Drain and refill your hot tub in 5 easy steps

Your spa or hot tub requires regular maintenance to keep the water healthy and safe for bathers. Part of that regular maintenance is draining and refilling, typically every three to four months. 

Overtime the hot tub or spa water can become dull, foamy and develop an odor.   This is due to the minerals, chemicals, and organics that have gotten into the water.  Your local spa professional can help you determine when your tub actually needs to be drained and refilled typically when the TDS reading is 1500 or more.  TDS stands for total dissolved solids which basically means anything that’s in the water that’s not water.

Step 1

The first step to draining and refilling your hot tub is to clean out the pipes.  We like to use a product called swirl away, which depending on the size of your hot tub you would add about half a bottle to the spa water, turn on your jet cycle and allow that to circulate through.

Step 2

The next step would be to actually drain the water.  There is typically a drain plug at the bottom of the spa that will help you to drain the water, however you may find this to be too slow.   There are products available to make if faster, such as a quick drain, which works like a syphon removing the water from the tub.

Step 3

The third step is going to be cleaning the surface of the tub.  We carry a few different options, such as the water line eraser, the spa pad and the spa cleaning mitt, all work well to remove the build up that may have occurred on the tub’s acrylic surface.

Step 4

The fourth step is going to be refilling the tub with fresh water.  Some clients will call in a water truck to fill their hot tub while others will do so using a garden hose.  If you are using the hose and have a known metal issue, it is recommended to attach a garden hose adapter to the hose prior to filling the tub to remove the metals before filling.

Step 5

The 5th and final step is visiting your local spa or hot tub professional with a sample of the water for testing. Your spa professional will analyze your water and let you know what the water requires to become balanced and safe for bathers.

And that’s it, five simple steps to draining and refilling your spa or hot tub.

An added bonus tip:  Don’t forget to wipe down your spa cover, using a UV acrylic cleaner, it will not only help to clean the acrylic but it will also keep the UV rays from bleaching the vinyl cover.