The 5 Terrible Mistakes New Swim Spa Owners Make

Owning a swim spa is not as easy as the manufacturers would have you believe. There is a considerable amount of maintenance and upkeep that needs to be done to ensure you have a well running long lasting swim spa to enjoy for many years to come. Our  maintenance guide is a great place to start learning how to take care of your unit.

Below are 5 mistakes that many new swim spa owners make which can cause all kinds of problems (and can be easily avoided).

Using Normal Household Cleaning Products

Using normal household cleaners is one of the most commonly made mistakes by new swim spa owners. There is a very good reason that dedicated specialist cleaners cost more than a standard household cleaner.

Household cleaners are made from a variety of different chemicals, some of which react with the acrylic lining of the inside, causing damage to your unit. This is obviously not ideal – but is not the worst thing about using normal household products.

The chemicals in swim spa cleaning products are chemically formulated to work with the chemicals that are used in your water – household cleaning products are not… More often than you would think, household products react with each other creating toxic gasses – mixing bleach with vinegar for example creates a toxic chlorine gas which is incredibly lethal.
[sc:ad]
The same is true with your swim spa’s water / chemical mixture reacting with cleaning products. Never ever use anything except dedicated cleaning products when cleaning – we are not scaremongering here, the consequences can literally be lethal.

Not Using Swimming Caps

Now this is not as dangerous as the point above, but it is also pretty essential advice for anyone with long hair. Over time long hairs will get sucked down your drain and start clogging up your swim spas inlet filter. This will create extra strain on the pumps causing a malfunction sooner than it should do naturally.

We suggest using a swimming cap whenever possible. Obviously if you are having a gathering around you are not going to ask everyone to wear a swimming cap, and nor should you. They can easily function if you do not wear a swimming cap occasionally – but to get the maximum amount of life out of it, if you are alone using it – pop a swim cap on. (You get the added benefit of feeling like you are a pro swimmer which is fun!)

The Wrong Water Temperature

Keeping it too cold can easily cause slight freezing of the water, which causes damage to the internal parts. On the other hand keeping it too hot makes the spa a breeding ground for bacteria – which results in a smelly smell (that in exceptional cases can make its users ill).

Not Showering Before Use

Just because a it looks as inviting as a bath does not mean it should be used like one. Outside substances can regularly cause all kind of bad news. The grease and gunk that builds up in a swim spas filter overtime is quite disgusting, and can also cause damage to your swim spa.

Get rid of all make up, suntan lotions, dirt, hair products, and other chemicals you may have on your body before use. Just have a quick shower before you jump in the spa – not a full scrub, but just get the worst of it off. And your spa will be much much cleaner for longer.

Not Covering Your Swim Spa

Admittedly I occasionally do not follow this rule – but I really should! Just because your swim spa is under an umbrella or inside is not a good enough excuse to leave it uncovered! All kinds of dirt and debris can settle into the spa. This can cause mechanical issues depending upon the type of debris that makes it into the water. At the very least it is unhygienic and your spa will get very dirty very quickly.

 

Avoid those 5 swim spa mistakes and you are well on the way to becoming a happy swim spa owner. Do you have any essential tips our readers should know? Did you learn a mistake to avoid the hard way? Let us know in the comments section below!