Be Energy Efficient With Your Hot tub
Let’s face it…
With the economy the way it is, we are forced to make sacrifices each day. Well we are here to tell you, there is no need to sacrifice the amazing wonderfulness of soaking in your tub – as long as you follow these simple tips, you will be able to save energy, as well as some dollars on your next electric bill!
Proper Cover Quality & Install:
Heat rises, so it is important that what’s on top is snug and always stays latched. If your cover is old or not installed properly, you will experience heat leaks and your cover will become waterlogged. A replacement cover will not only save energy, but it will last longer, improve water absorption, and look pretty!
Thermostat Settings:
Typically, hot tub thermostats come set at 104°F.. if you change this to 102°F or even lower, to the touch it makes a minimal difference. However, it will reduce energy consumption significantly.
Control Thermostat:
Winterize your spa
When you are on vacation or it is during warmer months, turn down your thermostat! As long as that cover is in good shape, it will maintain heat. Make sure in freezing months that the heat is maintained in order to prevent freezing, unless your spa is winterized. Also, check with your power company for reduced off-peak rates. Or if you have a timer circuit on your spa, consider programming the off-peak heating option.
Filter Cartridges & Plumbing:
Worn-out and/or clogged filters will reduce the circulation of your hot tub water, causing the heater element to perform less efficiently. Replace your filter annually for optimal performance.
Lights, Blowers, & Jets: Jets are amazing for a little massage, but as they pump air into the water, they also lower the temp of it which the heater then needs to heat, using more energy. The energy impact duing bathing is minimal, but be sure to shut off air, water, and lights when you are not enjoying your spa.
Cutting the wind around your spa reduces heat loss. A privacy panel, shrubs, fencing, an enclosure, or a coverall will save heat and also create some privacy around the hot tub.
Conserve Water:
Don’t waste the H2O! Water that is lost outside of the spa then needs to be replaced, heated, and uses more energy! Repair leaks and adjust the jets so that your spa sees all of the water, and not your deck!
Spa Filter Basics
Spa Filter Basics
Funny thing about hot tubs, we love to soak in them and play in them, but I don’t recall anyone ever saying how they just can’t wait to get home to clean it.
A spa filter is designed to collect all the unwanted hair, dead skin, body oils and anything else that might be floating around the water’s surface. By design it helps to keep the water clean and safe for your enjoyment.
Most manufacturers have taken the time to properly engineer the weir skimmer, pump size and plumbing to allow proper surface skimming and removal of all that yucky stuff from the water. It is equally important to be sure that the filter is the proper type.
There are many types of filters and often there are multiple manufacturers for your filter, but it is very important to utilize the filter specifically designed for your water flow. The paper in a spa filter is crucial for the proper removal of those ickies. Too much porosity and many of these contaminates will stay in the water for your soaking pleasure. Too little and the water can be restricted so much that consistent heating and jet pressure becomes problematic.
When cleaning your filter start off by using the high pressure of a hose nozzle to clean out the heavy debris from between the pleats in the paper element. Many companies sell a concentrated solution to break down the oils and loosen the debris that you can let the filter soak in. You will want to have a backup filter to place in the spa so that your tub does not operate without any type of filtering protection.
To increase the life of your filter, try placing it in your dishwasher for a cycle. The hot water will do a great job breaking down the oils and opening the clogged pores of your spa filter. Incidentally it will also do a great job taking the filter from dingy grey to white. You will want to make sure to cancel the drying cycle so as to not damage the filter. Just don’t do this with Grandma’s china or anything else you might be thinking about eating or drinking from!
The #1 Reason Why I Hate My Hot Tub
Recently a group of hot tub owners were asked what bothered them the most about their spa. They were asked about ease of use, maintenance and other factors pertaining to service. Consistently, the number one complaint was the difficulty of maintaining their spa. Water chemistry takes up precious time and energy.
Love them or hate them, spas need regular maintenance. This typically means checking PH levels, controlling the sanitizer levels, cleaning the filters, shocking and regularly draining and refilling.
Most people don’t want to talk about all that really goes into the water when we bathe, but every time we decide to take a soak, we leave behind more than you know. No matter how clean a person may be, sweat, dead skin and body oils wind up in the hot tub. Even if part of your hot tub regiment is to shower prior to entering, there is no escaping the “additives”. It’s simply unavoidable.
There is a simpler way. The “green” way just happens to be the simplest and easiest way to treat your water. There are many enzyme based water management systems on the market. These easy to use systems utilize enzyme technology to eliminate bacteria, body oils and sweat left in the water. The enzymes eat the contaminants and literally remove them all together. In the end, this translates to less time maintaining your spa.
These systems automatically control the PH, they will not scale and are very gentle on hot tub equipment. Some systems simply call for a bottle of enzyme sustain to be added every two months and most people report only changing the water once a year instead of once every 3 months. Even draining the spa is eco friendly. The water can go straight into the grass without damaging the lawn.
Our common goal is to spend less time working on our hot tub and more time relaxing in it. If you are not already using a chem free or all natural solution, try switching to a system that makes life easier. You’ll be glad you did!
