Hot Tubs Fallon | Portable Spas For Sale

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

A hot tub is a luxury item and you want to make the best investment possible. So how long does a hot tub last? Well the answer depends, in part, on how you care for it.

Hot Tub Care and Maintenance

Like cars, which also have mechanical elements, such as motors and heaters, as well as routine maintenance items that have to be changed periodically, like filters, and a gorgeous exterior to care for, the quality of the hot tub brand you purchase and how you care for it will determine how long your hot tub lasts. We’ve even met customers who have had the same hot tub since the late 1980s!

Also similar to car buyers, many hot tubbers like to upgrade every 7-10 years, to take advantage of new designs, features and technological advancements.

High-End Models

At The Spa and Sauna Company, we’ve worked on high-end hot tubs in the field, that we also sell in our showrooms, that have been over 20 years old. Some last 25 to 30 years!

Entry-Level Spas

Even more entry-level spas hot tubs can last 15 years. We’ve seen entry-level spas that people kept for 10 years, traded in, and we have resold as used hot tubs to new customers. Those hot tubs still have a lot of life in them!

Replacing Parts

A quality hot tub brand in a higher model series can last over 20 years when maintained properly. Though components of the tub may need to be replaced on occasion, the price to replace parts is minimal, especially when you consider the years of enjoyment and therapeutic value that a hot tub provides.

Larger Investment, Longer Enjoyment

Some advantages of the higher-end models include higher-quality jets, longer warranties, and quality therapeutic value. This is definitely something to consider while shopping for a hot tub. Sometimes making a larger up-front investment will extend your enjoyment of your hot tub in the later years of its life.

To shop hot tubs now, Click Here to visit our Hot Tub Finder. This handy web page allows you to explore options by brand or seating capacity.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

The Spa and Sauna company recommends you drain and clean your hot tub every 4 months, unless you have an ACE salt water system. Then you can drain every 6 months. You can do your Drain and Clean yourself or you can have our one of our skilled Concierge Techs do it for you.

If you do want to do your Drain and Clean yourself, here’s what you need to do.

Locate where the drain is located on your hot tub.

Drains are located in different locations depending on the brand and model of the hot tub.

On all Caldera and Hot Spring models it is located on the base below the front panel (on the same side as the control board). Keep in mind that the higher-level models have extra amenities to make draining easier. Consider the Hot Spring Highlife NXT and Highlife which have one drain for equipment and one for the whole vessel. Or the Caldera Paradise and Utopia, which have a valve that slides out. You pull it out and hook it to a hose (which you have detached from your house) and then push it half way back in for draining. Similarly, the Sundance 880 has two options for draining, a drain on the exterior of the siding and inside the cabinet a quick drain, which requires less time.

Freeflow Spas have a drain at the base not far away from the outlet.

Draining your spa using the Side Drains can take up to 6 hours. Typically, when we drain your spa, we siphon the water out using a sump pump to save time. You can purchase a sump pump for yourself if you desire faster drain times.

If your model accommodates it, hook a hose up to the drain to allow the water to come out faster.

It is typically more difficult to insert a hose on Caldera Vacanza, Hot Spring Hot Spot, and Freeflow Models. If cleaning your spa at home yourself is an important consideration, we recommend you consider upgrading to a model that allows for more simple draining.

While you wait for your spa to drain, The Spa and Sauna Company recommends you use this time to clean your filter.

Filters should be sprayed down with a hose monthly or soaked in Filter Cleaner and then sprayed with a hose before inserting back in to your spa every 4 months. If you soak your filter and drain your spa at the same time, you don’t lose any valuable hot tub time!

Once the spa is mostly empty, use a shop vac or even a bucket to get any remaining water out of the seats and footwell.

Our pros always use a shop vac.

You’ll also want to open your equipment compartment and vacuum out any cobwebs, dust or dirt.

Although you won’t see this from outside your spa, it’s important to keep the inside of your spa clean too.

Once the spa is drained, it’s time to clean it.

We recommend a mitt, washcloth or rag, and using BioGuard Off The Wall to clean the shell of your hot tub. We also suggest wearing gloves as the solution can be hard on your skin. Off The wall will clean dirt, stains, grease and scale. You will want to apply it all over the tub. Let it sit for a few minutes and then scrub it off. Rinse well with water.

We also suggest cleaning your pillows with water only.

You can also use this time to use The Original Gel-Gloss Polish and Protector on the shell.

Finally, use 303 Protectant on the cover and panels.

Put the drain cap back on.

This is one of the easiest but also one of the most important steps!

Refill the hot tub by inserting a hose through the filter as if you were filling the spa for the first time.

Then it’s time to wait.

Once the water is above the jet level, you can turn the power back on and allow the spa to begin to heat.

Depending on how cold the water was, and what kind of hot tub you have, your hot tub should warm up about 2 – 6 degrees per hour.

You will want to wait until the water has reached 80 degrees before testing the water and adjusting the chemicals.

Then the spa can continue to heat to your ideal temperature.

A few final reminders:

If you happen to have hard water or well water, you will want to add Stain and Scale Control at this time.

