Hot Tub & Spa Care

Differences Between a Hot Tub and a Spa

We’re often asked about what the difference is between a hot tub and a spa. These days, the terms “hot tub” and “spa” are used interchangeably – they basically mean the same thing. You might also hear them referred to as “jacuzzis”, just to confuse things further! Jacuzzi is actually just a brand of hot tub that became so successful the term started to be used to name all hot tubs (a bit like how vacuum cleaners are often called Hoovers).

Traditionally, a hot tub was a free-standing above-ground wooden tub filled with hot water. A spa was a permanent fixture – it was built into the ground and fully plumbed in, and would feature jets to give the water a bubbly massaging effect. In the modern era, though, this distinction doesn’t really hold up. You can now find inflatable spas which sit above ground (one of the more popular brands is even called Lay-Z-Spa), and you can find hot tubs made of Perspex or plastic which are built into the ground. This means you shouldn’t get too hung up on the difference between a hot tub and a spa – in practical terms, they’re the same, and all the products you’ll find on this site can be safely used in both.

Caring for Your Hot Tub or Spa

If you’re new to the world of hot tubs, it can seem a little overwhelming at first. You have to regularly clean and maintain your water, filter system, jets, and pipes, and routinely drain and flush your whole system. With a bit of experience, all this will come naturally to you, but if you’re just starting out we recommend looking at Pro-Kleen’s starter kit. It contains everything you need to maintain every part of your hot tub for your first few months and offers great value.

Below, we’ll outline a few of the most important aspects of hot tub care and how you can manage it more easily.

pH Balancing

The quality of your hot tub water can greatly impact the lifespan of the spa system itself. One of the most important aspects of water quality is its pH level. pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline something is, and it’s measured on a scale of 0 to 14. You want your water to be slightly above neutral – at between 7.4 to 7.6 pH – for the best results. This sounds specific, but if you’re keeping your water clean and healthy then it should be fairly easy to control. If your pH level is outside this range, it can start to corrode the parts of your hot tub and cause lasting damage, so it’s really important that you regularly monitor and adjust your water pH as required.

Filter Cleaning

While it’s important to regularly change hot tub water, it’s likely that you’ll leave the same water in your spa system for a few weeks at least. So, how does it stay so clean? You can thank your filter for that! Your hot tub filter picks up the tiny particles of dirt that end up in your hot tub water and stops them from circulating around your hot tub. After a while, though, your filter will be full of dirt and will stop working properly. That’s why it’s important to regularly clean out your filter to keep it working effectively.

Water Clarifying

You can think of your filter like a net that catches bits of dirt as they float past. Some bits of dirt are so tiny they can actually slip through this net, and over time they’ll cause your hot tub water to go cloudy. This is not only really unappealing, but it’s also unhygienic, too! You can avoid this problem by using some spa clarifier. This special liquid causes tiny particles of dirt, skin flakes, make-up, and other things to cling together, making it much easier for your filter to pick them up.

System Cleaning

Hot tubs are made up of a series of interconnected parts that all need to work together. If one of them starts to struggle, then the whole system will be affected. This means it’s important to clean and flush your hot tub system regularly to ensure everything keeps running smoothly. This will help you clear out any limescale and bacteria film that might be building up inside your pipework.

Winterising Your Hot Tub

Hot tubs are even more relaxing in winter! Stepping out of the crisp winter air and into a warm, bubbling spa is bliss, but not everyone plans to use their hot tub in winter. If you’re not using it, you’ll need to winterise your hot tub. This means draining it and thoroughly cleaning it so it doesn’t get affected by the freezing winter weather.

Anti-Foam

If you keep your hot tub water clean and well-maintained, you might not have any problems with foam. However, it can still occur even in healthy hot tubs – especially in hard water areas. The foam is clingy and incredibly annoying, and it can even leave water marks all over your hot tub’s surface, so it’s a good idea to get rid of it as soon as you can. Keep a bottle of anti-foam solution on hand at all times – just drop a couple of capfuls into your water and watch that foam melt away!