Opening your hot tub for spring: a 10-step checklist

To open a hot tub for spring, inspect the cover and shell, clean or replace the filter, drain and clean the tub, refill, restore power, balance the water and test before anyone gets in. Follow your manufacturer's instructions for each step, and use test strips for the water. Call a professional for anything electrical or any equipment that is not working. The ten steps below take most of a day.

Gather these before you begin.

• Your owner's manual, for fill level, filter type and cleaner recommendations
• A spa-safe surface cleaner, not household soap or harsh chemicals
• Test strips for pH, alkalinity and sanitizer
• A replacement filter if yours is worn
• A garden hose and a clean cloth

1. Check the cover and shell. Look for cracks, mold, standing water on the cover and signs that pests got in. A damaged cover loses heat and lets debris in.
2. Confirm the power is off. Keep the tub off at the breaker while you inspect and clean. Do not work on wiring or the heater yourself.
3. Drain the old water. If the tub sat all winter with water in it, drain it fully, following the manual for the drain valve and pump.
4. Clean the shell. Wipe the surface with a spa-safe cleaner. Rinse well, because leftover cleaner can foam when the jets start.
5. Clean or replace the filter. Rinse the cartridge, soak it in a filter cleaner if the manual recommends it, and replace it if the pleats are worn or flattened.
6. Check the jets, pillows and fittings. Make sure everything is tight and nothing is cracked or loose.
7. Refill with fresh water. Fill through the filter opening or to the level the manual specifies. Do not overfill.
8. Restore power and run the pump. Turn the breaker on, let the tub circulate, and look for leaks, strange noises and error codes.
9. Balance the water. Test with strips, then adjust one thing at a time, starting with alkalinity, then pH, then sanitizer. Retest after each change.
10. Sanitize and wait. Add sanitizer as the product label directs, run the jets, and retest. Do not soak until the numbers are in range and the product label says it is safe.

Chemistry ranges vary by sanitizer and by manufacturer, so treat these as a typical guide and use the figures in your owner's manual if they differ.

Adjust slowly and retest before adding more. Alkalinity affects how stable pH is, which is why it comes first.

Plan on most of a day. Draining and refilling take the longest, and the water needs time to circulate before you test and treat it. Opening in the morning means the water can be tested and retested by evening.

A hot tub combines water and electricity, so go slowly. Turn the power off at the breaker before you open the equipment compartment or work on the filter. Do not remove panels or touch wiring. If the cover is heavy or waterlogged, get help lifting it, and do not step into the tub to clean it unless the manual says it is safe. Keep children and pets away while the cover is off and the tub is empty.

Test before each soak at first, and then regularly through the season. Water changes with heavy use, hot weather, rain and fresh fills. If you use the tub often, test a few times per week and keep a simple log. After a party or a long soak with several people, test again and adjust before the next use.

• Rinse the filter regularly and swap it for a clean one when it looks worn.
• Wipe the waterline with a spa-safe cleaner to keep oils from building up.
• Keep the cover on when the tub is not in use, and keep it clean.
• Ask users to rinse off before getting in. Lotions, sunscreen and soap load the water.
• Change the water on the schedule your manual recommends.

Closing mirrors opening: drain, clean the shell, clean or replace the filter, and cover it according to the manual. If your tub is in a place that freezes, follow the manufacturer's winterizing steps so water does not stay in the lines. JNC also offers hot tub and pool closing as part of its seasonal service.

Call someone, rather than working it out yourself, if you see any of the following.

• The breaker trips when you turn the tub on
• The heater does not heat, or the tub shows an error code
• The tub leaks
• The pump is loud, vibrates, or does not move water
• The water stays cloudy or smells after you have balanced it

Electrical and equipment problems are not a do-it-yourself job.

If guests use the tub, you want to be able to say when it was last cleaned and tested. Keep a short log, post simple rules, and test between stays. JNC's seasonal hot tub and pool service covers opening, closing, surface and filter cleaning and a water balance check, from spring through fall, starting at $75. If your property is near Forest or Bedford, ask about scheduling when you request a quote.

Written by

Judy Reynolds

Owner of JNC Hospitality. Judy started JNC in Lynchburg in 2017 and still inspects the work and answers the phone.

• Hot tub
• Spring
• Rentals