Having a clean hot tub filter and replacing it at the right time is vital to keeping your hot tub water fresh and healthy. However, it’s one of those jobs that can be all too easily forgotten until it’s too late. I decided to look into what the best time to change your hot tub filter is and this is what I found out.
So, when should I replace my hot tub filter? A hot tub filter should be replaced every 12 months to help keep the water fresh and clear. The hot tub filter should also be regularly inspected and cleaned to avoid any build up of debris. Heavily used hot tubs may need the filters changing more frequently.
Remember a dirty filter can allow your hot tub to become a health hazard as well as potentially damage the hot tub itself. Understanding the few basics below is the key to avoiding problems.
There are two fundamental elements to having clean and healthy water in your hot tub. The first is the chemical balance in the water and the second is having a clean and efficient filter.
If the chemicals or filter aren’t doing their job properly then the water can become smelly, discolored and unpleasant. Not only can this be damaging to the hot tub itself but it is also a health hazard to anyone in the water.
How Do I Know My Hot Tub Filter Needs Changing?
If you keep to the recommended time scales of changing your hot tub filter every year you will not go far wrong. This is particularly true if you follow the simple maintenance schedule below as well. However, in some circumstances, you might find that you need to clean or change your filter more often. The signs that you need to change your filter are as follows:
- The water in the hot tub isn’t clear. Remember that this could also be because of an incorrect chemical balance. However, if the hot tub filter is clogged or dirty the flow of water will be impeded and the water will cloud up more easily.
- There is an obvious leak or crack in the filter itself. This doesn’t happen very often but if there are visible signs of failure than replace the filter asap.
- When you clean the filter you can’t get it really clean. Even after using a cleaning solution and a filter cleaning comb/water wand the filter is still dirty. In this case, you need a replacement.
- The filter seems to get blocked more easily and you need to clean it more often.
- Restricted water flow. This is when there is a difference between the pressure of the water going into the filter and the water coming out of it. If there is a big difference then the filter is blocked or clogged up and needs a good clean or changing.
The other obvious thing to do is to consult your hot tub’s handbook to see if there are any specific instructions about the time periods between filter changes for your particular model. However, you will most probably find that they adhere to the guidelines above.
How Long Do Hot Tub Filters Last?
Apart from the issues above, the recommended time interval to change your hot tub filter is twelve months. This is for a hot tub which is used an average amount. They can be used up to 18 months if the hot tub only gets light use or may need to be replaced after 6 months if the hot tub gets used very frequently.
The problem is that the longer the filter is in use the more it gets blocked up with dirt and debris from the hot tub water. The deposits caught in the filter are microscopically small but can soon build up over time and gradually the filter becomes less and less effective.
Obviously the more a hot tub is used the more quickly the water gets dirty and the more work the filtration system has to do to keep the water clear. A filter in a hot tub that is heavily used will need cleaning and changing far more frequently than in a hot tub that is used relatively infrequently.
What Does A Hot Tub Filter Do?
A hot tub filter catches all of the dirt and grime from the water as it is pumped through. Hot tubs can accumulate all sorts of body lotions and secretions, grit, dust and environmental dirt. It’s really important that these are removed from the water to keep it clean and clear.
Most hot tub filters are removable plastic cartridges with a plastic core. This usually has a pleated material around is through which the water is pumped. The material catches the debris and removes it from the water. The material is pleated to increase the effective surface area and most filters are capable of catching particles as small as 20 microns.
Obviously, the more debris the filter catches the less effective it becomes and the harder it becomes to pump water through it. this is why it’s vital to regularly check and clean the cartridge and why having a dirty filter can lead to strain on the hot tub pump and dirty water.
It’s also important to buy a branded and recommended replacement filter. Cheaper ones skimp on the filter material and simply don’t last as long or do as good a job. They can cause strain on other components of the hot tub and don’t do as good a job of keeping the water clear. They are really false economy.
Showering before entering the hot tub and keeping the cover on when it’s not in use can greatly reduce the amount of debris in your hot tub’s water. This will mean that the filter will need less cleaning, should last longer and it will be easier to keep the hot tub water fresh and clear.
How Do I Clean and Maintain My Hot Tub Filter?
Looking after your hot tub filter comes in three stages. Try to remember to go through these steps at the appropriate time to keep your water fresh and clear.
