How to Drain & Refill Your Hot Tub
All Seasons Pools & Spas, Inc. Shows Orland Park Residents
If you own a spa in Orland Park, IL, you should know how to drain and refill your hot tubs. Luckily, All Seasons Pools & Spas, Inc. is here to help. Watch our video below to learn exactly how to drain, clean, and refill your hot tub, or read the instructions we have written out for your convenience. If you’d rather skip the hassle of maintaining and cleaning your hot tub yourself, you can call on our expert team to get the job done for you. You can schedule routine maintenance to keep your spa sparkling clean. Our team will come out three to four times a year to ensure your filters are clear and clean and your tub is in tip-top shape. Contact us today to learn more, request our services, or receive a quote.
The Importance of Draining, Cleaning, & Refilling Your Spa
As a responsible spa owner, you should be draining, cleaning, and refilling your hot tub every three to four months. The ideal frequency depends on how often you use the spa and the number of bathers. However, no matter the amount of use, you should fully drain, clean, and refill your hot tub at least every four months for traditional chlorine or bromine systems.
Exception for Salt Water Hot Tubs: Saltwater systems are more stable and require less frequent complete draining. These tubs only need to be fully drained and refilled every 12 months, provided you maintain proper salt levels and sanitizer readings.
This process helps maintain water clarity and sanitation by removing built-up body oils, soaps, suntan lotion, and other contaminants. The longer these residues remain in the water, the harder it becomes to maintain healthy sanitation levels. Over time, the filter becomes less effective and overall water quality declines. Draining and refilling resets the cycle and gives your hot tub a fresh start.
Tip: Always follow your specific hot tub manufacturer’s recommendations, as water chemistry needs can vary between models.
Draining Your Hot Tub
The first step in the drain, clean, and refill process is, of course, to drain the hot tub. You can do this in one of two ways: with or without a pump. Both work just as well, so don’t fret if you don’t have access to a water pump. You can also enlist our services to complete the entire draining, cleaning, and refilling process for you. If you do choose to drain your spa on your own, we have outlined exactly how to get it done. It’s essential to follow the instructions below so as not to damage your spa or flood the area in which it is located. Follow the following instructions to drain your spa without a pump:
- Turn off the power.
- Use pliers to pull out drain until it is all the way extended.
- Hold the stem and turn off the cap. (Only a small drip should be coming out at this step.)
- Attach a garden hose to the drain and push the stem halfway into the midpoint. (Water should be pouring out the other end of the hose.)
You can also opt to drain your spa with a pump. Please watch the video for instructions on how to do so. To cleanse your filter and spa tub, follow the steps below.
- Disconnect the garden hose and tightly replace the cap and push in the stem.
- Remove the filter and spray to clean.
- Fill the bucket halfway with water and add filter cleaning products.
- Soak the filter in bucket completely submerged for 12 hours.
- Rinse and dry filter before replacing.
- Scrub spots on the tub with spa surface cleaner.
To refill your hot tub, follow the instructions below.
- Begin filling with the hose in the filter department. This ensures no air gets stuck in the lines, so the pipes are primed.
- Add the appropriate amount of sequestrant agent to the tub.
- Fill tub until the water line is just above the highest jet.
- Reinsert filter, basket, weir, and cover.
- Turn the power back on with dry hands.
Cleaning Your Hot Tub
Of course, for this process to truly benefit the cleanliness of your hot tub, you must clean the filter and the inside of the tub before refilling the spa. It is a good idea to have more than one filter so that you can replace the one you are cleaning before the 12+ hour cleaning process is finished. However, if you do not have multiple filters, you can use the same one multiple times as long as you clean it regularly and adequately. To cleanse your filter and spa tub, follow the steps below:
- Disconnect garden hose and tightly replace cap and push in stem.
- Remove filter and spray to clean.
- Fill a bucket halfway with water and add filter cleaning product.
- Soak filter in bucket wholly submerged for 12 hours.
- Rinse and dry filter before replacing.
- Scrub spots on tub with spa surface cleaner.
Watch Our Instruction Video Below
Refilling Your Hot Tub
Once your hot tub has been scrubbed clean and your filter is ready to get back to work, it’s time to refill your tub. Luckily, the water does most of the work when it comes time to refill. It is crucial to ensure your lines are primed, so no air gets stuck in the pipes, which can cause complications when you go to use the spa jets. If you follow our instructions carefully, you should avoid this problem. To refill your hot tub, do the following:
- Begin filling with the hose in the filter department. This ensures no air gets stuck in the lines, so the pipes are primed.
- Add the appropriate amount of sequestrant agent to the tub.
- Fill tub until water line is just above the highest jet.
- Reinsert filter, basket, weir, and cover.
- Turn power back on with dry hands.
Why Orland Park Chooses All Seasons for Spa Maintenance
Here at All Seasons, we work hard to educate our technicians and our customers on the best practices for maintaining spas and hot tubs. You can count on our award-winning customer service and maintenance strategies to help you with any pool, spa, or hot tub need that may arise. Orland Park and all of Chicagoland trust our services because we have more than 70 years of experience exceeding their expectations.
Contact Us Today to Learn More
If you would like to learn more about our spa repair, maintenance, and cleaning services, please contact us today. We are happy to help with any and all of your spa needs. Don’t forget to mark your calendar to drain, clean, and refill your spa every four months!