Hot tub opening
Opening a hot tub is not just about filling it with water and swimming in it. There are a few things to do to make it work properly.
If you open the hot tub after winter, you will need to add water to flush out the antifreeze that is in your plumbing. Antifreeze can leave residue which could cause white foam when pumps are started if product is not removed.
Put the drain plug back on before beginning to fill the hot tub. If your water is hard or problematic, you can use a pre-filter (DC-PP6903) that attaches to your garden hose to remove sediment, dirt and rust as well as lime from the water when filling.
To avoid getting too much air into the system, please fill the hot tub through the receptacle that receives your cartridges. Be sure to raise the water level above the highest jets.
Put your filter cartridge(s) back in place.
From your electrical panel, turn on the hot tub. The keypad will initialize and then the system will turn on the pump(s) and heater, this takes a few minutes.
You can add a scale inhibitor (Calypso Scale control # 4) to your water to prevent spots and scale deposits formation.
Bring a water sample to your Sima dealer for analysis. It is important to properly balance the water after filling to allow the sanitizers to operate optimally, to protect your equipment and for bather’s comfort.
Once your hot tub is running, add the first doses of maintenance products suitable for your hot tub. More details on hot tub maintenance can be found here.
Adjust the thermostat to the desired temperature.
It is important to ensure that the filter cycle that is programmed from your hot tub keypad is sufficient. You will find in your owner’s manual how to check and modify if necessary. A minimum of 10 to 14 hours of filtration time per day is required.
It allows your water to circulate well and therefore to properly distribute and make the sanitation products work. It also allows your water to be filtered by the filter cartridge.
After a few hours, your water will be warm and inviting, ready to welcome you for a moment of relaxation or to relieve your muscle pain!
Hot tub closing
Sima hot tubs are equipped to operate 4 seasons. One of the great pleasures of a hot tub is to be able to enjoy it also during the winter! Did you know that keeping your hot tub running during the 4 seasons reduces the risk of breakage.
If you close your hot tub for the winter, be very rigorous, there should be no water left in the pipes.
There are several steps to follow when closing a hot tub for the winter.
As the closing of a hot tub takes one to two days, we recommend that you ideally plan it when the temperature is still above 0°C in order to avoid any disaster (freezing of components, breakage of the hot tub, etc.). Do not exceed mid-November or the end of October if you live further north.
Cleaning and rinsing the hot tub are recommended before starting the drain to avoid the accumulation of limestone and corrosive or harmful elements for the components of the hot tub (pump, water heater, seals, etc.).
There are plumbing cleaners that are scale removers (Calypso Cal Check Plus #28) that also destroy accumulated biofilm. Be sure to follow all the steps as indicated in the instructions.
You must then drain your hot tub:
1) Lower your hot tub’s thermostat and allow the water time to cool down. Remove the cover and run the pump on high speed until the water has cooled.
2) Turn off the power to the hot tub.
3) Attach a properly sized garden hose to the drain connection and place the other end of the hose in a suitable location to receive dirty water.
4) Once the drain valve is opened, the hot tub empties by gravity and requires no supervision. To speed up emptying, you can use a submersible pump that you will find in most hardware stores.
5) While draining, move the water around the seats towards the bottom of the hot tub.
6) Remove remaining water with a shop vac, sponge and bucket. It is important to suck the water through all the orifices (suction, jets, cartridge receptacle, etc.)
7) Clean surface or water line as needed.
8) Close drain valve
The filter cartridge(s) must be removed. Add the antifreeze to protect plumbing.
Clean your cartridge(s). Remove larger debris with a jet of water. Soak in a solution containing a cartridge-specific cleaner (Calypso Filter Cleaner #7) to remove contaminants.
Rinse the cartridge well to remove the product. Let dry. Store with cartridge attachments if you have them with your hot tub.
Finally, put on your rigid hot tub cover and cover it to prevent water from seeping in.
It is important to use a polystyrene block that will support your cover to prevent it from collapsing in the event of snow accumulation. You can also use a 2″ x 4″ board along the center hinge.
That’s it, your hot tub is now well winterized until spring!