First start-up of your hot tub: step by step

Short answer: the first start-up follows a fixed order: check after delivery, level the tub, fill above the heater connections, check all connections for leaks, only then light the heater, and start water treatment immediately. Following that order lets you take your first soak the same day and avoids the two classic start-up mistakes: firing with too little water and dosing disinfectant before the pH is right.

Step 1: check after delivery

• Inspect the shell, the wooden surround, the heater and the flue pipe for transport damage, and report any damage the same day; see requesting service.
• Check that all included parts are present: ball valve, flue pipe with rain cap and heat shield, ladder, cover and, if applicable, filter or heating element.
• If installed by our assembly service, the heater, filter and any heat pump are connected on the spot; if you assembled it yourself, check every connection once more against the assembly manual.

Step 2: level the tub

Place a long spirit level across the rim in two directions. A shell that is off by a few centimetres will produce an uneven waterline and, with an internal heater, will let the top edge of the heater emerge above the waterline too early. Correct with the base, not with wedges under the shell. More on the base is in preparing delivery and placement.

Step 3: filling and leak check

1. Close the ball valve at the bottom of the tub and check that all drain plugs are closed.
2. Fill using a garden hose. With an internal heater, fill to at least 5 cm above the top edge of the heater; with an external heater, well above the top connection, and then to the level given in the assembly manual.
3. While filling, check all connections: heater couplings, ball valve, filter connection, and any jets. A drip at a coupling usually just needs a quarter turn; report a leak that persists before you start firing.
4. Fill a wood-fired tub preferably in the morning: heating up takes 2 to 3.5 hours depending on the model.

Step 4: the first firing

1. Check the water level one more time. Water first, then fire.
2. Light with small, dry wood and firelighters; never with flammable liquids.
3. Open the air vent fully and build the fire up gently with dry, split wood.
4. A slight smell during the very first firing is normal: manufacturing residues burning off the metal. Leave the tub's cover off for the first few minutes and ventilate the area.
5. Then put the cover on and continue firing according to the step-by-step plan in hot tub heating time. The full heater instructions are in wood-fired heater use and maintenance.

If your tub has an electric element or heat pump, only switch it on once the tub has been filled to the prescribed level; see electric heating and heat pump.

Step 5: start water treatment

1. Measure the pH of the fresh water and set it to 7.2 to 7.6; see setting the water balance.
2. Add the first weekly dose of AquaFinesse immediately and hang the tablet in the dispenser; let the pump or jets run briefly so everything circulates through the pipework.
3. Wait at least 30 minutes before getting into the tub.

Why do this straight away: fresh pipework is clean, and a fixed weekly dose from day one gives biofilm no chance to form. Skipping treatment for the first few weeks makes it hard to catch up later.

Step 6: your first soak

• Stir the water and measure at seating height: 37 to 38 °C is ideal.
• Shower beforehand; that keeps the fresh water clean for longest.
• Limit the first session to 15 to 20 minutes and drink water.
• Put the cover on as soon as you get out; the tub will then hold its heat until the next day.

The routine for the first weeks

Common mistakes during the first start-up

• Firing with too little water: the only unrecoverable beginner's mistake.
• Building the fire up too fast: the wood burns out without transferring heat to the water; build up gradually and keep the heater fed.
• Damp or treated wood: soot, little heat, and contamination of the heater and water.
• Dosing disinfectant before the pH is right: the product barely works at the wrong pH.
• Heating without the cover on: hours of extra firing time.
• Measuring without stirring: the warm top layer says nothing about the temperature lower down.