Spa and Hot Tub Plumbing Works need to be Sterilized after Periods of being Shut Down or if the Water Chemistry was Incorrect
Custom I nstalled , P ortable and S wim S pas.
Click to Enlarge. Custom Yacht Hot Tub
Spa Tec R ecommends R esidential & C ommercial Spas or Hot Tubs be S terilized at L east A nnually to A void P roblems
1. Have you ever noticed white to brown colored flakes coming out of water jets and air ports or brown to black colored scum appearing as a bath ring at water line level after turning on the tubs pumps?
2. Do you notice dark colored contaminants forming in air injectors or wall jets?
3. Does the tub smell musty or are bugs attracted to the tub interior?
4. Have you discontinued usage of your tub for any of the above reasons?
When a spa or hot tub has not been running for several days or more due to being non-functional, bought used, seasonally emptied (pipes blown out or not) or simply having a water chemistry issue, Scum (organic waste) that lines the pipe works and equipment housings will become feed for bacteria and it will flourish in the plumbing system...
Pipes cut out from a portable spa that are lined with scum. Clean pipe interiors are supposed to be the color of the pipe material!
Sanitize, disinfect, cleanse, deodorize, sterilize, decontaminate, purify, scrub, purge, flush and rinse the jets, air channel and injectors, pipes, plumbing components, water pumps, mister units or any water feature with this household remedy for Spas and Hot Tu bs
Spa Tec's Instructions for Sterilizing Spa and Hot Tub Systems that use Chlorine or Bromine with or with out Ozone as a maintenance sanitizer
Prelude:
- Determine vessels water capacity - Refer to owners manual. Generally an 8' by 8' vessel will hold 400 to 500 gallons of water depending on the seat configurations.
- Have clean filter cartridges ready. For a home remedy on how to properly clean see this page link: Spa, Hot Tub or Pool Filter Cartridge Cleaning Instructions and Advice
- Have a clean spa cover ready. For a home remedy on how to properly clean see this page link: Spa and Hot Tub Vinyl Cover Cleaning and Maintenance Advice
- If your spa was empty already continue with the steps below. If your sanitizing due to a water chemistry issue we recommend draining and refilling vessel prior to
continuing with this process to expel incorrect balances.
Steps:
1. Fill vessel at least one inch higher than manufactures recommended water level to cover usual water line or any scum lines. Do not over flow. Using a garden hose filter is highly recommended from Spa Tec for troubled water supplies or not. Lets remove any impurities before they enter the vessel. See Fig.1 below.
2. Install clean filter cartridge(s).
3. Activate all water pumps to prime system. Ensure water is coming out of all jets prior to proceeding. Some spas have jets that can be manually turned off at the jet face - See Fig.2 below. If diverter valve jet selectors are installed try to find the middle setting so water flows from both sets or all of the jets.
4. Open manual air control knobs slightly (knobs that add air to the jetted water) if equipped.
5. Adjust P.H. to the ok or ideal range on your test kit. This could take up to 24hrs. to perform depending on the water supply. City water should already be ideal but test for it anyway.
6. After P.H. is ideal add mineral inhibitor (stain and scale control) if minerals like iron, calcium or lime are a problem in the water supply used.Note: For enclosed Spas ventilate the room by opening windows and/or turning on fans prior to proceeding.
7. With all water pumps running on high speed; add regular household bleach directly to the water at a ratio of 1/2 cup per 50 gallons of water. Allow to run on high speed to mix and strip plumbing system. If the spa has automatic off settings like after 20-30 minutes, re-activate at the end of the cycles a couple more times to flush the plumbing system.
8. Activate if equipped: Forced air blowers, misters or any other water feature multiple times for at least 10-15 minutes per activation to ensure solution is in them. Example; forced air blower systems purge water out of fiberglass air channels or pvc manifolds prior to air bubbles exiting the injector ports and into the vessel. The idea is to flush out the water and allow solution mix to enter the air cavities to break down contaminants. Turning on and off air blowers and other water features multiple times will accomplish that and also flush out contaminant particles into the spa.