How to Clean Your Hot Tub Oil Slick
The Gulf is not the only place a huge oil slick can be found. In order to find one, you don’t have to go any further than your own backyard. Your hot tub will experience an infusion of oil into the water every time it is used.
Oil is Oil
Whether it be oil from a can or oil from the bodies of hot tubbers, its all the same. Granted the oil from a can is much more toxic, body oil can build up in the water and collect on key spa parts like the spa heater, spa jets and any other moving parts like the spa pump.
How About A Boom?
I don’t think an oil barge or boom will be necessary to remove the oil slick from your hot tub, but the oil needs to be dealt with one way or another. The spa filter is the main line of defense. The spa filter will collect about 80% of the body oil left. Most of the leftover oil will wind up as a ring of scum around the water line. The rest will remain in the water for your hot tubbing pleasure.
The Scum Ball Solution
Free Scum Balls and frequent spa filter maintenance will keep the oil slick from overwhelming your hot tub experience. The Scum Ball will absorb the oil, keeping it from building up in your spa filters and the walls of your hot tub. Hmm, less maintenance and longer filter life? It’s an easy decision.
The Gulf Oil Spill
The oil spill on our beautiful Gulf Coast is no laughing matter. It hasn’t hit our shores yet, but we are preparing ourselves to pitch in when the time comes. If you live on the Gulf Coast, take some time to find ways to help with the cleanup. It will feel good to help out and we are sure you will be glad you did!
How to Kill a Hot Tub
In a world where the economic climate has been dampened to say the least, consumers are looking at ways to save money by conserving energy and taking extra care of the things they spend their hard earned dollars on. “Disposable Income” is not so disposable anymore. Replacing a hot tub can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $15,000.
Here are 3 absolute hot tub killers:
1. Corrosion – An improperly balance PH can cause the corrosion on key spa parts like the spa heater, the spa motor shaft and the spa pump. PH should be maintained between 7.2 and 7.8. Too low and the water is corrosive, too high and the water becomes cloudy, scaly and will often irritate the eyes and skin.
2. Poor Alkalinity – Keeping the alkalinity in check will allow the water to balance with little effort. Too high and we are back to cloudy water and scale, except now it is very difficult to balance the water; this is where too many spa chemicals are used. Too low and the PH moves up and down the ladder faster than a New York firefighter. Not to mention a very corrosive environment for your spa parts.
3. Hard Water – Too much calcium in the water causes cloudy water and build-up of scale on hard spa parts. Too little calcium and the water will draw from the copper, aluminum and iron found on the spa heater, spa pumps, spa motors, etc. This will cause corrosion and an early demise to some not so cheap spa parts. Lowering calcium cannot be achieved using chemicals. This can only come from filtering the water through a water softener or using the Aqua Clara Pre-Filter. Using AquaClara Sustain regularly is the best solution to preventing scale formation.
Test the Water
The best way to save money during hot tub ownership is to properly maintain the water chemistry. Spending a little time checking and balancing the spa water chemistry will keep a spa in service and repair free for years to come. Test the water regularly – You’ll be glad you did!
How To Fix A Hot Tub – Just Ask The Kids
How To Fix A Hot Tub
As I sat down to write this article and I began to think of ways to be informative about spa repairs, spa parts, spa motors, spa chemicals …(you get the point), I asked my 6 year old son what he thought I should write about. His response started out like this: “It should be about a guy who falls out of an airplane with a parachute and the parachute broke.” – Obviously, he has no idea what I write about.
Super Heroes Sometimes Need Help
I remember thinking as a kid that my dad could do anything or fix anything. He was approximately 10 feet tall and knew everything about everything. He was the “go to guy” for all my questions.
Later, as a teenager I realized that I was the one who knew everything there was to know about everything, but that is a whole other article.
DIY – Do It Yourself Fixing a Hot Tub
Replacing a spa motor or a spa heater is pretty easy and does not require any specialized training or tools.
Typically any spa repair can be done in less than 30-40 minutes and you will feel pretty good about saving a few hundred bucks doing it yourself. The best spa parts companies offer free diagnostics and they are always willing to help with step by step customer service support through the installation process. Being 10 feet tall does not last but a short season, a hot tub repair is an easy DIY project.
Try it out and I guarantee you’ll maintain your SuperHero status a little longer. I promise, you’ll be glad you did!
Practical Solutions to Keep Your Hot Tub Crystal Clear
It Sounds Gross
Every time someone enters a hot tub for a little R&R, they leave a little something behind. It is completely unintentional, it is not planned and if be known, it is even a little embarrassing.
It Is Gross
I am talking about the sweat, exfoliated skin and body oils. Sorry, but no matter how clean a person might consider themselves to be, they will always leave their DNA behind. If the temperature is high enough, the body can sweat out about a quart an hour. -Yuck! That is a quart of pure urea for every hour of soaking by each person sitting in the spa.
Let’s do some math. Two people, 3 times a week for an hour each session. That totals 6 quarts of sweat, a full gallon and a half every week!
Reducing The Gross Factor
Here are some practical solutions to keeping your spa crystal clear while enjoying a session of hydrotherapeutic bliss.
