13 Proven Hot Tub Hacks, Tips, and Tricks
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- čas přidán 28. 02. 2021
- Here I share 13 of my best tips on cleaning, maintaining, and troubleshooting your hot tub, to make your hot tub life easier!
**** Get the 303 Protectant on Amazon that I show in the video - amzn.to/2MsCgHb
Check out some other videos of mine that I mention:
How to Clean a Hot Tub Cover - Step by Step Tutorial - • How to Clean a Hot Tub...
How to Lower Your Hot Tub's Temperature in Summer - • How to Lower Your Hot ...
Can You Use a Hot Tub in Cold Weather? - • Can You Use a Hot Tub ...
How to Get Rid of Hot Tub Foam - • How to Get Rid of Hot ...
For more great content on hot tubs, make sure and check out my website Hot Tub Owner HQ - hottubownerhq.com/
The opinions stated on this channel are my opinions having owned, operated, fixed, and/or purchased hot tubs a total of 4 times. They should not, however, be considered professional advice on hot tub electrical systems, hot tub moving or installation, hot tub placement, or any other type of professional or legal advice.
If you need professional or legal advice, you should seek out a qualified professional in your area.
Some links contain what are called affiliate links. Affiliate links pay me a small commission if you purchase the product, but in no way increase the cost to you. It's just a nice way of saying thank you to me if you found my video helpful.
Hot Tub Owner HQ is owned and operated by Jeff Campbell/Middle Class Dad. Middle Class Dad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Video clips used by permission requiring attribution under CC2.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/...) -
Clips have been edited, shortened, and muted
How to Add Hot Tub Chemicals to your Hot Spring spa ( • How to Add Hot Tub Che... ) by The Hot Tub Store ( / @hottubstore )
How to clean your Tri-X filter (hot tub maintenance) ( • How to clean your Tri-... ) by The Hot Tub Store ( / @hottubstore )
**** Get the 303 Protectant on Amazon that I show in the video - amzn.to/2MsCgHb
Check out some other videos of mine that I mention:
How to Clean a Hot Tub Cover - Step by Step Tutorial - czcams.com/video/zNt6lBe_jIk/video.html
How to Lower Your Hot Tub's Temperature in Summer - czcams.com/video/Ac3BqDwEy4A/video.html
Can You Use a Hot Tub in Cold Weather? - czcams.com/video/jmvsJ-QzfX4/video.html
How to Get Rid of Hot Tub Foam - czcams.com/video/CqW1ZJRX9G8/video.html
the easiest way to clean filters is just put them in the dish washer. I have a smaller tub that is inside. Every time I go to run the dish washer I just swap filters and put it in for the cycle. had the same filters for over 2 years
Thank you for the video Jeff. I am a new hot tub owner (since late November). This last weekend I drained and cleaned my hot tub, thus completing the first full cycle of hot tub maintenance. Your videos have been of enormous value and help.
Maintaining a hot tub is not near as problematic or difficult as some people would lead you to believe.
Many thanks Jeff.
This is a fantastic list. Great video
You have been the best guide since I bought a hot tub! Thank you for all the awesome videos!
Tennis ball. I love it. Thanks Jeff! I live in Manitoba and usually use the hot tub year round. The winter months are the best months! Ours is outside open air as well.
Great video! Lots of good info. Thanks!
❤❤ super helpful! I just began working with warranty claims and am pleased to hear such well explained thoughts, thank you!
Great video. We just got our new Thermospa delivered today!!! Great tips and I’ll watch more of your videos.
Great tips! Thanks!
This was very useful with tonnes of great tips. Thanks
Awesome tips thank you 👏
Our hot tub arrived today!! We’re very excited and your videos have been very educational. We’re taking it slow with the set up, partly because we don’t have all of our chemicals yet, they arrive tomorrow and secondly, it’s going to be 15+ degrees warmer tomorrow! We figured we’d start filling and heating tomorrow in warmer weather. Once again, thanks, I’m sure I’ll be back to your videos for reference soon and often!