9. Turn spa power supply off.
10. Skim water of large particles with a leaf skimmer or butterfly net.
11. Clean suction screen(s) see Fig.3 below with a clean brush on a pole and skim out.
12. Remove filter cartridge(s) and rinse out with garden hose sprayer, Then re-install.
13. Turn spa power supply on, set to normal cycle used for heating and filtration.
14. Install clean spa cover.
Allow 3-4 days for bleach to dissipate(Some city water will take longer) before planning on usage or adding other sanitizers to maintain normal water chemistry. Use a Chlorine test kit to determine level.
- Determine vessels water capacity - Refer to owners manual. Generally an 8' by 8' vessel will hold 400 to 500 gallons of water depending on the seat configurations.
- Have clean filter cartridges ready. For a home remedy on how to properly clean see this page link: Spa, Hot Tub or Pool Filter Cartridge Cleaning Instructions and Advice
- Have a clean spa cover ready. For a home remedy on how to properly clean see this page link: Spa and Hot Tub Vinyl Cover Cleaning and Maintenance Advice
- If your spa was empty already continue with the steps below. If your sanitizing due to a water chemistry issue we recommend draining and refilling vessel prior to
continuing with this process to expel incorrect balances.
Steps:
1. Fill vessel at least one inch higher than manufactures recommended water level to cover usual water line or any scum lines. Do not over flow. Using a garden hose filter is highly recommended from Spa Tec for troubled water supplies or not. Lets remove any impurities before they enter the vessel. See Fig.1 below.
2. Install clean filter cartridge(s).
3. Activate all water pumps to prime system. Ensure water is coming out of all jets prior to proceeding. Some spas have jets that can be manually turned off at the jet face - See Fig.2 below. If diverter valve jet selectors are installed try to find the middle setting so water flows from both sets or all of the jets.
4. Open manual air control knobs slightly (knobs that add air to the jetted water) if equipped.
5. Adjust P.H. to the ok or ideal range on your test kit. This could take up to 24hrs. to perform depending on the water supply. City water should already be ideal but test for it anyway.
6. After P.H. is ideal add mineral inhibitor (stain and scale control) if minerals like iron, calcium or lime are a problem in the water supply used.Note: For enclosed Spas ventilate the room by opening windows and/or turning on fans prior to proceeding.
7. With all water pumps running on high speed; add regular household bleach directly to the water at a ratio of 1/2 cup per 50 gallons of water. Allow to run on high speed to mix and strip plumbing system. If the spa has automatic off settings like after 20-30 minutes, re-activate at the end of the cycles a couple more times to flush the plumbing system.
8. Activate if equipped: Forced air blowers, misters or any other water feature multiple times for at least 10-15 minutes per activation to ensure solution is in them. Example; forced air blower systems purge water out of fiberglass air channels or pvc manifolds prior to air bubbles exiting the injector ports and into the vessel. The idea is to flush out the water and allow solution mix to enter the air cavities to break down contaminants. Turning on and off air blowers and other water features multiple times will accomplish that and also flush out contaminant particles into the spa.
9. Turn spa power supply off.
10. Skim water of large particles with a leaf skimmer or butterfly net.
11. Clean suction screen(s) see Fig.3 below with a clean brush on a pole and skim out.
12. Remove filter cartridge(s) and rinse out with garden hose sprayer, Then re-install.
13. Turn spa power supply on, set to normal cycle used for heating and filtration.
14. Install clean spa cover.
Allow 3-4 days for bleach to dissipate(Some city water will take longer) before planning on usage or adding other sanitizers to maintain normal water chemistry. Use a Chlorine test kit to determine level.
Fig.1 garden hose filter.
Fig.2 water jets, the face turns on and off.
Fig.3 suction for water pumps.