This section was designed to provide some general hot tub information for people looking to purchase a hot tub in the near future. We chose to provide answers to the questions most commonly asked by our customers. For further information or for answers to more complicated questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

1. What ground preparation is required for the placement of the hot tub?

A hot tub requires a level surface that has been built to bear the weight of the hot tub when it is filled with water and people, which can range anywhere from 2500 to 5500 lbs (1100 – 2500 kg). This means that you can place your hot tub on patio stone, brick, concrete, crushed stone, wood decking, or specially designed spa pads.

2. Are there any plumbing requirements needed for a hot tub?

Most hot tubs are entirely self-contained units and do not require any special plumbing - you simply fill them with a garden hose. Most hot tubs also have a garden hose attachment for draining, although we recommend using a Quick Drain or a submersible pump as it will make the drain and refill process faster.

3. Will I need special wiring to hook-up my hot tub?

It depends on which hot tub you are installing. Some smaller hot tubs can be run on 120 volts with a special GFCI cord, which means you can plug them in and enjoy. Most hot tubs require 240 volts, which means they must be permanently hard wired to the power supply. You will also need to install a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breaker between the main power supply and the hot tub. The power supplied to the hot tub must be dedicated to the hot tub with no other lights or appliances sharing the power. A certified electrician should hook up your hot tub to make sure that it is safe and passes the local electrical code.

4. Is a hot tub easy to maintain?

You will be happy to know that there is no chemistry degree required to maintain proper water balance in your hot tub. Once your hot tub is filled and has heated to the set temperature, you can care for it in just minutes each week. Simply test the water with easy-to-use testing strips and add your maintenance chemicals. We also provide free computerized water testing if you would like a more detailed analysis of your water.
We recommend • Shocking the water and adding a stain and scale inhibitor weekly or bi-weekly (depending on usage) as preventive maintenance.
• Clean your filters on a monthly or bi-monthly basis also depending on the amount of usage.
• Drain and refill the hot tub about every 3-4 months, again depending on usage and if you have an ozonator (see question #7 & #8 for more details about draining your spa).
For any further information on hot tub maintenance you can contact any of our very knowledgeable staff.

5. How much will my spa cost to operate?

With average use, a well-built, good quality hot tub should cost around $1 per day to operate if being used daily and only pennies a day to maintain its heat. The cost of operation is a reflection of the quality of the hot tub you purchase. A poorly designed and cheaply built hot tub will result in higher than normal operation and maintenance costs.

6. How are hot tubs insulated?

Some hot tubs are fully foam insulated, while others use perimeter insulation which leaves the internal plumbing accessible. The benefit with perimeter insulation is that leaks can be serviced quickly and easily and no foam has to be removed in the process. With a fully foam insulated spa, accessing a leak can be more difficult and time-consuming, and any wet foam will have to be removed and replaced in order to re-establish the original insulation value. But no matter how the spa is insulated, it is important to purchase your hot tub from a reputable company with an accessible service department even though you may never need them.

7. How often do I need to drain my hot tub?

You will need to drain your hot tub every 3-4 months depending on usage and if you have an ozonator. An ozonator will extend the usability of your water by reducing the amount of chemical you need to add to the water. After several months of use, the water in your spa becomes high in total dissolved solids (TDS) and will become hard to maintain and may look dull or cloudy even after chemical treatments. Bring a sample of your water in to test TDS levels. A simply way to figure out approximately how often you should be draining you hot tub is with the following formula. Take the water volume in gallons and divide it by three. Take that answer and divide it by the number of daily users and you will figure out approximately how many days you can go before you should drain the hot tub. To figure out the number of daily users, add up the total number of times each person uses the spa per week and divide by 7. For example, two people using the spa four days per week would equal 1.14 daily users (eight times used divided by seven days).
So if: Your hot tub has 300 gallons - divide that by 3 = approx. 100 Then divide that by 1.14 (number of daily users) = about 87
Therefore you should be draining your hot tub about every 87 days, or approximately every three months.

