Spring in Indiana means one thing for hot tub owners: it’s time to get your spa ready for the warm months ahead. Whether you winterized last fall or kept your tub running through February’s cold snaps, a proper spring startup protects your equipment and gets your water right from day one.
This checklist walks you through every step. No guesswork. No missed details. Just the process that keeps your hot tub performing the way it should.
Before You Start: Gather Your Supplies
You’ll need a few things on hand before you touch the tub. Having everything ready saves you a trip mid-process.
Your supply list: garden hose with a pre-filter attachment, spa surface cleaner (non-abrasive), soft cloths or a melamine sponge, replacement filter cartridge (or your cleaned spare), test strips or a liquid test kit, spa chemicals (chlorine or bromine, pH adjusters, alkalinity increaser), and a pipe flush product if your tub sat dormant.
If your hot tub has been running all winter, you can skip the pipe flush and move straight to the inspection steps.
Step 1: Power Down and Drain
Turn off the breaker at the disconnect panel. Don’t just press the controls off. Cut the power at the source.
Attach your garden hose to the drain spigot and route it away from your foundation and landscaping. A full drain takes 30 to 90 minutes depending on the model and hose diameter. If you have a submersible pump, the job takes about 15 minutes.
While the water drains, remove your filter cartridge. If it’s more than 12 months old, replace it. If it’s newer, give it a thorough rinse with a garden hose, working between each pleat. Soak it overnight in a filter cleaning solution for best results.
Royal Spa owners: Your push-through filtration system uses a standard, widely available filter cartridge. One $33 filter lasts up to two years with proper care. No proprietary replacements required.
Step 2: Clean the Shell
Once the tub is empty, spray down the interior with a non-abrasive spa surface cleaner. Work from the top edge down. Pay attention to the waterline where minerals and body oils accumulate over winter.
Use a soft cloth or melamine sponge. Never use household abrasives, steel wool, or standard bathroom cleaners on your acrylic surface. Rinse thoroughly. Any cleaner residue left behind will foam up the second you turn the jets on.
While the shell is empty, inspect for any cracks, blisters, or discoloration. Catching a small surface issue now is easier than dealing with it mid-season.
Step 3: Inspect Jets, Valves, and Plumbing
Turn each jet nozzle by hand. They should rotate freely. If any feel stuck or gritty, remove the jet face and clean the housing behind it. Most jet faces twist out with a quarter turn.
Check your drain valves and gate valves. Make sure they’re fully closed before refilling. Look under the cabinet (if accessible) for any visible signs of leaks: mineral deposits, water staining, or drips around unions and connections.
For Royal Spa models with the fiberglass pan base: Check underneath for anything that might have nested over winter. The sealed pan prevents moisture damage and pest issues, but a quick visual check never hurts.
Step 4: Inspect Your Cover
Your hot tub cover does more work than most people realize. Flip it over and check the underside for mildew, tears in the vapor barrier, or waterlogging. Press into each foam core. If one side feels noticeably heavier than the other, moisture has gotten into the foam and the cover is losing insulating efficiency.
A cover in good shape should feel light and uniform. If yours is sagging, heavy, or cracked on the vinyl surface, this is the season to replace it. A waterlogged cover costs you money every month in lost heat.
Step 5: Refill With Fresh Water
Place your garden hose directly into the filter compartment, not into the open tub. Filling through the filter housing pushes water through the plumbing lines first and reduces air locks in the system.
Use a hose pre-filter if your municipal water has high mineral or metal content. Central Indiana water tends to run hard, and starting with filtered fill water makes your initial chemistry balance significantly easier.
Fill to the manufacturer’s recommended water line. For most models, that’s the midpoint of the top row of jets.
Step 6: Power Up and Prime
Restore power at the breaker. Your control panel should initialize and begin heating. If pumps don’t engage within a few minutes, you may have an air lock.
To clear an air lock: loosen the union fitting on the pump slightly until you hear air hiss out, then water starts to seep. Tighten it back down. The pump should catch and begin circulating. If it doesn’t, repeat once more before calling your dealer.
Let the system circulate for at least 30 minutes before testing water chemistry.
Step 7: Balance Your Water Chemistry
Test your water for pH, alkalinity, and sanitizer level. Here’s your target range:
- pH: 7.2 to 7.8
- Total Alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm
- Sanitizer (chlorine): 1 to 3 ppm, or (bromine): 2 to 4 ppm
Adjust alkalinity first, then pH, then sanitizer. Adding chemicals out of order means you’ll chase corrections all afternoon.
Royal Spa owners with IonPure: Your copper-ion mineral system works alongside your sanitizer to help reduce the amount of chlorine or bromine you need. It doesn’t replace your sanitizer entirely, but it means fewer chemical adjustments over the season and softer-feeling water from the first soak.
Step 8: Heat, Wait, and Enjoy
Set your target temperature. Most owners land between 100 and 104 degrees. Heating from a cold fill takes 12 to 24 hours depending on your starting water temperature, heater wattage, and outdoor conditions.
Once you’re at temp, test the water one more time. Adjust if needed. Then get in.
You earned it.
When to Call a Professional
Most spring startups are straightforward. But call your dealer if you find persistent leaks at plumbing unions, a pump that won’t prime after two attempts, error codes on your control panel, or visible damage to wiring or the heater element.
For Royal Spa owners in the Indianapolis area, all three showrooms can help: the factory showroom on Epler Ave, the Pendleton Pike location, or our Avon showroom on the west side. Walk-ins welcome. We’ll get you sorted.
Your Hot Tub Is Ready. Your Backyard Is Waiting.
A proper spring opening takes about two hours of hands-on work and protects months of trouble-free soaking. Take the time now and your tub pays you back every evening through October.
Indiana-made since 1981. Designed For Life.
