How to Fix & Prevent Cloudy Hot Tub Water

Is cloudy water keeping you out of your tub? Having hazy or murky water is a common hot tub issue. Luckily, preventing it is easy. Here are some great tips to remedy cloudy water in your spa, and keep it from coming back!

Treating Cloudy Water

“There are several different reasons spa water gets cloudy, and each requires a slightly different treatment.”

-Mark, SpaDepot.com Hot Tub Expert

Some basic reasons for cloudy water in your hot tub:

• Water out of balance
• Low sanitizer level
• Excessive contaminants
• Clogged or worn out filter
• High TDS levels

Water Out of Balance and Low Sanitizer Level

Finding out if your hot tub water is out of balance or has a low sanitizer level is as easy as pulling out your test strips.

1. Allow your spa to circulate for a minute or two.
2. Follow the directions on your test strip bottle for dipping and comparing your results to the color chart.
3. Add the chemicals that are necessary to restore your water balance or sanitizer to its proper level.

WAIT 5 – 10 MINUTES WHEN ADDING DIFFERENT CHEMICALS! Adding too many chemicals at once can create cloudy water that takes days to clear and is often difficult to balance.

Excessive Contaminants

Hair & skin care products, and detergents can all contribute to cloudy water.

Preventative Tips:

• Before entering the tub, rinse off any lotions, hair sprays etc.
• If you have long hair, you can put your hair up to keep it out of the water.
• Rinse out your swimwear if you have washed it with detergent.

Remedy:

If your water has already been contaminated with any of the above, you can shock your water and use a natural clarifier to effectively clear-up the cloudiness.

These two product options will act instantly to rid your hot tub water of residual soaps, lotions, oils, hair spray and other organic material build-up.

Clogged or Worn Out Filters

A clogged or worn out filter can fail to trap contaminants and also put strain on your spa pump. To avoid a potentially costly mishap:

• Filters should be rinsed every 2-4 weeks
• Every 3-4 months, or with every water change, you should pre-rinse your filter and soak it overnight in a non-foaming filter cleaning compound. Rinse the filter again and allow it to dry before returning it to the hot tub.
• Hot tub filters should be changed annually or sooner if you notice significant wear or damage.

High TDS Levels

My Water is Still Cloudy… Hot tub water older than 3 – 4 months accumulate high TDS levels that cause persistent cloudiness. If none of the steps above are getting your water back to crystal clear, it’s time to flush, drain and refill your tub.

Keep in mind: If you drain and refill your tub, but do not use a system flush, or use a dirty or old filter cartridge to filter your new water, it will get cloudy again. Don’t waste your time – follow these simple steps:

• Flush your system and remove oily residues and deposits from the inside of your plumbing system.
• Check that your filter is not clogged or full of debris that will release contaminants into your fresh water.
• Using a fill filter helps to eliminate impurities that could be clouding your water, and fills your spa with higher quality water.

If your hot tub water is green and cloudy, please see our Green Hot Tub Water  blog post for more information.

Still have questions about hot tub maintenance or cloudy water? Post a comment below and we will help!