Hot tub maintenance

This is the category buyers underestimate most. A hot tub is not an appliance you turn on — it is a body of water you keep hot 24 hours a day, every day, including the weeks nobody uses it. This Old House puts above-ground operating cost at around $25–$35 a month and general electricity for modern models at $20–$40 a month; in-ground units run $30–$100. Fixr's range is $25–$50 a month, or $75–$500 a year.

Those numbers move with your electricity rate, and rates have been rising. The US average residential retail price was 18.44 cents per kilowatt-hour in May 2026, up from 17.37 cents a year earlier, per the EIA's Electric Power Monthly. If your local rate is well above the national average, scale the running-cost estimates up accordingly.

Chemicals and supplies are the other recurring line: $500–$1,000 a year for routine upkeep, per This Old House. That covers sanitizer, pH and alkalinity adjusters, shock, test strips, and filter cleaner. If you would rather not manage it, a professional service runs $50–$300 a month — which can easily exceed the electricity bill.

The maintenance routine itself is short but non-negotiable: test and adjust the water regularly, rinse and rotate filters, shock after heavy use, and drain and refill on the schedule in your owner's manual. Neglected water is not just unpleasant — it corrodes components and shortens the life of the tub. This Old House puts hot tub lifespan at 5 to 20 years depending on use and quality, and maintenance is most of what decides which end you land on.

How to choose

Buy a good cover and replace it when it waterlogs

The cover is what keeps heat in. A saturated, sagging cover quietly raises your power bill every single day until you replace it.

Test the water on a schedule, not when it looks bad

By the time water looks or smells wrong, the chemistry has been out of range for a while. Follow the testing frequency in your manual and on your sanitizer's label.

Rinse filters often, replace them on schedule

A clogged filter makes the pump work harder and the heater run longer. This is the cheapest thing on the list and the most commonly skipped.

Do not chase savings by turning the tub off

Reheating a cold tub uses a large burst of energy, and cycling temperature is hard on components. Lowering the set temperature slightly during long absences is the safer version of this idea.

Follow the chemical product label exactly

Spa chemicals are regulated products with dosing instructions on the label. Never mix concentrates, and never guess at a dose.

Budget the running cost as a monthly bill

Roughly $20–$50 a month in power plus $500–$1,000 a year in chemicals. Write it into your household budget before you buy, not after.