Choosing the right filter for your hot tub is a matter of determining what your water chemistry requires. Different tubs will require different types of filters and also different brands of filters.
Tubs that have softeners in them require a whole house filter with a screen, while other tubs need a cartridge style filter that sits inside the skimmer basket.
Do You Want a Cartridge or Canister Filter?
Cartridge filters are the most common type of filter and can either be installed inside of the tub or mounted outside the tub. Canister filters are less common and contain all of the filter media components (such as cartridges, sponges, and bio-wheels) in one single unit that is often hung from the side of the hot tub.
Tub size, material, and style all play a part in choosing filters for hot tubs. The more you use your hot tub on a regular basis, the more likely you are to need a cartridge filter inside of your hot tub. If you have a more basic hot tub with fewer features, then you might be able to get away with an external canister filter which is easier to install for first timers.
What Kind of Filter Media Do You Need?
There are two main types of filter media: Activated carbon and synthetic.
Activated carbon is made from coconut shells and coal, which removes odours from water by trapping contaminants such as chlorine while also clarifying water by removing small particles such as silt, sand, dirt and mud that cause cloudiness in the water. Activated carbon can also remove some heavy metals
Here are some things to keep in mind when you are choosing a filter for your hot tub:
Hot tubs need water filters that are made for water quality problems. You should always choose a filter that is made for the needs of your hot tub. Hot tubs with high phosphate levels or hard water are best suited for cartridge style filters, while hot tubs which do not have softening systems work best with whole house filters, which have separate screens and housings. A whole house filter can be placed outside the hot tub enclosure where it can be easily serviced if necessary. A skimmer-style filter may have to be replaced more often than an outside-the-enclosure whole house filter, but they are easier to install and remove and they add less bulk to the tub itself.
Turbine filters are good at moving large quantities of water, but they do not do a great job at keeping all of the smaller contaminants out of your water. Cartridge filters are good at keeping out small and large particles, but they usually do not move as much water as turbine filters. Sand filters are great at moving large amounts of water and keeping out larger particles, but they do not have a very high flow rate, so they may have trouble cleaning up large amounts of dirt and debris in your spa if it gets really dirty really quickly.
Turbine and cartridge filters both come in different shapes and sizes so that you can get one that fits in your existing equipment without having to replace all of it.
