Relaxing in a clean and rejuvenating hot tub starts with quality water. Regular water testing ensures perfectly balanced water that prevents potentially harmful bacteria and keeps the hot tub mechanics running smoothly. That way, you can enjoy your hot tub much longer.

Dive into this guide to water-testing your hot tub so you can confidently relax this summer.

Start Your Hot Tub Maintenance with Water Testing

Preventing issues before they occur is the most effective form of hot tub maintenance. By being proactive, you can avoid potential problems, such as chemical buildup in your hot, which can impact your hot tub’s mechanics and affect your skin.

Tips for Accurate Water Testing

There are three primary ways you can test your hot tub water:

  • Water testing strips: The most affordable and convenient testing method. You dip a strip in a water sample and have results in seconds. However, they are also most prone to errors as there’s a chance the strips might be contaminated.
  • Liquid test kit: More accurate than testing strips and can test for more chemicals and levels in your hot tub water. However, water testing kits can be more challenging to read than testing strips because the color can be hard to see.
  • On-site water testing: Test your water sample at a local hot tub dealer location. On-site water testing is the most accurate and comprehensive because a trained water specialist examines the sample.

How to Collect a Water Sample from Your Hot Tub

For the most accurate results, follow these steps to collect your hot tub water sample:

  • Use a clean cup or bottle that holds at least 8 ounces (Avoid containers that have held food with vinegar, like pickle jars or containers that have held any chemicals).
  • If you plan to transport the water to a hot tub dealer, have a lid or cap available.
  • Ensure your hands are clean when handling the cup, as your body oils can impact your test.
  • Collect water from the center of the hot tub and avoid hot tub jets.
  • Push the cup elbow-deep under the water before turning it upright, so you don’t collect surface water.
  • Collect fresh samples for each test to avoid contaminating the sample between tests.

Also, consider the timing of collecting your sample. You want to avoid collecting water within 48 hours of adding chemicals to the hot tub. 

How to Use Most Test Strips

Water test strips are the most popular way to check your water regularly. They’re affordable and easy to see the colors. Follow these steps to use hot tub water test strips accurately:

  • Collect a water sample in an eight oz. container.
  • Briefly dip the tip of your water test in the sample.
  • Hold the strip horizontally while avoiding the tip or laying it on any surface that might impact the results.
  • Compare the color of the strip to your testing kit’s color guide after 15 seconds.

How to Use AquaChek® Test Strips

  1. With a dry hand, remove one test strip from the container, and dip it into the water.
  2. Remove the test strip from the water and wait 15 seconds.
  3. Compare the color results from the test strip to the chart provided with the product to understand each chemical’s balance.

AquaChek® Test Strip Color Guide

How To Use Frog® Test Strips

  1. Pop open the top
  2. Dip for 2 seconds in 6” of water
  3. Remove the pads and shake
  4. Read the results

Frog® Test Strip Color Guide

Water Tests

Follow these steps to use your water testing kit:

  • Collect clean hot tub water using the collector in your kit.
  • Add the appropriate drops to the water sample.
  • Do not put different water testing drops in the same water sample, but ensure you’re using separate samples.
  • Compare the water’s color to the enclosed color chart while viewing it against a white background.

When Should You Test Your Water?

Here is how often you should test your hot tub water:

  • Use at-home testing once or twice a week.
  • Perform additional testing after parties, heavy use, or water irregularities.
  • Use professional testing to double-check your water quality once a month.
  • Use professional testing if there are consistent irregularities or if you need help balancing your water.

Recommended Levels

Keeping your water levels balanced ensures your sanitizer works effectively. The proper levels also prevent bacteria from entering the water, so you stay safe and clean while relaxing in your hot tub.

Maintaining proper water levels prevents hardness, acidity, and metals from impacting your hot tub mechanics. In addition, you prevent chemical buildups that can erode the mechanics or clog the water jets.

Use this chart when testing your water levels to ensure you have the proper balance for a healthy hot tub experience.

  • pH: 7.2 – 7.4
  • Total Alkalinity: 80 – 120 ppm 
  • Hardness: 200 – 400 ppm
  • Metals: None
  • Total Dissolved Solids: Not to Exceed 2,000 ppm

Professional Water Testing

Regularly checking your water with a hot tub professional ensures accurate results and can help you balance your water when your tests are high or low. Great Bay Spa & Sauna offers professional water testing you can count on. Our water specialists can also provide expert advice and personalized care based on your results so you can fully enjoy your hot tub.

Contact us for more information about our professional water testing.