Here’s a simple guide on how to get rid of hot tub foam. You can watch the quick video below or keep reading for a complete hot tub foam tutorial.

What Causes Foam in a Hot Tub?

Maybe you’ve seen seafoam for yourself. Seafoam is fundamentally the same as hot tub foam, just with a slightly different chemical makeup.

For foam to appear, it needs three things: water, air, and surfactants. If you’re not a chemistry geek, surfactants are basically super-sticky molecules that reduce the surface tension of a liquid, which makes it easier for substances like oil and water to mix.

Your hot tub contains water and some surfactants, even if you properly maintain your chemistry. But if you slip a little on your maintenance schedule or don’t clear the water after a big hot tub party, you might flip on your jets—unlocking that final ingredient—and find yourself with a foamy mess.

Because the surfactants often end up creating a thin layer of water in between themselves, they tend to push the water molecule into a ball, and suddenly you have a bubble. The more surfactants you have, the more stacking you get, and the more bubbles you get. The final result? Hot Tub Foam!

If you want to skip to solving foam in your hot tub, you can pick up some of our exclusive 3-in-1 hot tub water clarifier and conditioner called Weekly Cleanse. Not only will it help eliminate foam, but it’ll also keep your water crystal clear.

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The Main Surfactant Culprits In Your Hot Tub

If you regularly maintain your hot tub chemistry, your spa water is thoroughly mixed with sanitizing chemicals and calcium, which help neutralize surfactants and prevent them from creating bubbles.

But if you miss even just a couple of maintenance days, surfactants build up from three main sources.

1. Personal Care Products

Makeup, conditioner, shampoo, mousse, hairspray, lotion, and deodorant can make your sanitizing chemicals work overtime and eventually wreak sudsy havoc. The more of these products you use—say, you have long hair that requires more styling products—the more likely it is that surfactants will build up in your hot tub.

Laundry detergent and soap are also major culprits. Yes, we need to wash our swimsuits, but any leftover detergent in the fabric can really mess with your water’s chemical balance.

2. Beverages

You might enjoy a glass of wine, a beer, a fancy tropical concoction, or even just a soda with your weekend soak. Nothing wrong with that, but you may want to keep beverages away from the hot tub.

Spilling alcoholic or sugary beverages in your carefully tended water can lead to foaming. Plus, who wants to clean up a sticky mess on the edges of a spa, anyway?

3. Human Bodies

When you get down to it, the things the human body can produce are kind of gross. Oils and dead skin cells are all over us whether we like it or not. But that’s why we have sanitizing chemicals in our hot tubs.

If your sanitizing agents are overburdened with body oil and dead proteins, you’re probably going to have a problem with foam in your hot tub.

A Warning About Cheap Hot Tub Chemicals

We all love saving money, but sometimes the savings just aren’t worth it. This is especially true with cheap hot tub chemicals.

They may not be as effective or as concentrated as more expensive options, which means you’ll have to use more to make sure your hot tub is clean. Which means you have to buy more. And then you use more. It’s a vicious cycle.

Even worse, those cheap chemicals could actually cause a buildup of surfactants and a whole slew of other water chemistry problems. That means you’ll have to spend more money on corrective treatments, more time cleaning your hot tub, and less time actually enjoying it.

Good hot tub chemicals aren’t a splurge—they’re an investment. Get the best you can, and save yourself the headache. After all, a hot tub is all about relaxation.

How to Get Rid of Foam in a Hot Tub

Got foam? That’s OK. While clearing a hot tub full of foam may seem like an impossible, messy task, it’s actually pretty simple.

1. Test Your Water

Before you do anything corrective, test your water to find out what your pH, alkalinity, and sanitizer levels are, as well as check for total dissolved solids (TDS)—these are the surfactants. Knowing what your water chemistry looks like after foaming can help you understand how to avoid the problem in the future.

Another thing to note is low calcium hardness may cause foam in your hot tub. Low calcium can cause other problems, too, like corrosion and etching on your finishes, so it’s important to regularly test these levels as well.

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2. Drain and Refill

Once you’ve tested your water and made note of all the chemical levels, the best thing you can do to get rid of the foam is drain and clean your hot tub. If you have enough surfactants in your water to cause foaming, you may also need to do a line flush and replace your filters.

Since you need to drain your hot tub anyway, this is the perfect time to perform a hot tub deep clean as well.

Basic Steps to Drain Your Hot Tub

1. Use a line flush product, as needed, according to the package directions.
2. Remove the filters. Depending on how dirty they are, you can either clean them with a cartridge filter cleaner spray or replace them.
3. Turn off the power to your hot tub, disconnect anything electrical, and trip the breaker.
4. Drain your hot tub using a sump pump or the drain plug.

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Basic Steps to Clean and Refill Your Hot Tub

1. Once your hot tub is entirely drained, wipe down the interior surface with a mixture of one part white vinegar to four parts water. Or you can use hot tub cleaner.
2. Thoroughly rinse the inside of your hot tub and wipe it down.
3. Make sure to remove all traces of cleaner. Otherwise, you’ll end up with foamy water again!
4. Replace your filters.
5. Refill your hot tub. We recommend you use a hose filter attached to your garden hose to prevent chemical impurities.

After you’ve drained, cleaned, and refilled your hot tub, test the water, add chemicals, and allow the water to circulate for at least a day. When the circulation is complete, test the water one more time to ensure it’s ready for soaking.

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For Quick Fixes: Anti-Foam Chemicals

Say you’ve got a party coming up and not enough time to go through all the steps to correct a foamy hot tub. You can buy a foam remover chemical, which will get rid of the foam in your hot tub almost instantly and can last for up to 24 hours.

Remember, foam remover chemicals do not address the cause of foam in your hot tub. It just relieves the problem for a little while. You’ll still need to drain and refill your hot tub to get rid of the foam for good.

Besides, knowing what you know now about the makeup of hot tub foam, do you really want to soak in that? Didn’t think so.

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How to Prevent Hot Tub Foam

• Shower before soaking in the hot tub to remove any soap residue, makeup, or deodorant. It doesn’t have to be a full shower. Just a quick rinse is enough.
• Rinse your clean bathing suit with fresh water before getting in your hot tub.
• Avoid dunking your head underwater unless you’re sure your hair is free (or as free as possible) of natural oils, conditioner, and styling products. If you or one of your guests has long hair, tuck it in a baseball cap or pull it into a bun to keep it out of the water.This goes for beards too.
• Keep sugary or alcoholic drinks away from the hot tub. This eliminates the chance of something spilling in the water.
• Buy your chemicals from a trusted source, even if you end up paying a little more. You’ll thank yourself in the long run.
• Maintain a regular hot tub maintenance schedule. This includes weekly or biweekly water testing and a full hot tub draining and cleaning every three to four months.

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Leave the Bubbles for the Bathtub

Waking up to a foamy spa might feel a little nightmarish, but correcting foam in a hot tub is relatively simple. Once you have a clean hot tub and freshwater, preventing foam in the future will be easy. Just remember to avoid adding things that make your sanitizing chemicals work overtime and keep a regular maintenance schedule.

These simple steps mean more time to spend in your relaxing, foam-free hot tub.

Happy Soaking!

The post How to Get Rid of Foam in a Hot Tub appeared first on Swim University®.

Whatever the problem, your night is not working out the way you’d hoped. Before you panic about what it’ll cost to get a repairman to fix your spa on the weekend, try a little DIY hot tub troubleshooting first. Several common hot tub issues have simple solutions you can handle on your own.

Need more assistance with hot tub troubleshooting? Help is on the way! You’ll find it in The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course. Find those problems, and then fix them with ease.

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1. My Hot Tub Won’t Heat Up

Possibly the most frustrating problem you can run into is when you want to soak in your spa, but discover the water is ice cold. A hot tub without hot water is just a tub. Narrow down a possible cause by first determining whether your water is staying cold or getting warm, then cooling down.

Before you do anything, grab your multimeter. It can help you quickly identify the culprit by testing the electrical components.

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Ice Cold Hot Tub Water

You’ve got no heat, no matter what. First, check your water level. Then, look for clogs in your circulation system, and wash or change your filter. While these may seem like mundane solutions, they’re also the quickest and least expensive, so always try them first.

Next, flip your heater breaker off and on, or just hit your heater’s reset button. If the high limit switch shut your heater off because your water got too hot or you have air trapped in your lines, resetting the heater will get it going again.

