Hot Tub Myths...

Chlorine causes my eyes to sting in the hot tub...

MYTH - Chlorine does not cause your eyes to sting in a hot tub or swimming pool. An incorrect PH level can contribute towards over-acidic or alkali water stinging your eyes. Another contributor towards eye sting is bacteria from other people, which is not being killed by chlorine, this suggests a low chlorine level and poor sanitisation rather than chlorine itself causing eyes to sting. Evidence of this is at public swimming pools, where eye sting is usually most severe due to the number of bathers using the pool compared and an inability to chlorinate sufficiently with so many users.

Hot Tubs are best in summer...

MYTH - Whilst it is a matter of opinion whether hot tubs are best in summer or winter, a general consensus within the hot tub industry suggests you cannot beat hot tubbing in the snow, wind or rain. The popularity of hot tubs in Northern Europe & Scandinavia reinforces the popularity of bathing in arctic conditions, whats better than relaxing in a hot tub at 40 degrees, whilst the snow falls around you. The winter/summer debate lives on!

The More Jets, the Better...

MYTH - Its the top sales feature of most hot tubs, the amount of jets, yet usually this does not affect the quality of massage. When a salesmen hits you with jet figures of 100-150, your initial reaction is "wow", but when you realise that the same amount of pumps power an 100 jet hot tub as a 40 jet spa, you should realise that power in a spa with a large amount of jets is simply spread more and power is less in each jet. Also, remember the saying..."Quality, not Quantity", well this is key, our Astro Spas are produced to give your muscles a precision massage rather than a weaker, less directed massage, which simply wastes pump power.

I need to run plumbing lines to my backyard hot tub...

MYTH - In all portable spas, the equipment & plumbing is built into the cabinet and shell, meaning you simply have to fill the hot tub using your hose pipe and no external plumbing is required. For draining, you can simply use a built in gravity drain (if your spa has one) or use a submersible pump to drain the water.

I need to empty my hot tub after each use...

MYTH - All portable hot tubs have built in flow-thru filtration systems to ensure the water is constantly filtered and by adding chemicals, you will not need to empty your hot tub regularly, just like a swimming pool. However, we do recommend emptying your hot tub about once every three months, as the water becomes over-saturdated with chemicals.

I need to turn my hot tub off after use...

MYTH - Although this is possible, it is a common myth that hot tubs should be turned off every time after use, as the filtration cycles keep the water fresh and in order to maintain temperature to save costs, the flow-thru heater must be on. Most hot tubs have various modes, such as Economy, to save energy.

Myths....Busted !

Eddie.

HHT.

eddie@happyhottubs.co.uk

How to Drain a Hot Tub ?

It is recommended that you empty your hot tub roughly every 3 months, as the sanitisation of water can only go so far before chemicals do not affect the quality of water. So, this leads onto the question of, how do i drain my hot tub ?

Well, the first and most simple way would be using a built-in gravity drain, usually situated on the outside of the hot tub, either coming out of the base or panel. These are available on certain models, but not others, so ensure you check with your retailer to see if you have one built in. These drains usually work very simply, by either pulling out the drain to activate it, pressing the centre of the external adapter or simply turning a handle to allow water flow. The hot tub will then drain using gravity, this can be slow in some models, yet is increasingly efficient with newer models, draining hot tubs in less than 10 minutes. The main issue with these drains is their vulnerability to breakage and leaking, simply due to them being external and under high pressure from water. Once the hot tub is fully drained, ensure your drain is left open to prevent the pipes cracking due to freezing in winter.

If your hot tub does not contain a drain, don't worry, some hot tubs do not have drains due to the issues mentioned above, but there are still two simple ways to empty your hot tub.

Firstly, you can empty your hot tub using the traditional method of siphoning, using an existing hose pipe to slowly drain the hot tub. This is the more cost effective way, by using a hose pipe, one end in the hot tub, the other in the area you want to drain the water to, you then must get a flow of water going, by either sucking on the hose pipe or lifting up the hot tub end of the hose pipe and quickly placing back into the spa. Once the flow is going, you can leave the hose to drain the hot tub in its own time.

If you need the hot tub emptied faster than it would by siphoning, you will need to invest in a submersible pump (Image-Top Right). This is a water pump, with a floating cut-off switch, used to drain hot tubs in minutes. Simply plug in, place in the hot tub and wait for it to finish. The pump uses a lay flat hose to drain the water out, so you can customise the hose length to your requirements. To see the submersible pumps available from us see our website- (http://bit.ly/16rB18I) or call us on (UK-0845 366 1122).

Happy Hot Tubbing.

Eddie. HHT.

eddie@happyhottubs.co.uk

Hot Tub Headrest Problems

Damaged hot tub pillows, Its probably the biggest warranty issue for

hot tub manufacturers and the most bugging thing for hot tub owners.

The truth is, its inevitable that a soft, rubber/vinyl item, in a warm, damp & chlorinated environment will eventually deplete. The main problem being the chlorination of hot tub water in affecting the condition of the spa pillows. As you may know, Chlorine attacks everything, whether its skin, lungs, eyes or even rusting metals. So, when a soft vinyl spa headrest is enclosed in a chlorinated environment, the laminate on the pillows breaks up and eventually the internal rubber will start to flake off. So what can you do ?

Well, we sometimes recommend removing headrests from the hot tub when it is not in use, this obviously removes them from the damp, chlorinated environment, prolonging their life. The one issue that arises from constantly removing headrests is the lugs on the back ripping off upon removal, this means the pillow cannot be secured properly, so if removing headrests, you must be careful and ensure the lugs do not rip. If this is too much of a hassle then we try to reinforce the idea of leaving the spa cover off for 10-15 minutes after chlorination, this gives time for the nasty chlorine gases to disperse in the air, not directly onto the hot tub cover or headrests.

So, your hot tub pillows are totally unusable and are flaking into the water, what now ? Well, you really need to remove them totally, or purchase new ones. Headrests have always been a high-cost spare on hot tubs, due to their specialist moulds and variation, meaning manufacturers can charge astronomical prices. So, it would be sensible to look after the pillows whilst they are still usable, saving money in the long-term.

We are happy to help over the phone (Tel:0845 366 1122) or e-mail us with any questions about headrest care (admin@happyhottubs.co.uk). We stock a variety of headrests, from Master Spa to Spaform, so if you require a quote, e-mail us a picture and we will get back to you with a price.

Happy Hot Tubbing !