Hot tub filters are one of the most important parts of your hot tub.
They do a significant amount of work, keeping your water crystal clear so you can soak your stress away in the cleanest water possible.
If you fail to take care of your hot tub filter, it could develop a thick layer of dirt and grime and be unable to do its job effectively.
Leave it long enough, and you’ll lift your hot tub cover to discover smelly or cloudy water, and no matter how much shock treatment you add, your water won’t get any cleaner!
Keeping your filters clean is essential.
Filters have a fairly long lifespan and are easy to clean. Adding a filter clean to your regular hot tub maintenance routine will help minimize replacement costs and save your water.
In this article, we’ll teach you how to clean your hot tub filters step by step, so you can maximize their lifespan and be confident your water is always clean!
What Does Your Hot Tub Filter Do, and Why Does It Need To Be Cleaned?
Before we get started on how to clean your filters, we should cover the basics first.
As mentioned above, your filter does the heavy lifting to keep your hot tub water clean.
As your water cycles through your hot tub system, your filter will collect any dirt, debris, organic matter, and, depending on your spa, even bacteria that’s built up in the water.
When your filters are clean and able to do their job effectively, they reduce the amount of chemicals you need to treat your water. It also protects your entire system, minimizing the risk of debris building up in your pump or pipes.
Best of all, when you keep your filters clean, you can save money simply by minimizing the risk of future damage and reducing the time you need to spend maintaining your hot tub.
If your filters are left with a buildup of grime on them, your water won’t be effectively cleaned. This could result in overtreating your water with your sanitizer or, even worse, developing a rash from unseen bacteria that’s built up in your spa!
How Often Should I Clean My Hot Tub Filter?
Your filters are the barrier between your water and everything that comes in contact with it, making them one of the dirtiest parts of your hot tub.
This makes their cleaning regime more extensive, with various types of cleaning at different intervals.
To maintain your filters long-term, you should rinse them once a week, deep clean them every month, and soak them in cleaning chemicals once every three months.
Your weekly clean will be as simple as rinsing it to remove any debris that’s built up over the week. This will keep it running at peak performance and minimize the risk of excessive buildup occurring.
Even though you’re cleaning it once a week, it’s important to include a chemical rinse once a month.
This clean will require some extra materials, like a quality filter cleaner, and will be vital in maintaining your filters long-term.
To maximize your filter’s life, you should soak your filter in the filter cleaner for a deep clean every three months. This is ideally done when you complete your quarterly water change, making it an easy addition to your maintenance schedule.
How To Clean Your Hot Tub Filter in 3 Easy Steps
Now that you know what to expect, let’s break it down into easy-to-follow steps so you can make the most of your relaxing spa sessions every time you drop down into the warm, clean water!
Step One: Weekly Clean
This clean will be your preventative measure against the excessive buildup of dirt, debris, and your treatment products over time.
It’s essential to include this in your regular hot tub maintenance routine.
Your weekly filter clean is a simple process and won’t take you long to complete.
You’ll want to start by removing your filter and rinsing it under running water from your garden hose.
Avoid using a high-pressure spray. If you put too much pressure on your filter, you could damage it or cause tears in the material, costing you extra money by replacing it earlier than necessary.
The most important part of this cleaning is to help the water get in between the filter’s pleats.
As the water runs over the filter, gently pull your thumb over them, slightly pulling them away from one another so the water can get in the cracks.
Ensuring the water can rinse every inch of the filter will help remove the most amount of debris possible and leave you with a filter that looks like new!
Once you’re confident your filter is fully cleaned, simply set it aside to dry before putting it back into your hot tub.
Step Two: Monthly Chemical Spray
Your monthly clean will help renew your hot tub filters by giving them a more effective clean using a cleaner specifically made for their material, breaking down any stubborn debris.
This step will help extend your filter life and provide an opportunity to thoroughly inspect your filters after the filter cleaner has been rinsed off.
Once you’ve removed your filter from your hot tub, give it a quick rinse with your garden hose to remove any surface debris.
Then, using a spray bottle filled with diluted filter cleaner, spray the entire outside of the filter, ensuring you gently move the pleats to get the cleaner inside the folds.
Let this sit for 15 minutes. This will ensure the filter cleaner has a chance to break down any debris that’s a bit more difficult to remove, such as organic matter or oils.
After you’ve let it sit, thoroughly rinse it with your garden hose, ensuring all the cleaning product gets rinsed off.
Once it’s been rinsed, set it aside to fully dry, then return it to your hot tub!
Step Three: Quarterly Deep Clean
This clean will be the most intensive of all, however, it is a simple addition to your regular quarterly water change and deep clean of your hot tub.
Soaking your hot tub filter in the cleaner will greatly extend its life and give it time to deeply clean your entire filter, easily seeping into the folds of the pleats and saturating them.
This will give your filters a powerful clean and will leave them looking nearly brand new.
This step will also help you determine if it’s time to replace your filters, ensuring your hot tub is always running at peak performance, and your filtration system is working as efficiently as possible.
You’ll need a large bucket, filter cleaner, and water for this cleaning.
Before you add your filter to the bucket, rinse it off as you usually would for your weekly clean to remove any surface debris.
Once it’s been rinsed off, complete a thorough inspection for any tears or damage. If you spot any issues with it, throw it out and replace it with a new one, skipping this cleaning step. However, if your filter looks good, you can start getting your filter ready for its chemical soak.
Your filter cleaner will have some instructions on it for the proper ratio to dilute it, and it’s important you follow their recommendation.
Once you know your water to cleaner ratio, simply fill your bucket with the necessary water and add in your filter cleaner.
Gently put your hot tub filter into the bucket and let it soak for 12-24 hours. The longer you leave it to soak, the cleaner it will get.
After your hot tub filter is done soaking, thoroughly rinse it with the garden hose, ensuring all the filter cleaner has been rinsed from it. Use your thumb to gently move the pleats to rinse the cleaner out from between them.
Once it’s been rinsed, set it aside to fully dry, then reinstall it in your hot tub!
Tip: It’s recommended to replace your filter every year, so if you’re concerned that it’s near the end of its life and you can’t remember the last time you replaced it, simply install a new one instead of performing the deep clean.
If you’re looking for a way to make caring for your hot tub easier, check out how the new Bullfrog M Series, like their M8, have taken the work out of filter care!
Can I Use Household Cleaners on My Hot Tub Filter?
While many articles support using household items to clean your filters or with natural DIY cleaning solutions, it’s best not to use household products on your hot tub filters.
If you use the wrong products, you could damage them, and it could cause you to replace them more frequently, increasing your regular maintenance cost.
Additionally, these DIY solutions can leave a film on your filters or cling to them, ending up in your water once you reinstall them!
The best way to care for your filters and get the most out of them is to use a high-quality filter cleaner purchased from a reputable dealership or pool and spa store.
Hot Tubs, Pools, and Backyard Essentials In Peabody
Caring for your hot tub filters is essential in maintaining the health of your water, and our team is here to support you with all your spa and water needs.
Budget Pools & Spas has been your one-stop shop for backyard essentials and water care products for over 50 years. We’re committed to our customers and want you to have the best hot tub experience possible!
If you need support for your pool or hot tub, give us a call or visit us in-store to explore our wide range of backyard leisure products and water care essentials.
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