We highly recommend testing your spa water every day. Getting into the habit of testing your spa water regularly will help you notice any imbalance of chemicals to remedy quickly and effectively. This will also help vent any gases trapped between your waterline and your spa cover allowing wearable components greater longevity.

Note: Correct use of a sanitising chemical is imperative to maintain safe bathing water.

Draining and refilling your hot tub is an important aspect of hot tub maintenance. Generally, most hot tubs will need to be drained every 3-4 months. However, this will be influenced by frequency of use, how many people are using the hot tub, how well the water is being kept in balance and if any products have been taken into the hot tub.

Now that you know how often you should change the water in your hot tub, let’s talk about the warning signs that it’s time to change the water:

• Smelly water – If you open your hot tub and it doesn’t have a freshwater smell and chlorine/sanitiser itself won’t get rid of it, this is a clear sign it’s time to drain and replace.
• Cloudy water – If you notice cloudy hot tub water and sanitiser chemicals or water clarifier won’t clear it up, it’s a clear sign that it’s time to change out the water.
• Foamy water – If the water seems to be foaming up and you can’t get it to go away with sanitiser and anti-foam chemicals, it’s time you get rid of the old water and replace it with clean, fresh water.

Filter maintenance is one of the most important steps to ensure your hot tub is clean, healthy, and running smoothly. Keeping your filters clean not only ensures an enjoyable bathing experience, but it can also save you money. We recommend rinsing your filters with a hose once a week and soaking them in a filter cleaner solution on a monthly basis. Replace your filters every 12 months and your Micron filter ever 3-4 months (where applicable).

Note: Only official Artesian Filters should be used to maintain the correct flow rates through your spa pumps. Use of non-official Artesian Filters may void your warranty.

There are several reasons why your spa water could be foaming, but the good news is that foamy hot tub water is easily treatable, as long as you know what is causing it. The most common causes are:

• Soaps and detergents;
  Detergent can be found in your swimming costumes, hair or on your body, with the biggest culprit being bathing suits.
• Oils and lotions.
  The most common cause of foamy water is a buildup of oils and lotions. Every time you use the hot tub, you can potentially add a variety of oils and lotions to the water, including:
  – Body oils;
  – Deodorant;
  – Beauty products such as make up or moisturisers.
  We recommend each bather showers with fresh water before getting in the hot tub.
• Incorrect water balance.
  When your spa water goes out of balance it can start to foam as well as cause damage to your spa or irritating rashes on bathers. Test often using test strips designed for your chemical system.

Your spa water can be discoloured or green due to several factors, mostly resulting from an imbalance of chemicals.

The most common reasons as to why your hot tub water is green are:

• Low chlorine/bromine/sanitiser levels
• Low pH
• Algae

There are two main causes of the formation of white deposits in a hot tub – this is typically a build up of calcium or, it could be biofilm. When your water is too hard or your pH is too high, calcium is likely to form and create white flakes in your water. Whereas Biofilm is a bacteria growth in your hot tub. Biofilm is a greasy, slimy substance that builds up inside the pipes and is present on the filter. It is important to know the difference so that you can treat your spa accordingly.

Biofilm is a group of bacteria and micro-organisms that attach themselves to plumbing and pipework surfaces. Biofilm can harbour harmful bacteria like Legionella (Legionnaire’s Disease) and E-Coli. It forms naturally under moist conditions but thrives in dark, warm (>30°C), water rich environments. If the surface that biofilm is on dries out it will not die but rather it will go into a dormant state, reactivating once it comes in contact with water again. Unfortunately, chlorine/sanitiser alone will not get rid of Biofilm. To remove the biofilm within the plumbing, we recommend using a targeted spa flushing product (e.g. DryOx), to eliminate the Biofilm quickly.

Cloudy or milky water is probably one of the most common hot tub issues; hot tub water can quickly lose its clarity, turning from crystal clear to hazy and dull.

The milky/murky looking water is caused by suspended particles in the water giving the water its cloudy look. These particles are too small to get picked up in the filter, so they pass straight through, staying in the water.

In most cases, these particles are introduced by bathers which is why we recommend everyone showers before using the hot tub. To restore the sparkle back into your spa water. Dose the water accordingly with Water Clarifier and then rinse your filters 12 hours later.

With the high temperatures, powerful jets, and chemicals used, it’s important to follow the recommended hot tub safety guidelines to keep your little ones safe and comfortable when in the hot tub.

The British and Irish Spa and Hot Tub Association Prevention (BISHTA) and other medical professionals have generally recommended that children under the age of 4 years old should not use a hot tub or be subjected to extremely warm baths due to potential risks of overheating, heat stroke, dehydration, and bacterial infection. BISHTA also advise that children should be supervised at ALL times. We also advise taking other precautions such as lowering the spa water temperature to 37°C and not exceeding a bathing time of 20 minutes.