Regularly draining your hot tub or spa may feel like a chore, but it is an important step to maintain clean, balanced and sanitized water. Most spa manufacturers suggest changing the water every 3-4 months. As the water ages, it becomes challenging to maintain proper chemical balance and sanitize.
As time goes by, your water can get a high level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). TDS is a measurement of dissolved substances in the water. These include dirt, body oils, deodorants, and balancing/sanitizing products. When TDS levels become high, it can lead to ineffective sanitation, unpleasant odors and cloudy water. You may also find that you are not able to balance your ph and alkalinity levels and are always fighting to keep the balance. In these cases, starting fresh with clean water is often the best solution.
Modern hot tubs feature convenient drain valves located on the outer skirting panels, the lower frame or base. With this design there is no need to remove the skirting panels every time you drain the hot tub – Simply connect a garden hose and open the valve.
Older spas and budget models may have drains under the spa near the access panel of your main control system. If your spa lacks a drain valve you will can use a submersible pump to facilitate the draining process. As a last resort you can use a simple garden hose to siphon the water out of you hot tub.
The first type of drain valve commonly used in hot tubs is the plastic spigot style, similar to the one used for connecting a garden hose. You can find this valve in your tub’s plumbing behind the skirt, right near the main control box. Once you locate it, simply attach your hose and turn the valve handle counterclockwise to open it.
The second type of drain valve is called a hose bib. Located behind the spa panel, near the main control box or on the outside frame. You will usually find this valve attached to a flexible PVC pipe. To use it, you may need to remove the drain cap first. Next, attach your garden hose and turn the lever inline with the valve to start draining your hot tub
The third and most common valve mounts to the skirting panel or base and is accessible from the outside of the spa. This valve has a twist and pull operation to fully open the drain, but there are a few variations out there. To use this valve, attach your hose, then turn the outer edge of the valve counterclockwise until it reaches its stopping point. Afterward, pull the hose towards you to initiate the draining process
While built-in hot tub drains can be convenient, they often rely on gravity and can take 2-6 hours to fully drain the hot tub. To speed up the process a submersible pump is highly recommended. Depending on the size of the hose, submersible pumps can drain a 500-gallon spa in under 10 minutes. At Spa Solutions, we use a powerful submersible pump with a 1.5″ blue backwash hose to drain hot tubs. Some basic submersible pumps accept your garden hose and are still an effective way to drain your tub.
Once your submersible pump or spa drain has stopped, you will be left with some water in the dips of the seats and footwell. Spa Solutions LLC recommends using a wet/dry vac to remove the remaining water. If you want to go the extra mile you can also use the wet and dry vac to suck water out of each spa jet. Simply put the hose over each spa jet for 15-20 seconds. This will remove stagnant water from your plumbing lines and prepare your spa for fresh water after cleaning and refilling.
If this process sounds cumbersome or you would rather not perform this maintenance on your own in our very hot and humid climate, give Spa Solutions LLC a call. We will drain your spa, blow out your plumbing and jet lines, clean the shell, filter and fill your spa back up. Lastly we will get your chemical balance and sanitation started. This cleaning can also act as an inspection; if we find anything we will let you know!
