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How To Winterize Hot Tub

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Twelve: Cover Your Hot Tub

How To WINTERIZE Your HOT TUB in 11 Steps | Swim University

Finally, its time to cover the tub and put it to bed. If your cover has any locking mechanisms or ties downs, secure those. If not, I would strongly recommend securing your cover with some weather ties or something similar.

If youve lost a cover in the past, take a look at our reviews on the best hot tub covers for your replacement.

To Protect Your Spa From Freezing You Must Drain All Lines

  • Locate the main drain valve and remove the cap. Attach a garden hose and open the valve. The spa and plumbing lines will drain by gravitational flow.
  • Remember, the most important part of winterizing a hot tub or spa is to remove all water. If water freezes inside of your spa, it will expand and damage the unit.
  • Although the amount of time it takes to drain your spa varies due to unit size, this process should take approximately an hour.

Why You Consider Having A Hot Tub

Firstly, lets look at the benefits of having a hot tub. Hot tubs are great not only for jacuzzi parties or for showing off to your friends but also for your well being. The warm water of a hot tub can easily relax your muscles which is a good thing.

If your muscles dont regularly relax then they can become damaged by constantly being tensed up. This can lead to some serious health conditions and actually damage your bones.

Similarly, if you suffer from arthritis or another disease that swells your joints, a hot tub can help ease the swelling.

Swelling of joints can not only be painful but actually limit what you are able to do on a day-to-day basis. This is why a hot tub can be so beneficial for you and for your family because it will help your physical body repair itself.

Equally, a hot tub is useful for your mental health. We all get stressed at times and so it is vitally important that you have the space to relax and make yourself feel as good as possible.

Lying in a hot tub and letting the water lap around you is just what you need after a hard days work. Therefore, having a hot tub can quickly and effectively improve your mental well being.

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How To Winterize Your Hot Tub

  • Longer-lasting value
  • Investment protection
  • Added insurance against the elements

And thats just scratching the surface. But what is the best way to winterize your hot tub? For Arctic Spas owners,

Heres something that Arctic Spas hot tub owners know about winterizing: for the most part, their hot tub is already winterized. Unlike other brands and models, Arctic Spas hot tubs are built to not just survive brutal winter conditions, but to thrive! In fact, you dont have to winterize your Arctic Spas hot tub theyre designed for year-round use.

If youll be away for an extended period of time and need to winterize, check out our Do I Need to Winterize My Hot Tub? section on our Support and How-To Videos page. Youve got enough to worry about, so why worry about the weathers impact on your hot tub? With just a few easy, common-sense steps, an Arctic Spas hot tub or spa is ready to take on Mother Natures worst weather.

Here are a few Arctic Spas accessories that make winterizing a hot tub hassle-free and easier than

Where Winterizing Goes Wrong: The Fallacy of Inflatable Tubs

Getting your hot tub ready for the winter months sometimes seems like extra work, but if youre an Arctic Spas owner, consider this:

Inflatable spas have two options when the colder months arrive: winterize or shut down. Because most vinyl and inflatable hot tubs cant hold up to severe winter weather, the best bet is a complete shut down and deflation.

When To Call A Professional

How To Winterize A Hot Tub

If you are short on time, are new to DIY, dont have all the materials, or arent familiar with your hot tub system, we recommend calling a professional to help you winterize your hot tub. While winterizing your hot tub is straightforward, any damages that occur during or as a result of the process will amount up to a costly bill. Replacing cracked or broken pumps and heaters alone can cost thousands of dollars.

Hiring a professional will ensure that the winterization process is performed correctly and your hot tub will be ready for youwith no extra complicationswhenever you want to use it again. Professionals will also have access to supplies and materials that you may not have and some companies will provide a package service that includes de-winterizing your hot tub again. Professional services will typically run between $200 and $400.

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Clean The Shell And Cover

Clean the inside of your hot tub by applying a small amount of window cleaner or dishwashing soap with a soft sponge or rag. Make sure to rinse well and dry completely with a clean towel. Clean and protect the outside of your cover with a weather-resistant cleaner such as 303 Aerospace protectant. This will help your spa cover keep its color and protect it from damaging UV rays and other weathering.

Winterizing Your Hot Tub

Outdoor spa owners are starting to think about how to prepare their hot tub for winter. This can be quite a chore.

If you do a Google search for winterizing your hot tub, youll find an enormous amount of articles on how to drain, clean, and winterize your hot tub.

These articles are full of advice that you may need to followunless you own a Royal Spa..

