How to Tell When Your Hot Tub is Overdue for Maintenance

You plan to test your hot tub water every week, but every once in a while the days slip by so quickly that you forget all about testing your spa water and performing routine maintenance. It happens to the best of us! The good news is, test strips aren’t the only way you can tell that your hot tub needs maintenance. Keep your five senses alert for these signs and you’ll always notice when maintenance is overdue. 

Cloudy Water

Your water should always be clean and clear. If you notice it looks cloudy, it needs some attention. One likely reason for cloudy water is that your filter is dirty or clogged. Or, it could be that your filter is in good condition, it’s just not seated properly. 

If the filter’s good, you’ll want to check your sanitizer levels. If that’s good, your calcium hardness, alkalinity, or pH is probably too high. 

Hot Tub Foam

Those foamy bubbles are a sign that contaminants have built-up in your water. Fabric detergent, lotion, makeup, and body oils enter the water with every hot tub bather. To eliminate foam you may need to adjust the pH, add sanitizer, and/or use a defoamer. 

Strong Odor 

Even if the water looks clear, a stinky odor is a sign that there is bacteria in your water. Grab the test strips and rebalance the water. 

Green Water 

Algae love warm, wet places — especially if the pH is high and the sanitizer is low. If this situation happens, algae may end up in your hot tub. When they do, adjust the pH and alkalinity and then add shock treatment. 

Musty Scent

If you notice a big musty smell in your water, it is too low on sanitizer. Shocking it should correct the problem. 

Chemical Smell

You know what your nice, clean hot tub smells like. So, if you notice the water smells strongly of chemicals, you probably have a sanitizer build-up. 

When your eyes or nose spot any of these signs, it’s time to bring in a sample so that we can help get your water back in pristine condition. As always, Backyard Oasis offers FREE computerized in-store water testing. Read this for a few tips about testing and bringing the water back to balance. And don’t forget, when you need water care products, don’t trust your spa to the Big Box store. Instead, come visit us and we’ll set you up with the professional products your hot tub needs. You’ll save money in the long run having the correct product and needing less of it. Hot tub water maintenance has never been easier than with your expert customer care team at Backyard Oasis.