Hot tubs are well known for their various health benefits and are a highly coveted backyard inclusion, providing ample relaxation opportunities.
One of the many things people consider when investing in a new spa is the likelihood of hot tub repairs and troubleshooting over the years.
While hot tubs have come a long way and have been outfitted with advanced technology to make them effortless to maintain, issues are bound to occur, much like anything else.
There are many steps you can take to keep these issues to a minimum, and with some basic knowledge, you can identify and maintain many that may arise.
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to keep your hot tub in good condition and respond effectively to signs of wear and tear through the years.
Below, you’ll learn three essential ways to maintain the overall health of your hot tub, some common signs to watch for that signal distress, and how to diagnose and troubleshoot your spa when issues do arise.
Let’s get started!
3 Ways to Keep Your Hot Tub in Good Condition
Ultimately, the long-term quality of your hot tub is completely up to you.
How you take care of it and the routines you follow will play a significant role in its overall functioning over the years.
Without proper care, you may be left with expensive hot tub repairs or ample avoidable issues arising, resulting in additional time spent maintaining your spa than necessary.
In fact, it can even lead to rising energy bills as the efficiency of your spa drops!
Luckily, you can avoid many of these issues simply by following three simple steps to properly care for your hot tub.
1. Maintain a Good Maintenance Routine
How you care for your hot tub day to day is the foundation for your spa’s overall health.
With the right steps, you can make sure your water stays clean, reduce the risk of damage to your circulation system, and keep troublesome issues at bay.
Your maintenance routine should include various aspects, some of the most important being:
- Keeping your water balanced
- Maintaining your water chemistry
- Cleaning your filters
- Quarterly water changes
To get a more detailed breakdown of how to best maintain your hot tub, check out our hot tub maintenance guide.
2. Include Routine Service
Hot tub service is for far more than simply identifying and fixing issues after they occur.
It’s also a powerful preventative measure to keep your spa in prime condition through thorough inspections and minor adjustments.
Additionally, hot tubs often come with extensive warranties. Should issues arise, routine service can help ensure your warranty isn’t voided by DIY repairs.
We recommend including a routine service appointment at least once a year.
3. Don’t Forget to Drain and Clean Your Spa
While this is included in the above “hot tub maintenance” section, it’s a vital aspect of maintaining the quality of your hot tub.
Each time you treat your water, the chemical levels slowly rise, which can make it difficult to keep it balanced and clean.
Not only does this make it harder for you to maintain your water, but it also can result in corrosion or scale building up in your system, leading to various other issues developing.
Your hot tub should be drained every three months. After draining, you’ll need to clean your shell, inspect it for damage, and refill it with fresh water.
Common Signs of Hot Tub Troubles
Signs of hot tub issues can take many forms.
With water being such a significant part of your hot tub, it’s often the first way your spa will communicate issues with you.
This means it’s important to pay close attention to any changes in your water each time you lift the cover of your spa.
Here are some of the most common signs your hot tub requires some support:
- Cloudy or foamy water
- Algae blooms
- Weak jets
- Temperature fluctuations
- Dropping water levels
- Unexpected puddles around your cabinet
If you’ve noticed any of these warning signs, you’ll need to look into what could be causing the issue and take the necessary steps to properly manage them.
Fortunately, many of these issues can be diagnosed and fixed on your own with a little “know-how.”
Hot Tub Repair – 5 Tips For Diagnosing Issues
When any of the above issues arise, diagnosing the root cause is the only way to know how to respond.
Luckily, many of the above-noted signs are often a result of one or two main aspects:
- Poorly balanced water
- Dirty or clogged filters
Other issues, however, may be more complex to diagnose and repair.
Here are five ways to diagnose the root cause of the problem and determine what may need to be repaired.
Tip 1: Test and Rebalance the Water Chemistry
The first step you should be taking with almost every issue is testing your water.
The quality of your water can have a significant influence on your entire system, resulting in various different problems.
When testing your water, you’ll want to pay close attention to three factors:
- pH
- Alkalinity
- Sanitizer
These aspects work hand in hand to maintain the clarity and overall health of your water.
Healthy water has a pH between 7.2 and 7.8 and an alkalinity between the range of 80 and 120 ppm.
Your ideal sanitizer levels will depend on which sanitizer you use. For chlorine, you want to maintain a level between 1 and 3 ppm, and for bromine, you’ll need to keep it between 3 and 5 ppm.
