by Jacque Johnson  The Hot Tub Lady 7/31/2019

Filling the hot tub. 

• When filling the hot tub from an empty state you will always place the hose in the actual filter compartment. This to ensure there is no air lock in the line and the tub will start up correctly.
• • Remove the filter and place hose down the hole.  If you do not have a filter contact the store immediately.  Note if you are on the Freshwater Salt you need to use the On The Go Water Softener.
  • Note.  When topping off water for future you will want to add the hose to the foot-well to add more water.
    • You will typically have to add water every 6 weeks or so.  Usually a bit more in the winter months.
• When filling tub you will want to fill to the bottom of the pillow or above the highest jet which ever comes first.
• Once tub is full turn power on by either flipping breakers or plugging in the tub
  • Once power to the tub you will turn the jets on.  Tub will bubble and gurgle and sound awful but just pushing air out of the lines.
  •  NEVER turn the power on before the tub has water in it.
    • If you have two or three breakers flip them on as if you were reading a book left to right.  If you have just one flip it on.
• Once tub is full replace the filter back into the filter compartment.

Filters should be pulled out and cleaned at least once a month.

• • If you have more then one filter make sure you rotate the cleanest filter to the circulation stand pipe which would be the gray one.
  • It is always a good idea during the winter months to have a spare set of filters.
  • Paper filters should be replaced once a year unless you have a second set that you rotate through, then they should last 2-3 years.

Money saving tip.  Our top two service calls in winter months are dirty filters and water level to low.  Both of these are non-warranty issues

Cover Care

•  If you have a cover lifter on your hot tub we typically do not install the cover locks on the back side of the tub as most people forget they are locked and tear them off.  Otherwise it is very important to lock the front half of the cover down. 
• It is important to protect your cover with either cover shield or 303 protect-ant a couple of times a year as well.
•   Covers need to be replaced every 4-7 years.  It is important that you do this as they take on water and become heavy.  They can break cover lifters and tear panels off of tubs if not replaced in that time frame

Water Testing.  Here are some general tips about water testing.  Please check out the video below for the exact system you are on.

• Chemicals need time to work and you should not test your water more than once a day.  Once you add product to tweak the water make sure you wait 24 hour before testing and making any other adjustments.
• It is almost impossible to get an exact reading on a hot tub so it is important to remember that ranges given to hit are exactly that ranges.  Having a new hot tub can be a bit overwhelming at first but just remember it takes a few days to balance a hot tub once it is balanced it is usually fairly easy after that.
• Hot Spring Spas of Sioux Falls will provide you with a “cheat sheet” this is the sheet that is what you should be following for your weekly maintenance.  The computer generated “Alex” test is for the balancing of the water.  It will get everything in the range.
  • Alkalinity 80-120
  • pH 7.2-7.6
  • Calcium Hardness  35-75 (on saltwater tubs)
  • Chlorine on both Spa Frog and Salt Water .5
  • See video below for your system
• Alkalinity is the most important thing to balance.  If your alkalinity is line everything else will stay in line.
  • There is no such thing as alkalinity decrease.  You lower alkalinity very slowly and over a period of several days with pH Decreaser.
• Both Salt Water and Spa Frog systems should use the @Ease test strips as they test a much lower free chlorine level of .5 ppm.