Spring Clean Your Spa or Swim Spa: Drain, Clean & Refill for Warmer Weather

Spring Clean Your Spa or Swim Spa: Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Drain, Clean & Refill

Spring has arrived in Tasmania, and as the days start getting longer and the warmer weather approaches, now is a great time to give your spa or swim spa a proper spring clean.

While it’s easy to focus on keeping the water clear and balanced, there’s another part of your spa that deserves attention: the pipework, jets and plumbing you can’t see.

Over time, body oils, lotions, organic waste and scale can accumulate inside the plumbing. Simply draining the old water and filling the spa with fresh water doesn’t necessarily remove this build-up.

That’s why, if you’re planning to empty your spa or swim spa this spring, it’s worth cleaning the plumbing before you pull the drain plug.

Why Should You Drain and Refill Your Spa?

Spa water doesn’t last forever.

Unlike a swimming pool, a spa contains a relatively small volume of warm water that can be exposed to a high bather load. Every time the spa is used, things such as body oils, cosmetics, perspiration and other organic contaminants are introduced into the water.

Good filtration, sanitising and regular water balancing help manage these contaminants, but eventually the water becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.

A fresh refill gives you the opportunity to:

  • Start again with fresh water

  • Deep-clean the spa shell and waterline

  • Inspect and clean your filters

  • Check jets and fittings

  • Remove hidden build-up from the plumbing

  • Rebalance the water correctly from the beginning

And with spring now underway, it’s a perfect maintenance job to get completed before your spa or swim spa starts seeing more use through the warmer months.

Before You Drain It — Clean the Pipes

This is the step we don't recommend skipping.

Your spa may look perfectly clean from above, but there can be metres of plumbing underneath the shell.

Water circulating through those pipes can leave behind body oils, organic waste and scale deposits, particularly over a long period of use.

If you simply drain the spa without cleaning the plumbing, some of that material can remain behind. Once you refill the spa, your brand-new water is immediately circulating through the same pipework.

This is where BioGuard Swirl Away comes in.

BioGuard Swirl Away 500ml Pipe Cleaner is specifically formulated for cleaning spa plumbing before draining and refilling.

It helps:

  • Break down body oils and other organic waste

  • Remove waste and scale build-up from plumbing

  • Reduce deposits in plumbing lines and jets

  • Prevent loosened solids from simply redepositing elsewhere

  • Promote better circulation and filtration

In other words, it cleans the areas of your spa that a sponge simply can't reach.

How to Use BioGuard Swirl Away

Swirl Away is added while the old water is still in the spa, before draining.

For spas and hot tubs, BioGuard's directions are to shake the bottle well, add the required amount of Swirl Away to the existing water and operate the pump at high speed so the cleaner circulates throughout the plumbing.

Keep the air controls closed while using Swirl Away.

After circulation is complete, the spa can be drained and you can continue with your normal cleaning and refill procedure.

For a larger swim spa, always follow the directions on the product label and use the appropriate quantity for the volume of water being treated.

Always read and follow the directions on the BioGuard Swirl Away container before use.

Don't Be Surprised by What Comes Out

If you haven’t cleaned your spa plumbing for a while, the result can sometimes be a little confronting!

As Swirl Away circulates, you may see foam, discolouration or residue entering the spa from the plumbing.

That’s actually one of the reasons we're doing the clean in the first place.

The visible spa shell might have been spotless while deposits were gradually accumulating in areas you couldn't see.

Better out than left inside your freshly filled spa.

Once the Spa Is Empty

Now you have the perfect opportunity to give everything else some attention.

Clean the shell and waterline

Wipe down the spa shell, seats and waterline with a cleaner designed for spa surfaces.

Avoid reaching for ordinary household cleaners. Some household products can leave residues behind that cause excessive foaming or interfere with your water chemistry after refilling.

Clean your filters

Your filters do a huge amount of work capturing oils, dirt and other contaminants.

Remove them, inspect their condition and give them a proper clean. If the filter media has become damaged, heavily discoloured or is no longer cleaning effectively, spring is also a good time to consider replacement.

Check the spa while you can see it

With the water removed, take a few minutes to look over your:

  • Jets

  • Headrests

  • Suctions

  • Waterline

  • Spa cover

  • Accessible fittings

Catching a small maintenance issue now can be much easier than discovering it after you've put several thousand litres of water back into the spa.

Refill With Fresh Water

Once everything is clean, rinse away any cleaning residue and refill the spa or swim spa according to the manufacturer's instructions.

But don't assume fresh water means balanced water.

Your new fill will still need to be tested and correctly balanced for factors including:

  • pH

  • Total alkalinity

  • Calcium hardness

  • Sanitiser

Correctly balancing fresh water from the beginning helps protect your spa equipment and surfaces while making ongoing water maintenance considerably easier.

Not Sure What Your Fresh Water Needs?

Bring a sample in to Pool & Spa World Tasmania for a free in-store water test.

Our team can test your water and help you determine what adjustments are required rather than guessing which chemicals to add.

It's particularly useful after a complete drain and refill because you're effectively starting your spa's water chemistry again from scratch.

Make It Part of Your Spa Maintenance Routine

Draining a spa or swim spa shouldn't just be about replacing old water with new water.

It's an opportunity to clean the complete water system — including the plumbing you normally can't get to.

So if you've been thinking:

"I really should empty the spa..."

Spring is a pretty good excuse to finally do it.

Clean the pipes with BioGuard Swirl Away, drain the old water, clean the spa and filters, refill with fresh water and get the chemistry properly balanced.

Then when those longer Tasmanian afternoons and warmer evenings arrive, your spa or swim spa will already be clean, fresh and ready to enjoy.

Ready for Your Spring Spa Clean?

BioGuard Swirl Away 500ml Pipe Cleaner is available online from Pool & Spa World Tasmania and is suitable for cleaning spa plumbing before draining and refilling.

You can also visit our Kings Meadows or Glenorchy showrooms for BioGuard spa-care products, free water testing and practical advice from our team.

Spring clean now. Relax later.

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