Great tips Jeff. Keepem coming and tks
Thanks, will do!
"... not that I'm stinky..." cracked me up. Thanks for the vids. We're a month into hot tub ownership, and your vids have informed and entertained us. Bought "Oh Yuk", at your recommendation. Will use it next week. Keep it up, buddy.
Thanks, Brad!
I'd try product "Ahh-Some" This hot tub product is the only purge hot tub product sold which is used to clean up after hospital births. I like Jeff and his channel and his advice but on this one I would go with Ahh-Some instead of oh yuk.
Awesome advise thank you 🙏
Great help thank you 👋🇬🇧
Thank you 🙏
Awesome tips!!!!!
Hi Jeff. Thanks for your informative videos. I'm grateful I found you. We just got our hot tub 3 weeks ago. I've been keeping up with the chemicals but the other day I noticed quite a bit of buildup on the shell at the top of the water. I cleaned it with a soft sponge dipped in vinegar but it didn't do a very good job. Is there a way to prevent that?
Great advice as normal many thanks appreciated
Glad it was helpful!
Love the vids! We’re new hot tub owners and I really appreciate the info
Glad to help!
He's the GQ HQ guy!
Great tip about the tennis ball. We also use our HT in the winter - we suspend a tarp over it so even when it is raining or snowing we can enjoy it.
We enjoy it when the snow is hitting our heads...
Great tip!
@@afsteelersfan34 Best feeling ❄️👳❄
Thank you for talking about the standard and economy mode. Would like more information on that, my ambient temperature is usually around 47-55 degrees almost all year around.
As Always. All ears. Just did my 303 protectant on my cover today. Good stuff.
Rock on!
It seems there are several 303 protectants.
Which one ??
@@jlf6803 Any protectant designed for auto or marine vinyl does the same - the brand matters little. There’s nothing special about 303 by Gold Eagle
Thank you so much! I neglected our hot tub during Covid-19 lockdown so I am draining, cleaning & doing a start over now.
Glad I could help!
@@HotTubOwnerHQ You are the hot tub Leader like Omar kadafi, just don't get over thrown off of the throne!
Great info. You should do a video that addresses the busy AirBnB usage scenario. We often have less than six hours to do a full turnaround, and sometimes - not always, but enough - guests will ignore the notes that ask them to enter the hot tub with clean feet and bodies, without oils or perfumes, etc. In that situation, I find myself having to use things like anti-foam products and water clarifiers. It’s just not possible to maintain the more simplified regimes when you’re racing against the clock. Another issue we have is that we’re a cold weather location. Refilling the hot tub becomes problematic in the winter because our unit has a low-temp cutoff. I have to snake a hose from the hot water spigot at the basement washer to keep my refill temperatures high enough. Similarly, cleaning a filter just isn’t practical if you don’t have a ton of time. Sure, it can be done in an hour, but we’ve also got to clean an apartment, restock pantries, etc. So I simply replace the filter monthly.
So I’d love to see some tips on rapid cures for cloudiness and slime, for quickly removing contaminants, and for maintaining safe water standards in a high-pressure environment. (One tip: buy a small hot tub. It’s a lot less work to maintain 200 gallons than 500…)
Again, thanks for your hard work and great info!
Disgusting! Here in the UK it’s regulation is you must change the water and fully clean and drain the spa between guests. I know some places don’t.
You have no idea what bacteria or organisms are in that water.
Get in the pro’s!
Actually buying a smaller hot tub you'll be changing the water more frequently due to the smaller volume although I enjoy my small Marquis Rendezvous.
Jeff, thanks for sharing your knowledge. We just got a new hot tub and we are following all your recommendations.
We use the 303 on the entire hot tub. We live in Phoenix and this helps protect from sun damage.
Great video,keep it up!^
Thanks, will do!
