Hot Tub Filter Basics

Filters are a hot tub’s best friend; your hot tub would be nothing without them. Therefore, having reliable and clean filters is essential for your working hot tub. Here at HotSpring Spas & Pool Tables 2, we carry two different types of filters: paper and ceramic.

Paper is the most commonly used. They have hundreds of thin paper pleats that make up the body of the filter. In comparison, Tri-X ceramic filters have thicker, harder ceramic pleats, giving it a different look when compared to the paper filter.

Paper filters will last 1 to 3 years depending on your source water, how often the hot tub gets used, and how often and well the filters are cleaned. The same goes for the Tri-X ceramic filters; however, the ceramic filters will last longer, about 3 to 5 years.

We recommend cleaning your filters with a degreaser every 30 days. A degreaser is needed to break down the oils, skin cell buildup, and other contaminants. After soaking your filters in a cleaner/degreaser for 12-24 hours, make sure to rinse your filters thoroughly. This is an essential step because if you have even the slightest trace of the degreaser and soap left on your filter when you put it back in the hot tub, you could have an accidental foam party.

You can place Tri-X filters in the dishwasher with no heat and no soap; rinse cycle only. However, we recommend soaking your Tri-X filter(s) in your cleaner/degreaser, taking them out, and putting them in the dishwasher for a thorough rinse. DO NOT PUT PAPER FILTERS IN YOUR DISHWASHER.

Do you ever wonder how you’ll know when your filter is ‘dead’ and when it is time to get a new one?

Here are a few tricks:

If your paper filter sinks to the bottom of your hot tub when placed outside of the filter compartment and into the main body of water, then you know it’s time to get a new one.

When your Tri-X filter starts to change shape and form into an hourglass, it’s time to replace them.