Hot Tub Maintenance: What to Do if Your Spa Won’t Turn On

Imagine wrapping up a stressful day at work and returning home, eager to soak away your troubles in your personal hot tub. Now imagine the sheer frustration when your hot tub won’t turn on no matter how many times you flip the switch. Worse yet, maybe the hot tub is working perfectly except for one annoying thing that ruins your whole experience. How can you fix the problem?

Fortunately, several of the most common spa malfunctions are easy to investigate. While some may just require a little cleaning or maintenance, some require you to call a professional for in-depth repairs. Let’s take a look at a few common problems and help you get back to enjoying your spa again as quickly as possible.

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Temperature Problems

Occasionally, your hot tub’s water will simply refuse to heat up at all. Alternatively, you may notice that the water temperature varies minute to minute, going from a comforting heat to an irritating cold quickly.

If the water isn’t heating at all:

• Make sure your hot tub is filled to capacity. If it’s not, the water may not be flowing properly through the heating element.
• See if the filters are clogged and need replacing.
• Check your breaker and reset the heater.
• Check the heating element itself. If it looks burnt, leave it alone and call a professional to come replace it.

If you find yourself having the opposite problem and your water’s temperature is fluctuating wildly:

• Make sure the filters are clean to permit water flow.
• Make sure the pumps are turning on and functioning correctly.
• Check the thermostat and heat sensors for any issues. If none of these solutions work, call a professional to find the problem.

Mechanical Issues

A hot tub can’t properly do its job without the jets, and if the jets refuse to come on, you may have a problem. Here’s what to do if your hot tub jets don’t work:

• Make sure the jets are all open and not blocked by debris or buildup.
• Check the plumbing line for any clogging.
• If you recently refilled your spa, the jets may be blocked with an air bubble. Dislodge the air bubble by turning your jets on and off multiple times to force it out.

If your hot tub is working just fine but making odd screeching or growling sounds, your pumps may have an issue. Add a little water to your spa, clean off any buildup, and try again.

Pro Tip: Beyond simple maintenance and repairs, trying to fix a major spa malfunction on your own is difficult and potentially dangerous. Leave that to the professionals.

Electrical Malfunctions

If your hot tub control panel shows an error code, it’s not difficult to find out what the problem is. Your owner’s manual has a complete list of every error code and what they mean to help you out. Consult the manual to determine the problem.

However, there are some types of electrical malfunctions you shouldn’t tackle for your own safety. For instance, if your hot tub breaker keeps tripping, it could indicate potentially severe damage that’s dangerous to fix. It’s best to call a professional for that.

Get Your Spa Working Again

If your hot tub won’t turn on, don’t start shopping for a new one quite yet. Do a little investigating yourself and see if you can pinpoint the problem. If you can’t, or if the problem is too much for you to handle, call a professional to get your spa back in shape. Don’t miss another day of post-work stress relief!

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