Thank you so much Jeff for your tips. As always, I really enjoy your tips and recommendations. I love to use the hot tub in winter. We had lots of snow when we have received the hot tub in January this year and we were soaking when temperature outside was minus 15° Centigrade (5° Fahrenheit). Pool temperature was set to 100° F. The low temperature lasted for 5 days and the hot tub past the test. No leaks, no damage. It’s a Jetsetter from HotSpring. Cleaning the hot tub with white vinegar and water - great tip! Thanks! We now experience having some white foam in the tub, do you recommend a foam inhibitor to remove it?
"Aqua Clarity" is Ahh-Some.
Thanks for the great info, what is your recommendation for adding spa down for ph down without the jets on? Thanks a lot!
Hi Jeff thank you for the tips can you make a video on the product Spa Marvel thank you
Well done video my friend.
Thanks for the visit
@@HotTubOwnerHQ you bet keep up the good work
As a Biology and Physics teacher I'd like to push back on one recommendation. If you're going to be away for a week, turning the heat down or off WILL save money over leaving it hot the whole time. The science: The hotter the water, the faster it loses heat to a colder outside environment. Leave it on and the heater has to keep up with that heat loss. Example. Leave heat on... the heater will cycle on and off 24/7 to maintain. If you were to add up the "on" time, it will be higher than the several hours to heat the tub back up after you return from a trip if you were to shut it off. Same goes for heating or cooling your home. It IS more efficient to turn down the heating/cooling while away. Yes, the HVAC will run for quite awhile when you return, but that run time will be less than the cumulative cycling if you try to maintain a steady temperature. Thank you to professor Ben Brabson, environmental physics, Indiana University for the best physics class ever!
Since you are a physics teacher and I am asking you and hoping you can help...Will a hot tub that is...indoors, it's own heater off, still filled with water, constantly covered, still connected to electricity and on, not being used by anyone ever so water treatments and maintenance not being done at all.....over past fifteen years increase in volume due to vapor? I would appreciate your advice.
@@deborahfoster3928 I'm not sure what you mean by "increase in volume". I'm curious though, why keep a hot tub circulating if you're not using it? Why not drain it and save electricity.
@@frostscience5470 I meant ...can the volume of water in tub increase with those conditions. She didn't want to take it down but didn't do the regular maintenance and not near enough for me to do it regularly. Busy life, family illnesses etc etc and it became an ignored issue.
She swears the amount of water in tub is increasing and worries about it overflowing...but doesn't want to drain it. When I check it periodically, the water level hasn't changed.
@@deborahfoster3928 Impossible. In fact, there should likely be some evaporation unless the tub is perfectly sealed. Then the water level would remain the same. Without adding water, the water level would not increase.
Hot Tub HQ Baby! Rockin the Spa Show!👳🎸
Jeff - you're the only person that advised to not run the jets when using ph decreaser AND IT WORKED, so thank you! My only concern is that on the back of the bottle it says to let the water circulate. I'm so confused!
pH decreaser is dry ACID so you definitely want the jets ON to dissipate it when added to the spa. The reason he’s the ONLY ONE to say the opposite is because he is wrong!!!
@@drdrew3 notice the part whet Kain said "AND IT WORKED".
Thanks for the tutorial< I also live in Cen TX. I learned a lot about my hot tub and have subscribed to your channel for more tips. I am still new at hot tub ownership and am striving to get my moneys worth by taking extra good care of my tub's chemicals and maintenance. Concerning your Tub's acrylic shell exposed to the UV rays, my owners manual states that prolonged exposure to UV rays will void the warranty which is 5 years I believe. I enjoy sitting under the stars in my hot tub but would also like to use it during the day. Do you have a cover that isn't shown in the video?
Thanks for commenting! I answered your question in a new video I just shot, so look for that video to come out the week of 10/24/22! Thanks for being here! - Jeff
Hi, I am a new subscriber. I just got my first hot tub. And I am noticing the water drops 2-3 inches a week is that normal? And do you have any hacks to share for a DYI skimmer that can be used on a 5-seater hot tub? Great video. I am sure I will be back.
