Hot Tub Guide

Maintaining a Hot Tub

Hot tubs are more forgiving than most owners think, but the difference between "runs great for 15 years" and "constant service calls" is 20 minutes a week of the right habits. Here's the schedule we give every Fun Center owner at delivery.

The weekly rhythm (about 15 minutes)

  • Test the water. Test strips or an IQ-connected model take under a minute. Target ranges: pH 7.2–7.8, total alkalinity 80–120 ppm, sanitizer at the level your system specifies.
  • Adjust chemistry as needed. Add pH up/down or alkalinity increaser per the test result. Small adjustments; wait 15 minutes and re-test before adding more.
  • Wipe the waterline. A dedicated spa scrub pad or old sock over your hand — takes 30 seconds and prevents the ring that becomes permanent within a season.

Every 2–4 weeks

  • Rinse the filters. Pull each filter, spray with a garden hose from the top down. Reinstall. Takes 5 minutes.
  • Shock the water. A weekly non-chlorine shock (about $12/jar, lasts 3 months) keeps water clear and prevents chloramines from building up. Salt-system spas can skip this if the salt cell is working properly.

Every 3 months

  • Deep-clean the filters. Soak overnight in filter cleaner (about $15/bottle), rinse thoroughly, let dry before reinstalling. Have a spare set of filters so the spa stays running while these dry.
  • Inspect the cover. Check for waterlogged sections (heavy = wet foam = replace), broken hinges, and torn vinyl. A saturated cover doubles your electricity bill.

Every 6–12 months

  • Change the water. With the FreshWater® Salt System, up to 12 months between changes. Chlorine or bromine systems: every 3–4 months. Full drain, wipe the shell, refill, rebalance chemistry.
  • Replace filters. Cartridges last 12–18 months. Longer than that and they lose filtration capacity even if they look OK.

Winter care in Ohio — leave it running

Do not drain your hot tub for winter. A running, insulated spa handles Ohio winters fine — the freeze protection built into every Hot Spring® model prevents damage even during extended cold snaps. Draining leaves residual water in the plumbing that can freeze and crack lines. If you're going out of town for more than a week in January, ask us about a temporary "vacation mode" setup that lowers temp to 80°F.

Signs it's time to call the tech

  • Water temperature dropping steadily without a cause
  • Pump making new noises (grinding, whining)
  • Persistent GFCI trips
  • Water leaking around the equipment bay
  • Error codes on the touchscreen you can't clear

Fun Center handles all Hot Spring warranty and service in-house. Call (419) 756-1300 or message us through the site to schedule service.

Need help with a specific issue?

Call us at (419) 756-1300 or message us through the site. We handle all Hot Spring warranty and service in-house.

Schedule service Call (419) 756-1300