If you’ve just refilled your hot tub, you may have an airlock, which is when air gets trapped in your plumbing lines, and impedes the flow of water, which will keep it from heating up. Luckily, fixing an air lock is a fairly easy task.

Still no heat? You could have a bad heating element. If you’re confident in your skills to troubleshoot your hot tub heater, you can remove the heating element and check to see if it looks burnt. If it needs replacing, you’ll want to hire a pro unless you’re comfortable doing this type of work yourself.

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My Water Gets Hot, Cold, Hot Again

If your hot tub temperature is all over the place, you could have water flow problems. Start by cleaning your filter, checking for circulation blockages, and topping off your water if necessary.

Check whether your pump turns on. Your pump has to be running in order for the spa to heat up. If the pump isn’t working, you may need to replace it.

The problem could also be with the heater itself. If the pump is working, and the heater is on, but the water still won’t stay at an even temperature, you may need to replace the heater.

Heater and pump working fine? Next check your thermostat and heat sensors. Your high limit switch has one or two sensors that shut off your heater if the water temperature gets too high. If they’re fried, your heater may not operate properly.

Similarly, if your thermostat needs to be replaced, it won’t accurately trigger your heater to kick on when the water temperature dips.

If you’ve done all these things, and still can’t diagnose and correct the problem, it’s time to bring in a pro. But maybe wait until Monday so the hourly rate isn’t so high.

2. My Jets Aren’t Working

If you wanted to lie around in warm, unmoving water, you’d just take a bath. One of the best parts of soaking in a hot tub is using the jets. But if you’ve got nothing coming out of your jets, don’t fret.

Try the easiest and least expensive solution first: turn each of your jets to make sure they’re all wide open. Also, check them for debris such as calcium buildup, and clear them if necessary. Top off the water, clean your filter, and check for plumbing line clogs.

Did you recently refill your hot tub? If so, you could have airlock. You can turn your jets on and off a few times to try to force the air out. You may also loosen the top fitting on your pump just until you hear air escape and see a bit of water, then tighten it back up.

Important: No matter what you may have heard, we do not recommend using a plunger on your jets. The force of plunging may damage your circulation system. It may also void your warranty. Then you really will be paying a bunch of money for repairs.

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3. My Control Panel Shows an Error Code

Though they indicate something is going wrong, error codes can be confusing—and they don’t necessarily tell you the cause of your problem. Your manual will contain many error codes, but five codes show up most often.

FLO or FLC

As you may have guessed, this code appears when you’re hot tub is having flow problems. You might see this code if your jets are misbehaving.

Check for blockages, and clean or replace your filter. If that doesn’t help, check to see whether your circulation pump has power going to it. If it does, and it’s still not working, it may be time to replace the circulation pump.

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This code may also mean your pressure switch needs to be replaced. Its job is to shut off the heater when water pressure is low, so if your water is flowing, but you’re still seeing the FLO or FLC error codes, it could be the pressure switch.

Important: If you’re comfortable working with electrical components, you may be able to address these problems yourself. However, if you’re at all unsure, call a pro. Your safety is more important than a quick soak in the hot tub.

OH

Do not use your hot tub when this error code pops up. It means the water is too hot, and may even scald you. The possible causes are plentiful, but you can check a few simple things.

Clean your circulation system and filter. If your hot tub is outside, and you’ve had hot weather, be sure your spa cabinet is staying cool enough to avoid overheating the motor.

Also make sure your pump isn’t running for extremely long periods of time. Check and replace the temperature sensor if needed. If the water isn’t hot, but this code is on your display, it’s a good idea to call a pro to see what’s going on.

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DR or DRY

If not enough water—or worse, none—is traveling through your heater when it kicks on, it can cause what’s known as a dry fire where the heating element is damaged. This commonly occurs when your water level is too low.

Topping of your hot tub may be the only solution necessary. Remember to use a hose filter to keep impurities out of your spa and plumbing system. Make sure your circulation system is free of debris before restarting. If the problem persists, call a pro.

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COOL or COLD

When your hot tub water temperature drops 20 to 40 degrees below your set point, this error code shows up.

First, put your hot tub cover back on and let the heater do its job for about 24 hours. If, after that period, your water is still cold, try the solutions for when your hot tub won’t heat up, such as resetting the heater and checking your sensors and thermostat.

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01/27/2023 03:29 pm GMT

SNA or SNB

This code is an abbreviation for sensor, and the letter (or sometimes a number) indicates which sensor is malfunctioning or out of balance.

It can also appear when the connection between the sensor and circuit board is wonky, or when your circuit board is fried. In this case, you may need to replace the sensor. If you’re uncomfortable working with electronics, call a pro.

Your hot tub control panel can display several other codes. To learn more about them so you’re better able to troubleshoot your hot tub, keep a list of them near your spa.

4. My Hot Tub Pump is Noisy

Someday, you may be nearby when your hot tub kicks on and notice one of two distinct sounds: a growling, grumbling noise, or a high-pitched squeal.

My Hot Tub Pump is Growling

When it sounds like bear cubs wrestling inside your spa cabinet, your pump is probably struggling for water. Clear any clogs from your circulation system. Top off your water. Make sure any valves near your pump are open.

My Hot Tub Pump is Squealing

This loud, metallic whine is the telltale sign of bad bearings. You may continue using your pump safely, but the noise will only get worse. First, try lubricating the bearings, but eventually, you’ll probably have to replace the circulation pump. Or start using your hot tub with earplugs.

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5. My GFCI Breaker is Tripping

If your hot tub is tripping the breaker, you could spend quite a lot of time on hot tub troubleshooting, and less time soaking. A breaker trip is common and usually easy to fix, but any troubleshooting and repairs require you to work with electricity. If you’ll be working on it yourself, remember to turn off the breaker before you begin, and be sure you’re not touching anything wet.

Important: If you’re unsure what you’re doing, or you don’t know how to work with electrical systems safely, this is definitely the time to call a pro.

One quick way to narrow down your problem is to unplug your pump, heater, blower, and ozonator. Then turn on the breaker without anything plugged in.

If it trips, you could have a worn breaker. If it doesn’t trip, plug each item back in one at a time. For each item you reconnect, flip the breaker, then turn on your spa. If your GFCI trips, the component you just reconnected (or the wiring to that item) is the culprit.

Once you know which part is causing problems, you’ll need to figure out why. Most likely, it’s one of four common causes.

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Moisture

Safety first. Examine the area around the breaker box for water before you start unplugging anything. If you find moisture on or around the breaker, identifying and fixing the source of the moisture may be all you have to do to keep your breaker from tripping. After all, the purpose of the GFCI is to protect you from electric shock around water.

Moisture can result from splashout, rain, or leaks, and may be fixed by moving your breaker box farther from your spa or putting up a barrier between the hot tub and the box.

Corrosion

All your electrical components have wires and connections which can corrode. Grab a good flashlight, and inspect all these areas carefully. If you find corrosion, you’ll need to replace the damaged part(s), or hire a pro to do so for you.

Damaged or Loose Wiring

While you’re searching for corrosion, ensure that all the electrical connections are secure. Give wires a gentle tug to check their connections. Also keep an eye out for other signs of damage, such as melted or burnt wires.

Again, unless you’re experienced with electrical wiring, you’ll want to hire a spa pro or electrician to correct these problems.

Heating Element Malfunction

Regardless of how well you take care of your hot tub, you’ll eventually need to replace the heating element. It’s simply a component with a finite lifespan. This one of the most common reasons your breaker might trip.

To determine whether this is what’s causing the GFCI breaker to trip, loosen the nuts on top of your heater to remove the electrical connections. Flip the breaker again and see whether it trips. If it doesn’t trip, you’ll need a new heating element.

You may also test the element for a short using a multimeter , or pull it out and inspect it for signs of dry fire. Regardless of whether it burned out or has a short, you’ll still need to replace it.

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6. My Hot Tub Has Weak or Low Water Flow

Aside from not having heat in your hot tub, weak or low water flow is a huge bummer. If the water’s not moving, you may as well be sitting in your bathtub, right? Luckily, the causes are few, so you should be able to identify the problem pretty quickly.

Dirty or Damaged Filter

A dirty or worn out filter can prevent the water from flowing the way it should. Check the filter for damage. If it looks OK, give it a good cleaning. If it’s starting to show signs of wear and tear, consider replacing it entirely.

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Low Water Level

The water can’t flow if it’s too low. Check the water level to make sure it’s where it should be. If it’s not, add water, and then run a test to see if the flow returns to normal.

