Prepare your Hot Tub for the winter, when you plan not using it

A hot tub can be used year-round if it is properly maintained. What is nice then to sit in a warm bath in a snowcovered yard. But if you leave your house for some time, you may want to turn it off to save on energy or not leave it unguarded. In this blog post, we will show how to winterize your hot tub and have it ready to start using it again at the time you want.

Prepare your hot tub for the winter:

• Step 1: Dissipate the chemicals in your hot tub
• Step 2: Turn the breakers in your hot tub off
• Step 3: Drain all the water from your hot tub
• Step 4: Drain all the water from the blower of your hot tub
• Step 5: Loosen the joints between the heaters and the pumps of your hot tub
• Step 6: Take off and clean the filters of your hot tub
• Step 7: Blow out the pipelines of your hot tub
• Step 8: Take out the leftover water from your hot tub
• Step 9: Clean the shell of your hot tub
• Step 10: Clean the cover of your hot tub carefully
• Step 11: Tie the cover of your hot tub securely

Get the tools you need

Before the winterizing can start, you need to make sure that you have all the things you need:

1. Hot tub cleaner,
2. Hot tub cover cleaner,
3. Hot tub filter cleaner,
4. A pair of water-resistant gloves,
5. Garden hose
6. A sump pump
7. Shop vacuum
8. Towels
9. Soft cloth
10. Non-abrasive cleaning pad or sponges
11. Spa filter soak

If you have all the products and tools, you need the winterizing can start.

Step 1: Dissipate the chemicals in your hot tub

Before you begin winterizing your hot tub, you must make sure that the level of chlorine and other chemical sanitizers that are toxic for the plants, grass, and the wildlife in your yard drop to zero. All the chemicals meant for treating the water inside a hot tub cannot be thrown directly into the soil because they are harmful to it. You must wait for a few days and test the water in your hot tub daily to find out the level of the toxic chemicals in it.

Step 2: Turn the breakers in your hot tub off

This is the most crucial step in the winterization of your hot tub. Ensure that electricity and water do not mix because it can risk your life and the life of the person who is helping you in the winterization of your hot tub. If your hot tub is not hardwired, you can unplug it from the electric outlet of your house.

For your safety and the safety of your loved ones, you must be 100% sure that there is NO power supply to your hot tub before you begin winterization.

Step 3: Drain all the water from your hot tub

You must remove the drain cap off your hot tub and attach a garden hose to it. You must remember that there are almost 400 gallons of water in your hot tub, so you must select a suitable place to drain it. If you lack the patience and time to wait for the hot tub to drain out manually, you can use a sump pump to speed up the process.

Both of these methods together will drain out all the water out of your hot tub within a few minutes, except for one or two inches at the bottom. You must carefully observe the pump of your hot tub and make sure that it does not run dry. You must remember to put the drain cap in your pocket or somewhere safe where you can find it easily, but if you lose it, there are replacement drain caps for hot tubs readily available in stores and online.

Step 4: Drain all the water from the blower of your hot tub

You can drain all the water from the blower of your hot tub in 7 simple steps:

1. Heater off: Turn the heater of your hot tub off. When your hot tub is empty, you must make sure that you never use the heater. Make sure the heater of your hot tub is in the OFF position.
2. Cover: Put the hardcover on your hot tub.
3. Turn on: Turn on the breaker of your hot tub, which you had just unplugged.
4. Blower: Now turn on the blower of your hot tub for at least 30 seconds because it will remove all the water found inside it.
5. Turn off: Then you must turn off your hot tub.
6. Unplug: Unplug your hot tub or turn off the breaker of your hot tub.
7. Remove the cover: Finally, you must take off the cover of your hot tub to continue winterization.

Step 5: Loosen the joints between the heaters and the pumps of your hot tub

The heaters and the pumps of your hot tub are located inside the access panel of the cabinet of your hot tub. You will have to open up the access panel in the cabinet of your hot tub to reach them. It would help if you now loosened the joints between the heaters and the pumps of your hot tub to allow the water out of the pipelines.

You must check the pump of your hot tub carefully to find out if it has a drain plug that you can easily open up to allow the water to come out of it.

Step 6: Take off and clean the filters of your hot tub

Remove the filters of the hot tub. Soak them in a hot tub filter cleaner for 12 to 24 hours. If the filters of your hot tub are filthy and cleaning them thoroughly is almost impossible, you can throw them away and order new ones for the next summer season.

After you have taken off the filters of your hot tub, you must remove the remaining water in the filter completely, using a shop vacuum or manually by using a sponge or a towel. After cleaning the filters thoroughly, carry them indoors for storage in a safe and dry place.

Step 7: Blow out the pipelines of your hot tub

If you leave a single drop of water in the plumbing, joints, jets, filter cavities, or unions of your hot tub, it will freeze and expand as soon as the temperature drops below the freezing point, which will cause cracks and leaks beyond repair, thus rendering your hot tub useless. To remove every drop of water, you will have to use an air compressor or a shop vacuum at medium pressure. It would be best to blow in each filter cavity, jet, joint, union, and pipeline of your hot tub for at least 10 to 15 seconds.

Step 8: Take out the leftover water from your hot tub

Now it is the right time to handle the last one inch or two inches of water at the bottom of your hot tub. For this, you will have to attach your sump pump at the drain plug of your hot tub. After this process, a few drops of water will still be remaining in the hot tub, so you will have to use the shop vacuum again to dry it thoroughly.

You must then remember to remove the headrests of your hot tub because it is very likely that you will forget the few drops of water underneath them. Such an unintentional mistake is enough for the growth of fungus, algae, mold, and mildew.

Step 9: Clean the shell of your hot tub

This is a straightforward and easy step that needs not more than a couple of minutes of your time. To clean the shell of your hot tub, you will need to use the hot tub cleaner along with a non-abrasive cleaning pad or sponge. The hot tub cleaners are easy to use because they don't require any rinsing afterward.

It will help if you put on a pair of water-resistant gloves to keep your hands safe from any chemical products. To get to the nooks and the corners and other hard to reach areas, you can use non-toxic household products like baking soda and vinegar. If you see any layers of scum at the bottom of your hot tub or along its pipelines, you must allow that area to soak in the hot tub cleaner for a few minutes before scrubbing it away with your hands.

To disinfect and ultimately kill all the bacteria on the shell of your hot tub, you can use a small amount of diluted bleach, but remember to dry it using a towel afterward.

Step 10: Clean the cover of your hot tub carefully

It would be best to use a hot tub cover cleaner that is also a protectant against ultraviolet rays. You must carefully examine the cover of your hot tub to find any holes, cracks, or torn seams in it. If you do find any damaged parts, you must at once repair it or order for a replacement. 

Before covering your hot tub, you must make sure that it is completely dry. Otherwise, the moisture will invite fungus, algae, mold, and mildew to dwell on it.

Step 11: Tie the cover of your hot tub securely

Lock your hot tub cover to prevent critters from entering it. Tie the cover tightly using wind straps to be able to lift the load of the snow blanket. You don't want your pets and kids to fall into the hot tub, so make sure that the cover is tightly secured in its place.

Final remarks

To sum up this blog post, I want to say that leaving your hot tub full of water for the entire winter season will make it mucky and smelly. And all of its pipelines will burst, thus spoiling your beautiful hot tub, and this damage will be irreversible, so follow this guide to winterize your hot tub properly