Hot Tub Setup – A Start-up Guide for New Spa Owners

The ULTIMATE Hot Tub Set Up Guide for new owners

Not sure what to do now that your hot tub has arrived? Of course we wish it were as simple as filling it with water and hopping in. However, it does take a little work to get your spa set up.  I’ve put together 7 easy steps on how to set up a hot tub.

Don’t want to read? Print this Hot Tub Setup Guide!

1. Read the Owner’s Manual

First, please take the time to read your owner’s manual! There is valuable information in there to give you an idea of how your spa works and how to prevent any mishaps or damage to your new hot tub before you get to use it.

2. Electricity

There are different electrical requirements for each hot tub. Refer to the owner’s manual for guidance on which voltage your spa requires.

120V spas are often called plug-n-play. They are lightweight, portable spas that use standard household voltage of 110-120V. Many operate on a standard 15 amp household circuit. These have a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) plug at the end of the cord and plug right into the outlet. Dedicated circuits are required to prevent overload.

240V spas are typically full sized, acrylic spas. They are designed (for the most part) to operate on hard-wired, GFCI protected 220-240V, 50 amp circuits. These spas must be wired by a qualified electrician. The National Electrical Code specifies a manual disconnect access must be installed at least 5 feet away and within line of sight of the spa for safety.

120V spas take longer to heat than 240V spas. Some 120V hot tubs are convertible to 240V to reduce heat time. However, the conversion requires an established hard-wired breaker which may be costly. Read our comprehensive guide on hot tub wiring.

3. Prepare for Fill Up

Most hot tubs are shipped with a small amount of antifreeze in them to protect the plumbing from possible freezing conditions. To avoid any water balancing issues, add water to the spa’s footwell and drain it out before filling the entire tub.

1. Turn off spa at the breaker, or unplug it
2. Remove the access panel (equipment door).
3. Make sure your gate valves are open, this will allow water to flow through the pump, heater and into your spa.
4. Double check that your drain valve is closed. You don’t want to lose all the water you’re pumping in!
5. Spray and wipe clean the interior shell of the hot tub with a suitable mild, non-foaming, non-abrasive cleanser such as ecoTUB SpaClean. Common household cleaners should be avoided. They can cause damage to the spa shell, foaming issues and alter the pH balance.

Q: “Do I need to rinse the spa of any cleaners before filling it?”

A: Products such as ecoTUB SpaClean are earth friendly and biodegradable. It contains nothing that will harm you, your spa, or affect water chemistry if left in the water. Clean All is very mild and will be diluted when you add the water to your tub. 

4. Fill It Up!

How to fill a hot tub:

1. Install the filter cartridge.
2. Place a garden hose over the filter area (which will help prevent an air lock). Also, it’s a good idea to use a hose-end filter like PreFresh, which makes water balancing easier and reduces the amount of impurities that contaminate your water.
3. Fill water to recommended level as specified in the owner’s manual. Low water levels can cause damage to the pump and heater element.
4. Reopen equipment door and check for any leaks around the plumbing. It is not unusual for fittings to come lose during shipment. If you do detect any small leaks, you’ll want to hand-tighten them right away. (Using a wrench can easily crack the nut and cause the leak to worsen).

“With new components, hand tightening should be ample to make sure the fitting is sealed tightly. Using a wrench could easily crack the nut and cause the leak to worsen.” – Mark, SpaDepot.com Hot Tub Expert

5. Power up the Spa!

After checking that all the fittings are tight and you’re sure no leaks are occurring, replace the cabinet door and turn the power back on at the circuit breaker.

Review the operation of your new spa controls and how to turn on the hot tub in your owners manual.

Hot tubs can take approximately 7 – 24 hours to rise to temperature. Heat time depends on spa size, voltage and other factors such as outside temperature. 120V spas take longer to heat than 240V.

Press all the buttons on the topside control panel to ensure functionality of all the components. Turn on jets, blowers, or other settings to make sure water is flowing.

If water does not flow from the jets when the pump is running, there could be an air pocket in the plumbing. You will know this has happened when after filling and starting the spa, the pump does not function. Follow steps in your owner’s manual should you need to prime the pump.

6. Balance Your Water

Test and balance your hot tub water before you introduce any sanitizers. It is important to balance prior to adding sanitizers to avoid unwanted problems such as cloudiness, discoloration or foul smelling water. Also, keeping your water balanced is crucial to promote long equipment life, and healthy, clean, clear spa water.

Your water source to fill the spa will more than likely stay the same, so balancing water is simple once a system is established. Keep a record of supplies used, filter cleanings, and weekly chemistry levels to help your routine. We have created a Spa Log book for your convenience and logs up to 2 years of records.

What chemicals to add to hot tub for the first time is dependent on your chosen sanitizer. Check out these guides, they show chemicals needed for a hot tub for each sanitizing system plus the simplest way to balance water and add your sanitizer system.

Bromine Quick-Start Guide PDF

Nature2 Quick-Start Guide PDF

7. Sanitizer System

Hot tubs, unlike baths aren’t refilled with fresh water each time you use them. Spas require a sanitizer system to purify, disinfect and kill any bacteria and unhealthy microorganisms.

Even if you install an ozonator, the use of some chemicals are still required, just in lower amounts.

Here is a list of some hot tub startup chemicals we recommend:

Bromine System

Brominating Tablets provide excellent sanitizing for spas and hot tubs, without nearly the odor of chlorine. Bromine tablets are slow-dissolving for optimal use in warmer water. These tablets are placed in a floating dispenser which releases a metered amount of treatment into your spa as the water circulates. Testing is required once a week. Learn more about Bromine.

Nature2 System

The Nature2 spa purifier sits inside your spa filter cartridge. The unit sanitizes by releasing a small amount of minerals into the hot tub water during circulation and lasts for 4 months. If used with an oxidizer such as Oxy-Spa or Dichlor granular chlorine, Nature2 is an odorless system. Learn more about Nature2.

Chlorine System

Chlorine is the most common pool sanitizer. While many hot tub owners also use chlorine, we don’t recommend using it as the only sanitizer (although it works great as a shock). Chlorine depletes quickly and requires daily maintenance. If you do use chlorine, use it combination with a mineral purifier like Spa Frog or Nature2.

Always use Dichlor sanitizing granules, never Trichlor tablets in hot tubs. These chlorine tabs are too acidic and too powerful for the small amount of water in a spa.

Salt Water System

Saltwater hot tubs systems are actually chlorine generators, learn more about Saltwater systems.

There are other sanitizers to choose from than these listed above. To learn more or if you are still unsure of which sanitizer to use, visit our Hot Tub Sanitizer Comparison guide.

Get All Your Start-Up Essentials

SpaDepot.com offers Pro Supply Kits to equip you will all the essential products you need to get your spa up and running. This is much more cost effective than purchasing each product separately.

Time to Enjoy!

Once your spa is heated, and you’ve allowed the chemicals to circulate for at least 30 minutes, it’s time to put your suit on and hop in!

For more information about operating, maintaining and caring for your spa see our How-to guides.

 

 

Hot Tub Setup Guide