If you’re looking to buy a swim spa one of the first questions you ask is “are swim spas high maintenance?”
The next is probably “how much does a swim spa cost?”
There are around 10.4 million homes with residential swimming pools in the United States. That’s a lot of pools! But we think you might find a swim spa way more fun than a regular swimming pool!
Swim spas are unique because they are the perfect blend between a hot tub and a swimming pool. A hot tub and a swimming pool? That sounds amazing, right? That’s because it is!
But what else can a swim spa do?
Do swim spas require a lot of maintenance? What should you do if your swim spa breaks down?
Keep reading to learn more about swim spas and how to keep yours in good shape for years to come!
What Is a Swim Spa?
Everyone likes the idea of having a jacuzzi, but not everyone likes the idea of something that you can only sit in.
While hot tubs are great, regular hot tubs are usually too small to swim around in. Some of you just want to swim!
It’s an easy exercise and can even give your kids and grandkids something to do when they’ve been spending too much time inside.
Hot tubs are perfect for lounging around in warm water and often come with powerful jets that massage your muscles!
Hot tubs are also great for hydrotherapy and make it easy to relax after a long, stressful day but what if you want something big enough you can swim in and use to do “laps”?
That’s when it’s time to start looking at swim spas. They are larger than hot tubs and can let you do laps and get some exercise while still having some space for other people.
The problem with most regular swimming pools is that they are almost always cold.
It’s tough to spend time in your pool when you can’t get warm. That can really cut down on the amount of time you spend in the water and after you’ve spent that much money, you don’t want that!
That’s the beauty of a dual-temp swim spa. These spas can get a high water temp in the hot tub side and leave the pool side cooler or you can heat both sides if it’s frigid outside.
Aqua Living Factory Outlets is home of the original swim spa and the only manufacturer to offer the proprietary AnyTemp® Hot and Cold Spa System.
The AnyTemp system lets you control the temperature of your spas in any type of weather and any type of climate.
With our AnyTemp® System, you can enjoy daily hydrotherapy, exercise, training, or swimming outdoors year-round – cooling your spas even in the desert heat and warming it when the temperatures dip.
The Details of a Swim Spa
A swim spa is a perfect alternative to needing a pool and a hot tub.
Swim spas have become very popular in recent years. This is because more people have discovered the unique benefits it has to offer.
Many people confuse swim spas with hot tubs, but they are not the same. Swim spas can get very warm like a hot tub and they also come with jets to massage your muscles.
But swim spas are larger than your average jacuzzi hot tub and give you plenty of room to swim around and get a bit of exercise.
Some swim spas come with jets that allow you to swim in place!
Now you never have to worry about the size of the swim spa being too small. You could swim forever!
One of our favorites is the 21′ Marathon Dual Temp swim spa by Catalina Spas. The swim side has 3 river jets that allow for endless swimming and 46 therapy jets and the hot tub side has seating for six with 57 Stainless jets!
Even though swimming is considered a low-impact workout, swimming produces great results.
Swimming is typically considered an aerobic exercise, but exercising in water provides good resistance.
Building proper muscle strength, especially as we grow older, is essential for a healthy body and a long life. Resistance training with or without added weights and bands improves balance, sleep, and bone health.
You also won’t have to deal with cold water as you would with a regular swimming pool. You could stay warm and relaxed while you do laps or if it’s hot outside you can cool down the water if you prefer.
A swim spa is a welcoming environment when you invite your friends over for a swim. Plenty of room for everyone!
But is a swim spa durable and long-lasting? Will it break down all the time? How much maintenance will you need to put into a swim spa to keep it in good shape?
How Much Maintenance Do Swim Spas Need?
You need to expect a certain level of maintenance from your swim spa. You can think of it like standard hot tubs and swimming pools. If you leave it and never touch it, it isn’t going to last very long.
But with regular use and maintenance, your swim spa will last many years!
Swim spa maintenance doesn’t have to be hard and laborious either. It usually only takes a few minutes a few times a week.
Cleaning your swim spa is the foundation of keeping the spa in good shape. It is also one of the easiest forms of swim spa maintenance. A swim spa is full of jets, filters, and other little devices.
Your spa will not work as well if those devices get dirty. That can make it difficult for the water to circulate.
If there is no circulation then water in the spa might start to stagnate and develop a bad odor.
The jets might no longer work and the filter might break down.
You can prevent these issues by regularly cleaning your swim spa. You can do this by removing leaves and other debris from your spa.
Vacuuming the bottom of the swim spa may be beneficial too. Debris like dirt and sand may sink to the bottom and be hard to reach. It may then sink into the filter or other devices and cause problems.
But vacuuming the bottom will prevent this problem. Keeping the swim spa clean will reduce the chance that anything in the spa will break down. Using it regularly will also help.
What You Need to Know about a Swim Spa
Swim spas are low maintenance! That’s good news, right?
You can do a couple of things to help keep your spas running smoothly. One of the most important things to do is not wear lotions or oils in the water!
You can usually limit the amount of oil in the water from your skin by taking a shower before you get in your spa (or hot tub if you get a swim spa with one) but we know that’s not always what happens.
You should also make sure to set up a filter cleaning cycle to keep the jets going in your spas to circulate the water. Water care is an important aspect of any swim spa or hot tub!
Swimming in the water and just using the tub will keep the spa water from getting stagnant and keep the water fresh and circulated.
Cleaning the filter and replacing it is another important task. You can use a filter cleaner but we suggest changing the filter on a regular schedule. It’s easy and works with minimal time needed.
You don’t need to do this very often, around every few months or so. This will make sure the spa water stays clean. You don’t need to do much more maintenance than that.
Keeping up with your swim spa will ensure that it will stay in good shape for a long time.
You will spend more time using and enjoying your swim spa than maintaining it. That’s a win in our book!
Just like with owning anything – an occasional repair may be needed but it’s often easy and will make your swim spa as good as new.
More time in the water spending time with your family and friends!
But what kind of maintenance issues should you look for? How can you know if you need to repair a piece of the spa?
Swim Spa Maintenance
There likely won’t be any need to repair your swim spa for many years. But there will come a time when something needs to be repaired.
Suppose your swim spa or hot tub starts making noises that it doesn’t usually make. These noises might include banging, humming, clicking, and so on. Strange noises are never a good sign.
It may mean that something is loose inside the swim spa. This could prevent certain parts of the spa from working.
Another sign that your spa or hot tub needs maintenance is that the water isn’t circulating. This is likely due to a clog somewhere in the spa.
Not fixing this problem could require you to drain the water in the spa and refill it.
You might be asking how many years does a swim spa last? With proper maintenance, your swim spas can last up to 20 years!
Talk about a good value!
What to Know
What should you do if your swim spa is experiencing any of these problems? Do you have to figure out how to fix them on your own? Not necessarily.
It is possible to fix these problems yourself. But it isn’t recommended for everyone. Sometimes the better solution is to call a professional to help you.
You can likely get a repairman recommendation from one of our stores. This will ensure that the repairman is familiar with your type of spa. Hiring a professional can save you time and stress.
You won’t have to worry about getting your hands dirty and figuring out the problem yourself. The professional can handle it while you focus on other things in your life.
All about Maintaining Swim Spas and Hot Tubs
I think we’ve shown that swim spas aren’t high maintenance! You just need to make sure that they stay clean and that the water is circulating properly. This should keep the spa in good shape.
If something breaks, call up a professional to handle the situation for you.
We offer easy financing for our swim spas and they come with a great warranty to give you peace of mind!
To learn more about swim spas and dual temp swim spas with a hot tub, check out our different spa options.
