Are you the proud new owner of a hot tub, or soon to be one? As soon as it’s been installed, you’ll probably want to take it for a test run and start enjoying its luxurious features. Yet, there are some steps that you need to do first before you can take full advantage of it.
These range from the obvious (fill it with water) to the not-so-obvious, like adding certain hot tub chemicals. In this guide on how to turn on a hot tub for the first time, we’ll walk you through each step of the way so that you can start enjoying your hot tub to its fullest extent.
How to Start a Hot Tub in 5 Steps
You can easily start your hot tub by following these 5 simple steps:
- Rinsing and draining your hot tub
- Cleaning your tub and checking its condition
- Prepare and install your filter
- Fill your hot tub and prepare your pump
- Add chemicals and clean your water
1. Rinsing and Draining Your Hot Tub
So, your hot tub has been installed, it’s here, and you’re ready to go. Your first step, as counterintuitive as it might sound, involves draining your hot tub. This is because a lot of hot tubs have antifreeze in their plumbing to prevent them from freezing up during storage or transport. Flushing this out involves filling up your hot tub’s footwell with water, running the pump to let it circulate for several minutes, and then draining it.
We’ve previously covered how to drain a hot tub, which we’d recommend exploring to learn more.
2. Cleaning Your Tub and Checking Its Condition
There’s a little more prep work for you to take care of! Now that you’ve rinsed and drained your hot tub, making it clear of any antifreeze, you need to power your hot tub down and then clean it. This step involves wiping the hot tub down with a dry cloth and a non-abrasive cleaner. You’ll then need to thoroughly rinse your hot tub, as the cleaner will likely make your water foam up later if you don’t remove it.
After this, there’s only one other thing that you need to do – check that your hot tub isn’t damaged at all. In the exceedingly rare circumstance that you find an issue with your hot tub, contact your manufacturer, who will be able to repair or replace it.
3. Prepare and Install Your Filter
Hot tub filters are an essential component of any hot tub. They remove debris and keep your water fresh and clean – you’ll need to replace them every three months, but most hot tubs don’t come with their first one already fitted, so before you use it for the first time, adding one is essential. Take your new filter out of its packaging and install it into the filter well – if your hot tub has multiple filters, install them all.
If you are reusing an old filter that’s still in good working order, you should explore our guide on how to clean a hot tub filter.
4. Fill Your Hot Tub and Prepare Your Pump
Now that the filter is installed, it’s time to fill up your hot tub. The best way to fill your hot tub is with a garden hose with a filter attached. A garden hose filter isn’t necessarily required, but they’re a good idea. They attach to your hose and filter out any impurities, including excess chlorine or minerals like calcium. Fill your tub up to the fill line in your hot tub and no further.
When that’s done, it’s time to prepare your pump for its first use. The pump’s plumbing can sometimes have air stuck in it, so you should use your hot tub’s manual to find the bleeder valve and bleed the plumbing until water comes out in a steady stream. Then tighten the valve back up. Then start the pump up and proceed to the next step.
5. Add Chemicals and Clean Your Water
Even with the filter on your hose, you will still need to add chemicals to your water. While you can use your hot tub without chemicals, it’s not sustainable, nor is it advisable. Turn your hot tub’s pump on and add sanitizer once your hot tub’s water hits 30 degrees. You may need to add other chemicals as well, depending on your manufacturer’s recommendation. Leave your hot tub’s cover off to allow any fumes to vent out into the open air.
Test Your Water
After several hours have passed, you need to test your water before you use your hot tub. Check the sanitiser levels are at the right level, which will vary depending on whether you use chlorine or bromine. You will also need to test your water’s pH levels to make sure that they fall within the required range of 7.2 and 7.8.
At this point, you will also want to set your temperature to between 36 and 38 degrees, letting it warm up over the course of several hours to a full day, depending on ambient conditions.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to turn on a hot tub, your chemicals are balanced, and it’s at the right temperature, it’s time to enjoy it! Take a long soak, relax and start enjoying all the benefits that your fantastic hot tub has to offer.
We hope that this article has helped you set up your new hot tub! If you’ve yet to buy a hot tub and need advice, or have any questions that we can help you with, feel free to contact us, and our expert team will be happy to help you.
How to Turn on a Hot Tub: FAQs
Why Isn’t My Hot Tub Turning On?If you’re trying to work out how to turn on a hot tub, and you’re not sure why it isn’t starting, there could be a serious issue with your tub. The issue could be with your control panel or with the tub’s wiring. If the breaker hasn’t been flipped and the control panel is working, call your manufacturer.
How Long Does a Hot Tub Take to Heat Up?Heating your hot tub’s water from ambient temperature will likely take a while – you should budget around three to eight hours for it to reach the ideal temperature of between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius. Depending on ambient conditions, it may take a different amount of time.
Sarah Elphick is our passionate head of marketing who has years of experience within the leisure, travel & tourism industry. She is well-versed in a range of marketing fields including sales, direct marketing, CRM, brand management, innovation, customer research and much more. Her experience has helped us expand our brand into one of the fastest growing and innovative hot tub manufacturers.
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