Hopefully we're not the first to tell you that owning a spa, like a car or garden requires maintenance and upkeep. There are a lot of products that greatly reduce the amount of chemical use and maintenance time but NOTHING will make your spa "maintenance free". The most important aspect of spa care is the chemical balance of the water. Adjusting your chemical balance of the spa water is like feeding it. Feed your spa right and it will be healthy, feed it wrong and it will get "sick", and you know what doctor bills are like!
The important thing to remember is a spa is very different from a swimming pool. 4 people in a spa are the equivalent to having 300 people in an average size pool. With the combination of high temperatures and ratio of people to water, problems can occur.
Here are some tips on helping you to maintain water clarity and save you some money in added chemicals.
Residual soaps, deodorants, perfumes, cosmetics and natural body oils and perspiration are released into the spa water and can cause contamination. Oil and soap based products are the #1 enemy of crystal clear spa water. Never use regular cleaners for cleaning your spa. These products contain a very high soap or ammonia based chemistry and if you don't get it all out of the spa you may have a "bubble bath" which will in turn contaminate the water and screw up the chemistry. One of the most common causes of foamy hot tub and water cloudiness is residual detergent in bathing suits. Try using a lower foaming detergent such as Woolite and running the bathing suits through an extra rinse cycle. Wash them only when needed, a separate suit for spa use is recommended. Personal hygiene products belong in the shower. Hair spray, mousse, styling gels, deodorant, anti-perspirerant, suntan lotion, make up, skin creams of any kind and excess sweat will cloud your water and clog your filter, reducing its life and costing more in chemicals. Try showering before using the spa. Conclusively, it's most important to keep oils or soaps of any kind out of the spa! Remember, the spa is not a bath! Following these simple handy instructions will greatly add to the clarity of your spa water.
Another helpful hint is when you are not using the spa keep the air control valves closed. The best time is when you are leaving the spa, make sure to close them. Besides letting in the cold air and increasing heating costs, this air can also be full of dust and air born debris that can cloud the water and increase chemical usage.
The filter cartridge needs to be cleaned regularly. Rinse it out once a week and soak it in a filter clean solution once per month. It needs to be replaced every 6 months to a year depending on spa use and water chemisrty. The fibers in the cartridge start to break down and it will not do as good of a job filtering. It is also a good idea to have an extra cartridge (or set) on hand so you can alternate them. This also will reduce the "down time" of the spa while the other is being soaked in filter clean. These steps will help keep your filter working in top order for a longer time. 

· Weekly Maintenance    The weekly maintenance includes a representative of West's Hillbilly Hot Tubs coming to your spa 1-2 times per week. We will test your spa water and add what chemicals are needed at that time. You can supply your own chemicals or they may be purchased from us. We will discuss with you what chemical program you will be using (i.e. Nature II, Bromine, etc.) and let you know what chemicals will be needed on hand. We will also let you know when they are getting low so you can get more. This should make your spa "maintenance free" for you. With heavy spa use, soap/detergents and certain body chemistry, you may need to put a couple of teaspoons of shock in the spa at each use. The spa will need a water change (drain and fill) a minimum of every 3- 4 months. This may be more frequent due to heavy use, soap or residue build up in spa. The spa scents that are put into the water will also cause the spa to become cloudy.
· Drain and Fill     This is required a minimum of every 3- 4 months depending on which chemicals you use, water chemistry, body chemistry, amount of use and soap and residue build up. You want to be as clean as possible, wash bathing suits in plain water or non-sudsing detergent with an extra rinse. Do not put lotions or oils on your skin unless you are going to wash them off. This will help to preserve the water clarity and sanitation the longest.
· Drain, Scrub and Fill   This should be done once per year. We will drain the spa, remove the jets and clean them, (jets that are "stuck" due to build up will be left and cleaned best as possible to avoid breakage) scrub all build up off the spa shell and apply a spa gloss to help protect your spa shell from scratches and ultra violet rays. This is the spa's "wax job".
· Stain Cabinet  This should be done once per year. We use a redwood or grey breathable stain. If you would like a different color or type of stain you may supply your own.
· Maintenance Free Cabinets   Even your maintenance free cabinet needs attention! Once per year you should scrub it down as you would a vinyl sided house. We will scrub the dirt and mildew buildup off the cabinet of your spa. If you do this yearly your spa should stay looking new for years to come.
· Cover Care  Your cover is taking most of the abuse from the suns rays, rain, snow and other outside elements. Twice per year you should be treating it with a cover care. This helps prevent breakdown of the vinyl and also keeps the cover looking good.
· Winterizing/Closing of your Spa   If the need arises that you need to close up your spa for an extended period of time, there are some necessary steps that need to be taken to prevent freeze ups and other mishaps during your absence.
          Computerized Water Analysis  If you are continuing to have water chemistry problems and the chemicals you are adding are just not working, we can get a computerized water analysis done to tell us exactly what is needed to help.