8. How do I properly drain and refill my hot tub?

The process of draining and refilling your hot tub will take anywhere from one to three hours depending on whether you want to clean the shell or not. We recommend that you use a pipe cleaning chemical that will remove calcium and other deposits from the shell, jet lines and heater element each time you drain the spa. The pipe cleaning chemical is added to the old water in the tub and needs to circulate for about two hours with the air controls turned off and filters removed (always follow the manufacturer’s directions). Turn off the power and proceed to drain the hot tub. After the hot tub is completely drained, you should wipe down any scum or scale build up that was left on the shell. Begin refilling the hot tub with your garden hose; this could take a couple of hours depending on the size of the hot tub and your water pressure. Once the hot tub is completely full you can turn the power back on and wait for it to heat up again. When the hot tub has heated up to the set temperature, test the water with your test strips and adjust the chemicals as needed. You could also bring a water sample in for a free computerized water analysis. If you have any other questions feel free to contact any of our knowledgeable staff.

9. Can I get a chemical-free hot tub?

Don’t be fooled- every hot tub needs some type of sanitizer in it to prevent it from turning into a green and slimy feeding ground for bacteria. Using a hot tub that does not use a sanitizer can result in the spread of bacteria that can cause skin rashes and infections. Even salt water hot tubs contain chemicals – the systems convert sodium chloride or sodium bromide into chlorine or bromine. There are different systems available to dramatically reduce the amount of chemical necessary to maintain safe bathing water, but none that are chemical-free. In Canada, all hot tub sanitation systems must incorporate either chlorine or bromine. We highly recommend using an ozonator and mineral cartridge system on your hot tub to greatly reduce your chemical additions and maintenance. This system only requires that you use a very small amount of chlorine just prior to use, so you use a minimal amount of chemicals. This system is ideal for individuals with sensitive skin (and sensitive noses-no “pool smell”). For further information on this system or any other chemical questions feel free to talk to any of our knowledgeable staff.

10. I’ve been in hot tubs that are really foamy. What causes this?

Foam in your hot tub is caused by many different things. The most common thing would be soap residue on bathing suits, which would result in white, fluffy foam in your hot tub. It is not necessary to wash your bathing suit with soap after soaking in a hot tub as long as there is sanitizer in the spa water. When you are done in the hot tub, simply rinse your suit in cold water and hang to dry. Rinsing any guest bathing suits in warm water before they get into the hot tub is a simple way prevent foaming. Yellow, scummy foam in your hot tub is usually the result of excessive perspiration, dead skin cells, skin lotions, sunscreen, perfumes, hair spray, deodorant or any other things that you put on your skin or hair. It is recommended that you enter your hot tub as clean as possible. Having a quick shower before you enter your hot tub is another easy way to keep your hot tub from getting foamy.

11. I’ve seen hot tubs where the water is cloudy or has a strong smell. Is this normal?

Your hot tub water should always be clear and ready to use. Never use a hot tub that does not look or smell clean and fresh. There are many different things that can cause cloudy and odorous water, but a well equipped and maintained hot tub should not be either of these things. Low sanitizer levels, high TDS (total dissolved solids), old or dirty filters, chemical interactions, heavy usage…the list of potential reasons is long. The good thing is that getting rid of these problems is relatively simple, and there are many ways to prevent water from getting this way in the first place. Lack of sanitizer is the most common cause of cloudy water, in which case adding an ozone or UV sterilizer system to the spa would help prevent the problem. A strong smell in a hot tub usually indicates that the water needs to be “shocked”, not necessarily that the chemical levels are too high. When a spa is properly balanced it will not smell bad. Making sure that the hot tub has adequate filtration is also very important, as lack of filtration is the second most common reason for cloudy water. People sweat about one litre per hour in a hot tub, and without proper filtration, all of these bather wastes are not being cleaned out.

12. What is the difference between bromine and chlorine?

Bromine and chlorine are both products that are used to sanitize your hot tub. Bromine has some distinct differences from chlorine. Bromine is more commonly used in hot tubs because it works better in hotter water, meaning that you typically require less bromine than chlorine to keep the water clean. Bromine is also less odourous, less irritating to the skin and it is less affected by pH than chlorine. Bromine tends to be more expensive than chlorine, though both are great sanitizers and available in many different forms. What product you choose for your spa really just comes down to personal preference. For further chemical information please contact any of our staff.

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