Great videos. I am going to be away for a few months. Should I just drain it, clean & turn off power? In PNW, so mostly rain but occasional slight cold spell. But Tub is mostly under deck & covered. Thanks in advance, Joseph
If you are away for months and therefore unable to maintain the spa it should be drained or it will go foul. It’s important when draining to use a “pipe flush” prison so that water residue that remains in the dependent tubing doesn’t over grow with bacteria and fungus
@@drdrew3 Can you add a link to “pipe flush” prison ?
Thanks
Question: scum sponges vs. tennis balls. We were given the sponges and I find that they get stuck in the filter or stuck to the intake deeper in the tub. This can’t be good for the motor, right? Is that why you recommend the tennis balls? Great channel and well presented, thank you!
The sponges are a rip off - expensive, inefficient and short lived. If you’ve got that much scum in your water it’s better to modify your shock routine (after each use and again weekly). Rinse the filter weekly, degrease it monthly and then soak it every quarter. The tennis ball is just a band aid that covers up the underlying problem without fixing it
@@drdrew3 shocking after every use PLUS weekly is quickly going to be more expensive than a sponge or tennis ball. That's a lot of chemical to be dumping into your water.
Cleaning filters can help, but filters are completely submerged, and oils float on the surface of water.
The BEST solution is to encourage all users of the hot tub to shower and rinse off thoroughly before every use.
However, the tennis ball or floating sponge can go a long way towards filtering out surface contaminants that aren't pulled down into the hot tub filters.
What’s your opinion on the fragrance enhancers that they sell at the hot tub store that are specifically for hot tubs?
I think as long as you aren't using them to cover up a bad smell, they're fine. Just make sure they are designed for hot tubs (and not jetted tubs that get drained after every use). They need to be oil-free and not have too much magnesium or salt.
If there is a bad smell, I'd much rather figure out the underlying cause than try and mask it.
One product I really like on Amazon are these little spa-packets designed for hot tubs from InSPAration - amzn.to/3wVaKnV
I have a 2015 twilight master spa 8.25 used and I can not find a understandable you tube anywhere of what and how to use the top side controls and that they mean and how to correctly them. I’d love see a show this!
I found the User Manual with a Google search. Control panel instructions and everything
dang, my water evaporates about 3-4 inches a week lol. but we use it A LOT! thanks for the tips
3 to 4 inches!? Sounds like you may have a small leak somewhere. Even with heavy use, that's a surprising amount of water to lose. If the surface area is 5 feet by 5 feet, then 3 inches is 47 gallons!
Hello, I am a new and my hot tub has not been delivered as of yet. I love your videos and am curious about the tennis ball tip. Do you just let the ball float around in the tub or only when cleaning?
Just leave it float around in there all the time (maybe remove it while using the tub if it annoys you). Then remove it and either clean it or replace it as needed as it gets dirty.
We also live in Texas. Can you keep the temp at 80*? I hate hot water in Texas 🥵 HOT
i have an issue with our hot tub, it has black floating mold in it, we have drained it 3 times and run some type of purge thru it but still getting the black floaters in the water. any suggestions?/
We put a meter on a tub in eco mode and it cost $40-$70 for a month more on the electric bill than in standard mode. I have never repaired freeze damage on a tub that was drained. Sundance/jacuzzi tubs will crack the diverter plumbing if they freeze full
"Spray 9" is a terrific product for cleaning fiberglass - Take it from a long-time boater. I dilute it 3 parts Spray Nine to 7 parts water in a 1 litre bottle. Spray it on and use a scrub brush to clean your tub. Rinse well and drain. You'll be amazed at how inexpensive and effective it is at removing grime and dirt and leaving a good finish.
Great content. So I was told to shock my tub. But it brings the cya up like crazy? Not sure what to do man...
Hi Matt. Thanks! Cyanuric Acid is basically a sunscreen that helps protect chlorine in the water from the damaging rays of the sun.
I'm not a chemist but personally I don't ever worry about that in my hot tub. I focus solely on pH, alkalinity, and bromine/chlorine sanitizer levels, and when I refill my hot tub, I add some Leisure Time Defender to lower the hardness of my water, and that's about it.