We cant speak for other manufacturers of hot tubs, but if you own a Royal Spa, the winterization process is quite simple.

All you have to do is carry on as usual. No draining and no deep cleaning.

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My Hot Tub Has A Winter Protection Feature Built In

The simple answer is NO but only if your planning to run your hot tub all winter, If you turn on the winter protection feature ON, then a sensor on your tub will automatically go into a mode where it controls the pump and heater to a degree where it will maintain a perfect temperature while keeping your tub from freezing, also keeping your electricity bill low and most of your maintenance tasks explained above will not need to be performed.

That said, if you do decide to keep your hot tub running throughout the winter period, you will have to keep up on the usual tasks such as water treatment, testing of PH levels and alkaline levels corrections and adding chemicals to keep the water balance correct and safe to bathe in.

Save On Electricity:

Consider using a thermal pool blanket cover that will float on top of the water before putting the cover lid back on,

Doing this will help maintain the heat loss in the tub resulting in saving on electricity in the long run,

Using a thermal blanket will also help in keeping the underside of your cover lid in better condition as the blanket will act as a barrier between the water level and the underside of the cover lid.

What If I’m Not Going To Be Using The Tub Much Through The Winter Period ?

Tips Whilst Your Hot Tub Is Left Standing When Empty Of Water:

Helpful How To Videos:

Use It During The Winter

Winterizing a Hot Tub (Under $30 Bucks)

Of course, hot tubs dont necessarily need to be tucked away during winter. On the contrary, you can still enjoy them during the cold season! There is quite nothing like sinking in a comfortable hot tub to relax and escape the dreadful weather!

Find out more and feel free to get in touch with AJ Spa & Hot Tubs. We have a large selection of high-quality hot tubs for sale in Patchogue, New York.

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Two: Drain Your Hot Tub

To drain your hot tub, find and uncap its drain spout . Once open, connect your garden hose and direct the flow of water to an open space that is lower than the lowest point of the hot tub. With gravity as the main force here, this will take a considerable amount of time.

If you own or have access to a submersible pump you can save yourself a big chunk of time. To start, simply connect your garden hose to the sump pump and place it at the lowest point of the hot tub. Be careful not to place the sump pump plug and your extension cord in the water. With the pump running, you should be able to drain your hot tub relatively quickly.

You dont have to sit and watch the pump for the entire duration of the draining process, but you will want to check on it frequently. Youll want to make sure the pump isnt running dry since that can cause serious and costly damage.

Tip: If youve recently treated your hot tub water with chemicals, avoid draining it directly into your yard since it could put both plants and animals at risk. According to the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, you should wait at least 48 hours to allow the water to cool and chemicals to dilute. Then, you can recycle your hot tub water by using it to water your lawn and shrubs.

What Are The Benefits To Winterizing

There are serious benefits to winterizing that you should consider if you wont be using your tub much when the weather turns cold.

  • It protects the shell. Winterizing requires draining the water from the tub. By doing this, you avoid any damage to the hot tubs shell. When theres water in the tub, and cold weather freezes it, the water turns to ice and expands. This expansion can lead to cracks and fractures in the shell, which will either require extensive repairs, or a full tub replacement.
  • It saves your plumbing. When winterizing, the pipes need to be blown out. Blowing out the pipes refers to removing water from inside of them. This process protects the pipes from cracking, as frozen water will expand if left in the pipe. Hot tubs use both hard PVC pipes and softer, flexible PVC pipes. Both are at risk of being compromised if the outdoor air drops to an ungodly temperature.
  • It protects your equipment. When you close down the tub youll remove the cartridge filter and store it indoors for the winter. Youll also drain any water from inside the pump and heater. Again, this is to keep ice from forming inside these vital components and causing extensive damage.
  • Less upkeep. If you wont be using your tub in the winter, why keep it open? Youll have to keep running it and cleaning it so that it doesnt develop any problems. Its less work to close it down and reopen it rather than doing weekly maintenance in the freezing cold.

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Clear Water From Jet Pipes

At this point, there will still be water in the jet piping that you need to clear. Make sure all the jets are fully open and go around to each one with the shop vac on blow mode to eject any water thats still inside. To be sure, you can do this twice.

If you want to see how its done, theres a good section in this video you can watch.

