THE BEST Hot Tub Startup Video [How to Drain and Refill Your Hot Tub] | Backyard Leisure

[@pkarandi]

I originally just did a "thumbs up" on this video, but then as I continued to watch it, I realized that I just had to leave a comment. This video was so incredibly helpful. You covered so many questions/concerns I had. I chose my specific dealer (got the Caldera Makena with salt system) because they told me they would come over after delivery to go over all the regular maintenance activities. Of course, when they delivered the tub 9 months later, they told me they didn't do that anymore because of lack of personnel due to Covid. Kind of frustrating. Anyway, you covered practically everything I needed to know, like: 1. can I just drain the water in my grass 2. where the drain plug is located 3. how often to drain and refill 4. explanation of why to drain and refill 5. how the Vanishing Act works 6. phosphate remover Thanks a million!

[@backyardleisure]

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I'm glad I could be helpful!

[@vinceagnes]

Wow! This is a great step by step guide for maintaining a hot tub. Easy to understand, products explained clearly. Common sense explanations . Great.

[@backyardleisure]

I'm so glad it's helpful, Fran! Happy hot tubbing!

[@mildmannerededc]

You sir, not only know your stuff, but present in a very helpful way. As a new hot tub owner, thank you for the great information... I hope you continue this content. 👍🏻

[@backyardleisure]

Thank you so much for the kind words! Creating helpful KZbin videos is one of our top priorities moving forward.

[@TheNanologue]

Exceptional video. Found this, and your ‘how to remove foam’ video, incredibly helpful. Well explained. Thanks.

[@backyardleisure]

I'm so glad their helpful. Happy hot tubbing!

[@TheCabinboygirl]

Loving your videos here, I am a new spa seller myself, and have learnt a lot from you, great job!

[@backyardleisure]

So glad that they're helpful Richard. Best of luck!

[@jackdawson3276]

Awesome video! Very informative! Drain and fill is easy when you dont purge. However, many people find that the Salt System works sooo much better when the plumbing is purged with a cleaner like Ahhsome. It makes a huge difference. Biofilm consumes so much sanitizer. I use either Perfect Clean by Natural Chemistry or Ahhsome spray cleaner to get the thick biofilm gunk off the shell. Vinegar mixed with water is a good cleaner if concerned about possible foam. I get a year out of my water in my Envoy ( at least 10 solid months) Luckily NYC water has calcium of 65ppm and 7.1 PH right out of the tap. Unfortunately, our Phosphates are over 1000ppb! The pre filter doesnt work. I add phosphate remover and clarifier every time I fill and do a top off. It dramatically extends the salt cartridges life!. Great tip on calcium! Hot Springs doesnt really warn of low calcium being corrosive. Another thing to mention is Cynaruc Acid buildup. I used to have to dose with dichlor to maintain chlorine residual. (That was before I started to purge the water) CYA built up fast which reduces the effectiness of the sanitzer and can be harsh on equipment. Now that I purge, I keep my salt output at 4 , I dont dose chlorine and shock with dichlor once every month or even two.

[@backyardleisure]

Thanks for the feedback Jack! It sounds like you have a great system there.

[@suebean3873]

Very informative. Thank you!

[@robertf3340]

Lot of good info sir. I just bought the same exact tub less the last water system but added the ozone. Thank you for the info

[@backyardleisure]

My pleasure. Congratulations and happy hot tubbing!

[@billybishop02]

For wipe down I use norwex clothes they work so well and just with water and it leaves our hot tub really clean! 👌

[@backyardleisure]

Thanks for the tip, Ralph!

[@joshuahoward6597]

Appreciate the videos. I’ve had my Caldera Marino for almost a month (you installed it). My water is really getting foamy, hazy, and green all of the sudden. Looks like I’ll try the shop vac method on the other video! Thanks again for the videos (and the hot tub) We love it!!

[@backyardleisure]

Glad the videos are helpful, Joshua! You might want to double-check to make sure that you're SmartChlor cartridge isn't empty as well. Reach out if we can help with anything.

[@joshuahoward6597]

@@backyardleisure the shop vac worked like a charm. Once I got all of the foam vacuumed off and cleaned my filter, my water is looking much better! I have also changed my smartchlor since it has been about a month. Water is looking beautiful again! I never thought of bubbles/foam as contaminants!

[@backyardleisure]

@@joshuahoward6597 Fantastic. Happy hot tubbing!

[@SuperJam2001]

Great video! If we needed to raise the calcium, do you have a booster product you prefer?

[@backyardleisure]

@@SuperJam2001 Thank you! I don't have a lot of experience with calcium booster products, because the calcium in our tap water is very high. My recommendation, as a general rule, is to use a product that is labelled specifically for hot tubs. Also, a pool/hot tub store will normally carry higher-quality products than the mass merchants.

[@markbellingham4536]

Excellent tutorial thank you 🙏

[@backyardleisure]

I'm glad it was helpful, Mark!

[@jv122798]

Hi, im curious as to why you have 2 separate breakers for your tub? I’m new to this and getting a jacuzzi 475 and my Electrcian set it up with one breaker.

[@backyardleisure]

Hi Joe, your electrician most likely installed your breaker and wiring correctly for the tub you purchased. Different manufacturers have different requirements. The two-breaker setup found on some Caldera and Hot Spring models is unique. This setup puts the spa's heater on its own breaker so that if the heater goes bad and trips the breaker, the rest of the tub can continue to function.

[@DaisyChain808]

The terminator is a hot tub salesman now?!😮

[@backyardleisure]

I'll be back.

[@Dexterosa]

This is the best :) thanks

[@backyardleisure]

So glad it was helpful!

[@Aviation_Professional]

Is that the Seychelles tub? Great tub for sure.