If you don't want to bring up your CyA, you could try a non-chlorine shock. I don't think those contain CyA.
What happens when the control panel does not light up? I've had the cover on for quite a while because I keep getting hot tub lung. There is water under the control panel. Can it be dried out so it starts working. The hot tub is only 3yrs old.
Hi when u do I hot water soak for the filters for an hour, do use use filter chemicals in the hot water and then rinse?
Thanks
Yes. Rinse the filters thoroughly after soaking in any chemicals to remove the loosened dirt and residual filter cleaner
how do I turn off the heater...it is hot in SC
Question, Can I add scents to my hot tub?
Tennis balls gave my water a green hue. My levels are all good and the water is Crystal clear. Is this normal with leaving a 🎾 in?
Can you add bubblebath
Hi I'm new to hot tubs. And I put to much chlorine in my spa for a week double the max amount till I realised. Is my hot tub buggered? A yellow stain was on the water line. And I took some water and and topped it back up with fresh water to neutralise bring down the chlorine.
yellow or beige is usually remnants from oils. clean with vinager and washcloth. never leave the top closed when heavy chlorine , it will eat it up. don't be afraid to replace the water very often . fresh water is the best feeling before you load chemicals ( clean filters and oil-free people are the most important rules ) check chems daily until you understand your personal routine
Another good idea for cleaning the hot tub is dishwasher pods. Dishwasher soap is designed not to foam so it’s perfect for hot tubs.
Very important to make sure that any detergent used in a hot tub is PHOSPHATE FREE. Phosphate is a potent stimulant for algae growth - it’s a component of fertilizer
We live here in Ohio January February extremely cold... The hot tub was awesome to get in when it was about 15° outside
It is
But....
Not so fun getting out lol
If I have a airbnb rental how often should I clean it?
If it were me I would clean it after every rental use, while wearing a medical-grade hazard suit. 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Is it normal for chlorine levels to drop daily? I add 1-2tsp for 300 gallons. Brings it up to 5ppm roughly, but by next day we are back to 0. It’s easier than the other way around, but I feel like I’m using a ton of sanitizer
From his other vids, I have a feeling that it is biofilm. We bought "Oh Yuk", then I will try "Ahh some". Will keep you updated
When we first got out HT I used chlorine and had the same issues. I drained, cleaned and started with bromine...I cannot tell you how much this made a difference!!! Make sure to drain HT the start with fresh water and bromine. DO NOT just add bromine to a chlorine based HT!
Chlorine is not heat stable - that’s why bromine is a better sanitizer for hot tubs. Easy to switch over
@Mattbunch4g63 half cap of quick shock per person after you use the HT will bring up your chlorine levels
Lol Mr Stinky"🤣
The water in your hot tub may have only dropped 7 degrees, but I bet the water in the pipes dropped a heck of a lot more. The pipes are what you need to be concerned about.
Keep tub at 98, had a power outage for 3 days and 2 feet of snow. Tub was still in the 60s after power came on.
Who has heard of SILK BALANCE? I was told by the spa company that I did not need any other chemicals for the hot tub but Silk Balance. What about PH/Sanitizers/Chl/Brom/etc...not needed . Doesn't seem right
Test your tub everyday with strips . you will learn qickly which routine works best for your situation. it will become second nature to add whats needed in small amounts after each use. I shock lightly after each use . use a little baking soda. clean walls with vinager . 30 years of perfect water ...BUT no lotions, potions, moisterizers , oils , hair product of any kind or you will likely need to dump the water afterwards. if people don't shower first, don't invite them back . this aint no 10,000 gallon pool
how do I drain it?
Depends on the tub. Mine has a tube sticking out the bottom front that I can connect a garden hose to and then open a valve.
I would NOT use a foamy detergent to clean the filter; even a tiny amount of detergent getting into the system can cause water foaming in the spa.
Shouldnt people shower to wash off all the lotions and deordorants and whatever else, before they go in the hot tub?
Yes. Ideally you would shower before AND after using the hot tub. But most people don’t because it’s impractical
Can I put car turtle wax?
