Cabinet

Cedar cabinets are treated at the factory with a special sealant. Once per year the cabinet should be maintained with NU WOOD, available at California Backyard.

Enviroskirt cabinets can simply be wiped clean with a damp cloth and require no other special maintenance.

Vinyl Heatshield and Steps

Your Heatshield and other vinyl surfaces should be protected with COVER-ALL, available at California Backyard. Simply spray it on and wipe it down with a clean cloth. This process is most effective if not conducted in direct sunlight or high heat. This will give the COVER-ALL an opportunity to permeate and protect. It is important that silicone based vinyl treatments are not used on your Heatshield as these will break down the vinyl resulting in more frequent replacement.

Acrylic Surface

There is very little maintenance required to keep your hot tub acrylic surface clean and new looking. When you drain your hot tub, wipe the surface down with TUB CLEAN, available at California Backyard. This is a low detergent cleaner, designed to clean your hot tub surface without generating excess foam. About 8-10 drops on a damp, clean cloth or chamois per wall is sufficient. You can also use TUB CLEAN while your hot tub is full; after a heavy usage period, you can clean the water line with a soft sponge and a few drops of TUB CLEAN. Be careful to avoid as much contact with the water as possible.

Filter

Filter cleaning intervals are determined by bather load and which water care system you are using. If you are using CARE FREE, you should thoroughly rinse the filter with a garden hose once a week. For Chlorine or Bromine systems, the filter should be cleaned every 2-4 weeks depending on tub usage. Regardless of the system used, each month, on a rotating basis, the filter should be treated with FILTER PURE and FILTER CURE. California Backyard offers these products as well as a filter-cleaning canister to simplify the process.

Water Care

In order to maintain clean, fresh water in your hot tub, three factors have to be considered: Filtration, Balanced Water and Sanitation. Over time, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) will build up in your water, which will require you to drain and re-fill the tub. Depending on usage, this process will need to be repeated every 3-6 months.

Balancing

Balanced water means establishing proper balance between Total Alkalinity, pH and Calcium Hardness. Unbalanced water can irritate eyes, corrode equipment, leave mineral deposits, and decrease the effectiveness of the sanitizer. For a thorough analysis of your hot tub's water balance, bring a water sample into the store. Test kits are also available to check your water's balance at home.

Sanitizing

California Backyard offers several systems for the treatment and conditioning of your hot tub water. Each system uses a different combination of products that work together to maintain proper levels of sanitizer and conditioners. You should have received a starter kit with your hot tub purchase at the time of your wet start. Each kit comes with specific directions for usage as well as a test kit to measure sanitizer levels and basic water balance. Chlorine or Bromine levels should be tested and maintained at 3-5 ppm (parts per million). Once per week, the hot tub water should be "shocked" with either CARE-FREE BOOST, or the product included with your system for the purpose. Shocking should raise the sanitizer level to 10 ppm, which will ensure that any organic wastes are oxidized. Follow label instructions for shock dosages.

The conditioning products work in conjunction with the treatment products. ELIMINATE helps control metal and mineral staining and ELIMINATE PLUS prevents calcium scaling on the heater coil. PUREZYME and PURE BLUE are two products that work in tandem to help take dead organics out of your hot tub water and restore clarity. CARE-FREE combines several of these conditioners into a single, easy-to-use product.