Malfunctioning Pump

Is the hot tub pump running? If so, the problem is elsewhere. If it isn’t, use a multimeter to check whether the pump is receiving power. If it is, but the pump still won’t work, it probably needs to be repaired or replaced. If it isn’t, you might have a bigger electrical problem on your hands.

Important: Remember, electricity and water don’t mix. Not everyone is an electrician, and that’s OK. If you aren’t comfortable working on these systems, please call a professional.

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Air Lock

After you change the water, or when you’re opening your spa for the season, you may encounter a hot tub air lock. This means air has gotten into the plumbing lines, and is preventing the water from flowing the way it should.

Bleeding the air out of the system will fix a lock. Look for small bleed screws at the end of the pump, and open them all to let the air out. Some systems may have a screw on top of the pump as well.

Once you bleed the air out, turn the hot tub on and see if the water flow has returned to normal. In some cases, you may have to bleed the system more than once to get all the air trapped in your hot tub’s system.

Important: Always make sure the system is off when you’re bleeding air out. Also make sure you close bleed screws quickly to prevent water from spraying once the air has escaped.

Blocked or Broken Jets

Sometimes, you may notice you have good flow out of some jets, while some jets are barely limping along. In this case, check for worn out jet seals, and then check all nozzles for any debris that could be blocking the flow of water.

If the problem is occurring in all of the jets, look for broken gate valves, and double check your water level to be sure it isn’t too low. Check the wet end of your pump to see if something is blocking the water flow or to see if you have a broken propeller.

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Blocked or Worn Out Ozonator

If you use an ozonator, give the valves a good look, and consider bypassing it for testing purposes. In some cases, the valves connecting the ozonator to your hot tub can begin to wear out or can become blocked by debris. Clean them out or replace them, and then test the system to see if the water flow returns to normal. If not, you may need to replace the ozonator.

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Prevention is Key

Age, wear, and tear will eventually take a toll on your hot tub and its parts. You’ll need to occasionally replace parts through no fault of your own. But you can avoid some of the most common problems by taking proper care of your spa.

• Create and stick to a hot tub maintenance schedule, including balancing your water chemistry on a regular basis.
• Top off low water levels as soon as you notice them to prevent error codes, sputtering jets, and even dry fire.
• Look for problems before they complicate your life, opening your cabinet once in a while to check for signs of wiring damage or leaks.

When you’re ready to use your hot tub, but something has gone awry, remember to check the common-sense solutions first. Adding a little water and cleaning your filter can go a long way toward fixing a lot of hot tub bad behaviors.

If your hot tub troubleshooting starts to get you into repairs that are over your head, don’t be afraid to call a professional. Getting a problem fixed correctly the first time can save you a lot of headaches—and money—down the road.

Happy Soaking!

The post Hot Tub Troubleshooting: 6 Common Issues and Solutions appeared first on Swim University®.

A hot tub tripping a breaker isn’t an uncommon problem, and the potential causes are pretty easy to spot. You just have to know what to look for and where to look for it. Once you identify the problem, you may be surprised at how simple the fix is. A few repairs may require a professional touch, but that will depend on your electrical skill level.

If you wanna learn more about taking care of your hot tub so you can avoid problems like this in the future, check out our Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course.

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Is It Really My Hot Tub Tripping the Breaker?

Near your hot tub, inside a metal box probably attached to the side of your house, is your hot tub GFCI breaker. It’s a black plastic switch that automatically flips when it experiences an electrical surge.

When the switch flips, it interrupts the electrical circuit, breaking conduction so no more electricity can pass through. In short (no pun intended), it prevents you from being electrocuted in your hot tub when someone has a few too many margaritas and accidentally knocks your stereo into the water.

Sometimes the breaker flips for reasons that have nothing to do with your radio. These common hot tub problems are pretty easy to troubleshoot on your own. Before you get started, grab a towel and a flashlight. They may make it much easier to find the problem.

Warning: Working with electricity, particularly around water, can be dangerous. Be sure there is no moisture where you’re working, and turn off the power supply when working directly with wiring to limit your risk of electric shock. If you’re not comfortable working with electricity, hire a pro to make the repairs.

1. Worn Hot Tub GFCI Breaker

Probably the most obvious reason your hot tub is tripping the breaker is the thing simply wore out. Age, power surges, and even a nearby lightning strike can render your breaker useless. Fortunately for you, it’s easy to determine whether your breaker is toast.

If you haven’t yet, try flipping it. Does it immediately trip again? If so, a worn or bad breaker could be your problem. To be certain, disconnect everything from the GFCI. Flip it back on. If the breaker trips, even with nothing connected to it, you need to replace the breaker.

2. Moisture in your Hot Tub Breaker Box

Pop open the breaker box, shine the flashlight around in there, and see if you find any moisture inside. Rainwater, splashout, or flooding can introduce enough dampness to flip a hot tub GFCI.

The solution may be as easy as drying the inside of the breaker box with your towel, turning a fan or dehumidifier on near your outlet, and resetting the breaker once dry.

If the breaker flips even after it appears dry, you may need more extensive troubleshooting. If the breaker is encountering moisture often, you may need to replace the receptacle itself or move it farther from the spa.

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3. Corrosion

This is inevitable. You can’t even get away from rust in outer space. It’s worth keeping an eye out for corrosion whenever you service your hot tub in order to limit the possibility of compounding problems.

Corrosion can cause components to malfunction, which could affect your water chemistry or cause further damage when they fail. Just imagine if you went on vacation and your filtration system failed to run per your programming. Ew.

Corrosion can occur near the hot tub GFCI or around spa components themselves. Inspect the breaker box, then inside your spa cabinet for any obvious signs of corrosion. Typically, you’ll see whitish powder or the appearance of rust around component connectors if corrosion is present. Carefully inspect wire connectors, ground wires, the control panel, and anywhere you can see component wiring.

Repairing corrosion depends on where you’ve found it and how extensive it is. You may be able to clean off corroded connectors with a wire brush or electrical contact cleaner and simply reconnect them. You may need to replace wiring if the corrosion is too extensive. If the dripping water is the cause of the corrosion, you’ll definitely have to repair a leak inside your spa.

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4. Loose or Damaged Wiring

While you’re looking for signs of corrosion, look for other signs of damage to component wiring, such as breaks or char marks. Also check all connections to ensure they’re snug.

Wiring Short: When two wires touch but they’re not supposed to, a surge of power causes your breaker to trip. This can also happen when a hot wire (one with power going to it) touches a ground wire. Not only will it trip your hot tub breaker, but it can even start a fire. Wires can accidentally touch each other in this manner if you’ve moved your spa, done work inside the cabinet, or if you have a pest.You can narrow down the offending wires by disconnecting each spa component one at a time. Flip the breaker and see if it trips. When it trips, you’ve found the misbehaving component. Start inspecting the wiring for that component.If the wires are touching because one came loose, you (or an electrician) can reconnect it and reset your hot tub breaker. Signs of damage or signs of a mouse nest mean you should be looking closely for more extensive problems, such as chewed wires. In those instances you might need to replace wires and connectors.

Burnt Wires: When dealing with electricity, a heat problem can become a fire problem in a blink. A short in the wiring is a fire waiting to happen. Old wiring can overheat. Hot components or component fires can also destroy the wiring. Shine the flashlight inside the breaker box and cabinet, and look for wires with melted insulation (the rubber coating around the wire) or blackened spots.Burnt wiring is tricky to fix. You’ll need to replace the damaged wiring, of course, but you also have to figure out why it got so hot in the first place. If you don’t have the skill to make these kinds of electrical repairs, this should be left to a pro.If you’re confident working with wiring, start by using a multimeter to check the voltage of wiring and components in your spa.

Loose Connectors: When you have work done on your spa, it’s moved around, or it just gets old, wiring connectors can come loose. If wires are even just a little loose, the electrical circuit can be interrupted. When a component is turning on and off due to circuit interruptions, the GFCI breaker may trip.Fixing loose connectors is pretty easy. Inside your spa pack, you may need to use a screwdriver to tighten the screws keeping wires in place. Alternatively, you may see plastic, plug–style connectors slipped out of place. Just give the plastic plugs a firm, little push to ensure they’re snug. And of course, if any connectors are broken or damaged, you’ll need to replace them.

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5. Electrical Component Issues in your Hot Tub

All spas have at least a few electrical components, such as a heater. Even if you have an inflatable hot tub, it still has a control panel and heater.