On the inside? That sounds like a bad idea.
Thanks for the video but you are wrong about the lowering and raising of the temperature. That would only be true if you live in an area with variable electricity rates and ended up reheating during peak rates.
The concept makes no thermodynamic sense. The better question is whether it is worth it or not to lower the temperature each time, and that depends on how long between uses and how cold it is where you are.
Agreed. Allowing temp to drop, and then re-heating before use will always save some amount of energy as compared to consistently maintaining the preferred use-temperature.
There are a lot of variables involved including: preferred use-temp, ambient external temp, humidity, surface area, time between uses, insulation efficiency, and speed of re-heating.
In most cases involving "regular use", the few watt-hours of energy saved isn't worth the inconvenience and effort.
Its a myth that keeping tub temp steady vs adjusting it saves on electric bill. It all comes out the same.
The higher the thermostat is set the more energy is used to heat the water. Same concept as your home’s hot water heater or air conditioning system. Any time the heating element turns on your electricity meter ramps up
Technically, trying to hold a preferred hot temp will use a bit more energy than allowing the temp to drop when not in use, and then bringing the temp back up again to the preferred use temp just before use.
How much more depends on a LOT of variables, such as: preferred use temp, outside ambient temperature, insulation efficiency, surface area, humidity, solar load, and frequency of use.
In most cases the extra few watt-minutes saved aren't noticeable in the normal variation in energy costs and aren't worth the increased inconvenience and effort.
I did everything wrong 😔😔
The one tip I am looking for you say nothing about.
Thanks to lawsuit happy consumers in the past ...regulations won't allow a hot tub being sold for household use that goes higher then 104 degrees. So our new "hot" tub ...isn't actually hot at all. It's a actually a "warm tub" ...so how do I jail break it so I can actually enjoy this $7,000 "hot" tub? As is I this thing is a big waste of money (...it cost another $7,000 to build a deck platform and have it wired for 220.) I don't even want to use this POS if it isn't capable of getting hot ...so what's the trick? buy and bigger inline heater for another thousand dollars and void the warranty? or is there a way to bypass the limitation on the circuit board?
The human pain threshold is around 106-108° F. Bump that baby up to 104 and tell us how it feels before you jail break it.
Are you trying to cook? Lol.
It sounds like the thermostat or temperature gauge on your hot tub isn’t working properly. Check the water temp with a separate thermometer because 104F is damn hot and barely tolerable for long term exposure. The safety limits are there because people who expired from hyperthermia didn’t notice the subtle effects.
If your thermostat isn't broken, and you actually believe that 104 isn't hot enough to be worth the cost, then in the future, I recommend making sure you understand the limitations of a product before you spend thousands of dollars on it.
it sounds the same as TOTAL BS. you are going to stand there and proclaim that 400 gallons unregulated water hooked to 50 amps at 240v can hardly effect a power bill! you need a buddy with math skill.
I would say my 500 gal hot tub accounts for about 1/3 rd of my electric bill during winter. the 10,000 gal pool is about the same in summer ( not heated )
It doesn't run at 50amps and 240v CONTINUOUSLY. If it's well insulated, and kept covered, it shouldn't need much heat added to keep it hot. The pumps sit idle for most of the day.
Advice about not lowering temperature is complete crap. It will cost more to maintain a temperature than to lower it when not in use. The exact same as your home HVAC. Yes, it will take energy to heat when you need it, but a lot less than constantly wasting energy keeping it hot. If you're not going to use it for a week it would easily take double energy keeping it hot all week than turning down and heating before you use it. Depending on size of tub, electricity cost, insulation, and ambient temperature, you could be wasting $5-20 per week keeping it hot.
No answers to any questions. Just thanks to the people that kiss bootay. It’s cool. Not bad vid for certain things. But real questions never get anything on this vid. ☮️💚
What questions?
@@TheDannyHamilton I do have to apologize. I honestly don’t know why or the reason I left this comment. It’s a great explanation for the chemicals. I’ve learned a lot. Again I apologize.