Loosen Off Plumbing Pipes To Pump/s And Heater To Drain Any Remaining Water:

How to De

You can access the pump and heater via the access panel to the side of your tub, Loosen the plumbing fixtures off to allow remaining water inside the water pipes to drain off both your pump and heater,

Use a wet vac to blow any remaining water out of the plumbing pipes, The use your wet vac to suck any water left inside the pump before re-connecting the pipes up, some tubs come with a drain plug which you would also want to remove to drain any excess water left inside followed by using a wet vac to suck any remaining water out. Video below demonstrating the process

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Remove The Remaining Water

This is why we said not to worry about a little bit of water left in the tub when you drained it. Now you can remove all the remaining water at once. Were all about efficiency!

Depending on how much water is now in the tub, you may want to use the sump pump again, and then use the Shop-Vac to pull out whatever the pump cant get. If its just a little water, the Shop-Vac should be able to handle it all.

Remove Water From All Drain Pipes And Jet Hoses:

Be sure to completely remove all water from all drain pipes, you should use a wet and dry vac to completely dry them to avoid biofilm bacteria and mould growth,

For the jet hoses its recommended to use a wet air vacuum to completely remove all the water left inside for best results as water can either freeze or go stagnant and cause mould inside the pipes.

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Do You Need To Winterize

Before we get started, it would be wise for you to consider whether you need to winterize your hot tub at all.

After all, enjoying a relaxing soak in your hot tub on a cold day can be a truly wonderful experience. So, if you plan on using your hot tub during the winter, all you need to do is check out our article on how to keep electrical costs down.

There are times, however, when winterizing is your best option. These include when:

  • You dont want to use your hot tub during the winter.
  • You plan on being gone for an extended period of time during the winter.
  • Youre trying to save as much electricity as possible.
  • You dont want to worry about maintaining your hot tub when its cold out.

If any of those situations apply to you, keep reading to learn the five steps of hot tub winterization.

Why Youll Never Have To Winterize A Hot Spring Spa

Winterizing of Hot Tub

If your winter plans involve a lengthy vacation or a season-long retreat to a warmer climate, a good option is to either arrange for a trusted individual to monitor and adjust your tubs water quality in your absence, or to use Connextion from Hot Spring® Spas, a subscription-based remote monitoring service in which you and your hot tub dealer receive automatic notifications of any water quality or service issues involving your spa. Otherwise, because even a clean and sanitary hot tub will eventually become a breeding ground for bacteria if left unattended for a long while, youll want to drain it, clean it, and protect it from freezing temperatures. One caveat: To avoid damaging your spa, its important to winterize it correctly. If you have any doubts about your ability to manage this on your own, hire a professional to do it for you. Your hot tub dealer will be able to arrange for a qualified hot tub professional to visit your home and winterize your hot tub.

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Four: Drain The Hot Tub

Attach the garden hose to the drain spout, and make sure that the end of the drain hose is in an appropriate location to handle many gallons of water.

Remove the drain cap and allow the tub to drain. If you have a sump pump or submersible pump handy, you can use it to drain the tub instead. I wouldnt go out and buy a sump pump for this specific purpose as hot tubs drain quite quickly, but that decision is up to you. Make sure to close the drain valve when youre done.

For whatever reason, hot tub drains are never at the lowest point of the tub, so there will be an inch or two of residual water leftover inside the tub. Dont worry about removing this water now because youll see why shortly.

Clean And Attach The Cover

Cleaning the hot tub cover needs to be done thoroughly. If you clean the cover regularly, it should already be in good shape.

But with the tub sitting in the sun for many months, youll need a cover cleaner that also protects it from UV rays.

Make sure the cover is cleaned well, protected, and then dried. You can let it air dry, or dry it with a towel. The smallest amount of moisture can cause a mold outbreak over the winter months, and then youll have a different problem to deal with.

Place the dry cover on top of the spa and secure it to the structure. If your cover has locks, use them. Not only will it keep debris out, but it will also keep people or wildlife from crawling into the tub over the winter.

You should also invest in wind straps if the cover doesnt have them. This further secures the cover from blowing away in inclement weather.

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Wondering If Your Hot Tub Will Freeze Up In Winter

At this time of year, many hot tub owners are debating whether or not to close down their hot tub for the winter. Without a doubt, properly winterizing your hot tub will ensure that everything is protected from the elements. This is particularly relevant where the winter weather is extreme. For those who decide to keep using their hot tub in winter, proper preparation can keep things running safely and smoothly. The point is, effectively winterizing your hot tub is the best way to prevent freezing, mechanical damage, and costly repairs . If youve never done so before, keeping your hot tub open throughout the winter can actually be an incredible experience even when the snow is falling all around. Apart from the added energy required for heating, a high quality hot tub will be quite reasonable to operate.

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