If your hot tub is especially snazzy, it might also have towel warmers, a sound system, or interior lighting. If any one of your electrical components is misbehaving, it could be why the hot tub is tripping the breaker.

The simplest way to isolate a naughty hot tub component is to disconnect everything you can from the GFCI. Connect each component individually and flip the breaker. When it trips, you’ve got a winner.

Unfortunately, identifying the guilty component is only half the battle. You must also determine how the component is malfunctioning. Is the wiring bad? Did the component overheat? Is it grounded improperly? Is the device completely destroyed? This is more complex troubleshooting and may be best left in the hands of a professional.

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6. Bad Heating Element

One of the most likely offending hot tub components is the heating element. Your spa heater assembly is a metal tube that contains a heating coil. The hot tub water passes through the housing to be heated. If the coil isn’t hot, the water won’t heat up. If something is causing the element to malfunction, the hot tub breaker will trip.

• Bad Heating Element: Disconnect the heater from the breaker, and flip the breaker switch. If the hot tub GFCI fails to trip when the heater isn’t connected, you may need to replace the heating element.
• Heating Element Short: Disconnect power to the element, then remove it from the heater assembly housing. Use a multimeter to test the resistance between the two terminals of the element. Very low or very high readings indicate a bad element. If the reading is normal, you can test for a short to ground, which would also require replacement.
• Dry Fire: When the hot tub’s heating element overheats quickly, especially without proper water flow through it, it can cause a dry fire. The heater housing can appear melted or burnt, and the element itself will show damage. You’ll need to replace the heating element (and the housing if it’s damaged), while also repairing the cause of the dry fire.The cause could be anything from low flow due to clogs, to deposits from poor water chemistry, to other circulation problems. This may also indicate failure of the high limit switch, thermostat, or other related fail-safe component.

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7. Flooded Air Blower or Ozonator

Is water flowing back into the air blower or ozonator? Then it’s likely your hot tub is tripping the breaker. You can troubleshoot this issue by disconnecting the blower or ozonator from the breaker and flipping it.

This issue can pop up if your check valve is bad or your hot tub is overfilled. In either case, water makes its way back through the check valve to the blower or ozonator. Drain some water, if necessary, then replace the bad check valve. If the blower is wet, you may also need to replace it.

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Get Back to Soaking!

Whether you’ve got a plain Jane, an inflatable spa, or a hot tub that looks and sounds like you’re soaking in a night club, you’ll eventually experience electrical issues. The first sign of electrical problems is often the hot tub tripping the breaker. While it’s inconvenient when the GFCI trips, remember it’s there to protect you. It’s a symptom of a malfunctioning spa, just like a fever is a symptom of illness.

The tripped breaker gives you a starting point to identify and repair electrical problems right away, saving you further repairs and even preventing fire. Even when you can’t make repairs yourself, you’ll now be able to figure out what the probable cause is and maybe save yourself a few dollars hiring a repair professional. And then you can get back to enjoying your hot tub.

Happy Soaking!

The post 7 Reasons Your Hot Tub Is Tripping the Breaker appeared first on Swim University®.

Sounds like a hot tub air lock. And no, we’re not talking about the air lock you’d find on a spaceship. You’ve got air in the plumbing lines. But that’s OK, because we’ve got a line on how to fix it so you can get back to soaking without all the swearing.

What Is a Hot Tub Air Lock?

To understand why your spa isn’t working, you first need to understand how it’s supposed to work. Very simply:

• The tub is full of water, and the water line is above the skimmer.
• The pump is on.
• The part of the hot tub pump called the impeller pulls water from the tub via the skimmer.
• The water passes through the filter and on to the pump.
• The water passes through the pump and is pushed into lines that lead to the hot tub jets.
• Water is pushed back into the hot tub via the jets, and continues to circulate through this process, as long as the pump is running.

If you turn on the pump, but little to no water comes out of the jets, you have a hot tub air lock.

The most likely time for this to happen is when you drain and clean your hot tub every quarter. You do, right? Right.

When you drain the spa, water doesn’t just come out of the tub. It also drains from the pump and the plumbing lines, which power the jets.

Then you refill the tub. As the water rises and reaches the jets, theoretically, it should run into the jets and refill the lines as well. But that doesn’t always happen.

Instead, the air that has replaced the water in the pump and jet lines creates a block, preventing the water from running into the lines. It’s a power struggle between air and water, and air often wins this one.

Once the hot tub is refilled and you turn the jets on, there’s no water in the pump or the lines, so there’s no water for the jets to push into the tub. This is bad because the water isn’t circulating the way it should.

But it’s really bad because you never want to run a pump with no water in it. Pumps are made to function with water. Without it, the pump’s motor could burn up, and it’ll cost you money to either repair or replace it.

But before it even gets to that point, you can easily fix a hot tub air lock yourself. All you have to do is prime the pump.

1. Burp Your Hot Tub Jets

Let’s start with the easiest of two methods. With just a few pushes of a few buttons, you can quickly fix a hot tub air lock. You won’t even need any tools for this one.

1. Find the priming mode on the control panel if your spa has one. If it doesn’t, that’s OK; you can still use this method.
2. Turn the jets on low for 10 to 20 seconds.
3. Switch the jets to high for another 10 to 20 seconds.
4. Repeat until the jets are working without any gurgling or air bubbles.

This is an easy fix, but it doesn’t always work. If, after trying this three or four times, the air lock still isn’t resolved, stop the procedure to avoid damaging the pump, and try the next fix.

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2. Expel The Air Directly From Your Hot Tub Pump

If burping the spa didn’t work, you can use the pump’s bleeder valve to expel the air and relieve the hot tub air lock.

You may need a couple of tools for this one:

• Screwdriver
• Angled tongue-and-groove pliers

1. Turn off the hot tub GFCI breaker. You don’t want to make accidental contact with electricity from your pump. Like we always say, electricity and water do not mix.
2. Open the access panel in the hot tub’s cabinet. You may need the screwdriver for this.
3. Locate the pump, and close the gate valve on the discharge side.
4. Slowly turn the bleeder valve until you hear air hissing out. You may need the pliers for this.
5. Once the sound stops, tighten the valve. If you don’t tighten it, water can leak from it and cause problems, so be sure to replace it properly. Note: A little bit of water may leak from the valve when you do this. That’s OK. This actually tells you all the air has been released. Just tighten the valve so no more water can escape.
6. Turn the breaker and spa back on to check the jets.

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More Hot Tub Air Lock Tips

If you’re still having problems after priming the pump, you can try a few other hot tub air lock remedies.

• Maybe it’s not air in the lines. Check for other things that can affect water flow such as clogs or leaks.
• Clean the filter. If it’s filled with gunk, water will have a hard time passing through it.
• Check the water level to make sure the tub is full. If the water level is below the skimmer, the pump may not be getting enough water.
• Don’t give up after one try. Sometimes it takes multiple attempts to clear a hot tub air lock.
• Never run the pump for more than 2 minutes if you aren’t absolutely positive it’s filled with water. If you see smoke, it’s too late. Don’t let it get to that point.

That oughta do it! But it still might not. In that case …

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Call a Professional

So this is actually the easiest method, but it’s also the most expensive one. But if nothing you’ve tried has fixed the hot tub air lock, or you’re just not comfortable doing it yourself, don’t hesitate to call in a pro.

Unlock More Hot Tub Enjoyment

We wish we could tell you how to keep a hot tub air lock from happening in the first place. But it’s just physics, and there’s no way around that. It will definitely happen to your spa at one time or another, or many times.

But now you know how to handle it so it won’t be so frustrating when it does occur. And as for the other possible water flow issues, just keep your hot tub clean and well maintained, and those things you should be able to avoid.

Happy Soaking!

The post How To Fix a Hot Tub Air Lock appeared first on Swim University®.

Look, we all slack on our chores from time to time. But even if you’ve been diligent about keeping your hot tub clean, it may still develop oily scum on the water, or a scum ring around the shell. The key is to know what causes it so you can remove it and keep it from happening again.

What Causes Hot Tub Scum?

Some of what goes into hot tub water is filtered out. Dust, debris, chemicals, even bacteria, depending on the type of filter you have. But a filter can only do so much, and only for so long.

If the contaminants that end up in your hot tub are left long enough, or you haven’t taken measures to combat them, they’ll eventually form a layer of hot tub scum that floats on the surface of the water, or forms a nasty ring around the hot tub shell.

