FAQs

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question about hot tubs, swim spas or backyard improvement? To help you learn more about our products, ownership and the benefits they can offer, we have listed some of our most-asked questions and provided you with the answers. If the information you’re looking for isn’t below, please contact us for more information. One of our home and backyard leisure experts would be more than happy to assist you.

Can I put a hot tub indoors?
How to wire a hot tub?
How to install a hot tub?
How to move a hot tub?

For many spa owners, regular service and maintenance from a professional are worth it. Regular service can help to ensure that your spa water is always safe, enjoyable, and ready to use. A professional can also use this time to inspect your spa, looking for any issues or potential problem areas that could lead to damage, an imbalance in water, or costly repairs, and rectifying the situation before it grows into a larger issue.

How long you stay inside a hot tub can depend on several deciding factors, including your age, health, climate, water temperature, and personal preference. As a general rule of thumb, it is suggested to soak in a hot tub for anywhere from 15-45 minutes at a temperature of up to 102° F. If you are new to using a hot tub, we suggest starting with shorter soaks until you gradually build your tolerance, adjust to the environment or find which suits you best. If you have a pre-existing health condition, we suggest that you first speak with your physician to ensure the safest way to enjoy hydrotherapy.
Cleaning hot tubs is the best practice for an enjoyable soak. How often and in what manner you clean your hot tub will depend on two factors: how often the spa is used and the manufacturer.
  • Test your hot tub water with test strips once or twice a week.
  • Treat your hot tub water accordingly based on the readings from the test strips.
  • Clean the filter every two weeks with water from the hose.
  • Drain, clean, and fill the hot tub once every three to four months.
For more information about the water management system and cleaning process for your hot tub, get in touch with us today.

The size of your hot tub should reflect your intended use for it. What are the top hot tub sizes? Will it cater to the needs of the entire family? Is it meant just for you and your significant other? Or do you enjoy hosting elaborate backyard parties? Your lifestyle and layout of your backyard can help you determine if you would like to invest in a smaller or larger hot tub.

Most hot tub brands have models available in the following sizes and capacities: 2-3 seats, 4-5 seats, 5-6 seats, 6 or more seats. For a better idea of how big or small our hot tubs are, visit our showroom person today.

Legally, the manufacturer is responsible for the warranty, as is the case with any product. In reality, the dealer that sells the spa is empowered and to some degree required by the manufacturer to service the warranty. What happens, often times, is that the dealer will outsource warranty work to a 3rd party. This is the situation that most often creates problems for the customer. This 3rd party was not the one that sold the customer on their spa, or their ownership experience. In fact, this 3rd party has very little motivation to make the customer as happy as possible. Black Pine operates an in-house 5-star service and repair department so you know who you’re dealing with and that you’ll be taken care of the way you expect.

Frankly, this is an area where a lot of liberty is taken by sales people and the industry in general. The claims are varied, as are the results. Ozonator is a component installed on the spa which creates ozone gas by exciting oxygen. This gas is then delivered to the water, often inefficiently. The truth is, ozone is deadly to bacteria and algae and will kill them on contact. Equally true is that the ozone systems is MOST spas are highly inefficient. Ozone is unstable, and much of the gas is lost as it travels in an air hose prior to ever touching water. Secondly, once it touches the water briefly, it rises to the top and gases off, like any other gas bubble would. What is absolutely more effective, but also more expensive and more time consuming from a manufacturing standpoint, is the use of a dedicated in-line mixing chamber where the ozone cannot escape and spends the majority, if not all, of its “life” in contact with the water.
It should be noted that there are alternative ways of sanitizing spa water, however, Chlorine and Bromine are the most “tried and true” sanitizers in the industry. Specifically, Chlorine and Bromine do nearly the exact same thing because they have very similar chemical properties. There are three main differences. First, Chlorine has a higher vapor pressure than Bromine, which is why people often smell chlorine more. If they are irritated by the smell, they might then choose Bromine. However, Bromine has a low (acidic) PH, while Chlorine is PH neutral. So, with Bromine, you will have to balance your PH more often, and if not in balance, can experience drier skin. Lastly, Bromine has been proven to be more stable at higher temperatures which is another reason it has gained traction for hot tub use.
Based on reasonable care, filters are good for about one year. However, often people will get longer life out of their filters by taking especially good care of them. Most importantly, if you can visibly see that the fabric has started to fray, break down, or is stained, then its time.
Based on reasonable care, filters are good for about one year. However, often people will get longer life out of their filters by taking especially good care of them. Most importantly, if you can visibly see that the fabric has started to fray, break down, or is stained, then its time.
Often, low PH can exacerbate the problem of dry skin in a spa. Make sure your PH is at least neutral, if not just a little high. Otherwise, you can use a moisturizing additive.
The failure of some or all of the following components could cause this problem: High Limit Switch, Relay, Contactor, Spa Pack, or Thermostat. Understand however, that if you run your therapy pumps on high speed for extended periods of time, your water is likely to go up in temperature by a degree or two due to the heat generated by the pump. Suspicion of a component failure is appropriate if the temperature suddenly increases greatly or differently than it has in the past.
We’ve seen this in spas where the temperature sensor is not adequately insulated and which allows it to react to ambient temperature outside the spa.
We’ve seen this in spas where the temperature sensor is not adequately insulated and which allows it to react to ambient temperature outside the spa.

