How Often to Change Hot Tub Water

Finally, it’s Saturday night, and you are all set to have a small barbecue in your backyard. You’ve made sure everything is organized, your backyard is clean, and then your eye goes to your hot tub, whose water you have been thinking of changing for the past three weeks.

For those of you who thought that adding a handful or two of chlorine in the water would do, that may not be enough. Here we are going to take a look at how often you should be changing the water in your hot tub to ensure it is crystal clear, soft, and hygienic. So without further ado, let’s get right into it!

How Often to Change Hot Tub Water

Pool and hot tub experts say it is ideal to completely change the hot tub water every 3 to 5 months, depending on how frequently it is used. The primary reason for doing so is that when you keep adding chlorine, it will dissolve slower than before until the water cannot dissolve it any further. This is because it can only hold its contents before the water becomes too saturated.

This will make the water look cloudy and disturb the water chemistry balance. Whether you are new to this experience or you’ve been doing it for a long time, changing hot tub water is quite a simple process. While the rule of thumb says to change the water every three to five months, there are a few factors that determine how often your hot tub water will need changing. 

Water Usage

If you are a daily user of the hot water tub, you will find yourself changing the water more often. In addition to this, the more chemicals you put in the hot tub, the more changing is required. When multiple people use the same water body regularly, the water will become defiled from body oils and hair. Changing hot tub water is usually a bi-annual task for those who live in warmer climates. 

Chemical Quality 

The quality of chemicals you put in your hot tub is paramount to proper maintenance. If you opt for cheaper quality chemicals for whatever reason, the water may soon not be fit for further usage, and it can also damage the tub’s equipment. Cheap chemicals leave behind certain contents, such as binders and fillers. You may save some money, but you will find yourself changing the water more than often, which will only add to the cost of maintenance in the long run. 

Tub’s Purification System 

Getting the hot tub’s filtration and purification system checked every once in a while is a good idea. It will ensure that the water is regularly filtered. If the system is not so good at its job, you will need to change the water on a regular basis. Many hot tub water companies offer services of regular checkups and maintenance. 

Many people look for shortcuts to cleaning the water without draining it. And although the water can be kept clean and pure, it will only be temporary. It is only a matter of keeping it suitable for use until it needs draining and changing, which ultimately will be required. Experts say that changing the hot tub water can be delayed if you maintain pH levels between 7.1 and 7.8. 

So, what really happens when you decide not to change the water at all? 

Dissolved Solids

As mentioned above, every time you or your family gets in that tub, everyone leaves behind sweat, body oils, lotion, or even makeup in the water. These contaminants, known as total dissolved solids, will start doing their work. Water will begin to look cloudy or grey, and in extreme cases, it may smell as well. Even if you keep adding sanitizer, the amount of total dissolved solids can easily disturb the water chemistry balance. This should get you to clean your water right away. 

Water Saturation

Water can hold only a certain amount of content, especially chlorine until it becomes supersaturated. A point will come when the water in the hot tub will no longer be able to dissolve the chemicals. The contents from these chemicals can damage the tub’s equipment. The particles can start to accumulate in the filters, and eventually, you will have to call in a maintenance team to not only get the water changed but get the purification system working again, which means an added expense. 

Some people determine the days of changing the water by using a formula called water change frequency. This is where a bit of math comes into use. If you know how much water your tub holds, or in other words, you know its volume, then the calculation is easy.

For example, if the volume is 170 gallons, then the standard formula is to first divide the volume by 3 and then divide the answer by the number of people who use the tub. 

170/3/number of bathers = number of days.  

Now do not take this formula as a definite answer to determine how often the water needs to be changed. Several factors can affect the number of days, such as the weather, quality of chemicals, even the quality of the water itself, and whether your hot water tub is indoors or outdoors. 

The above formula is purely just a guide for roughly how often you should be changing your water.

Conclusion

When getting a hot tub, remember that it requires regular maintenance and changing three to four times a year. It will not only guarantee the efficiency of its system but can most certainly keep you healthy every time you go in for a soak.

Good quality chemicals and a running filter and purification system can prolong the intervals of changing the hot tub water. Once you get used to changing the water, you will realize that it is not much of a daunting task and you can enjoy a relaxing soak after a long day. Now let’s get going with that hot tub water changing!