Guide · Calgary
How To Drain
A Hot Tub, Step By Step.
Eight steps, in the order that keeps the equipment safe and the water clean.
To drain a hot tub, switch off the power at the breaker, flush the plumbing with a line cleaner, drain the tub with the drain valve or a submersible pump, wash the shell, clean or replace the filters, refill through the filter well, restore power and balance the water in order: alkalinity, then pH, then sanitizer. Follow your manufacturer instructions first, since they set the warranty.
Before You Start
Read the manual for your make. Some tubs have air lock steps, some have specific lines for the drain valve. Everything below is the common order, and your manufacturer comes first.
The Steps
- Power off. Switch the tub off at the breaker, not just the control panel. The heater must never run dry.
- Flush the lines. Run a line flush product through the jets for the time it states, before you drain. It loosens the film that sits in the plumbing.
- Remove the filters. Take the cartridges out and set them aside for cleaning.
- Drain. Attach a hose to the drain valve and run it to a suitable place, or use a submersible pump to go faster. Check local rules on where hot tub water may go and dechlorinate first if required.
- Wash the shell. While it is empty, wipe or pressure rinse the surface, seats and jet faces. This is the part a drain without a wash skips.
- Clean the filters. Rinse them, soak them in a filter cleaner and rinse again. Replace them if the pleats are worn.
- Refill. Fill through the filter well to push air out of the lines, and stop at the manufacturer fill line.
- Power on and balance. Restore power, let the water heat, and correct alkalinity first, then pH, then sanitizer. Dissolve granules before adding them.
How Long Does It Take
It depends on the size of the tub and the flow of the drain, and a submersible pump is much faster than gravity through a garden hose. Plan for the drain, the clean and the refill and heat up as one job, and do not leave the tub empty in freezing weather.
Or Have It Done
A full drain, power wash, filter rinse, refill and balance with a written report is $200 with Wise Property Services in Calgary. See drain and refill.
Keep Reading
More hot tub guides, and the services behind them.
How Often To Drain A Hot Tub
The short answer is every three months. The useful answer depends on how many people use the water.
See The PageHot Tub Cleaning Checklist And Schedule
The routine that keeps a tub clean, in the order to do it.
See The PageAirbnb Hot Tub Rules For Hosts
Clear rules cut the load on the water and the calls to your phone. Here is a list to copy.
See The PageHot Tub Drain And Refill
A full reset for a Calgary tub. Drained, power washed, filled, balanced and written up, so the water is new and the numbers are on paper.
Flat $200 See The PageCommon Questions
Switch off the power at the breaker, flush the lines, remove the filters, drain through the valve or with a submersible pump, wash the shell, clean the filters, refill through the filter well, restore power and balance the water in order.
It varies with tub size and drain flow. A submersible pump is much faster than a garden hose on gravity, so plan the drain, clean and refill as one job.
Follow local rules. Dechlorinate or let sanitizer dissipate first, and do not send it to a place that drains to a natural water body. If unsure, ask the City of Calgary by calling 311.
It is strongly advised. A line flush loosens biofilm in the plumbing that a drain alone does not remove.
Send Me The Tub.
I Will Send Back A Number.
A photo and the make is enough to start. Calgary, no contract.