A swim spa can be an exciting and rewarding purchase, but it’s important to consider all of the responsibilities that come with it. After all, you’ll have to do a certain amount of maintenance to keep your swim spa in great condition. 

So are swim spas high maintenance? Here’s what you need to know about swim spas and what tasks you can expect to perform to keep them running at their best.

What is a Swim Spa?

Swim spas are a hybrid of a hot tub and a swimming pool. They offer the heated water and comfortable seating of a hot tub along with innovative jetstream technology that allows you to swim in place and enjoy low-impact exercise that engages the whole body — much like you can with a pool. However, their smaller size allows for a much more affordable experience than a pool, while also making it easier to fit on a property. 

Swim spas are growing in popularity because they combine the health benefits of heated water (improved circulation and reduced inflammation) with the benefits of aquatic exercise (low impact and full body workouts) to provide a unique, luxurious, and healthy experience.

How Much Maintenance Do Swim Spas Require?

While the benefits of a swim spa are plenty, you’ll need to commit some time and energy to maintain it. If you don’t, the water will become cloudy and full of debris, and your filtration system will get clogged. This increases the risk of a breakdown and potentially shortens the lifespan of your investment. 

HP22 14AX Sport swim spa with steps and gazebos

Fortunately, swim spas really aren’t really high maintenance — the amount of work you can expect is about the same as a standard hot tub and a lot less laborious than a swimming pool. With that in mind, here’s what you can expect: 

Keeping an Ideal Water Level

If the water level of your swim spa is too low or too high, it may not function properly. So it’s wise to regularly check the water level to ensure it’s at the ideal spot. The proper water level will vary by swim spa model, so make sure that you know what yours is.

Testing the Water

One of the keys to proper swim spa maintenance is regularly testing the water to keep its pH levels balanced. Imbalanced water will get dirty and cloudy easily, and it also allows for bacteria and algae growth. So use a test strip two or three times a week, and always make sure you have the necessary chemicals in advance.

Cleaning and Changing the Filters

Your swim spa’s filters will do the bulk of the work when it comes to cleaning the water, but you’ll have to keep the filters clean so they can do that work as efficiently as possible. How often you’ll need to clean your filters will depend on your swim spa model and your frequency of use, but in general, you should clean them about once a month and replace them every 6 to 12 months.

covered Hydropool 19EX Trainer Covana swim spa on a wooden deck in a backyard with lush greenery and outdoor seating area under a pergola.

Changing the Water

With Hydropool’s innovative self-cleaning system, you only need to change the water in your swim spa once a year. This remarkable technology filters 100% of the water every 15 minutes, ensuring crystal-clear water year-round. This makes maintenance a breeze!

Make Maintenance Easier With a Self-Cleaning Spa

As you can see, swim spa maintenance really isn’t that intensive. However, it’s still a chore you’ll need to be diligent about if you want to keep your investment in peak condition. If you want to reduce your responsibilities, you can get a spa with self-cleaning technology, like a Hydropool. While it won’t mean you can completely step away from maintenance tasks, it will greatly reduce your workload and allow you to enjoy your spa with minimal effort.

Hydropool Chappel swim spa installed on a wooden deck angle view

Self-cleaning Hydropool spas come with an especially efficient filtration system and an automatic dosing system to keep the water contaminant-free and balanced without you having to lift a finger. It even uses powerful jets to propel debris toward a high-flow skimmer, removing the need for you to vacuum the bottom or skim the surface. If you’re ready to start looking at swim spas for your home — including self-cleaning solutions like the Hydropool — reach out to Great Bay Spa & Sauna today, and we’ll help you get started.