Bodily Residue

This is the most common cause of hot tub scum. Every day, our bodies slough off 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells, and the top 18 to 23 layers of our skin are made up of dead cells lining up to be expelled. That process is sped up by sitting in hot, bubbly water.

We also lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, and our bodies produce oils that rise to the surface of our skin. Plus, even though you’re sitting in water, it’s usually much higher than your body temperature, which means you may sweat while you soak.

The minute you step into your hot tub, a lot of those contaminants end up in the water with you.

Personal Care Products

In addition to the things our bodies naturally shed each day, we add a lot of products. Deodorant, shampoo, perfume, lotion, anything and everything you use every to make yourself look, smell, and feel good goes right into the water if you don’t remove it all beforehand.

Metals

We don’t mean getting into your spa with your jewelry on. We’re talking about metal present in the water.

All water has at least some amount of metals like copper, iron, and magnesium. Depending on where you live, the concentrations may be higher in your city-supplied water, and possibly even higher if you use well water.

Once those metals start reacting with chlorine, they can oxidize and stain the shell. But they can also cause a greenish hot tub scum to form in the water.

Note: Speaking of jewelry in hot tubs, that’s not a good idea. Silver will have a chemical reaction with chlorine that will create a tarnish that regular jewelry cleaner won’t remove. Gold is a soft metal that can also be damaged by chlorine, and soft stones like pearls and turquoise can be damaged beyond repair. To protect your jewelry from damage and yourself from heartache, always remove it before getting into a hot tub (or a pool, for that matter).

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Poor Water Chemistry

Keeping your water balanced is essential to keeping your hot tub clean and anyone who soaks in it healthy. Unbalanced water—specifically, high pH—can create a welcoming environment for algae, bacteria, and hot tub scum.

Dirty or Worn Out Filter

Your filter’s job is to keep the hot tub water clean. It can’t very well do its job if it’s dirty. And at some point, cleaning the filter won’t be enough to keep it functioning properly, and you’ll need to replace it.

Until you either clean or replace your filter, all those nasty things that cause hot tub scum will just pass right through the filter that can no longer capture them, and end up right back in the water.

Hot Tub Scum Types

Knowing what might cause the formation of hot tub scum is only half the battle. Its color will tell what did cause it so you’ll know how to get rid of it.

Brown Scum

If the water’s pH level is too high, it can cause minerals like iron to react with the chlorine. This will create a nasty brown scum on the water’s surface, and it may also stick to the shell’s surface.

Green Scum

You’ve seen what happens to an old penny, right? It turns green. So if you see green scum in your hot tub, it’s likely you have a high copper level in the water. Magnesium in the water will also cause this reaction.

Blue-Green Scum

This is the big bad of hot tub scum. It’s caused by a combination of several things: metals, bodily secretions, and personal care products in the water, and a dirty or worn-out filter. Put all those things together, and you’ve got blue-green scum.

Important: If you see white flakes in your hot tub, they’re probably calcium scale deposits. And if you notice a white, non-flaky substance floating on the water or attached to the shell’s surface, you probably have white water mold in your hot tub. Those two problems need to be addressed a little differently, so make sure you know what you’re dealing with before you start the removal and treatment process.

How to Prevent Hot Tub Scum

The type of scum you have in your hot tub will determine how you prevent it.

Brown Scum Prevention

This one’s an easy fix. Since brown scum is caused by too-high pH levels, first, keep the water balanced. Second, if the pH level gets higher than 7.6, use a pH decreaser to bring it down to the correct range.

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Green Scum Prevention

You can’t keep metals out of your water completely, but you can keep them from messing up your hot tub.

Use a hose filter when filling your hot tub. It’ll keep a portion of the dissolved metals (as well as other nasty stuff you’d rather not soak in) out of the water so you’re starting with cleaner, fresher water.

Also, keep a metal sequestrant on hand. This doesn’t remove metals, but clumps them together so they can be grabbed by the filter before they have a chance to oxidize and form that green hot tub scum, or worse, stain your spa.

As a bonus, some metal sequestrants also address scaling caused by high calcium hardness, so if that’s something you’re also concerned about, look for one hot tub chemical that does both.

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Blue-Green Scum Prevention

Metals, bodily secretions, and toiletries, oh my! Throw in a bad filter for good measure.

To keep metals under control, follow the same preventive measures you’d follow for green scum. For the rest, several general steps will help you prevent blue-green and any other type of hot tub scum.

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Test the Water Regularly

How are you going to know whether the pH is too high, or that you have a high level of dissolved metals in your water source? By testing the water.

You can do this with test strips or a liquid testing kit. Any of them will test for pH, but you may need to find special strips to test for metals if that’s a concern.

Test the water at least weekly, but more often if you’re having trouble with hot tub scum, your water has high metal content, or you use your spa often.

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01/27/2023 09:30 pm GMT

Shower Before Using Your Hot Tub

All those loose hairs and body oils? A quick rinse can help keep them out of your hot tub water. But the lotions, perfumes, makeup, and deodorants? The only way those are coming off is in a full shower with soap.

While that would be ideal, at least rinsing off before you get into your hot tub goes a long way to keeping contaminants out of the water.

And the dead skin cells? Those are constantly being shed, before, during, and after your shower, so there’s not really any way to rid yourself of them completely before you take a soak.

But taking a little extra time to exfoliate when you bathe can help remove more dead skin cells and send them down the drain instead of into your spa water.

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01/27/2023 10:59 pm GMT

Shock Your Spa Regularly

Shocking your hot tub is part of your regular hot tub maintenance, which means you’re probably adding shock every two weeks or so.

But if you’re having trouble keeping the hot tub scum at bay, try shocking once a week instead. And remember to shock once a week anyway if your hot tub is getting heavy use, either with more people or more frequent use, or both.

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Clean Your Hot Tub Regularly

After every soak, wipe down the headrests and any portion of the shell not in the water with a soft cloth or towel. Then at least once a week, use hot tub cleaner and a soft sponge to clean those areas and keep them free of contaminants. This will also help combat mildew.

Tip: To clean the water line without getting any cleaning chemicals in the water, use a dampened melamine sponge to wipe just above and below the water line.

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Clean the Filter Regularly

Maintaining your filter will not only help keep the hot tub scum away, it’ll help your filters last longer, which will save you money in the long run.

Rinse your hot tub filter as often as possible with warm water or a garden hose and spray nozzle, especially if you’ve been using your spa more than usual.

Spray the filter once a week with a hot tub filter cleaner to gi e it a deeper clean. Don’t forget to rinse it afterward.

Soak the filter in chemical cleaner every time you drain and refill your hot tub to extend the filter’s life and loosen any stubborn particles. Rinse it thoroughly afterward.

When your filter gets to the point where even a chemical soak doesn’t completely clean it, it’s time to replace it

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How to Remove Hot Tub Scum

If all your preventive measures didn’t work, and a little scum was still able to form, you can remove it quickly and easily—most of the time.

Skim the Water’s Surface

Use a fine-mesh skimmer to scoop up any hot tub scum that’s collected on the surface of the water. If there’s a lot, rinse the skimmer between passes.

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Use Oil-Absorbing Sponges

You may have heard you can toss a couple of tennis balls into your hot tub to soak up oil, lotion, and other gunky stuff. This is true. In fact, we recommend it.

But while tennis balls will do in a pinch, they don’t have as much absorption power as the floating sponges made specifically for this task. Consider investing in a handful of these.

You can even have a couple of them floating around while you’re in the hot tub. They’re small and soft, so they won’t really get in the way. Plus, they come in cute shapes like turtles and stars.

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Clean Your Hot Tub

Even if your spa water is balanced and doesn’t have a layer of scum floating on its surface, you can sometimes still see a ring of hot tub scum around the shell right at the water line. When this happens, it means whatever makeup, lotion, or other gunk floated along until it attached itself to the shell’s surface and started building up.

The good news is, it’s not in the water anymore. The bad news is … no wait, this is also good news! It means all you need to do is clean the water line.

Turn the hot tub off before you start. You may also want to remove some water from the hot tub to bring the water line below the scum line. You don’t want any cleaning products to get into the water because then you’ll be draining the entire tub.

Instead, scoop a few gallons out and set them aside in a large bucket. Then use hot tub cleaner and a soft cloth or a sponge, and gently scrub the scum line away. When it’s gone, pour the water back into the hot tub, and you’re back in business.

Remember to also clean the headrests and any other exposed parts of the shell to make sure no contaminants that may be lingering there find their way into the water.

