Calspas hot tub being used in a family setting

Refilling your spa with fresh water

Your spa should be drained every four to six months and refilled with fresh tap water. After you have drained your spa, refill it in this manner. Click here to learn how to drain the spa.

Remove the cartridge from filter canister.

Removing filter

Unscrew the cartridge and remove it

While the spa is filling up, this is a good time to prepare the filter.

If you need to clean the filter, it will need to soak for 24 hours in filter cleaning solution, so it's a good idea to have a second filter on hand. Click here for more information on cleaning the filter.

If you need to replace the filter, soak it in a bucket of water for 30 minutes before it's placed in the spa. A dry filter can allow air into the filtration system which can cause the pump to fail to prime.

Fill the spa.

refilling spa

Place a garden hose in the filter canister and fill your spa with regular tap water about six inches from the top. If the water level is too low or too high, your spa will not operate properly.

warningAlways fill the spa through the filter canister! Failure to do so may cause air to be trapped in the filtration system and prevent the pumps from operating properly.

warningNever fill your spa with soft water.

Soft water makes it impossible to maintain the proper water chemistry and may cause the water to foam, which will ultimately harm the finish of the spa and void your warranty.

Turn on power to the spa.

breaker box

When the spa is filled to the correct level, turn on the power at the GFCI breaker. (Ensure that 120V spas are connected to the proper electrical outlet.)

Prime the pump

press jets

Your spa will perform a self-diagnostic check and go into priming mode. When the control panel displays PR, do the following:

  1. Press the JETS button to turn on the pump and let it run for 10 seconds. The pump should be running in low speed.
  2. Press the JETS buttons again and let the pump run in high speed for 10 seconds.
  3. Press the JETS button again to turn off the pump. The pump should be left off for 10 to 15 seconds.
  4. Repeat steps a through c until water is flowing through all the jets and all air is removed from the plumbing.

If spa fails to prime, there could be an air pocket at the suction side of the pump. Click here for  priming instructions.

Install the filter into the filter cannister

place filter in spa

Make sure the filter has soaked at least 30 minutes before you install it.

Let the spa heat up

cover spa

When the spa has finished priming, the heater will activate. Put the cover on and let the spa run for two hours.

Adjust water chemistry

teststrips

After the spa has run for two hours, test and adjust the water chemistry. Click here for instructions on water chemistry.