Joni from Denver writes,
Hi Pros,
How often should I switch out the filters in my hot tub? I have never been comfortable with what a proper maintenance cycle should be. Can you advise?
The Pros recommend changing out your filters once per year at a minimum. As with everything in life, the answer depends largely on your hot tub use. If you use your tub on a daily basis, and never shower before you enter your tub, your filters will simply not last as long as if you use your spa twice a week, and shower every single time before you get into your spa.
The number of users of your hot tub will dramatically effect the filter life also. In general, doubling the number of users will half the life of your filter.
Search this forum for our tips on how to maintain your hot tub for information on giving your filters a longer life, which reduces the operational costs of running your hot tub. Among our tips is to use a tennis ball or two in the tub or skimmer to collect oils from the water – before they can reach the filters. This keeps oils and residue from slowly clogging the filters and the tennis balls can be inexpensively exchanged when they become “saturated”.
Filters wear out by the very, very fine mesh slowly enlarging, which has the affect of letting larger and larger debris and/or bacteria pass through the filter. This can allow grit to accumulate in pipes and/or jets, which will therefore increase the back pressure on the manifold. Should the manifold crack from this pressure, it is about a $200 repair.
Should the grit get into the pump and damage it, pump replacements are from $300 to $500. Compared to that, changing out the filters more regularly will protect the more expensive parts, and has the nice side benefit of providing a more enjoyable spa experience, knowing your filters are keeping your water clear and healthy all the time.
Happy Tubbing!
Ethel Elliott