When any flow issues arise, the first and easiest place to troubleshoot should be the filters. Take out the filters and run your spa. If performance improves, then your filters are too dirty and clogged, and they are restricting flow. Deep clean them in an overnight soak, or replace them, which ever gets the job done. Beyond the filters, we would look at a damaged pump. Broken impellers will move less water. Worn out bearings (you can tell this is the problem because the pump will also run loudly) will move less water. And lastly, you may have a foreign object in the plumbing or the pump head which could restrict flow. If the issue is localized to one particular jet and not an area, then you may want to check that jet for foreign objects (hair, scale, etc.) that might be restricting flow from behind the jet.

 

Before we get into this too deeply, we need to warn our readers that do-it-yourself electrical repairs and troubleshooting carries a high risk is ideally only handled by certified repair technicians. ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE POWER TO THE SPA IS OFF WHEN CONNECTING OR DISCONNECTING COMPONENTS. What technician would do in this situation will be to turn off power to the spa. Then, disconnect all the componentry from the spa pack. This includes the pumps, blowers, ozonators, lighting boxes, and anything else. Then power the back on. At this point only the spa is getting power. If the GFCI trips, then your pack is bad. If it does not trip, then shut off the power, connect one component, then power back on. If it trips, you’ve found the faulty component. If not, repeat the process of adding one component at a time MAKING SURE TO POWER OFF WHEN RECONNECTING until you’ve found the faulty component that trips the breaker. If none of the components are culprit, then you should look for loose wires, burnt connections, and corrosion. Beyond that, you may simply be dealing with a breaker box.

 
The industry recommendation on this is: 3 months. However, this recommendation is made based on the lowest common denominator in the industry, meaning the spas with the worst water management systems that require the highest amount of chemicals to maintain. A spa with a sophisticated and highly effective innate water management system, will require less chemical intervention form the owner, and the water will last longer. Also, bather load will play a large role in this, as you can imagine. A family of five, using their spa daily, will have to change their water sooner than a couple that might use their spa weekly. If you have any serious water chemistry issues, that are not easily resolved, you may want to start with fresh water to safe.

A clean and functioning filter is key to an operational filtration system, as it catches and removes dirt and debris, keeping the water clean and free of impurities. We recommend rinsing the filter every two weeks with fresh water from the hose or kitchen sink. You can also use this time to spray it down with a filter cleaner and then continue to rinse. 

Filter cleaning nozzles are available that can be attached to the end of a hose, which can help water to better reach the nooks and crannies of your filter. Soak your filter overnight in a bucket filled with water and a small amount of filter cleaner every two months to remove deep-down debris.

Recommendations will vary from bi-weekly to monthly. In either case, be sure to remove the filters and clean out al debris from between the pleats. Once every 3-6 months, we highly recommend a deep cleaning solution for an overnight soak. This will ensure that not only the debris, but also all oils and other biofilm are cleaned off of the filters.

Hydrotherapy is a therapeutic technique that harnesses the healing properties of water. What is hydrotherapy? The combination of heat, buoyancy, and massage helps to relax muscles, ease sore joints, improve circulation, and reduce muscle tension. Used by healthcare professionals all around the world, hydrotherapy can help to improve sleep patterns, reduce stress, ease aches and pains, aid in post-injury recovery, and soothe sore joints, among many other health benefits.

