Use Safety Equipment To Disassemble Tub
For these next few steps, youll need to have some tools and safety equipment handy:
- Jigsaw or reciprocating saw
- Dumpster or truck bed for discarded materials
Remove the tubs skirt. Consult your manual to find out how your skirt is attached to the tub. Some tub skirts have a tongue-and-groove assembly, which means youll be able to simply unscrew the skirt instead of sawing it apart! If your skirt is connected to the tub, however, youll need to saw it apart.
If your tub has any removable lights or jets, youll want to remove them before doing any sawing.
Next comes the actual disassembly of the tub. Remove any remaining motors, wiring, or pipes before proceeding, and be sure your tub is 100% dry before using an electric saw.
Break down the tubs shell with your saw. This is typically the hardest part of the process. The shell is usually made from one solid piece, and if you werent able to remove the lights and jets, youll need to take extra care to avoid hitting them.
Take your time, exercise caution, and be sure to wear all your safety gear. There might be a lot of flying debris, and youll need to protect yourself.
How To Prevent Hot Tub Foam
- Shower before soaking in the hot tub to remove any soap residue, makeup, or deodorant. It doesnt have to be a full shower. Just a quick rinse is enough.
- Rinse your clean bathing suit with fresh water before getting in your hot tub.
- Avoid dunking your head underwater unless youre sure your hair is free of natural oils, conditioner, and styling products. If you or one of your guests has long hair, tuck it in a baseball cap or pull it into a bun to keep it out of the water.This goes for beards too.
- Keep sugary or alcoholic drinks away from the hot tub. This eliminates the chance of something spilling in the water.
- Buy your chemicals from a trusted source, even if you end up paying a little more. Youll thank yourself in the long run.
- Maintain a regular hot tub maintenance schedule. This includes weekly or biweekly water testing and a full hot tub draining and cleaning every three to four months.
Hot Tub Removal Tips For Homeowners
High-quality hot tubs are a great way to increase your homes value, but did you know that outdated units can actually lower your property value? Unfortunately, older hot tubs werent built to last. In fact, some low-end models last for just five years.
The sooner you can remove those old units, the better off your home will be.
However, hot tub removal isnt as simple as you might think, but when you know what to expect, youll be able to take care of the job fairly quickly. Here are a few tips to help.
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How To Disassemble A Hot Tub
Disassembling your old hot tub takes a lot of time and planning. If youre doing a DIY hot tub replacement, disassembling the old unit is the first step in the process.
Familiarize yourself with the tubs assembly and take the proper precautions. This is not an easy process but can be done safely and properly by taking time to plan and follow these steps.
To disassemble a hot tub, youll need to:
- Shut off the water and electricity/gas to the tub
- Drain all the water
- Unscrew or remove any removable parts
- Remove the tub skirt
- Dispose of all the parts properly
Shower Before Using Your Hot Tub
All those loose hairs and body oils? A quick rinse can help keep them out of your hot tub water. But the lotions, perfumes, makeup, and deodorants? The only way those are coming off is in a full shower with soap.
While that would be ideal, at least rinsing off before you get into your hot tub goes a long way to keeping contaminants out of the water.
And the dead skin cells? Those are constantly being shed, before, during, and after your shower, so theres not really any way to rid yourself of them completely before you take a soak.
But taking a little extra time to exfoliate when you bathe can help remove more dead skin cells and send them down the drain instead of into your spa water.
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How To Get Rid Of Your Old Hot Tub
Whats up with your old hot tub?
- It costs a ton to use.
- Its too small/large for our current family situation.
- Its old and maintenance just costs too much.
Why are you holding on to it?
- I dont know how to get rid of it.
- Its too much of a hassle to get rid of.
We hear it all the time. But getting rid of your hot tub doesnt have to be as much of a mystery or hassle as most owners think.
Heres what you can do.
Disconnect Your Hot Tub From All Utilities
Disconnect the tub from any water, electrical, or gas lines its connected to before you do anything. Failing to do so can cause a:
If your hot tub uses electricity, you may even want to flip off the switch its connected to on your circuit breaker to be 100% sure.
After youve made sure the tub is disconnected from water, electrical, and gas lines, read over your owners manual to locate any gas lines or electrical wiring that can be removed before you begin disassembling. If you dont have a physical copy of your manual, you can likely find one on the manufacturers website.
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Consider Draining And Refilling
If you have a major problem with calcium scale, draining the tub is the best course of action.
