Author Archives: Christina Mantoura

Most likely, if you have invested in a quality hot tub, it has been designed to conserve energy, but you can enhance its efficiency with a few small steps. What you really want to focus on is preserving the heat of your hot tub. Let’s take a look at how you can achieve this.

Your hot tub cover:

Since heat rises, you want to focus on conserving the heat of the hot tub at this level. This you can be achieved with a well made hot tub cover. With a quality spa, you won’t have to be concerned about losing heat through its shell.

You need to check your spa cover to make sure it hasn’t been subjected to wear and tear where it is no longer performing at its peak. Usually, when heat leaks occur it is at the hinge fold and around the rims. Perhaps, the sealing qualities have been compromised by age.

The other thing to keep in mind is that if the cover is quite old, it may become water logged. This will be evident if you find that the cover seems to be getting heavier.

Proper placement of the cover is really important. Make sure to take the time to ensure that cover is in its proper position and, if necessary, use tie down straps to keep it in place and stop it from shifting.

Proper location:

Another big factor that can really help with your energy conservation efforts is where you place the hot tub for use, while creating a windbreak, if needed. Not only does this help with energy savings, but it provides a level of privacy. There are lots of options for windbreaks, such as shrubs, privacy panels, or even a spa enclosure.

Vacation settings:

If you are going to be away for a period of time, there is no need to keep your hot tub at its optimized setting. Most vacations are taken during the warmer months, so you can safely turn down the thermostat settings until you get back.

Finally, don’t forget to turn off the air jets, lights and blowers when you are not using the hot tub. All of these energy savings tips are small but are accumulative when it comes to saving on energy, which in turn saves you money.

As a hot tub owner, you know about all the great benefits that a hot tub has to offer. You have probably discovered how easy it is to maintain and this is partly thanks to your hot tub cover. In order to continue experiencing these great benefits, there are some steps that you can take regarding your hot tub cover maintenance that will really help to preserve it and extend its life.

It is going to depend on the type of cover that you are currently using, such as if it’s a hard cover or a soft vinyl cover.

If you have a vinyl cover, you will find that it is comprised of a PVC layer that is backed with fabric. To make the outer layer strong and weather resistant, it is usually top coated with special compounds called plasticizers. Then, softening agents are added to keep it soft and easy to work with.

Over time, this top coat can end up getting damaged, especially from UV rays. Although, some of the better quality hot tub vinyl covers have UV protectors built into them. You can seek out vinyl protection products that contain UV inhibitors that you can apply to enhance the protection of the cover. Just make sure that it is designed for use on hot tub covers. Many of these products that have been designed for this use allow it to be used on the underside of the cover as well to help protect against mildew.

One thing to really be on the lookout for is vinyl treatment products that contain any oils or petroleum distillates. These can be really harsh on vinyl. You also don’t want a product that leaves a coating that looks like dried wax.

While adding extra protection to your vinyl hot tub cover is important, so is the regular cleaning of it. You really should include this as part of your hot tub maintenance program. You can easily clean it with your garden hose and a quality vinyl cleaner. Make sure the run off is not entering the hot tub.

By taking good care of your vinyl hot tub cover you are extending its performance and longevity. This, in turn, is providing the ultimate protection for your hot tub.

Your hot tub is no doubt bringing you a great deal of enjoyment. Chances are, you are finding that you are spending a great deal more time outdoors thanks to your spa. Now, you may be considering enhancing the area of the hot tub and this brings to mind some decking installation.

Enhancing you hot tub area with decking is going to give you some exciting choices both in styles and materials. You really want to make sure that you make the choices that are going to best suit your needs.

You are soon going to find that your new deck is going to be an extension of your indoor living space. It will not only provide a great setting for your hot tub, but will be a place where you can sit and relax after enjoying a session in your tub. It will also be a great location for entertaining friends that have come to enjoy your hot tub with you.

There are so many different types of materials that decking is now comprised of. When it comes to the hardwoods, the favourite choices include teak, mahogany, redwood, cedar and cypress. There are some concerns about the over use of these woods as demand continues to grow. This is leading some to other alternatives, such as man made materials including composite and vinyl decking. Although these can be more expensive initially, they are low maintenance, which compensates for the extra cost. One issue that arises with composite decking is that it will age over time and tends to fade.

You want to pay particular attention to the decking you are going to use around your hot tub because it is going to be exposed to water. You also want to pay attention to the look and feel of the decking, so that it enhances your swim spa, but at the same time is comfortable to walk on. Aside from woods for the decking, you can also consider concrete or stone.

All of the decking materials have pros and cons, so you want to review each of these carefully when making your choice. It must possess all of the safety features like being slip resistant and easy to clean and maintain.

Not only do you have to decide on which decking materials you want, but you also have to consider the size and design. Once you have finished with your decision making and go ahead with your new decking plans, you will love the results and how it enhances your hot tub area.

Maintaining your hot tub should be simple and easy, while not taking up more than a few moments of your time when doing your maintenance. There are several different chemicals that you can use to keep your hot tub optimized and there are products that you can use to test the quality of the water, which are your test strips.

Being able to keep your hot tub in prime condition is going to depend on the information that your water analysis gives you. Some people prefer to use liquid test kits rather than the spa test strips simply because they feel that the liquid version is more accurate. However, technology is really advanced with the testing strips and they are now becoming one of the preferred methods for testing water. The reasons that many people like to use these strips is because they find it much easier and quicker to use, while being more economical when compared to the liquid test kits.

With the liquid test kits, you have to clean the equipment used for the testing before each use. You also have to know the formula of the liquids that you have to use. So, being able to use a test strip, which is requiring no more than dipping the strip into a sample of the water makes it an easy task.

The entire purpose of testing the hot tub water is to make sure that the water that the spa contains is fully balanced. You don’t want too much alkaline and you don’t want it to be too acidic. It also helps to determine how much sanitizer you need to use to keep the water free from bacteria and microorganisms.

When doing any adjustments to the water, the alkalinity should first be adjusted and then check the pH. This is because the total alkalinity will bring the pH into balance.

One of the newer products on the market when it comes to testing strips are those that will allow for the testing of bacteria. How often you need to test depends on the product that you are using to keep the bacteria levels down. If you are using bromine, you may want to check the water weekly, whereas if you’re using other products, you may only need to test twice a month. But, you need to follow the instructions on the product that you are using.

Using the test strip is really easy. All you need to do is let the hot tub water circulate for a few minutes and then take a sample of the water from the spa. You can use a clean plastic drinking glass for this. Then, you take the strip and dip it into the water, so that it is able to wet the test pad section on the strip.

Shake the strip lightly after taking it out of the water and then compare it against the colour comparisons on the chart that you will find on the bottle.

One thing that you want to be careful of is to make sure that you wash your hands before doing the test as the residue on your fingers could affect the test results. Also, make sure that you store the strips properly, so that you’re keeping them at room temperature and in a dry area. Don’t allow them to become exposed to direct sunlight or any moisture. In addition, these strips often have an expiry date on them, so make sure that you check the date and that you are using ones within the appropriate date.