If you have an ACE hot tub, you will want to put Vanishing Act in for 24 hours, and flip it after 12 hours.

And that’s it, your final step is to get in and enjoy your hot tub!

If you prefer to have our Concierge Techs perform this service for you, we’d be happy to help. Please call us at 775-852-3838 or Click Here.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

Spas and Hot Tubs require proper Water Care. So, are spas and hot tubs chemical free? In a word, no. Although some hot tub and spa dealers will try to convince you that your hot tub doesn’t need water care or chemicals to function, water care is essential to maintaining a healthy environment in your hot tub.

At The Spa and Sauna Company, we are proud to offer a variety of water care options that are suitable for your individual needs. All of the Water Care Options we offer here will kill germs and bacteria, so the best choice is the one that makes the most sense to you, either for your budget or your skin sensitivity.

We also offer free water testing services at all 3 of our locations, so you can have a Water Care Professional check that the chemicals in your hot tub are at the proper levels. Just bring a sample of your hot tub water in a clean container to any of The Spa and Sauna Company’s locations. If your chemicals aren’t at their optimal levels, we are here to offer advice and products to help you adjust them.

The hot tub you purchase will determine in part the water care you choose OR if water care is an important consideration for you, the water care choice you make will determine which hot tub you buy.

At The Spa and Sauna Company we offer 4 brands of hot tubs, Hot Spring, Sundance, Caldera and Freeflow. Each has different options for water care.

We also use SpaGuard Water Care Products to supplement those systems. This includes items such as Shock Oxidizer and Enhanced Shock, one of which will be required for your hot tub cleaning needs. As a starting point for water care, minerals should be used on all hot tubs and work in conjunction with other sanitizers.

SpaGuard Enhanced Shock is a combination of oxidizer, sanitizer, and water clarifier. This unique water care item is exclusively carried by The Spa and Sauna Company in the Reno area.

Hot Spring

Let’s start with Hot Spring which has a Salt Water System available, which provides a lower chemical, more natural soaking experience.

Hot Spring Spas in the NXT, Highlife and Hot Spring Collection are available with the ACE Salt Water System. The ACE salt water system creates active oxygen with ACE diamond electrode technology. That active oxygen combines with salt to create chlorine. The ACE system requires less hands-on time to manage your water care. It also is environmentally friendly and offers softer, cleaner water. With this system, we recommend using 1 TBSP of SpaGuard Enhanced Shock per person, upon exiting.

As an alternative to the ACE system, owners of a Hot Spring Spas with an Ozone System can choose the EverFresh system, which reduces the amount of chlorine that needs to be added. It also includes minerals that make the water softer. With this system, we recommend using 1 TBSP of SpaGuard Enhanced Shock for each person in the hot tub, upon exiting.

Hot Spring Spas without an ozone system can use SpaGuard Water Care and Freshwater AG Plus Silver Cartridges. This is a more manual system for hot tub cleaning. SpaGuard Products can be used to sanitize your hot tub, reduce stains, clarify your water, test your water and sanitize your water.

Sundance Spas

Sundance Spas can use the SunPurity Silver Cartridge. This cartridge disinfects, prevents algae and clarifies water. Using this more natural option will reduce the amount of chemicals you need. All Sundance Spas are equipped with “ClearRay,” a UVC (Ultraviolet) Sanitation System. UVC light wavelengths are used for sanitizing water. Upon exiting the hot tub, you will want to add 1 TBSP of Enhanced Shock per person for sanitizing purposes.

Caldera Spas

For Caldera Spas, we recommend using the @Ease In-Line SmartChlor cartridges which lasts at least a month. The mineral cartridge lasts 4 months. When used with the Monarch^® CD Ozone System, it provides Caldera’s most effective water care system. This system doesn’t over-chlorinate the water or use excess product. It also prevents pH from fluctuating, meaning less dry itchy skin and less wear and tear on your spa’s covers and pillows.

With this system, you shock your hot tub monthly, instead of after every use. You will use SpaGuard Shock Oxidizer once a month. Never use Enhanced Shock with this water care system.

Freeflow Spas

Freeflow Spas are a more basic spa, that doesn’t offer ozone or salt water systems. Freeflow Spas from The Spa and Sauna Company come with an @Ease Floating System. The ball floats inside your hot tub. It uses SmartChlor Technology to reduce the amount of chlorine and the amount of Shock Oxidizer needed. When the SmartChlor runs out, the ball flips the other side to alert you. With this system, you only need to use Shock Oxidizer once a month.

Other Options

Additional systems are available if the options listed above do not fit your needs.

Routine Maintenance On Every Spa Brand

All systems require shocking the hot tub (either after every use or monthly, depending on the water care system), testing the water balance weekly and cleaning your filters monthly. You will also want to drain and clean your hot tub 3 times a year. Yearly, you should purge the hot tub plumbing lines to get rid of buildup. It’s not too complicated once you find a routine that works for you.

By maintaining your spa with a small amount of chemicals, you can enjoy a healthy, clean, hot tub experience for many years to come.