Prepare your Hot tub for usage during Winter
Now that summer is gradually coming to an end and winter is drawing near, it is normal for things to start getting colder, especially over the next couple of months. Once winter arrives, there's nothing more relaxing and soothing than sitting in a hot tub on a cold winter's night.
Imagine getting home after a long day at work, the cold winter breeze on your skin, and sinking into a warm, bubbly bath. I can gladly tell you that this is one of the greatest pleasures that come with owning a personal spa. As great as this sounds, the cold weather still presents some challenges for hot tub owners. This is precisely why you need to winterize your hot tub.
Prepare your Hot tub for the Winter:
- Get a Good Cover
- Keep the Water Clean
- Monitor the Water Level
- Constantly Check the Temperature
- Reduce Jets Usage
- Plan Your Soak Times
- Keep Warm After You Soak
How to Winterize your Hot Tub While Away:
- Flush and Drain the water
- Blow the air
- Replace the Filters and Loosen Your Fittings
- Clear the Jets
Besides, preparing your hot tub for the winter includes performing necessary operations and required adjustments to keep the tub operating throughout the cold winter months. Finally, you'll also be required to take preventive measures to ensure that freezing temperatures do not damage your hot tub.
Do you want to know the right way to prepare your hot tub for the winter? Are you concerned about coping in the cold winter months? Don't worry; this article will carefully guide you through the steps required to prepare your hot tub for the winter.
Steps to Prepare your Hot Tub for the Winter
Before entering into the winter season, always bear in mind that hot tubs don't necessarily have to be closed down in the winter. Some people believe that hot tubs are prone to more damage in the winter, and hence, they close them down. On the other hand, this spa proves more beneficial in winter.
However, the most critical part of this preparation is ensuring your hot tub is completely drained. This is because water tends to expand when frozen, leading to burst pipes and damage to the heating systems, pumps, and jets. Follow the steps below to help prepare your hot tub for the winter months.
1. Get a Good Cover
Investing in high-quality and well-insulated cover that has a tight-fitting seal is very crucial. This will help your hot tub maintain a consistently high temperature, even in freezing weather. These covers insulate better when locked, as the straps pull down on the edges of the cover, which forms a tight seal that helps keep the heat in.
If the straps are not properly locked, the edges of the cover can lift slightly, causing heat to escape. This will not only mean extra heating costs, but you'll also be required to top up the water level more often and add more chemicals to balance the water.
2. Keep the Water Clean
Ensure you regularly clean and maintain the water and filters according to your usual schedule, as simple problems can become a big deal in sub-zero weather. If you know that your tub will be due for a scheduled water change around the wintertime, it is advisable to reschedule to earlier in the year. If you decide to change the water when the outside temperature is low, there's a risk that the water will freeze and damage your spa.
Also, the risk of your pipes freezing outweighs all the benefits that changing the water has. However, if you still need to do so, change the water in small batches, refilling and reheating the water between partial drains. Although this won't get you the same results as draining completely and refilling, it will still get you by until winter is over.
3. Monitor the Water Level
Frequently check your water level and add more if necessary. Make sure the water level does not fall too low in cold weather, as the components of your hot tub may freeze, which could damage it. Of course, there are times when you'll be too busy to use your hot tub. However, the main problem arises when this becomes a means to skip maintenance.
There are some important reasons why you should never neglect your hot tub, one of which includes the time required and the effort needed to fix a hot tub with water quality issues. Even when you're not using your hot tub, still try to check on it at least once a week and add all the maintenance chemicals. This will save you a lot of stress when you're ready to use the tub again.
4. Constantly Check the Temperature
To make things a lot easier, set a reminder for checking the water temperature daily. This will help you react immediately whenever something goes wrong. If the weather is too cold and dry, your hot tub will evaporate much more quickly.
5. Reduce Jets Usage
Ensure that you don't use the jets as much as you would in other seasons, and don't forget to turn them off when you're not using them. Jets work by blowing air into the water, and this can lower the temperature in the wintertime.
6. Plan Your Soak Times
Note that the longer you stay inside your hot tub, the higher your body temperature climbs. Although it may be quite tempting and equally soothing to linger in the warmth of your hot tub in the winter, make sure you limit your soak time to about fifteen to twenty minutes.
7. Keep Warm After You Soak
You should not be wet and still be wearing a bathing suit- this can be very dangerous to your health. After your soak, when leaving your spa to face the icy winter air, make sure you shield yourself from the cold by wearing a bathrobe and sturdy slippers. Get indoors as quickly as possible and dress warmly.
How to Winterize your Hot Tub While On Vacation
If you'll be taking a trip for an extended period during the winter, it is important to make sure your hot tub is still being maintained. You may decide to ask a friend or family to stop by regularly, but if you still need to shut it down during the winter, you can do that too. However, shutting down your hot tub does not mean just closing the cover and forgetting about it. There are certain things you need to do before you leave for you to avoid all sorts of expensive repairs when you return.
1. Flush and Drain the water
Before you drain your hot tub, add Whirlpool Rinse 24 hours prior. This removes and dissolves all the accumulated body oils and lather that have built up in the plumbing lines, and may affect proper jet action.
The fiberglass hot tub insert is usually sturdy; however, there are several holes in it that can let the air from the whirlpool massage system in. You wouldn't want to leave any water in there. So when the embers in the wood-fired heater have cooled, carefully open the hot tub's drain plug and leave it open to let all the water run out. It is important that you do not drain the water when the heater is still hot to prevent damage.
2. Blow the air
Once the water has been drained completely, turn on your whirlpool air massage system to blow air from all the multiple holes. Ensure that there's not even the slightest droplet left inside. Finally, put off the heating system and allow the air blower to run for 30 seconds to push all the water out and dry it completely.
3. Replace the Filters and Loosen Your Fittings
If you'll be shutting down your hot tub for an extended period, it is a good idea to remove and clean the filters. In case they need to be replaced, make sure you do so. If not, simply clean out the filter, dry it, and keep it somewhere safe for the winter. After draining, there may still be water in some of the fittings connecting the pipework of your hot tub. Loosen all the fittings to allow the remaining water to drain out.
4. Clear the Jets
Use a wet-dry vacuum cleaner and blow enough air through each jet to ensure all water has been completely removed. Next, you'll need to do a deep clean of the hot tub shell and cover to remove all bacteria and debris, so nothing can grow and ruin your hot tub while it is empty.
Final remarks
In conclusion, hot tubs are actually very enjoyable and even more soothing in the winter. However, special attention is needed to this system in cold weather to avoid some challenges hot tub owners face. Once you follow these steps, you'll get the most out of your hot tub this winter without any issues.