1. Keep your sanitizer levels up
2. Clean your spa filter every week.
3. Use a Scum Ball to remove body oils and eliminate “ring around the collar”.
Spending time in your hot tub does not have to be an experiment in human hygiene care. Keep the water clean with regular maintenance and invite as many friends to join you along the way. You will be glad you did!
What Tools Are Needed for Hot Tub Repairs?
They say the only thing certain is death and taxes, well I would have to disagree. In our line of work hot tubs break down. It is a certainty. Granted some more than others, but eventually hot tub service will be required.
Save Time and Money on Hot Tub Service Repairs –
Have the Right Tools
Hot tubs are so easy to fix. I know, I know. One look “under the hood” and you are sure to see tubes, wires and electronics that seem to be all over the place.
Rest assured the tools required to remove and replace any of the components equate to a Philips head screw driver, a flat head screw driver, and an adjustable wrench (great technical support doesn’t hurt either). Seriously!
There isn’t anything that can’t be fixed or replaced in a matter of minutes.
Be Prepared for Your Hot Tub Repair
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing hot tub service, repair, or spa parts, there are a couple of things you will want to have readily available.
Your Spa Make - It is always a good idea to know who made your spa.
Your Spa Model - Most models vary vastly.
Phone Number – The phone number of your support team is important for getting your spa up and running fast. Besides, most technical support companies don’t charge a fee for troubleshooting.
The guys at SpaShopper.Com 1-866-829-3660 are the best in the field and know their stuff when it comes to diagnostics.
The next time you need help whether it be to get a handle on your spa water chemistry, to replace a spa pump or to find out why your spa is making so much noise, just reach out and watch our informative hot tub Maintenance vidoes on youtube. They are free, friendly and fast. You just might be glad you did!
Quality Spa Parts at Discount Prices
Quality Spa Parts at Discount Prices … Are Not the Same as Cheap Spa Parts!
Ancient Chinese Secret
Remember the old laundry detergent commercial? I’m sure you do. The commercial plays out with a typical American woman talking to an Asian woman about how “white her white’s are” and “how bright her brights” are. The typical American woman asks her “What’s your secret?” and the Asian woman replies “Ancient Chinese Secret!” The audience fully buys into it until the Asian woman turns toward the camera, hides her box of Calgon while motioning for us, the audience to keep it a secret.
The Chinese
No news here. The Chinese are working hard to sell U.S. consumers anything and everything they can. Everything from children’s toys to hot tubs; but there has been a few bumps along the way and almost always at the cost of the U.S. consumer.
Be Informed
Chinese companies don’t have quality control policies and laws for manufacturing consumer goods. They are on a learning curve, a really fast one, but a learning curve none the less. This has meant lead in paint, faulty tires, and drywall that makes people sick. Meanwhile, we pay the price. They keep on selling.
Chinese Spa Parts
When it comes to spa parts there are typical spa parts and then there are Chinese made spa parts. In the U.S., spa components have been manufactured and in use for decades. There are stringent quality control methods and product testing with feedback that allows for continued improvement to the safety, durability and performance of spa parts.
When it comes to Chinese spa parts, the focus has typically been on cost of manufacture and price. This has translated to lower density plastics in jets, filters, and other performance parts like suctions and skimmers. Often, the electronics have no history of use which leads to mistakes being made regarding the quality of relays and connections. Translation – House fires, poor performance, high failure rates, inefficient spa pumps, poor fit and finish.
The Damage
Cheap Chinese spa parts look the same, they may even function the same -for a while, but in the end the few bucks saved at the time of purchase will never be worth the hassle of having to go through the process again 6 months later.
When in need of spa parts, buy from a trusted source - not where the product history is an “Ancient Chinese Secret!” I promise you will be glad you did!
The Party’s Over – Now What?
Rinse, Treat, Repeat!
The party is over, the guests have cleared out. Even Uncle Willy has decided he has had enough and has moved on. Now it is time to clear the debris field, take out the trash and find out where that new pungent smell is coming from. Oh, and maybe it is time to attend to the hot tub.
The hot tub was a big hit, but now it is time to pay the piper. It looks a little beat up, the water color is definitely off and the cover just plain smells. So let’s get started!
Start with the Cover
Remove the cover completely and rinse off with a hose. You may even want to scrub it down with a solution of bleach and water. This will keep any mildew from building up. One of my favorite tips on cleaning the cover is to Febreeze it after a good scrub. I just like the way it leaves my spa cover smelling so good.
Rinse Down the Cabinet
Since we already have the hose out, we might as well rinse off the cabinet. Once the cabinet had been wiped down, use a good conditioner to restore it to that “new” look. Any scratches can be removed with the use of a furniture touch up stick from any home improvement store.
Treat the Water
First thing to do is to remove the filters and run them through the dishwasher. That’s right, the dishwasher! This will break down the body oils and brighten the filter to new again. Shock the water and test for sanitizing levels. Make sure your PH and Alkalinity stay on track and once everything has been brought back to balance, use a clarifier to bring back the brilliance to your spa water.
Repeat!
No sense in wasting any time. Start planning your next backyard bash right away and be sure to invite Uncle Willie. You know you will be glad you did!
