Ask any longtime hot tub owner what the hardest part of ownership is and you will almost always hear the same answer: water care. Testing, balancing, adding chemicals, and draining the tub are the chores that stand between you and a relaxing soak. Both Hot Spring Spas and Jacuzzi have invested heavily in making water care easier, but they have taken very different paths. Here is how the two systems compare.
Jacuzzi’s Approach: CLEARRAY Active Oxygen
Jacuzzi equips its hot tubs with the CLEARRAY Active Oxygen system, which pairs UV-C light with ozone. As water circulates past the UV-C bulb, the light neutralizes bacteria and other contaminants, while ozone provides additional oxidation. It is a proven technology, and its real benefit is that it reduces the amount of chlorine you need to add to the water.
Notice the word reduces. CLEARRAY does not create sanitizer, so the owner still handles the routine of testing the water with strips and adding chlorine by hand to maintain safe levels. The UV bulb also needs periodic replacement. It is a good supplemental system, but the day-to-day chemistry work still belongs to you.
Hot Spring’s Approach: A Salt Water Hot Tub
Hot Spring took a different route and built water care into the spa itself. The FreshWater Salt System is available on every Hot Spring collection, and it changes the ownership experience in three big ways.
First, the system generates chlorine automatically. You add a small amount of salt to the water at startup, far less than seawater, and a titanium cartridge converts it into just the right amount of chlorine on an ongoing basis. No measuring scoops, no weekly dosing routine.
Second, the water feels different. Because fewer added chemicals are going into the tub, the water feels softer and more natural, without the harsh odors, itchy skin, or stinging eyes people associate with heavily chlorinated water. Owners regularly describe it as feeling closer to a natural hot spring.
Third, the water lasts dramatically longer. With traditional chemical care, hot tub water typically needs to be drained and replaced every three to four months as chemical byproducts build up. With the FreshWater Salt System, water can stay clean and fresh for up to a full year with normal use. In a drought-conscious region like Kern County, going from three or four drain-and-refills a year down to one is a real water conservation benefit, and it saves you money too.
The cartridge itself swaps out in seconds, right from the bar top, no tools and no draining required, about every four months.
FreshWater IQ: The Water Tests Itself
On Highlife and Limelight Collection spas, Hot Spring layers on its most advanced system yet. FreshWater IQ combines three technologies: the salt system, smart monitoring, and precision dosing.
The smart monitoring component uses an in-line sensor to test your water around the clock, checking chlorine, pH, and salt levels every hour. Instead of dipping a test strip and interpreting colors, you get clear plain-language guidance right on the spa’s control panel telling you exactly what the water needs, if anything. Pair it with the Hot Spring app through the Connected Spa Kit and you can check your water chemistry from your phone, whether you are at work or on vacation.
The dosing component then applies precise amounts of what the water needs, taking the guesswork out entirely. It is the closest thing the industry has to a hot tub that takes care of itself.
Jacuzzi’s SmartTub app is genuinely useful for controlling temperature, lighting, and filtration remotely, but it does not test your water chemistry or dose your water for you. That is the gap between the two brands: Jacuzzi gives you remote control, while Hot Spring gives you automated water care.
What This Means Day to Day
With a Jacuzzi, expect to test your water regularly, add chlorine on a routine schedule, replace UV bulbs, and drain the tub several times a year. With a Hot Spring salt water spa, expect to glance at the control panel, swap a cartridge three times a year, make occasional minor adjustments, and drain the water as little as once a year. Both approaches can keep water clean and safe. Only one of them gives you most of your maintenance time back.
Try the Water for Yourself
The softness of salt water is something you have to feel to appreciate. Visit Hot Tubs Plus at 4301 Yeager Way in Bakersfield and we will show you exactly how the FreshWater Salt System and FreshWater IQ work on the spas in our showroom. Call 661-396-8827 with questions or to schedule a visit. Easy water care is one of the biggest reasons families choose Hot Spring, and we would love to show you why.
