You bought a hot tub so you could soak in consistently clean, clear water. However, your water will only be as clean as your hot tub filter. You can treat your water with all the chemicals you like, but the fact is that when clean water passes through a dirty filter, you get unappealing hot tub water coming out the other side.

Hot tub filters can last up to 1 year if treated properly. It’s just like with any other part of your hot tub, or components in your pool, car, or home: the better you take care of them, the longer they will last.

With proper maintenance, your hot tub filters will last as long as possible and help you avoid premature replacement.

What can I use to clean and maintain my hot tub filters?

When your tub water is cloudy or murky, it’s extra work for your filter to keep the water free from dirt and contaminants. You can make it easier for your filter to do its job by regularly balancing the water with chlorine or bromine, or adding/installing a ClearBlue^TM ionizer, which will also give you the luxurious experience of bathing in mineral water.

Even with perfectly treated water, you will still need to regularly maintain your filter so it can continue to deliver optimal performance over the course of its lifetime. Doing so involves these two easy steps:

1. Rinse the filter with fresh water once every few weeks. Water from your garden hose will work fine. If the hose is off, a detachable showerhead or laundry sink is the next best option. We don’t recommend using a pressure washer as you could damage the filter. Keep spraying the filter until it looks clean or the water running off the filter is clear and no longer milky.
2. Every few months or no later than when you drain the tub, soak the filter overnight in a chemical solution such as SpaGuard^® FilterBrite^®, or Beachcomber FilterPure, using the Beachcomber Filter Cleaning Canister.

Keeping your filter clean will help it do its job with maximum efficiency. However, they won’t last forever and at some point, it will be time to pick up some hot tub replacement filters.

How do I know when it’s time for filter replacement?

Think about the air filters in your home: if they’re dirty, the air in your home will be dirty. The same principle applies with hot tub filters but, unlike the air, your hot tub will give you tangible, visual cues that will indicate that it’s time for replacement filters.

As soon as your water looks cloudy or foamy, or if you’ve noticed that you’re using more chlorine or bromine to keep your water clean, it might be time to have a look at the filter to see if it needs replacing. This is especially true if the filter is approaching its first birthday.

Here’s what to look for when you inspect your filter:

1. Condition/discolouration: How does the filter look? Does it look like it’s capable of keeping your water clean? The fabric in new pleated filters is white in colour, so if the fabric is discoloured, the filter should be replaced.
2. Broken bands/uneven pleats: Most filters have one or more bands around the middle of the filter that are designed to hold and space the pleated material evenly so it can provide proper filtration. When sections of the filter are pressed too close together while other areas are spread open, the water cannot pass evenly over the filter material. Broken bands and uneven pleats reduce the filter’s surface area and overall filtration efficiency, so if this is the case, it’s time for a replacement.
3. Foul odours: If the filter looks fine and the band is not broken, it’s time for the smell test! Our noses are inherently capable of smelling airborne bacteria. We use this ability all the time, for example, when we inspect our food to determine if it’s safe to eat. We can put that same talent to the test with our hot tub filters. Filters that contain bacteria will give off an unpleasant odour and need to be replaced. After all, we want to keep bacteria out of the water, not put more in it.

After you replace the filter, you’ll soon see a noticeable improvement in water quality. You’ll return to better chemical efficiency as well, saving you time and money on water cleaning products and maintenance.

Is it safe to run a hot tub without a filter?

Let’s say you’ve removed your filter and are letting it soak in a chemical solution, or noticed that it’s too old to continue functioning properly and have thrown it out. Until you can reinstall your filter, or get to the store to buy a new one, you might ask yourself if it’s safe to run the hot tub without a filter.

The answer is “no” – we don’t advise it unless otherwise instructed such as when using a drain product like Swirl Away. When you run your tub without a filter, there is a risk of leaves, dirt, and other debris getting sucked into the equipment. That could lead to a repair bill you don’t need.

Also, turning your hot tub off means water sitting stagnant for over a day in the summer, which will allow for the growth of bacteria and biofilm, or water freezing if it’s the winter, leading to additional problems and maintenance.

We have an easy solution – always have a spare filter on hand (or a spare set of filters if your hot tub uses more than one). With a second filter on deck, you can keep your hot tub running with your clean filter while treating the dirty one. Since each filter lasts 1 year, you can rotate them as needed over the course of 2 years.

Also, if you check your filter and discover it needs to be replaced, you don’t have to make an emergency trip to the store. Simply switch it out and get back in the water.

After all, isn’t that where you’d rather be anyway?

Buy Hot Tub Replacement Filters in Mississauga, Oakville, and the Greater Toronto Area

When it’s time to pick up hot tub replacement filters, come visit the award-winning hot tub experts at Lakeshore Pools & Hot Tubs at 309 Lakeshore Road East in Mississauga. We’ll make sure to connect you with the best products and provide advice that will allow you to have the best hot tub experience possible.

Visit us or call (905)-891-8818 today – we look forward to helping you!