How to Fill and Balance Your Hot Tub Water

• Garden hose (optional pre-filter). A pre-filter can reduce metals and sediment when filling from hard-water sources.
• Water test strips or liquid test kit. Reliable testing is required to balance hot tub water accurately.
• Sanitizer (chlorine or bromine). Sanitizer protects water from bacteria and supports safe soaking.
• pH increaser and pH decreaser. Keeping pH in range improves comfort and sanitizer performance.
• Alkalinity increaser. Stable alkalinity helps prevent rapid pH drift after adjustments.

1) Fill and circulate

1. Turn off spa power before filling. This protects equipment while the plumbing and filter area are dry.
2. Fill to the manufacturer-recommended level. Correct fill level is essential for proper skimming and circulation.
3. Restore power and circulate 20-30 minutes. Circulation mixes fresh water before you begin chemistry adjustments.

2) Adjust in the right order

1. Adjust total alkalinity first. Alkalinity sets the buffer that helps pH stay stable.
2. Adjust pH second. Correct pH improves comfort and helps sanitizer work effectively.
3. Confirm sanitizer level last. Final sanitizer dosing is more reliable once alkalinity and pH are in range.

3) Retest and stabilize

Circulate between adjustments and avoid adding multiple chemicals at once. Small, measured changes produce more stable water.