How to maintain your hot tub shinny: Sometimes people lower the water temperature set point dramatically, usually to cool the water in the summer. The next thing they know, they are struggling to maintain water purity, and they think something is wrong because their spa no longer filters.

Here are several tips on how to maintain your hot tub and also a suggestion if you live in Colorado. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but drinking and hot tubbing are not a good mix. Despite all of those movies scenes depicting characters cavorting in hot tubs with their favorite beverage in hand, physicians and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) don’t recommend it. Sports stars and politicians have been known to imbibe while entertaining in a spa, but that doesn’t mean we should follow their example. The same caution should be used with drugs-check with your doctor before soaking in extremely hot water while taking a prescription. One reason is that both alcohol and some drugs (prescription and recreational) can cause drowsiness or disorientation. Check the water temperature before entering (it should not exceed 104 degrees), observe reasonable time limits (10 to 15 minutes), and enter and exit the tub slowly in case of dizziness or to prevent falls.

Tips for buying a hot tub : Reclined seating lets you lay back, fully submerged in spa water. Loungers usually have more jets for a full-body massage. The best spas are deep enough to prevent you from floating out of the lounger. A lounge takes the equivalent space of up two standard seats. Tubs for families or friends the need more seats could skip the lounger for an extra spot.

If your hot tub has tiles, you’ve got an additional item on your hot tub care checklist: grout. To keep it looking its best, follow a few easy steps. Mix baking soda and water together in a bowl to form a thick paste. Apply the paste to your tiles and grout with a damp sponge. After five minutes, turn on the hot tub. Grab an old toothbrush, climb into the tub, and attack those grout lines with a circular scrubbing motion. The baking soda should have a negligible effect on your spa’s water chemistry, but be sure to check and balance it as necessary when you’re finished. You can tackle a little bit of your grout at a time, or, better yet, bribe a bunch of friends with free food and drink and host a scrubbing party. (You might want to make the bribe a substantial one if you plan on keeping them as friends.)

The spa filter can be under the skimmer basket accessed from inside the spa, or it can be a small tank that is opened up underneath the spa. You’ll need to locate it first in order to clean or replace the filter during your spa care routine. If underneath the spa, you may have a valve that can be shut to prevent water from rushing out when you open the filter. Loosening a large nut or just turning the filter body counter clockwise is the usual method to access the filter cartridge. Some water spillage is inevitable when opening it up, but if you are careful it can be very little. Discover more info at Regular Water heater maintenance Colorado.

But first let’s see the hot tub choice of the month : The Essential Newport is a basic yet sturdy hot tub that is great for year round use. Equipped with 14 powerful jets and a high quality heater this hot tub offers a relaxing and comfortable hydrotherapy experience at a fraction of the cost when compared to other premium models. The Essential Newport is the ideal hot tub for small families and couples or for someone who is working with limited space. It’s extremely easy to set up and its space-saving design allows it to fit in even in the tightest of spaces. Fast shipping and long-lasting durable construction make this hot tub a great addition to any home.

Besides performing regular maintenance tasks, it also doesn’t hurt to perform regular inspections of your hot tub’s inner workings in order to catch small problems before they become big ones. Primarily, look for obvious leaks or wet areas beneath the tub. Catching these problems early can be the difference between replacing a $10 pump seal and needing a new $250 part. Also, pay attention to your hot tub’s functioning, and call in a repairman if you notice any major problems, such as failure to heat, pump, or filter the water. Catching an obvious problem like a failed heater during the dead of winter can mean the difference between replacing the heater with a new unit, and having to replace just about everything on your tub, or replace the tub completely, after you thaw it out. This spa care tip is so often forgotten. However, if the skimmer starts to suck air, it could possibly damage the pump. The water level should be in the middle of the skimmer intake or a little higher. You don’t want it too high, and you never want to overflow the spa, so keep a close eye on the water level while filling.