Cloudy hot tub water can be annoying, but there are easy ways to fix it.…
Hot Tub Water Testing – How Often Do You Need To Do It?
Your spa is a relaxing space where you can soak away the stress of everyday life or ease aches and pain in your joints and muscles. You want your hot tub to support your health, not endanger it, which is why it’s absolutely essential to perform hot tub water testing regularly to make sure it’s properly balanced and clean. But what does “regular hot tub water testing” mean? Our hot tub dealership in Raleigh and Durham is sharing everything you need to know.
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Home water testing at a glance
1×a week
minimum at-home test
12″deep
draw the sample below the surface
1 yrshelf life
replace reagents and strips yearly
Why Is It Necessary to Test Your Hot Tub Water Quality?
The water in your hot tub is much more delicate than you may realize, and keeping it in balance requires regular care.
- You need to make sure there is proper levels of sanitizer, such as chlorine, to keep bacteria and algae from growing in your hot tub;
- If the pH of your water is out of balance, or there’s too much chlorine or bromine, the water can irritate your skin and eyes.
- Excess chemicals can oversaturate the water, leading to scaly buildup on the surface of your hot tub and within the jets. Over time, this can cause clogs.
- Unbalanced water can lead to metal components corroding and plastic and rubber components breaking down and cracking over time.
Basically, making sure your water is properly clean and has the right chemical balance ensures the water is safe for you and safe for your hot tub.
How Often Should You Check the Quality of Your Hot Tub Water?
At a minimum, you should test your hot tub water once a week, making sure to pay close attention to the chlorine or bromine amounts and the pH so you can make careful adjustments. If your water stays balanced easily with only minor adjustments needed, continuing to test at home regularly is fine. However, if you struggle to keep your water balanced due to pH that’s consistently too low or water that quickly turns cloudy or forms algae or odors, you may need to have your water professionally tested to pinpoint any concerns. They will check for excess minerals and metals, as well as phosphates that can cause algae and bacteria to grow more quickly.
Pro Insight • Epic Hot Tubs Service Team
“Once a week is the floor, not the goal. The tubs that give owners the least trouble get a quick strip test any time they have had a crowd in them, after heavy rain, and before someone with sensitive skin climbs in. Thirty seconds of testing after a busy weekend saves a cloudy, itchy tub on Monday.”
Tips for Accurate Hot Tub Water Testing
In addition to regularly testing your water, you want to make sure you’re following best practices when it comes to testing. This includes:
- Testing the water while the hot tub is circulating so you get a more even sample that’s indicative of the overall quality;
- Pulling the sample from at least 12 inches below the surface of the hot tub. Water at the surface interacts with oxygen which can actually affect the balance, so testing below the surface is more accurate.
- Avoid testing water close to the return jet as the chlorine level will be higher than the water than other areas of the hot tub.
- Label the date you open your hot tub chemicals as well as your testing reagents. Reagents only have a shelf life of about one year, and after that, they may not display proper readings, causing you to overtreat your hot tub.
Pro Insight • Epic Hot Tubs Service Team
“Two things quietly wreck home test results: where you dip and how old your reagents are. Take the sample a foot down and away from the return jet, not skimmed off the top, and write the open date on every reagent bottle and strip jar. Faded strips read low and tempt you to overtreat water that was actually fine.”
Hot Tub Water Testing FAQs
How often should you check your hot tub chemicals?
Test your hot tub water at least once a week, and pay closest attention to the chlorine or bromine level and the pH. If your water stays balanced with only small adjustments, weekly at-home testing is enough. Test more often after heavy use or a party, and if you keep fighting cloudy water, low pH, or algae, bring a sample in for a professional water analysis that checks for metals, minerals, and phosphates.
What is the best way to test hot tub water?
Pull your sample while the hot tub is circulating so it reflects the whole tub, and draw it from at least 12 inches below the surface and away from the return jet. Surface water and water right at the jet give false readings. Use fresh reagents or test strips, and replace them about once a year, because expired testing supplies drift and cause overtreating.
Do hot tub test strips work, and how long do they last?
Yes. Test strips are the fastest way to check sanitizer, pH, and alkalinity at home, and they are accurate as long as they are fresh. Like liquid reagents, strips have a shelf life of about a year, so date the jar when you open it, keep it sealed and dry, and replace it once the readings start to look off. When you want a full breakdown or a second opinion, bring a water sample to any Epic Hot Tubs store for a free analysis in minutes.
Contact Epic Hot Tubs For Hot Tub Maintenance Today!
Epic Hot Tubs is a hot tub dealer that offers hot tub maintenance services and water testing in Raleigh, Durham and the surrounding area. We strive to provide you with the best customer service experience in the triangle area. Please call us at 888-884-3742, and one of our Hot tub experts will be happy to answer any questions you have in mind.
We Provide Hot Tub Maintenance, Cleaning and Water Testing in Raleigh & Durham
Hot Tub Water Testing
Bring in a sample of water to one of our stores and get a water report within minutes.
Have questions, or want to see options in person? Stop by any of our five North Carolina showrooms and talk it through with our team: Raleigh, Durham, Sanford, Charlotte, or North Charlotte. We are open 7 days a week, no appointment needed.
About The Author:
Richard Horvath
Hot Tub & Spa Expert
Richard has been in the hot tub & spa industry for years. As a long hot tub & swim spa owner himself, Richard has a passion for helping homeowners create their dream backyard.
