Swim Spa Maintenance

Routine swim spa maintenance in the Salt Lake Valley for $110 a visit. Water testing and balancing, pump and jet checks, debris removal, covers. Book online.

A swim spa is a hot tub that thinks it is a pool. It holds far more water than a tub, it is used for exercise as much as for soaking, and it usually runs year round with the heater on. That combination means it needs the attention of a pool in summer and the attention of a hot tub in winter. Our routine swim spa visit covers both.

Who it is for

Anyone who owns a swim spa and wants it kept ready. Typically that is:

People who bought one for daily swimming or exercise and use it like a gym
Households that use it as a big hot tub in winter and a small pool in summer
Owners who have found that a swim spa’s water behaves differently than the hot tub they had before, and are tired of guessing
Second homes where the spa runs heated all year with nobody checking it

If you have a conventional hot tub, the hot tub maintenance page is the one you want. If you have an in-ground pool, see pool maintenance.

What we do on every visit

The list is the same one we use for pools and tubs, because the water chemistry is the same:

Testing and balancing the five major water factors: chlorine (sanitizer), pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and cyanuric acid (stabilizer)
Verifying mechanical operation of pumps, jets, and intake returns
Removing all debris
Clearing and correctly positioning covers and tops

On a swim spa the mechanical check covers more than a tub. There are the circulation and jet pumps, and there is the swim current system, which puts a lot of water through the plumbing at speed. We run it, confirm the current is even, and listen for anything that sounds wrong. Swim spa covers are large and heavy, often in two or more sections, and getting them seated properly matters more than on a tub because the heat loss from a gap is that much bigger.

Price and time

A routine swim spa visit is $110 and takes 45 to 60 minutes, chemicals included. That is the same as a pool visit, because the volume of water is what sets the time. You can book it online for a Thursday or Friday, pay when you book, and a person confirms it before it goes on the route.

How often it should be done

Weekly for daily use. If someone swims or exercises in it most days, the bather load per gallon is high enough that weekly is the right interval, the same as a busy pool.

Every two weeks for lighter use. A spa used a few evenings a week for soaking can go two weeks between visits if the water is holding.

Winter is the interesting case. A swim spa kept at hot tub temperature in December is a very large hot tub, and warm water uses sanitizer faster than cool water. Do not assume that because it is winter the interval can stretch. If anything, heavy winter soaking use argues for keeping it weekly.

Fresh water is needed less often than for a hot tub, because there is so much more of it. Every chemical dose and every evaporated gallon leaves minerals behind, and a swim spa dilutes that across a much larger volume. Six months to a year is typical. Valley fill water starts with a fair amount of dissolved mineral already in it, and more in late summer when the city supplements from wells, so a spa filled in August reaches the point where fresh water is needed sooner than one filled in April. Our flat drain and refill price is for hot tubs. For a swim spa we quote it based on size.

Signs you need it

Cloudy water, especially after a swim session
Foam that builds up when the current runs
A chlorine smell that hangs around after the cover comes off
Uneven or weak swim current
Scale on the shell at the waterline or around the jets
You have been topping it up but not testing it

Because a swim spa runs hot all year, problems that would wait in a covered pool over winter do not wait here. A neglected swim spa in January is a neglected hot tub, just bigger.

Where we do this

Swim spa visits run on our regular Thursday and Friday routes across the valley, including Millcreek, where we are based, Holladay, and Murray. See the full service area. If the spa needs something beyond routine care, repair is billed hourly and quoted after we look.

Questions about swim spa maintenance

Is a swim spa serviced like a hot tub or like a pool?

Both, which is why it gets its own page. The water volume and the fact that it stays heated year round make it behave like a large hot tub. The exercise use and the swim current make it behave like a small pool. We test the same five factors either way, and the visit is priced at the pool rate because of the volume.

How often should a swim spa be serviced?

Weekly if it is used most days for swimming or exercise, every two weeks for lighter use. A swim spa that is kept hot and used as a big hot tub in winter follows hot tub logic: heavier bather load per gallon means more frequent visits.

How often should a swim spa be drained?

Less often than a hot tub, because there is more water to dilute what goes into it. Somewhere around every six months to a year is typical, driven by use and by how loaded the water gets. Valley fill water starts with a fair amount of dissolved mineral in it, more so in late summer, so a spa filled in August may reach the point of needing fresh water sooner than one filled in spring.

Can I book swim spa maintenance online?

Yes. Book it as a pool or swim spa routine visit, pay when you book, and we confirm the Thursday or Friday time.

Do you drain and refill swim spas?

Yes, but the flat $275 drain, clean, and refill price is for a hot tub. A swim spa holds several times the water and takes longer to empty and fill, so we quote it after we know the size. Contact us with the make and approximate gallons.