Cloudy hot tub water

How to fix cloudy hot tub or spa water: begin here

1. Give the filter a rinse. Use a garden hose to spray between the pleats, or install a clean spare.
2. Check the water quality. Dip a strip in and check free chlorine, pH, and alkalinity using the test strip guide.
3. Adjust alkalinity first, then pH. Your tub's required dose comes from the chemical calculator.
4. Apply shock treatment to the water. The dose table has the shock amount for your tub size; for any other size, use the shock calculator. Keep the cover off during treatment.
5. Turn on the jets. Running them sends water through the filter, so it grabs whatever the shock broke down.

Add chemicals one by one while the jets are on. Chemicals should never be mixed together.

When the filter gets dirty

Filters trap body oils, hair, pollen, and dirt. When the filter gets clogged, dirt remains in the water and puts extra strain on the pumps. Jacuzzi notes that dirty or worn filters cause up to 75% of service calls for circulation pumps.

Use a hose to rinse it once each week. Each month, spray the filter with a spa filter cleaner and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before a good rinse. Foam appears if cleaner stays in the pleats, so rinse until nothing remains.

If chlorine or bromine is low

Sweat and body waste consume the sanitizer. Low levels let waste and germs build up, which makes the water appear dull. Hot tubs should have at least 3 ppm of free chlorine per the CDC, while Hot Spring targets 3 to 5 ppm.

Chlorine shock works best for this issue. It burns off waste while adding chlorine, according to Leslie's.

If pH, alkalinity or calcium is high

Cloudy water can show up even when you have plenty of sanitizer, if the water is out of balance. Hot Spring states that scale builds up on the heater and shell, and water turns cloudy, when pH exceeds 7.8.

High alkalinity causes the same issue. Frog says mineral bits leave the water and float around. Adjust alkalinity first because it stabilizes pH levels. Target 80 to 120 ppm for alkalinity, then set pH between 7.4 and 7.6.

Calcium acts differently than the others. Scale forms and water clouds once levels exceed 250 ppm, with no chemical able to remove it. Drain some water and replace it with fresh water, advises Frog's hardness guide.

Hot tub water milky or white

Leslie's water color guide lists several causes for water so cloudy it looks white. One cause is high alkalinity or calcium. Another cause is a pump or filter that moves too little water. Tiny bubbles can also fill the water if air gets trapped in the pipes. Hair products, makeup, and lotion can also turn the water white.

Begin by testing alkalinity and calcium. If those are normal, clean the filter and ensure every jet pushes strongly. Surging or weak jets after refilling suggest trapped air or low water, which the not heating checks address.

Cloudy hot tub water after shocking

Shock treatment breaks down body oils and sweat. Run the jets and rinse the filter afterward since the filter must catch what remains. Hot Spring recommends the same solution for cloudy water: clean the filters and run the jet pumps.

Test the pH if cloudiness persists. High pH clouds water directly, and rising pH slows how fast chlorine kills germs.

A brown or yellow tint after shocking indicates a different issue: metals in the water. The green, yellow or brown water guide covers that fix.

When should you drain instead?

Drain and refill the tub if cloudy hot tub water persists after those steps. The Intex manual agrees that draining is needed when proper care fails to clear the water.

Water that has been sitting too long is the other reason. Most hard tubs require fresh water every 3 to 4 months, while inflatable ones need it every 2 to 3 months. Drain when dissolved solids exceed 1,500 ppm, notes Jacuzzi's water guide. It is possible to work out your own date.

Ways to maintain clear water

• Soak the filter overnight every 3 to 4 months, and rinse it every week. Plan on a new filter about once a year.
• Run tests on the water often. Home owners should test chlorine and pH twice a day, the CDC says, and more often when lots of people use the tub.
• Give the water a shock about once a week, and again once the tub has had heavy use.
• Shower quickly before entering the tub. This rinses off sweat and lotion before they reach the filter.
• Leave the cover on between uses. The CDC's hot tub advice states that a cover blocks dirt and reduces sanitizer loss.

Common questions