells bad, so you need to make sure you’re changing your water and treating it according to manufacturer recommendations on a regular basis.
How to Tell You Need to Change Your Water Now
While you can usually get away with changing your water occasionally, sometimes you need to do it a little more often. It’s important to take a look at your hot tub water every once in a while, and look for signs that it needs to be changed. You can also buy testing kits to get a better idea of the condition of your water.
One classic sign that you need to change your hot tub water now is a bad odor coming from the tub. If you can smell your hot tub and it doesn’t smell like chlorine, that means there are bacteria growing in the tub. A clean hot tub should smell like nothing or have a slight chlorine odor. You may also notice a foam starting to accumulate at the top of the water, or some sort of funk in the water itself. These are also signs that bacteria are growing in your hot tub.
If you haven’t changed your hot tub water in a while, you should change it whether it looks or smells bad or not. The longer you leave the same water in your hot tub, the more likely it is to harbor bacteria. Ideally, you should change the water in your hot tub at least once every three months if you want to keep it clean.
Hot Tub Installation and Maintenance
Taking care of your hot tub requires a bit of work, but you can do it as long as you’re willing to stick to a schedule. The best way to keep your hot tub clean is to create a maintenance schedule that involves regular cleanings and water treatment. If you’re not sure how often you should clean your hot tub, your best bet is talking with an expert and figuring out a plan that works for you.
At Ajax Pool & Spa, we can help you make hot tub care simple. We’ll figure out how often you need to have hot tub maintenance done to keep your water clean, plus we’ll take care of all that maintenance. Whether you’ve got a small hot tub that only you use or a large spa that the whole family uses several times per week, we can make sure it stays clean. To find out more about keeping your hot tub clean or schedule hot tub maintenance, contact Ajax Pool & Spa today.