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Hot Tub Filters keep your spa water clean and ready to use. They do this by working in a variety of ways depending on the type that you choose.
The most important thing to consider when choosing your hot tub location is that the tub and its filters can be easily accessed for maintenance. This is especially true when dealing with outdoor installations.
Cartridge Filters
The cartridge filter is one of the most popular options for hot tubs. It consists of a pleated filter media inside a cartridge casing. When the water is pumped through it, particles and pollutants are trapped in the pleats while clean water passes through. These filters require regular inspection and cleaning to prevent the pleats from becoming clogged. This helps to keep the filtration system running smoothly and at peak performance.
When the filter becomes dirty, you can clean it with a garden hose or hot tub cleaner product. Avoid using household detergents or bleach, as these can damage the filter and contaminate the water. If the filter is too dirty to rinse, you can soak it in a solution of one part muriatic acid to twenty parts water until all bubbling stops. Be sure to rinse the filter thoroughly after acid soaking. Failure to do so can result in a restriction of water flow through the filter.
As with any type of hot tub filter, you should inspect it regularly and remove any debris from it that isn’t caught by the skimmer basket or other filtration systems. If a filter is too dirty to continue operating at its normal capacity, it should be removed and replaced promptly. If you notice that the end caps are cracking or discolored, it’s also time to replace the filter.
Cartridge filters are also highly efficient at filtering the water. They can trap and eliminate microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria and other harmful organisms, as well as heavy metals and other organic matter like asbestos. The filtration process uses a pressure difference over an ultra-fine semi-permeable membrane that allows single water molecules through while rejecting most contaminants.
Another benefit of the cartridge filter is that it requires no backwashing and can save the average hot tub owner thousands of liters of water each year. In addition, the cartridge filter doesn’t need a special multiport valve and can be used in conjunction with any hot tub pump.
Diatomaceous Earth Filters
There are three different kinds of filtration systems for pool water: cartridge, sand and diatomaceous earth (DE) filters. The DE filter is the most effective for keeping water clean. A DE filter system uses an all-natural product to remove dirt, bacteria and debris from the water: diatomaceous earth (DE). The DE powder is derived from the fossilized exoskeletons of single-celled algae-like aquatic plants called diatoms. The skeletons crumble easily and are rich in silica. DE is odorless, tasteless and chemically inert. It is safe for humans, pets and plants. It is commonly used as a non-toxic alternative to pesticides and is an ingredient in many food products and supplements.
DE is a very fine powder that resembles the size and shape of a small sponge. When applied to the filter, it coats the filtration grids and traps the tiny suspended particles of dirt and bacteria that cause cloudy or murky water. Unlike sand, DE can be cleaned by running a backwash. This process uses only a few gallons of water to thoroughly wash and re-coat the DE. Then, it can be run again to re-filter the water.
Vacuum DE filtration is a great option for pools that experience a lot of swimmers during peak times of the year. It can be used in conjunction with a sand filter, and is especially well-suited for larger commercial swimming facilities.
A vacuum DE filter is designed with a large open tank that makes it easy to see the filtration process. This can help ensure that the filter is operating properly. It can also help keep track of the amount of DE that is needed for each cleaning cycle.
Another benefit of a vacuum DE filter is that it can be adjusted to allow for different levels of filtration. This allows for the filter to be used in a variety of conditions and to optimize its effectiveness.
ALAR carries a full line of rotary vacuum drum and plate-and-frame DE filters. We can match the right filter for your application, based on the size of your filtration system and the goals you have in mind for filtrate clarity, industrial discharge limits of Total Suspended Solids, Oils & Grease and heavy metal pollutants.
Pressure Filters
If you’re looking for the best hot tub filtration system that’s both efficient and easy to maintain then you want a pressure side filter. They use a more advanced filtration process than suction side systems and run for shorter periods of time based on your bather load, meaning they’re also a lot cheaper in terms of energy costs.
The filtration system in your hot tub is one of the most important parts of keeping your water clean and healthy. This is why you should take the time to clean your filters on a regular basis. The more you do this, the less clogged and dirty your spa will be.
You’ll need to use a product like Spa Marvel Filter Cleaner to remove debris from your filters. It’s important to use this product as directed in order to get the most effective results. If you don’t, you can risk damaging your filters and making them not work as well.
Once you’ve removed your filters and have soaked them in the product, rinse them thoroughly with a garden hose. This will help to remove any discoloration or odors from your filters and ensure they’re completely clean and ready to be used again. If your filters smell or look dirty after you’ve rinsed them it means there is still debris in the pleats of the filter and they need to be cleaned again using the filter cleaner.
It’s important to keep an extra set of hot tub filters on hand so you can swap them out at each drain, refill or filter cleaning. This will ensure you always have a clean filter in place to make your hot tub water as safe and healthy as possible. This will make your experience much more enjoyable and allow you to spend more time in your hot tub without worrying about the health of your water. By following these simple tips, you’ll be able to enjoy your hot tub and have healthy and clean water that will make you feel amazing. Rick is an 11+ year industry veteran and expert on all facets of pool and hot tub care including water chemistry, equipment and maintenance. He specializes in solving even the most difficult issues for his customers.
Sand Filters
When it comes to hot tub filters, sand is the tried and true. When your water passes through a sand filter, the jagged edges of the sand grains strain away dirt and impurities as it flows through the bed. The sand is sized to remove larger particles from the water (turbidity). However, it does not trap some of the smaller microscopic contaminants like bacteria and protozoa that are present in the water. However, sand is also less expensive than DE or cartridge filters and is more durable than those systems.
Sand filters are used in a variety of sectors and processes to filter out large particles that cannot be removed by other filtration methods. This includes cooling water production, groundwater treatment, RWZI, slaughterhouses, fruit and vegetable processing industry and the filtration of drinking water.
Industrial sand filters can be either gravity or pressure-fed and they can operate with either upward or downward flowing water. The sand in these systems can be sized to filter out large particles and turbidity or finer sand can be used for polishing the water. In addition to filtering out organic material, sand can be used as a physical matrix for the bacterial breakdown of nitrogenous materials such as ammonia and nitrates into nitrogen gas.
In order to prevent the sand in your industrial sand filter from becoming clogged, you need to perform regular backwashes. When a backwash cycle is performed, water is forced into the filter to flush out all of the debris that has collected on the sand. This process can be self-sourced or externally sourced depending on how the system is configured.
In order to know when it is time to backwash your sand filter, you should check your pressure gauge regularly. It is a good idea to backwash your filter whenever the pressure gauge reads 8-10 lbs above a clean reading. If you are not comfortable performing a backwash yourself, one of the trained service technicians at Texoma Country Pools and Spas can help. They can re-load your sand filter with new sand, improve the performance of your filter and provide any other maintenance and troubleshooting that you may need to do for your hot tub.