Most people take spa days and hot tub baths as a summer activity. They would indulge in it during hot days to fight the weather. If you are one of them, you must deal with the extra task of preparing your hot tub for winter at the beginning of this season.
Winterizing your hot tub is a troublesome task. You may wonder how to start maintaining your hot tub in winter. The process requires you to remove all fluids from your tub and do many things to prepare it for the season. You must ensure that it’s clean and protected against damage from water, freezing temperatures, and debris.
Don’t overthink it. While leaving your hot tub has risks, you can take measures to ensure its safety and longevity. If you follow a standard procedure to winterize it, you can be sure of its safety.
Use this guide to winterize your hot tub ahead of the season.
Do You Want to Winterize Your Hot Tub?
First thing first — you need to determine what’s good for you. While many people forget about submerging their worries away using these hot tubs, it may not be in your interest. Ask yourself if winterizing aligns with your needs and commitment to maintaining your hot tub. Do you want to pack away the fun for a whole season?
Even if you think outdoor winter baths aren’t for you, you must consider the risk associated with winterizing the tub. Hot tubs are susceptible to freezing damage. This risk is magnified when dirt and debris are in the picture. So dirty hot tubs are more easily damaged from frosting than clean ones.
Preparing Your Hot Tub for Winter: Must-Know Maintenance Tips
Check Your Hot Tub’s Tools and Cover for Damage
If you plan on winterizing the tub, you must be sure of its strength. Double-check its water outlets for leaks and damage. You don’t want them to leak into the tub, increasing the risk of freezing damage.
Besides checking the condition of your water pipes and tubes, also consider the cover you will use for it. Ensure its sturdiness. If it’s torn or brittle, you will want to replace it with a new custom-made cover for your tub.
Other than that, check the shape of this cover when you put it on the tub. If it doesn’t fit correctly or if its vinyl is sagging, you might not want to risk using it over the whole season. Hot tub manufacturers recommend that you replace its cover after every five years.
Most hot tub winter maintenance procedures involve cleaning, drying, and covering the hot tub. However, if you live in a freezing cold climate, you will need an extra layer of insulation in addition to the cover. In such cases, use thermal blankets. If you don’t have one, order one now.
Gather All the Supplies You’ll Need to Winterize
Now that you have decided not to use your hot tub during cold weather, it’s time to prepare it for the long break. Start by preparing the tub for cleaning. This step includes turning its power off and draining its water.
You should also check all the tools you will need to winterize the tub. In addition to the tub cover, you will need a garden hose, shop vac, cleaning supplies, and antifreeze. Gather all these tools and supplies.
Remove all the accessories from your spa. Arrange and pack them for storage over the season. Pay attention to the unique storage detail for these accessories while packing them for winter.
Thoroughly Clean and Drain Your Hot Tub
Once you have gathered all the supplies and drained the tub, you can start cleaning it. Wash it to remove any chemical residue and mud. Pay special attention to the hot tub’s filters and lines.
Naturally, the biggest risk of damage to hot tubs in winter results from freezing. Hot tubs only experience freezing damage when users leave water in them during the winterization process. You must not only vigilantly clear water off these tubs before storing them but should also drain water from its lines and filters to minimize this risk.
An easy method to blow out water from these lines is to use a shop vac. Set it to blow and blow every line for 10 seconds before moving to the next one.
Use Antifreeze to Protect the Lines
Use the recommendation that comes with your hot tub. For example, you can use RV antifreeze for your Dimension One hot tub. If you want to use other brands, make sure they are specially designed for hot tubs.
All these antifreeze solutions use propylene glycol and come in different brands. Once you have selected the brand based on your hot tub’s requirements, pour this chemical into the lines to ensure they remain open and fluid.
Insulate Your Hot Tub for Maximum Protection
Pouring the chemical into your hot tub lines should be the last step in preparing the tub for coverage and the winter. Next, secure the cover on it to protect it from cold winds, rain, and falling debris.
For extreme weather conditions, you will need thermal blankets to prevent freeze damage to your hot tub. If you plan to use this blanket, cover the tub with this layer of fabric before topping it off with the hot tub cover.
Both these layers should be enough to insulate the air inside the tub, ensuring the lines remain open throughout the season.
Summing It Up: Maintain Your Hot Tub During Winter If in Use
Hot tubs are huge investments that demand significant care and protection against damage. If you care about your hot tub, you wouldn’t want to experience its freeze damage in winter.
Proper hot tub maintenance in winter prevents winter damage to it. Whether you choose to continue using your hot tub in winter or give it a break, you must use it with care.
If you choose to use it during the season, you must ensure that warm water regularly circulates through the lines to prevent freezing. Additionally, you will need to clean it periodically and test its chemical balance to maintain its optimal condition.
On the contrary, choosing to cover your tub for winter demands a different type of care. You must clean, drain, and dry the tub for the upcoming season ahead of winter. Then, you must cover it adequately to insulate it.