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Clean or Replace the Filter

Even if you’ve skimmed the water, thrown in a few oil-absorbing sponges, and cleaned the hot tub scum line, you still have a scum problem—in your filter. Before you got that scum out of the water, it was passing through your filter. If you don’t also clean your filter when you clean everything else, you’re just inviting that scum back in.

In this case, though, just a rinse with plain water won’t be enough. You’ll definitely need to use a filter cleaner. You may even just want to skip straight to the chemical soak.

And if the cleaning doesn’t get the job done, just replace it. Filters are fairly inexpensive, and it’s better to start over with a fresh one than to perpetuate the scum problem by sticking a dirty filter back into your spa.

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Drain, Clean, and Refill the Spa

If you’ve done everything from skimming the water to replacing the filter, and you just can’t get rid of that last bit of scum that seems to be clinging to your hot tub for dear life, you’re left with one option: drain and clean your hot tub.

This is the last resort for addressing hot tub scum because, admittedly, it’s a hassle. It’s something you should be doing quarterly anyway, so having to tackle this big job in between regular drainings is irksome.

But if it’s between that and soaking in scummy water … well, you do the math.

Send That Scum Packin’!

No one should have to put up with any kind of scum in their lives, whether it’s hot tub scum or that terrible neighbor who sends their dog into your yard to do his business.

You may have a hard time keeping that dog in his own yard. But at least now when you stress about it, you’ll be able to relax in a nice, bubbly, scum-free hot tub.

Happy Soaking!

The post How To Prevent and Remove Hot Tub Scum appeared first on Swim University®.

Your initial thought might be that you’re looking at a potentially expensive repair that will require an expert to locate and fix. While that may be true for some leaks, depending on your level of expertise and DIY skill, you may be able to fix some of the most common leaks yourself.

Find Where Your Hot Tub Is Leaking

The first step to fixing a leak is to locate it. Some of the most common places where you’ll find a hot tub leaking are:

• pump
• union fittings
• heater
• valves
• connections
• shell
• drains

This is by no means a complete list, but definitely some good places to start.

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Pump

Probably the most common location where you’ll find a leak is around the hot tub pump. Before checking the pump, turn off the power. Then look under the pump for leaking water. If you do find water, you check the pump seal first. If that’s the culprit, simply replacing it should take care of the problem.

If it’s not the seal, the pump itself may be malfunctioning. You’ll either need to repair it, or possibly replace the pump entirely.

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Heater

To determine whether this is why your hot tub is leaking, check the entire heating assembly. This consists of the heating element, pressure switch, sensors, thermostat, and all other components. If you find water leaking from any one of these parts, you’ll need to order and replace them.

If you find water leaking from many or all of those parts, it may just be time for a new hot tub heater.

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Union Fittings

Because they can loosen over time, the union fittings in both the pump and the heater are common hot tub leak spots. If any of these fittings are loose, tighten them by hand. Do not ever use a wrench to tighten these fittings. You may damage them, or the pump or heater itself.

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Valves

This troubleshooting will take a little time because hot tubs have numerous types of valves in several locations. You’ll need to inspect every one of them to ensure none of them are where your hot tub is leaking.

Knife valves, also called slice valves or gate valves, are used to block water flow. They consist of two halves bolted together, with a gasket between them. That gasket is known to often fail, so it’s a good bet a faulty valve is why your hot tub is leaking.

Some hot tubs also have ball valves installed on either side of the pump so water doesn’t have to be shut off or drained in order to repair the pump. These valves are also prone to leaks and may need to be replaced.

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Connections

Check all the pipes, jets and plumbing connections for leaks. In some cases, all you’ll need to do is tighten the connections or reseal them.

If you find that a jet is leaking, it’s most often a failing gasket. Replacing it should stop the leak. Check with the hot tub manufacturer to learn what type of gasket to buy.

You may also find a crack or even a hole in one or more of the PVC pipes. In that case, you can use a plastic repair kit to seal those breaches. This material hardens and is actually stronger than the PVC itself. Depending on the extent of the damage, though, it may be better to just replace the pipe altogether.

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Hot Tub Shell

Because they’re usually made of strong fiberglass combined with other layers, it’s not often that a shell will be the source of a hot tub leak. In most cases, it’s actually a problem with one of the jets or other components that attach to the shell, and not the shell itself.

If your hot tub is leaking through the shell, though, a plastic repair kit will do the trick there as well.

Plastic Repair Kit for Pools and Hot Tubs

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Other Leak Detection Methods

If you’ve inspected all of these components and still can’t track down the leak, try putting leak-detecting dye (or a small amount of dark food coloring) into the water, and watch where it goes. This can help you track down a leak you may have missed during your visual inspection.

You can also try letting the hot tub drain. Then check and mark the water level each day. When the hot tub stops leaking, you’ll know it’s just above the water level at that point.

Call a Pro

If all else fails, or you discover repairing the hot tub leak is outside your skill level, don’t hesitate to call a hot tub professional. They should be able to find the leak, and then advise you whether it’s possible to repair it, or you need to replace a piece of equipment.

Yes, this will cost more than troubleshooting a leaking hot tub yourself. But it’ll be worth it to stop your hot tub from leaking, and possibly turning into an even bigger problem.

Water, Water Everywhere

And not enough to soak in. If your hot tub is leaking, you’re being deprived of the spa experience, which is why you bought your hot tub in the first place. Don’t wait. As soon as you notice a leak, find it and repair it. Then you can get back to carefree enjoyment of your spa.

Happy Soaking!

The post How to Fix a Hot Tub Leak appeared first on Swim University®.

Prevention is, of course, key. But before you can work on that, you need to know how to remove hot tub stains. Start with a clean slate (or in this case, shell), and it’ll be a lot easier to keep them from coming back.

What Causes Hot Tub Stains?

Obviously, if you don’t clean your spa on a regular basis, it’s going to develop stains, just like anything else would if you left it dirty all the time. But what about when you have been cleaning it, and stains still show up? What’s going on?

This is because hot tub stains can be caused by a few factors aside from dirt:

Calcium Buildup

If you live in an area with hard water, it’s only a matter of time before you start seeing the telltale signs of hot tub scale in the shell.

The calcium and magnesium in the water—high levels of which are what make it hard—will slowly begin to deposit scale on hard surfaces. And not just the shell, but the fixtures too.

Rust

Your water source may contain high levels of metals such as iron and copper. This is especially true if you get your water from a well. Over time, the metals will react with the chlorine in the water, and oxidize, or rust.

When you see greenish-brownish-red stains on the shell, there’s probably a lot of iron in the water. If the stains are blueish-greenish-black, that’s an indication of high copper content.

Scum Buildup

The same way body oils and bathing products can leave a ring around your bathtub, those same contaminants can be released into the water when you go for a soak.

Then, those contaminants are deposited onto the shell, leaving an ugly ring of hot tub scum. Left long enough, it can stain the fiberglass, no matter how much you scrub.

Luckily, none of these issues is impossible to remedy.

How to Remove Hot Tub Stains

It’s going to come down to good, old-fashioned elbow grease to get rid of hot tub stains. But the substances you use may differ depending on the type of stain you’re dealing with.

Test the Water

To know what type of cleaner you’ll need, it’s crucial to test the hot tub water first. If you suspect the problem may be with high metal levels (if you use well water, for example), make sure the testing strips or kit you use measures for at least iron and copper.

Here’s what you need:

• spa shock
• line flush product
• nylon scrubbing sponges
• filter cleaner
• hot tub cleaner
  • scale remover (if you have calcium buildup)
  • rust remover (if you have high metal content in the water)
  • heavy-duty fiberglass cleaner (if you have a scum ring)
• soft cleaning cloths

Metals Test Strips

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01/27/2023 09:30 pm GMT

All that’s left is to get to work.

1. Shock the hot tub to kill bacteria.
2. Clean the plumbing with the hot tub line flush product.
3. Turn off the hot tub.
4. Turn off the hot tub breaker to ensure it’s not receiving any electricity.
5. Drain and clean your hot tub, using the cleaning product that corresponds to the type of stains you’re removing, and scrubbing the stains thoroughly with the nylon sponges.
6. Clean the hot tub filter; replace it, if necessary.
7. Rinse the shell thoroughly; cleaner residue can cause a foaming problem, and you’ll have to start over.
8. Inspect the stained areas; if any stains remain, scrub them again, and rinse again.
9. Dry the fixtures and other areas around the hot tub that won’t be filled with water.
10. Refill the hot tub; if you have hard water or high metal content, use a hose filter.
11. Balance the water.
12. Test the water; balance again if necessary.
13. Get back to soaking!

