Owning a hot tub allows you to enjoy a luxurious (and therapeutic) soak in the comfort of your home. But it’s not all rest and relaxation! Keeping your hot tub in top condition requires regular maintenance, and one of the most essential maintenance tasks is draining your hot tub periodically.
This blog is a guide to help you understand how often you need to drain your hot tub and why it’s important for your hot tub’s overall health.
Why Do I Need to Drain My Hot Tub?
Draining your hot tub is necessary for several reasons:
- Water Cleanliness: Over time, the water in your hot tub accumulates oils, dirt, chemicals and debris. These contaminants can lead to cloudy and unpleasant-smelling water, as well as skin irritation – nobody wants to soak in old, dirty water!
- Chemical Balance: Every time you use your hot tub, the chemical levels fluctuate, making it difficult to maintain a proper chemical balance in the water.
- Equipment Longevity: Keeping your hot tub water clean prevents buildup and scale on the inner workings of your tub. This helps to prolong the life of your equipment.
How Often Should I Drain My Hot Tub?
How frequently you ought to drain your hot tub depends on several factors, including how often you use the tub, what chemicals you use, and whether the hot tub is indoors or outdoors. The general guidelines are as follows:
- Light Use (1 – 2 times per week): Drain and refill every 4-6 months.
- Moderate Use (3 – 4 times per week): Drain and refill every 3-4 months.
- Heavy Use (daily or multiple times per day): Drain and refill every 1-2 months.
Outdoor hot tubs are more likely to be exposed to contaminants like leaves, dirt and pollen and therefore should be drained more often than indoor hot tubs.
Signs That It’s Time to Drain Your Hot Tub
Regardless of how often you use your hot tub, be aware of these signs that indicate it’s time to drain:
- Foamy Water: It’s easy for your hot tub to become a foamy mess if any soap or cream residue makes its way into the jets. We recommend our Premier Foam Away to combat this issue, but if your tub has persistent foam that doesn’t dissipate after treatment with defoamers, it’s time to drain.
- Cloudy Water: Moisturisers, fake tan, perfumes and makeup can quickly turn the water in your tub cloudy. However, cloudy water can also be a symptom of high pH and chlorine levels. We recommend using our Premier pH Minus and a capful of our Premier Non Chlorine Shock to help keep your water crystal clear. If your water remains cloudy even after chemical adjustments, it’s time to drain.
- Unpleasant Odours: If your tub is giving off a foul smell that will not go away with regular maintenance, it’s time to drain.
- Chemical Imbalance: We recommend using our Premier Test Strips to test the sanitiser and pH level of your hot tub daily and if your tub is continually struggling to balance the chemicals in the water, it’s time to drain.
We also recommend that prior to draining your tub you use our Premier Flush Cleaner as this will remove any dirt/debris and loosen any calcium from the pipework, all of which will then be washed away with water as it drains.
By following the guidance above and paying close attention to your hot tub’s condition, you can maintain pristine water quality and extend the life of your hot tub significantly!
For more information, check out our comprehensive Hot Tub Cleaning & Maintenance guide.
