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Clean Filters, Clear Results

The key to spa water clarity

One of the biggest complaints spa retailers get from clients is that their water is cloudy. And the most common cause of cloudy water is dirty filters. As such, it’s important to explain the virtues of filter care to customers.

The importance of clean filters 

Keeping in mind that four people in a hot tub is the equivalent of 200 people in a swimming pool, clean filter cartridges are essential to successful spa water care. They capture debris introduced by bathers like hairspray, makeup, deodorant, perfume, lotions, sunscreen and creams, along with human waste, including body oils, sweat and residual urine, feces, mucus and blood. A dirty hot tub filter can strain your pump, cause the spa to shut down and create cloudy and smelly water. 

How often should a filter be cleaned? The answer depends on several factors, but the biggest one is the volume of debris that is introduced to the water. 

If the spa is at a vacation home that is only used once a month by two people who shower thoroughly before using it, the filter will go months and months before needing to be cleaned. If the spa is at a home where a family of five uses it daily without showering beforehand, the filter will require much more frequent cleaning. 

For example, if on the first day of using a brand-new filter, a bather covered in sunscreen were to use the spa, the sunscreen will wash off their skin and muck up the filter. The filter may look clean, but the tiny holes in the fabric are clogged and nothing works well. Add all the shock and clarifier you want, but if the filter is dirty, your water will remain cloudy.  

If you are not showering thoroughly before using your spa, then your spa is essentially a bathtub. At our house, the rule for family and guests is to “shower as if you’re getting ready to go on a first date.”

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Proper cleaning techniques

If your cleaning method is to simply rinse your filter with fresh water, that’s like washing your hair without shampoo. Instead, use a product designed to clean filters. After soaking the filter in cleaner, remove debris from the pleats by using a strong stream of water. Devices like the Filter Flosser and the Aqua Comb can make the job easier.

If after rinsing your filter, the fabric does not appear brand new, there is still discoloration in the pleats or it smells dirty, then it is not clean, and you need to reevaluate your current cleaning techniques. Many people gently use a pressure washer to remove debris after soaking the filter, but caution is necessary because the strong jet of water can damage the filter. 

It is much easier to keep a filter clean than it is to clean a filter.”

Tim Rodger, The Spa Marvel Company

For most spa owners, a proper monthly cleaning, augmented by routinely rinsing the filter with fresh water each week and after heavy bather loads, will maintain the filter. But it can never be too clean, and it is much easier to keep a filter clean than it is to clean a filter. 

Replacing and maintaining filters

Filters don’t last forever. Although they may look fine to the naked eye, they wear out as they are used; a 1-year-old filter might allow twice as much debris to pass through as it did when it was new, hurting water quality. Hot tub filters ought to be replaced at minimum after every six months of use or half a dozen cleanings, whichever comes first. 

Not all filters are created equal. Using a quality filter will yield better results, helping to maintain clearer water for longer.