Cleaning and Servicing

Now that we have reviewed what makes a hot tub "tick," including the components of water chemistry itself, we turn to the most basic aspect of water maintenance routine cleaning and servicing. We first review the tools of the trade and then describe how to use them in a typical service procedure call and in special situations.

Hot Tub Tools

Cleaning and servicing a hot tub is not a simple task, there are many tools available for this task, here we will talk about some of these hot tub tools.

Telepole

Made of aluminum or fiberglass, the telepole (telescoping pole) is the backbone of the hot tub cleaning system. The one used most for hot tubs is 4 feet (1.2 meters) long, telescoping to 8 feet (2.4 meters) by withdrawing the inner pole out of the outer one. The two poles are locked together by twisting them in opposite directions, engaging a cam lock or compression ring nut. The end of the pole will have a handgrip or a rounded tip to prevent the hand from slipping off the pole.

At the end of the outer pole you will notice two small holes drilled through each side of the end, about 2 inches (5 centimeters) from the end and again about 6 inches (15 centimeters) higher. The diameter of the pole is designed to fit the various tools you will use; you attach them to the pole by sliding the end of the tool into the end of the pole, where it is held in place with small clips. Other tools are designed to slip over the circumference of the pole, but they also use a clip device to secure the tool to the holes at the end of the telepole.

Leaf Rake

The net itself is made from stainless steel mesh, and the frame is aluminum with a generous 16-inch-wide (40-centimeter) opening. The leaf rake shank fits into the telepole and clips in place as previously described. Be careful not to spill acid or other caustic chemicals on your leaf rake; either the metal or plastic mesh will deteriorate and holes will develop. Some leaf rakes are designed to disassemble and replace the netting as needed.

Wall Brush

The wall brush is designed to brush the interior surfaces of the hot tub. It is made of an aluminum frame with a shank that fits the telepole, and the nylon bristles are built on the brush either straight across or curved slightly at each end. The curved unit is useful for getting into corners and tight step areas. Wall brushes come in various sizes, the most common for hot tub use being 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) wide. Brushes are also made with stainless steel bristles for heavy stains or algae problems. Always use a stainless steel brush if you need the added strength of metal. Common steel bristles can snap off during brushing and leave stains on the plaster or plastic when they rust.

Vacuum Head and Hose

There are two ways to vacuum the bottom of a hot tub. One actually sucks dirt from the water and sends it to the filter. The other uses water pressure from a garden hose to force debris into a bag which you then remove and clean (see "hot tub Vacuum" below).

The vacuum head and hose are designed to operate with the hot tub circulation equipment. The hose is attached at one end to the skimmer suction port and at the other end to the vacuum head. The vacuum head is also attached to the telepole. With the pump running, you can now glide the vacuum head over the underwater surfaces, vacuuming up the dirt directly to the filter.

Vacuum heads are made of flexible plastic, with plastic wheels or a brush that keeps the head just above the hot tub surface. The flexibility of the head allows it to contour to the curvature of hot tub corners and bottoms.

The wheel version is best on larger hot tubs and those with plaster surfaces; the brush model is best on plastic surfaces that might be scratched by wheels.

Hoses are also available in economy models (thin plastic material) through "Cadillacs" (heavy rubber plastic material with ribs to protect against wear) and in various lengths (10 to 50 feet, or 3 to 15 meters). The hose cuff is made 11/4-inch (32-millimeter) or 11/2-inch (40-millimeter) diameter, to coordinate with similar vacuum head dimensions. Cuffs are female-threaded at the end that attaches to the hose itself, so you can screw replacements onto a hose. The best cuffs allow them to swivel on the end of the hose so that when you are vacuuming, there is less tendency to coil and kink the hose.

Hot Tub Vacuum

Hot tub vacuum (called a hot tub vac), attaches to a telepole and a garden hose and operates by forcing water from the hose into the unit, where it is diverted into dozens of tiny jets, which are directed up toward a fabric bag on top of the unit. The upwelling water creates a vacuum at the base, sucking leaves and debris into the unit and up to the bag. Water passes through the mesh of the bag, but the debris is trapped.

Fine dirt will pass through the filter bag; however, a fine-mesh bag is sold for these units, and simply double-bagging will capture more dirt. I use a fine-mesh sock or ladies' hosiery, attached to the hot tub vac inside the bag provided for finer filtering of dirt.

There are two other types of hot tub vac. The hand-pump model creates its own suction, and a battery-powered unit has a built-in pump.

Tile Brush and Tile Soap

Tile brushes are made to snap into your telepole so you can scrub the tile without too much bending. Mounted to a simple L-shaped, two-part aluminum tube, the brush itself is about 3 inches x 5 inches (8 centimeters X 13 centimeters) with a fairly abrasive foam pad for effective scrubbing.

I have found that these brushes are valuable for wiping a bit of algae off ladders or other tricky spots in hot tubs, but the elbow grease required to remove body oil, suntan oil, and scale from tiles is much more than you can get at the end of the telepole. Therefore, I also carry a barbecue grill cleaning pad. It has a convenient grip handle and an abrasive Brillo-type pad, much more effective at cleaning tiles. Since this will also require getting on your hands and knees around the entire circumference of the hot tub, carry a foam kneepad as well!

Tile soap is sold in standard preparation at the supply house, but I recommend mixing it into another container with 1 part muriatic acid for every 5 parts soap. This will help cut the stubborn stains and oils, but it will also eat into the plastic on the tile brush pads and the plastic of the barbecue brush handle, so keep rinsing them in hot tub water after each application and scrubbing. Don't use other types of soap in place of tile formulations, since they may foam and suds up when they enter the circulation system (especially in hot tubs).

Test Kit

Our advice to you is to buy the best test kit you can afford and keep it in good working order. Your chemical testing is by far the most important aspect of maintaining the hot tub. Since test kits and methods were discussed previously, I will not repeat the information here.

Pumice Stones

The soft pumice stone, made from volcanic ash, is abrasive enough to remove scale from tiles and other deposits or stains from plaster surfaces without scratching them excessively. Pumice stones are sold as blocks, about the size of a brick, and as small "bladed" stones which attach to your telepole for reaching tight hot tubces and underwater depths. Since pumice stones disintegrate easily, it is wise to use them before you vacuum a hot tub. Alternately, you can brush the residue to the main drain where it will be carried to the filter.