To keep from having to go through this process again, take a few steps to prevent stains from forming again.

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How to Keep Hot Tub Stains From Returning

So how do you stop stains from forming in the first place? I can sum it up in two words: water chemistry. That’s right. If you keep the hot tub water balanced, stains will have a difficult time forming. The most important tactic is to keep the hot tub pH balanced.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you won’t have to drain your hot tub periodically and give the shell a good cleaning. Nothing will ever free you from that. But it does mean stains will be a lot less likely to come back. To make that even more likely, you can take a few extra steps, depending on your water.

Hard Water

Add a calcium hardness reducer or a scale prevention chemical to the water. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure you add the right amount.

Tip: You’ll need to know how many gallons of water are in your hot tub. You need to know this to add any chemicals and keep the water balanced, so it’s important to determine this, and keep the information handy for proper maintenance.

SpaGuard Hot Tub Stain and Scale Control

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High Metal Content

To keep metals from oxidizing in your spa, use a metal sequestrant. This chemical doesn’t remove metals. Instead, it causes the metal molecules to clump together so they can be caught in the hot tub filter. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.

Hot Tub Metal Remover

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01/27/2023 10:54 pm GMT

Scum

You can’t possibly keep body oils and toiletry residue out of hot tub water. You can try to keep it from building up on the shell. Special floating sponges are made precisely for this purpose, but if you don’t have any on hand, two or three tennis balls will do.

Swimables Floating Sponges for Pools and Spas - 2 pack

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Stains Don’t Have to Be Pains

Hey, no one wants to take a soak in a dirty hot tub, much less a stained one. Knowing how to remove hot tub stains is just as important as knowing how to prevent them because no matter how hard you try, you may still end up with a stain or two now and then.

Just know, they don’t have to be permanent. With the right materials and some perseverance, you can keep your hot tub looking like new for many years to come.

Happy Soaking!

The post How to Remove and Prevent Hot Tub Stains appeared first on Swim University®.

It won’t make you sick, no. But if you don’t address it quickly enough, you may find yourself with a bigger problem than just some ugly buildup on the shell.

What Is Hot Tub Scale?

You know water contains minerals. Some water sources contain more minerals than others. Over time, these minerals will build up and leave behind hot tub scale on the shell and fixtures.

This buildup isn’t dangerous—just unsightly. The real problem lies inside your hot tub’s fixtures and plumbing. If hot tub scale gets too far out of hand, it can damage fixtures and clog the plumbing.

But hot tub scale has other causes aside from water.

What Causes Hot Tub Scale?

Removing it once it’s there is fairly easy. But the key to caring for your spa is knowing what causes hot tub scaling in the first place so you can prevent it.

Hard Water

When a water source contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, it’s known as hard water. If you live in an area with hard water, that’s probably what you’re using to fill your hot tub.

When the water in your hot tub evaporates, minerals are left behind, and they’ll cling to the spa shell and fixtures. You’ll replace the lost water, and it’ll evaporate again, leaving behind more mineral deposits. After a while, you’ll have mineral buildup on the hot tub walls and fixtures.

Highly Alkaline Water

Related to hard water, when a water source contains a high level of dissolved solids, it’s considered alkaline, especially if lime is present. These dissolved solids work the same way calcium and magnesium do in evaporated water—they stay behind and create hot tub scale.

You can follow our guide on how to lower the alkalinity in your hot tub.

Body Oils and Other Contaminants

Our bodies are constantly producing oils. Even when you’ve just showered, even if your skin is dry, your skin produces natural oils. And if your skin is dry, your body is also sloughing off bits of dry skin on a regular basis.

Then there’s all the hair your body loses, anywhere from 50 to 100 strands every day. We’re not going to talk about all the other substances human bodies secrete.

The point is, every time you step into your hot tub, so do all of those other contaminants. Over time, if you’re not keeping your hot tub clean, they’ll create and contribute to hot tub scale.

Toiletry Products

When you take a shower, you come out nice and clean. But what you don’t see is all the residue left behind by your soap, shampoo, shower oil, and any other products you use when you bathe.

That residue mixes with the spa water, and—you guessed it—contributes to hot tub scaling.

Sounds like it’s best just to stay out of your hot tub altogether, huh? Not at all! The first step will be to remove any existing hot tub scale. The next step will be to take measures to prevent it, and save yourself a lot of work in the future.

How to Remove Hot Tub Scale

Get ready to roll up your sleeves. Removing hot tub scaling isn’t impossible, but depending on its cause and how long it’s been building up, it may take some elbow grease.

Clean Your Hot Tub

Sounds pretty obvious, right? And it is. If the scaling is mild, you may be able to simply apply a little hot tub scale remover and be done with it.

The only thing is, you’ll need to be very careful not to get any cleaning agents in the water. You don’t want to soak in that, do you? Didn’t think so.

Make sure the hot tub is off, and carefully clean the shell just above the water line, and any accessible fixtures. If some of the scaling does fall into the water, don’t worry. It should be caught by the filter. If that happens, clean the filter afterward to keep the scale from getting back into the hot tub and starting the cycle all over again.

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Drain First, Then Clean

If you’re dealing with heavy buildup, and the majority of it is below the water line, your best bet will be to drain and clean your hot tub.

With the water completely out of the way, you can apply as much hot tub scale remover as you need without worrying about dripping down into the shell. It’s also an opportunity to give your hot tub a good scrubbing all over.

To make sure you get all the hot tub scale wherever it’s hiding, also use a line flush product to get any buildup out of the plumbing.

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How to Prevent Hot Tub Scaling

Once you’ve done all that work to get rid of it, you’ll want to make sure that hot tub scaling doesn’t come back.

Keep the Filter Clean

If your filter is doing its job, it’s trapping a lot of those contaminants that cause hot tub scale. But if it goes too long between cleanings, it’ll catch less and less dirt and debris, and it’ll all just start building up in the water, and in your hot tub. Keep the filter clean to help keep your hot tub clean and free of scale.

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Keep the Water Balanced

This is inarguably the most important part of hot tub maintenance. Aside from just keeping the water clean, it’s crucial to preventing hot tub scaling.

Alkalinity

Because it acts as a buffer for pH, alkalinity should always be adjusted first. Alkalinity refers to the ability of your water to neutralize acids. If alkalinity is high, chances are the pH will be high as well. If the alkalinity is low, the pH level will probably also be low.

Total alkalinity (TA) should be kept somewhere between 80 and 120 parts per million. Once you get the TA level in the correct range, you’ll have a much easier time maintaining the pH level, and controlling scale buildup.

pH

The recommended pH range for hot tub water is 7.4 to 7.6. High water temperatures in your hot tub can make the pH level climb, so keep an eye on the thermostat. A high pH level can cause calcium to build up on the surface of your hot tub. Keep the pH level within the optimal range to help prevent hot tub scale.

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Use a Hose Filter and Water Softener

If you live in an area with hard water, you start down the scaling path every time you add water to or refill your hot tub.

To prevent buildup, try using a hose filter to remove some of the minerals from the water while you fill your hot tub. If that doesn’t help, you can add water softeners to reduce the amount of minerals in the water.

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Use a Scale Prevention Product

Easily added to your hot tub water, a scale preventer will do most of the heavy lifting for you. If you’re averse to adding yet another chemical to your spa water, though, just stick to the other prevention methods.

Hot Tub Metal Remover

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01/27/2023 10:54 pm GMT

Keep Your Hot Tub Clean

Look, we get it. Cleaning a hot tub can be a hassle. But it’s one of the best ways to avoid hot tub scaling as well as keep mold from growing, and keep from developing a rash every time you soak.

Keep the areas above the water line clean, and do a full draining and cleaning on a quarterly basis, more often if you use the hot tub often or have a high bather load.

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You Can Scale the Hot Tub Scale Mountain!

Even if you live in an area with the hardest water ever, there’s really no excuse for allowing hot tub scale to build up and take over your spa. Keep it clean, keep the water balanced, and take appropriate measures at the first sign of buildup, and your hot tub will last you a good, long time.

Happy Soaking!

The post How to Remove and Prevent Hot Tub Scale appeared first on Swim University®.