[@backyardleisure]

Yes it is and I agree. It's the tub I have at home!

[@joelb8689]

Hi Josh When it’s time to do my drain and refill, can I leave the current salt cartridge in place as there is over a month left before it needs changing.

[@backyardleisure]

You sure can!

[@loman0071]

Good if salt water but normal you'd want to do a pip flush no?

[@cvshooter61]

Great video with lots of great information, especially for us new hot tub owners. My only issue is with your camera operator who did a really poor job of filming what you were doing.

[@backyardleisure]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad the information is helpful!

[@AccuracySpeaks]

Excellent video, thank you! My wife and I are considering buying a Caldera, would that be a solid choice in your opinion? I want the best, most reliable tub possible... I'm really liking what I see with the Watkins Wellness so far, however, I am open for any suggestions.

[@backyardleisure]

Glad it was helpful! I'm probably biased since we sell Caldera and I have one at home... 😂 But since you asked, I think Caldera is a great choice. With any brand, it's important to have good dealer support, but from a manufacturer standpoint, I like a lot of the Caldera features, they make a solid product and they stand behind it well.

[@AccuracySpeaks]

@backyardleisure you seem like a straight shooter to me, the way you took the time to properly wipe down the tub and your attention to detail in your video speaks volumes, you can't really fake that kind of stuff! One thing I really like about the caldera tubs is the lack of spray foam, which would be a pain in the ass to work on or find leaks. Thank you for your videos. They're helping tremendously! If I were in Indiana, I'd deal with you for sure! You mentioned your wife's feet issues, I have chronic pain issues and recently rented a cabin in Tennessee with a tub. The relief it provided me was amazing! I wish I would have thought of a tub years ago for pain relief. Better late than never, I guess...

[@backyardleisure]

​@AccuracySpeaks I appreciate the compliment. Wishing you the very best of hot tubbing!

[@AccuracySpeaks]

@backyardleisure Thank you, my friend!

[@dawnmeyers1966]

Josh show me the logo on the outside light I need to see the colors

[@JMEREEL1142]

How many refills can i get out of the portable water softener?

[@backyardleisure]

The short answer is that you can use the On the Go water softener indefinitely, because it is rechargeable. How many fills you can get between recharging will be determined by which size softener you purchase, how big your hot tub is and how hard your water is. Here is a link to more information on the Standard size unit. If you click on "estimated capacity" you can get a little more detail: www.portablewatersoftener.com/shop/water-softeners/portable-standard-water-softener?SKU=OTG2-DLR4-1M#ProductTab133

[@JMEREEL1142]

@@backyardleisure awesome thank you so much!

[@robertf3340]

Sir. Any chance you’d be willing to give me the part number for the spa filter? My Seychelles was delivered last night with no filter and I’m having a heck of a time finding what filter this uses. Thanks you!

[@backyardleisure]

Sure thing. The Seychelles filter part number is 73531.

[@robertf3340]

@@backyardleisure thank you brother, I appreciate it!

[@robertf3340]

Have a tech question for you as I’ve been thru the owners manual 4 times and have been unable to locate the info. So on this Seychelles topside controller, is there a way to invert the screen? Secondly, is there a way to get into the setup and change the filter cycles so that it doesn’t run too long and is there a clock set screen somewhere? This spa is much different than the Artisian I just got rid of. Thanks bud

[@backyardleisure]

Hey Robert, happy to help. 1. To invert the screen, press and hold the Back button (about 3 or 4 seconds). 2. There aren't really filter cycles on the Seychelles because it has a dedicated 24 hour circulation pump. The big jet pumps will only come on when you turn them on. They will turn themselves off automatically after one hour. That being said, when you're finished using the tub, it is a good idea to turn them off before you close the cover, because running the jets on high with the cover closed will generate excess heat. 3. The control system on the Seychelles does not have a clock function.

[@robertf3340]

@@backyardleisure appreciate the info brother. Thank you!

[@scmomentum]

You have to run Jet Clean before draining.

[@backyardleisure]

That's a perfectly great thing to do! I don't necessarily use Jet Clean every time if the water is in pretty good shape, but there's no downside to doing so.

[@KboardWarrior]

Not sure if its the shell but that water looks green.

[@backyardleisure]

The old water definitely had a green tint. If you compare that to the end of the video, you'll see that the new water was much more blue!

[@mikehrynyk434]

Can any hot tub use salt water

[@backyardleisure]

Hi Mike. There are just a few brands that offer an OEM salt system. There are also some aftermarket salt systems that can be installed on any hot tub, but I've seen them cause issues because the tub's components weren't designed to be compatible with salt water.

[@mikehrynyk434]

@@backyardleisure ok next question, for a 5 person hot tub. Is bigger better! ….. the OTG3NTP3M at 8000 grains or OTG4 at 16000 grains. And last … how many uses will l get out of using the portable unit

[@backyardleisure]

@@mikehrynyk434 Just for the sake of anyone else reading this thread, I'd like to clarify that the OTG that Mike is referring to is the On the Go portable water softener. To answer your question, the only benefit of the larger On the Go unit is that you will need to recharge it less often. The number of uses that you get out of either unit depends on the calcium hardness of the source water and how much water you are running through it each time. According to the On the Go website, the 8000 grain unit will soften 320-800 gallons between recharges and the 16000 grain unit is 640-1600 gallons. One additional note, the On the Go website lists capacity based on your source water's GPG (grains per gallon), however your test strips are probably measuring in PPM (parts per million). The conversion is: 1 GPG = 17.14 PPM

[@mikehrynyk434]

@@backyardleisure sounds and makes sense to me, thanks

[@loman0071]

Poor very poor