Making the decision to buy a hot tub is a big one. It’s not something you do every day, after all. Your lifestyle can have a significant impact on the decision to purchase a hot tub. Before making the decision, ask yourself these following questions:

  1. Where in my backyard will I install a hot tub?
  2. Will the hot tub be for my entire family, or just for me?
  3. Will I benefit from fewer aches and pains, better sleep, and reduced stress?
  4. Will I enjoy the convenience of access to a hydromassage in the comfort of my own home?
  5. Will my family benefit from the additional family time in the spa?

If you said yes to one or more of the questions above, a hot tub might be right for you! Speak with one of our team members to learn more about the prices, sizes, and brands available to you.

Really, no. From a historical perspective, the old wooden barrel-style hot tubs of the 60s and 70s were called “hot tubs”, and the term “spa” came into vogue as the product evolved to molds with seats and jets. However, short of marketing purposes, they don’t mean anything different today. Most importantly, never believe sales person who says that they “make spas, not hot tubs” to make their product sound more sophisticated and or give their product a different sense of performance. That’s pure gimmick.
The standard industry recommendation is to test your water once a week. Of course, if you have a heavy bather load or a temporary increase in usage, it would be smart to monitor the water chemistry more closely.
Generally, HP refers to “Horsepower”, which is a unit of measure for power of them pump. You will see two terms, “HP” and “BHP”. HP is the average continuous power created by the motor. BHP is the measure of the “Brake” horsepower, which is upper end of the motors power capability. Be sure to know the difference, so you can compare apples to apples when you shop.
The only product that we’ve seen work well on this particularly challenging problem, is called TLC Stain and Scale Remover.
Sometimes, you spa will not heat because it isn’t circulating water. So, the problem is not with the heater, specifically, but rather a flow issue. First and foremost, you should remove and clean your filters thoroughly as dirty filters are the most common culprits of flow restriction. If that does no fix the problem, then you want to check the heater indicator light on your spa to ensure that there is power to the heater. If you’re not getting power to the heater, then there might be a problem w/ any of the following: thermostat, limit switch, pressure switch, or flow switch. If all of these switches are functioning, then we would want to check relays and contactors. Realistically, if the flow is no the culprit, it would be most efficient to get a trained technician on site, or on the phone.

The most common cause is often related to an airlock. This most often occurs upon filling the spa as air gets trapped in the lines. Some spas have designated bleeder valves for bleeding air from the lines. Most often, you have to access the problematic pump, loosen the union to the outflow part of the impellor until all the air seeps out and water starts to run, then tighten it back up. If that isn’t the problem, then you might have a jammed or broken impeller. Or, the bearings of the unit have seized. At this point, and for a few other more technical causes, its best to contact a certified service department for replacement parts. You’re welcome to contact our service department here. 

First and foremost, be careful. There has been no shortage of quack products that have entered and exited the market, claiming to magically solve water chemistry issues, only to fail miserably and leave damage spas or infected spa users in their wake. Being in business for over 30 years, we’ve learned not to trust or recommend anything that hasn’t proven itself over some meaningful amount of time. With that said, the answer is YES, there are alternatives that allow you to significantly lower the need for Bromine or Chlorine, or eliminate them entirely. Our favorite product to this end is Silk Balance. We’ve tested, used, and successfully recommended these products to thousands of our clients that desired to get away from the traditional Chlorine or Bromine systems.
First and foremost, be careful. There has been no shortage of quack products that have entered and exited the market, claiming to magically solve water chemistry issues, only to fail miserably and leave damage spas or infected spa users in their wake. Being in business for over 30 years, we’ve learned not to trust or recommend anything that hasn’t proven itself over some meaningful amount of time. With that said, the answer is YES, there are alternatives that allow you to significantly lower the need for Bromine or Chlorine, or eliminate them entirely. Our favorite product to this end is Silk Balance. We’ve tested, used, and successfully recommended these products to thousands of our clients that desired to get away from the traditional Chlorine or Bromine systems.
Although Chlorine and Bromine can dry the skin to some degree, low PH is also a very common culprit. Low PH means the water is acidic. Acidic water will certainly dry the skin and irritate it to varying degrees. Also, if the problem is more serious, consider using the alternative sanitizer mentioned above, Silk Balance which has been shown to dramatically reduce skin irritation, even in people with chronic eczema.
Most often, this problem is with the spa or water, but insider the cover itself. Try cleaning the inside of the spa cover. If the problem is to grave and does not go away, it may be time for a new cover.
How many jets are needed in a hot tub?
What is the difference between 110v or 220v hot tubs?

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