Every 1 – 2 weeks. Take the filter out, inspect it and give it a spray with a garden hose. Try to get in between the individual pleats in the filter to get out any lodged debris. You can use your filter cleaning wand if you want to for this clean as well as the more in-depth one below. A hot tub filter cleaning wand fits on the end of your hose pipe and spreads the flow into several smaller streams allowing the water to penetrate into the filter pleats more deeply.
This filter cleaning wand on Amazon is highly recommended.
This isn’t a deep clean but it will remove most of the larger debris and keep things going until it’s time for the regular deeper clean.
Every 2-3 months. You should change the water in your hot tub every 2 -3 months and carry out this filter clean at the same time.
Once the filter is removed clean with the hose/wand as above to remove larger debris and then soak the filter in a filter cleaning solution. The filter needs to soak for 12 – 24 hours to do a good job so it might be a good idea to have another filter to hand so that you can alternate them and keep your hot tub in use whilst you wait.
After the soak, wash again with clear water and the filter cleaning wand before allowing the filter to completely dry out.
This last stage is very important as a damp filter can harbor bacteria and you want to avoid introducing or re-introducing this to the hot tub.
Every 12 months. Change the filter completely for a fresh one.
These time scales are only a guideline and, if you check your filter frequently, you will soon learn whether you need to maintain yours more or less frequently. This will all depend on how frequently the hot tub is used.
What Different Types of Hot Tub Filters Are There?
In short there are many types of hot tub filters! There are also many different ways that each hot tub manufacturer uses the filters and how they fit them into the hot tub system. However, your filter is likely to fall into one of the following general types:
Cartridge Hot Tub Filters. The most popular are the cartridge types I described above as they are easy and relatively cheap to maintain. Apart from the pleated filters, it’s possible that your hot tub might have a micon filter cartridge as well. This is able to capture even smaller particles. These are great as they can cut down on the need for using so many chemicals but they aren’t cleanable and need to be replaced every 3 months or so.
Apart from cartridge types, there are ceramic filters which use porous clay and carbon to filter the water.
Diatomaceous earth filters These work in fairly much the same way as cartridge filters but the water is passed through the fine particles of the diatomaceous earth to clean it. The earth is made from the fossilized remains of diatoms and is readily available making this type of filter a viable option to the popular cartridges.
Sand filters. These filters are becoming more popular as they offer an alternative to using so many chemicals and artificial means of water clarification in your hot tub. Unsurprisingly the water is filtered through sand. The disadvantages of the system is that quite a lot of sand is needed and the filters need cleaning and maintaining on a weekly basis or even more frequently depending on how often you use your hot tub.
What Else Needs Doing to Maintain my Hot Tub?
Hot tubs don’t need a huge amount of maintenance but the key is to do a little bit regularly to keep things under control. In addition to the filter cleaning above the hot tub itself will need cleaning on a weekly basis above the water line. You will also need to empty it and thoroughly clean it every 3 months.
Keeping the water chemistry in balance also needs daily checking. You need to be sure that your water is at the correct PH level as if it isn’t it can cause your sanitizer to be much less effective leading to a risk of your water becoming unclean. You also need to regularly check your sanitizer levels as well.
None of the above tasks (apart from emptying and cleaning every 3 months) take very long. It really is a case of little and often to keep on top of things.
What will happen if I don’t clean or change my hot tub filter?
So, you now know everything you need to know about when to change your hot tub filter. But why is it so important to do this? Apart from the fact that your water will become smelly and discolored and possibly start to harbor harmful bacteria it is also possible that you will actually damage your hot tub.
One of the most common hot tub faults is damaged or burned out pump motors. This is generally caused by the pump overworking to pump water through a dirty filter. Changing and cleaning your filter is a quick and easy job which not only keeps the water in your hot tub fresh and healthy but also enhances the life expectancy of your hot tub as well!
Related questions
Can I run my hot tub without a filter? A hot tub will run without a filter but, in the long term the water quality will deteriorate more quickly. A hot tub without a filter is more likely to breed bacteria and germs and you risk debris blocking and damaging the pumps.
How often should I clean my Lay Z Spa filters? Lay z spa recommend cleaning the filters after each use or at least every three days. They need to be washed and cleaned and they recommend replacing the filters every few weeks depending upon how often the Lay Z Spa is used.
Andrew Hind
This post was created by Andrew. Enjoyer of hot tub soaking, fine cheese, music and photography.