Spare hot tub covers

It is worth mentioning another brief note about hot tub chemicals, now that we have covered what products are available to you in the cleaning of your hot tub. Parts of the spa and some spa accessories can sustain damage, or at the very least premature wear and tear, if proper procedures aren't followed in the chemical treatment process. For example, poorly dissolved granules and tablets can eat away at the liner, shell or even hot tub covers so it pays to do it right.

Before adding any dry products like chlorine or bromine granules, mix it in a large bucket with plenty of water until the granules are thoroughly dissolved. Then it's safe to pour the liquid into the spa. If more than one product is to be added to the spa, introduce each chemical separately; never combine two or more chemicals before adding them to the water. The fumes created by this reaction could be harmful.

Get the most out of your home spa - by not using it. That is, don't run it ragged at times when no one is enjoying it. During the winter months, or whatever time of year the spa is in use the least, it may be possible to reduce filtration cycles from the standard four-hour cycles to three hours and still adequately maintain the water. This conserves energy and also reduces wear and tear on mechanical hot tub parts.

To cut down on the loss of heat, it helps to build in wind breaks around the spa and choose one of the insulated hot tub covers from Spacare.com. When combined with a floating thermal blanket, a cover can maintain a decent temperature in the spa for hours, even with the heat turned off for energy conservation.