Way back when there was only one TV in our house, If you didn’t like what my mom was watching she’d tell you tough luck, go read a book. Which was fine. My dad had tons of books.
I remember reading “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. Can’t tell you what it was about. I think I tried to read it years later, when I owned a bike, but I’m guessing it didn’t make an impression since I have no memory, other than I read it.
But there is a zen-like quality to maintaining a spa. It’s taken five years, but I finally figured it out.
First thing is not to waste your time with chemicals like clarifiers, and those organic liquids that are supposed to eat body oils. They don’t. And by the time the water gets cloudy, they are useless.
Also, the ones I’ve been buying foam up, making the spa look like a bubble bath.
No bueno.
As an aside, what normally causes a spa to do that is a woman with moisturizer lotion on her skin. That’s my experience, anyhow. When the bubbles start, it’s time to clean and refill the thing. There’s no easy fix.
There is no secret. Just follow a routine, like this:
- Run the spa a couple times a day. I have a salt system. It doesn’t really work unless the spa is running. So run it at least twice.
- Monitor the PH and free Chlorine levels. Add what needs to be added.
- Use a good chlorine shock. I made the mistake of using a non-chlorine version. What it did was clog up the plates that generate chlorine from the salt. Shock it a couple times a week.
- If it clouds up, hit it with more chlorine.
- Clean the filter once a week, replace it once a month.
- Get some scumballs. These float on the surface absorbing oils. Replace those once a month also.
It’s not a lot of work. And I get a bit of value from it, since I’ve been soaking in it every morning. Makes the aches and pains go away, and sets you in a good place to start your day.
So there you go. All you need to know.
I’ll go into the wonky pump I have to replace in it. That’ll be fun.
Inspected By Pat 
Indeed…. we had the “Redneck Hot Tub” AKA a Bestway Salusapa… and whilst utterly primitive in nature it was actually not at all that bad for what it was. It did require a bit of keeping after as to chemicals and all but seems considerably less than you describe here. And the impeller pump shaft, being some form of ceramic, cracked and broke.
I replaced it w stainless steel. Over and over and over… that became part of the “Maintenance” schedule sadly.
When we relocated, the new digs has a single place Jacuzzi tub… So the Saluspa, with it’s achilles heel pump got sliced and diced and tossed. I do kinda miss it though… as compared to the Jacuzzi it was huge. Though the Jacuzzi has directl jetting vs. the Saluspa “Bubbler”. And being basically a soaking tub w high power jets, well… there’s no chemcals, etc. to keep up with.
There is a “Zen” to these things though. Aside from the Saluspa, we also had s nice in-ground pool at the olde homestead. Took me a while to get the “routine” down on that as it changed from winter when the water would be in the 65 – 75 degree range, to the summer when it would ramp up yo 85+
They ARE kinda sorta living breathing things… or at least their very own micro ecologies.
Well done and a way cool read. Has me waxing a tad nostalgic.
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