This allows you to not only swap out the offending water, but gives you full access to the tubs surfaces for detailed cleaning.
The empty tub will reveal every area where scale is present, making this method the most effective for removing the offending material.
How To Prevent And Remove Hot Tub Scum
Its one thing to see plain ol dirt and debris in your hot tub. It happens, especially if your spa is located outside. But its a whole other ballgame when you find yourself dealing with hot tub scum. Blech.
Look, we all slack on our chores from time to time. But even if youve been diligent about keeping your hot tub clean, it may still develop oily scum on the water, or a scum ring around the shell. The key is to know what causes it so you can remove it and keep it from happening again.
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Hot Tub Foam Is No Fun
When you have a hot tub, foam is one of the most annoying things that can happen. Its not only an inconvenience but it also leaves your hot tub looking dirty and unappealing.
Luckily, there are ways to prevent hot tub foam from happening in the first place. There are also anti-foam products that you can buy. These products will quickly, but temporarily, fix your foam problem.
To properly deal with hot tub foam, you will need to know what causes it and how to treat it. In this blog post, we will discuss what causes the foam to appear, how to prevent it from occurring, and how to get rid of it if it does occur!
Overdose Your Hot Tub With Chemicals
Once you cleaned the filters, its time to shock the hot tub. But, this time you have to overdose it. You have to add three or four times more chemicals than you usually do. Remember when I said that white molds are usually at the plumbing first?
We overdose the hot tub with chemicals so the chemicals can go through the plumbing and get rid of any white molds that are left. Leave the chemicals at least 1 hour before you drain the hot tub again.
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What Can I Use Instead Of A Defoamer
If you dont want to use a defoamer and oil-absorbent sponges are out of the question, you could try a water clarifier such as the . Just click on the link to check it out.
MAV AquaDoc will eliminate cloudy water and remove foam from the surface fast. It works by causing the micro-contaminantsthe tiny particles that can pass through most filtersto cluster and become large enough to be caught in the fibers of the filter.
Its easy to use, but make sure the filter is clean before you start.
Just add 2 ounces of MAV AquaDoc per 250 gallons of spa water. Turn on the circulation system and leave the jets open until the foam disappears and the water is crystal clear. Do this twice a week to clear all contaminants from the water.
MAV AquaDoc is compatible with both chlorine and bromine sanitizers, and it works great on saltwater hot tubs too.
Different Types Of Hot Tub Algae
The first thing to do before trying to get rid of the algae in your hot tub is to know what type of algae you are dealing with. Knowing which type you have in your spa will help you figure out what caused it and, more importantly, how to prevent it.
Three common types of algae growth affect hot tubs. The green algae, black algae, and yellow algae.
The green algae are the most common, and this is what you will most likely have in your hot tub. Green algae are usually caused by low levels of sanitizers like bromine and chlorine in the water. If you notice that the water in the tub is turning green, you are most likely dealing with green algae.
Yellow algae are also caused by low levels of sanitizers in the water. This can also be caused by poor water chemistry or a very low ph level. The yellow algae arent exactly bright yellow. It has a mixture of green and yellow colors in the water.
Black algae can be caused by different reasons ranging from low ph levels and sanitizers to hot tub scum. This is the most difficult type of algae to get rid of. It appears as small black patches on the walls and on the surface of the water.
Though there are different types of algae, they can all be eliminated through the same method.
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How Quickly Does Bacteria Grow In A Hot Tub
You might wake up in the morning with bacteria everywhere in the pool, wondering why since the pool was clear at night without any signs of algae.
Well, the rate of bacteria blooming in the water depends on the level of phosphates available and the chlorine level because they feed on phosphates to grow and chlorine is responsible for killing them because it acts as a sanitizer to the pool. They help to fight living organisms found in the water.
When the phosphate level is very high and the sanitizer level is low, it takes about 2 to 3 days for algae to grow and cover your pool water. They grow, bloom, and multiply very fast.
Once You Decide To Remove Your Hot Tub You Need To Know Your Options Check Out These Ideas For Trashing Removing Or Reusing It
Your hot tub may have fallen into disuse because of disinterest or disrepair. Or it may have come as an unwanted fixture in an otherwise exciting new home. Regardless, once you decide to remove it, you need to know your options.
Note: However you decide to dispose of your indoor or outdoor hot tub, be sure to shut off power and water to the tub before starting. And if youre not comfortable closing up the exposed wiring and plumbing yourself, make sure to hire licensed tradespeople to do the work.
