Spa and Hot Tub Start Ups for Fall and Winter – Greater Sacramento Area
Published: Thursday, September 20, 2012
Hey all!
So even though the weather in Sacramento is still keeping steady in the high 80’s and low 90’s, the temperature is decreasing fast at night and will soon overall decrease in the coming weeks going into October and November. This means out of the po0l and into the hot tub! Here at Leisure Time we know that this is the way of the world and have been receiving many calls about spa start up issues. So, here are a few basic things to do in order to get your spa up in running in no time!
A.
There are many products out there for cleaning the spa surface like Leisure Time’s Spa Fast Gloss, but you can also use non-abrasive cleaners like windex on the spa shell. Using products with bleach can harm your spa shell, so avoid those. Clean the spa jets for dirt and grime that can affect the jets and their ball bearings. Most of these jets can be taken out by turning them counter clockwise and pulling them out.
B.
After cleaning you are ready to fill the spa with water. When filling the tub there is one preventative measure we can take to avoid airlock in the lines; once the tub is about halfway full or almost to the filter wall place the hose into the filter well and try to fill up the plumbing from the filter area. This can help prevent tough air pockets from forming which can prevent the jets from pushing water through the system. A lot of spas will have a water level mark on the spa somewhere usually near the filter well. Make sure the filters are completely submerged in water and most of the time a few inches above them. Low water level is often a cause of air getting into the system and can cause the heater not to heat.
C.
Now that the hot tub is filled to the proper level it is time to hit the GFI breaker and fire it up! When the spa first starts up the topside control will probably start flashing and going through its initial start up program. Once it is done doing that you want to get the jets firing and pushing water through the system. Often times when the spa starts up and the jets try to fire you will hear the jet pumps turn on and running but nothing will be coming out of the jets. If this happens you have an airlock in the system.
Once the spa is running and it is starting to heat up go ahead and put your filter cartridges into the filter well. The reason you wait until now to place the filters in is that it is easier to get the flow running through the heater upon start up with the filters out as they add resistance to the water flow, once the spa is heating you are good to put the cartridges in.
D.
A lot of town water or water from wells coming out of the hose have minerals such as copper and iron in them. These minerals can often turn the water brown or green as you are filling it up, other times the water will be clear when you fill it up but cause problems once you add your chlorine or bromine. This is why before we do anything with our spa water we want to treat the minerals with a metal sequestrate or chelating agent. These products prevent the metal ions from oxidizing and turning the water green or brown. These products like Leisure Time Metal Gone and others are very PH sensitive so make sure to test an adjust your PH before you add a metal sequestrate. Or just call us and our professionals will take care of this step for you!
Remember… A spa is like a swimming pool. It needs weekly care or else it WILL turn green. Here at Leisure Time, we offer weekly spa service to ensure that your spa is always ready for you to take a dip!