Tip 2: Inspect and Clean Your Filters
If your filters are not properly maintained, water is unable to effectively pass through them, resulting in a wide range of potential issues, such as dirty or cold water or overall poor water flow.
After testing and treating your water as necessary, you’ll want to check your filters.
If needed, rinse them off, or spray them with a filter cleaner before allowing them to soak for 15 minutes.
After you’ve cleaned them, thoroughly inspect them for any damage that could be causing the issue.
Hot tub filters are only good for 12 months, so if they’re at the end of their lifespan, or damaged, replace them with new ones.
Tip 3: Check Your Water Levels
The amount of water in your hot tub influences how well your system runs, in particular, your circulation pump.
If your water level is too low, you’ll need to top it up with your garden hose, then test and treat it as necessary.
Generally, you can expect your water level to drop by one inch every week due to evaporation.
If you’ve noticed your water levels dropping more than that each week, you’ll want to inspect your system for any potential leaks.
Tip 4: Inspect Your Heating Element
While you should be checking your heating element each month during your regular inspection, it’s particularly important to check if you begin experiencing any changes to your water temperature.
Your heating element is constantly in contact with your water and can become damaged over time if your water’s improperly balanced.
One of the main things you’ll want to look for when inspecting your heating element is any corrosion or hard-scale building up.
Unfortunately, replacing a damaged heating element can be a challenge, so we recommend replacing the heater entirely or scheduling a service appointment to have the element replaced.
Tip 5: Schedule Professional Service
At the end of the day, when issues arise, one of your best options is to schedule a service appointment.
Not only can professionals help diagnose issues quickly, but they can ensure nothing is missed, reducing the risk of further damage spreading.
Furthermore, with the knowledge of your warranty, they can ensure nothing is done that will void it and make sure you’re provided the support included within.
Troubleshooting Common Hot Tub Issues
While there are some more complex problems that can occur, there are a few that may be more common than others and can be diagnosed (and repaired) with the information above.
Cold Water
If your water has gone cold, one of two things is likely happening:
- Your filters are dirty
- The heating element is damaged
You can diagnose each of these issues by following the above recommendations.
Weak Water Flow
There are two main ways you might discover your water pressure has plummeted.
Either your waterfall will weaken to a dribble, or your jets will no longer feel as powerful.
When your water pressure drops, there are a few things that may be happening:
- Clogged filters
- Scale buildup
- Air-lock
To diagnose the issue, check your filters and clean them as necessary.
If that doesn’t solve the issue, schedule a hot tub service appointment.
Error Codes
One of the ways your hot tub communicates with you is through codes on your control panel.
Each hot tub will have district codes that provide vital information regarding any issues occurring.
If your control panel is displaying error codes, you can check your owner’s manual to help you determine what they mean and get some guidance on what steps you can take to respond accordingly.
Consistently Dirty Water
If you’re having trouble keeping your water crystal clear, there are various aspects that could be causing the struggle.
- Clogged filters
- Poor water chemistry
- Old water
If you haven’t drained your hot tub in the last three months, drain and clean your shell, including a filter clean while you’re at it.
If it continues to be difficult to keep clean and properly balanced after you’ve refilled it with fresh water, schedule a service appointment.
A Loud Pump
If your circulation pump has begun squealing or groaning, two things may be happening:
- Your bearings aren’t moving properly
- It’s not getting enough water
If it’s squealing, try lubricating or replacing the bearings. If it’s groaning, however, check your water levels and top up your spa if needed.
Schedule service or replace your pump if the issue continues.
Hot Tub Repair and Service in Middleton and Hampstead
Taking proper care of your hot tub by following a well-rounded maintenance routine can drastically reduce the risk of issues occurring, but over time, you’re sure to run into some problems.
Luckily, you may be able to diagnose the issue and repair it in a few easy steps.
For larger problems or those you can’t seem to discover a root cause for, scheduling a professional hot tub service is your best option.
At St. Cyr Pool & Spa, our team of experts is here to help.
With two convenient locations, one in Middleton, MA, and another in Hampstead, NH, we’re serving a wide range of communities, helping to keep their hot tubs running smoothly.
We offer a range of hot tub service solutions, and after over 40 years in the industry, you can trust our team to handle your spa with care and provide unmatched service.
Contact us for assistance, or request a service appointment online today!
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