Doing a proper drain and fill approximately every three months is important to keeping your hot tub running smoothly and your water safe. Don’t know where to start? Check out our tips on how to properly drain and fill your tub. Keep in mind, every make and model of tub may vary, so always follow along with the directions in your owner’s guide, for proper draining procedures.

  1. Before beginning to drain your tub, test the water to ensure it’s free of any Chlorine or Bromine. Any active sanitizer in the water can damage the environment, ground water, grass and plants.
  2. We recommend using Spa Life’s “Wipe Out” to neutralize any active sanitizer that may be present in the water for safe draining. Always follow the instructions on the bottle.
  3. Add in a hot tub pipe cleaner like Spa Life’s Whirlpool & Tub Rinse to remove any scale and biofilm within the pipelines. Always follow the instructions on the bottle.
  4. Turn power off your breaker or power disconnect switch (do not use a standby feature).
  5. Locate the drain/fill valve. Consult your owner’s manual if you are not familiar of the location of this valve. Remove the drain cap and attach your garden hose and place the other end to route the water away from the base of the hot tub. Open the valve to release the water.
  6. Once all the water has drained, disconnect the garden hose and close the valve.
  7. Clean the hot tub surface with a product like Spa Life’s “Shine” product.
  8. Install a clean Filter.
  9. Double check that the drain/fill valve is closed and start refilling the tub until the water level reaches the skimmer opening. Turn on the power at the GFCI. After the hot tub is circulating , add your startup chemicals.