Now while that might sound like a major repair, they are actually fairly simple devices and are connected in virtually the same way on all major hot tubs. While you can always call a plumber or hot tub repair technician to your home to do it for you, you can often perform these repairs fairly easily yourself, saving a bucket of money in the process.

What Is a Spa Blower?

Before you embark on a this hot tub repair, it’s helpful to know at least a little bit about how the blower works. It’s a pretty simple unit, consisting of a fan motor and a housing.

Rather than repair a spa air blower, it’s recommended that you actually just replace the entire assembly instead of trying to fix the motor as you won’t see a major cost savings by doing so, and the repair can often be much more complicated than simply replacing it.

A hot tub blower can be either 110V or 220V, depending on the type of hot tub you have. When purchasing a replacement part, make sure you buy the one that matches your hot tub and its electrical requirements.

Spa blowers are usually plumbed in one of two ways. In one type, the air from the blower runs to a manifold and is then distributed to smaller air lines that run to the injector jet fittings. In the other, a channel cavity is adhered to the shell of your hot tub, which has holes drilled in it to allow the air to pass to the water.

Puri Tech Silent Twister Outdoor Spa Blower - 2hp - 240v

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A Word of Warning about Spa Air Blowers

Peanut butter and chocolate. The Captain and Tennille. Rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong. Lots of things go together. But two things that absolutely do not go together are water and electricity.

Hot tub air blower repair or replacement means you’ll be working with both of them. If you’re not confident you can do that safely, please call a professional technician.

If you do believe you can do it, you must take a few safety precautions first.

Make sure you cut all electricity to the hot tub before you even begin to remove the covers. Turn off the circuit breakers, unplug any plugs from their outlets, and then double check to make sure there is absolutely no power running to your hot tub before you begin.

How to Replace a Hot Tub Blower

Have your elbow grease at the ready!

Disconnect the Electricity

Yup, we already said it once, but it bears repeating. Your safety is of the utmost importance. Disconnect everything.

Locate and Disconnect the Faulty Spa Air Blower

You can do this in just a few simple steps:

1. Open the hot tub’s equipment panel.
2. Locate the blower assembly.
3. Disconnect the air duct hose from the exhaust port.
4. Unplug the blower’s electrical cables.
5. Disconnect the grounding wire if your hot tub has one.
6. Remove any mounting bolts.
7. Double check the voltage requirements by looking at the label on the old blower to make sure you have an appropriate replacement.

Install the New Spa Air Blower

The installation is basically the reverse process of removing the old blower.

1. Place the new blower in exactly the same position as the old one.
2. Reconnect the mounting bolts to hold it in place.
3. If your new blower has a grounding wire, connect it.
4. Plug the electrical cables in.
5. Connect the air duct hose.
6. Close the equipment panel.
7. Pat yourself on the back—you did it!

Turn on the Electricity and Test

Plug everything back in, and turn the power to your hot tub back on. Test your new spa blower by turning on your hot tub. Allow it to run for a few minutes in order to make sure everything is running smoothly.

You Get a Spa Blower! And You Get a Spa Blower!

You see now why simply replacing the hot tub blower is less work than trying to repair the motor, right? In just a few short minutes, you can restore your hot tub back to working order.

Just remember, while this is a relatively simple repair, if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, there’s nothing wrong with contacting a licensed technician to do it for you. Either way, you’ll be able to get back to enjoying your hot tub the way it was meant to be.

Happy Soaking!

The post How to Repair and Replace a Spa Blower appeared first on Swim University®.

The bad news is, your spa has algae. The good news is, though it’ll be a little labor-intensive, it is treatable, so you can get your hot tub back to normal. It’s also preventable with just a few simple precautions.

Why is Your Hot Tub Water Green?

In other words, how did your spa become infected with algae? One or more factors can create an algae-hospitable environment:

• You leave your hot tub uncovered when you’re not using it. This is especially dangerous if it’s outside where the sun can help algae grow.
• You’re not adding enough sanitizer, or adding it often enough, or both.
• The hot tub’s filtration system isn’t working properly, or the filter isn’t being cleaned and replaced often enough.
• Algae hitched a ride into your hot tub on a swimsuit or accessory that you used in another, algae-infected body of water.

Knowing why it’s happening is important because these will be the first steps you take to prevent algae blooms in the future.

How to Prevent Hot Tub Algae

You thought you were doing everything right, but you still woke up to green hot tub water. You may have been laying out the welcome mat without even realizing it. Pick that up, and put out a no trespassing sign instead.

• Cover your hot tub when you’re not using it, even if it’s inside.
• Make sure you add enough sanitizer for your hot tub’s volume, and that you’re adding it often enough. The only way to know this is to test the water regularly.
• Check the filtration system, and be sure to clean the hot tub filters on a regular basis. Also, replace the filters when they’re worn out.
• Wash your swimsuits and any accessories you’ve used in a pool, lake, or any other body of water before you allow them into your hot tub.

Those few simple tactics will help keep algae from forming again. But first, you need to address the algae already in the hot tub.

How to Get Rid of Hot Tub Algae

You’ll need to set aside some time to do this so you can do it properly. Once you’ve noticed your hot tub water is green, you can’t take any shortcuts in clearing it up.

1. Deep Clean the Spa

The first step is to drain and clean the hot tub. You have to get rid of the water that has algae in it, and then clean every surface to make sure every bit of algae is gone.

2. Clean or Replace the Filter

With an algae problem, just rinsing the filter with clean water won’t be enough. You’ll need to apply a filter cleaner. You may even want to soak it overnight in a chemical rinse to be absolutely sure it’s free of algae.

If that doesn’t make you comfortable enough, or if the filter is just worn out, now’s the time to replace it.

3. Scrub-a-Dub That Tub

Just a wipe-down won’t do. Break out the hot tub cleaner for a total and thorough shell cleaning. Or, if you prefer, you can use diluted bleach, diluted cleaning vinegar, or some other household product to clean your hot tub.

For an algae problem, though, we highly recommend using a cleaner made for hot tubs.

Oh Yuk Healthy Hot Tub Cleaner - 1 gal.

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4. Refill the Hot Tub

Regardless of whether you use city water, or you get your water from a well, we highly recommend using a hose filter. This will help keep minerals and other contaminants out of your hot tub.

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5. Clean the Cover

Because condensation will collect on the underside of the hot tub cover, it’s entirely possible that a few algae spores have set up shop there. While you’re waiting for your hot tub to refill, clean the cover with diluted bleach, diluted cleaning vinegar, or with a vinyl cleaner. Again, when dealing with algae, we recommend using a cleaner specific to the task.

303 Multi-Surface Cleaner - Fabric & Vinyl - 32 oz.

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6. Shock the Heck Out of It

One the tub is full, shock the hot tub. Then shock it again so algae won’t even think about coming back.

Spa Essentials Dichlor Chlorine Hot Tub Shock - 6 lbs

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7. Test the Water

Once the shock has had time to dissipate, test the water either with test strips or a liquid test kit. This will give you a baseline so you’ll know what chemicals to add, and how much.

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Test Strips for Pools and Hot Tubs

Tests for 7 important chemistries in seconds: Total Hardness, Total Chlorine, Total Bromine, Free Chlorine, pH, Total Alkalinity, and Cyanuric Acid.

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8. Balance the Water

Give the chemicals you’ve added a little time to disperse, then test the water again. If everything’s where it should be, great! You’re all done! If not, adjust as necessary, wait a little while, and test again, repeating the process until the water is properly balanced.

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But … My Water is Yellow!

What if the problem isn’t that your hot tub water is green, but that it’s yellow? You likely still have an algae problem, just a different type.

Yellow algae, also known as mustard algae, is a rare form of algae found most commonly in areas with a warmer climate.

Yellow algae is tough to get rid of and has even been known to be chlorine resistant. So if you’re looking at yellow water, follow the algae cleaning steps slowly and carefully.

What About an Algae Encore?

After you’ve followed all the steps to get rid of algae, it’s gone. Or is it?! Algae—both green and yellow—is tough stuff, and the truth is, it may take two or even three tries to get rid of it completely, so be prepared for that possibility.

You: 1 Algae: 0

You’re now on your way to winning the war against algae that makes your hot tub water green or yellow. But it’s a never ending battle, and you must be vigilant. It can sneak back into your territory at any moment.

Take the proper precautions, keep your hot tub clean, and keep the water balanced, and you’ll maintain a strong, algae-free front line.

Happy Soaking!

The post What to Do If Your Hot Tub Water Is Green appeared first on Swim University®.