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You Have High Ph Water
Water that is high on the pH scale is considered alkaline or basic.
Over time, a number things get dissolved in the water chemicals, minerals, and even organic matter. These are known as total dissolved solids , and theyll remain in the water until its swapped out.
When the TDS level is high, so too will be the pH of the water. This will cause the TDS to fall out of solution and lead to scale issues in the tub.
For reference, a TDS level under 1500 ppm is considered safe.
Keep Your Water Chemistry In Check
The importance of staying on top of your water chemistry cant be stressed enough.
The main levels you need to keep in check are the pH , TA , and CH .
Chlorine levels should be between 1 and 3 ppm. If using bromine, youll need it between 3 and 5 ppm.
Keeping these levels in their respective ranges will prevent the water chemistry from getting out of hand.
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Mold In Air Ducts Health Problems
Severe mold in your air ducts can lead to a number of health problems. The symptoms may differ from individual to individual, and they may also be affected by the period of inhalation or contact as well as the volume of spores breathed.
Mold-related health issues may include:
Eyes that are itchy or uncomfortable
Persistent sneezing and coughing
You just came back from work and decided to get into the hot tub to relax. You went in and saw some white mold on the water. Now you cant relax, you keep thinking about what these white flakes are and how to get rid of them.
If I just described you, then dont worry. Taking care of white mold is easy and it shouldnt take you a lot. Down below we have made a mini-guide on how to get rid of white mold in a hot tub, and how to prevent it. But, before we jump into the solution, lets learn what white mold is so we can know what we are dealing with.
Remove Gunk From The Surfaces
The scum will present itself on the surface of the water, so you should remove as much of it as you possibly can.
This can be done using a skimmer net to scoop up as much of it as possible. If theres a lot, its a good idea to rinse off the net after each pass.
Oil absorbing sponges are a good way to get some of the scum out of the water as well. Simply by placing them in the tub, the offending material can be soaked up into the sponge for easy removal.
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What Is A Hot Tub Defoamer
Hot Tub & Spa Defoamer is a silicone-based emulsion that eliminates foam without the use of harsh chemicals such as chlorine . Made with hydrophobic silica, it safely defoams hot tubs without altering the water chemistry.
to check the current price on Amazon.
Is it natural? Not necessarily, but it shouldnt contain any harsh chemicals either.
It is even safe to use it in an inflatable hot tub, and it doesnt leave behind residue or cloudy water. And because its silicone-based, it wont irritate the eyes and skin, making it safe for use in kids pools.
Hot Tub & Spa Defoamer works with chlorine, bromine, and mineral sanitizers, but it isnt as effective with saltwater hot tubs.
If you have a problem with foamy hot tub water, this product will clear it quickly.
Add just one ounce and leave it a few minutes with the jets running before getting in. Add a little more as necessary if the foam doesnt clear immediately.
Anti-foam products do exactly what it says on the bottle. It eliminates the foam from the surface of the water in your hot tub.
It is always a good idea to find out what is causing the foam in the first place. Many people buy products to get rid of a problem and then wonder why it keeps coming back.
It is normal to get a bit of foam on the surface when you turn your jets on full, but when you turn them off, it should disperseif it doesnt, you need to find out whats causing it, and deal with it, as I explained above.
Will Hot Tub Foam Go Away On Its Own
No. If you do nothing at all, the foam will not only remain but will also get worse.
Of course, youre not going to let that happen, are you? If you follow the routine described above, the foam will eventually disappear.
However, that could take some time, and you may find the foam comes back after a few days. Thats because you didnt get to the cause of the problemyou dealt with the symptoms but didnt cure the ailment.
Adding sanitizer regularly and shocking the water once a week should deal with the biofilm issue, but if youre in an area where the water is soft or you used water that had gone through a softener to fill your hot tub, youll need to address this issue.
Some test strips will tell you how hard your water is by measuring the amount of calcium carbonate in there. Anything below 60 parts per million is generally considered soft. Ideally, the amount of calcium carbonate should be no lower than 150 PPM.
Low calcium levels can lead to fittings corroding, so it is important that you deal with this.
Test strips will also measure the pH and Total Alkalinity . Hard water typically has a pH level of 8.5 PPM and above, so if it is less than this, the water could be too soft. The ideal range of pH for hot tubs is 7.2 7.8, so if the reading is more than 8, you may have another issue to deal with.
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