If you are lucky enough to reside in a part of the US that gets warm weather mostly all year long, you can keep your outdoor hot tub open. However, if you experience severe cold weather and snow in your neck of the woods, it may be a good idea to winterize a hot tub to protect it from the elements.
Winterizing your hot tub is like closing your pool for the cold season.
Here are some tips on getting your spa ready for winter to work well for you when you are prepared to use it next year.
Start By Consulting Your Owner’s Manual
Before you start tinkering with your hot tub, it is a good idea to look at your owner’s manual. Although winterizing a hot tub is pretty much the same across the board, your specific brand or style of hot tub may require a few specific steps. So, it is best to read through your owner’s manual to discover what you must do specifically for your hot tub to close it for winter.
Shut Off the Power to Your Spa
After you’ve read your owner’s manual, or if you can’t find your owner’s manual, the next most important thing you must do to winterize your hot tub is to shut the power off. This involves completely shutting the power off at the breaker. Even if you turn the power off on the tub, there may still be power surging through the hot tub if the breaker is on.
Since you’ll be dealing with cleaning and removing water, shutting it off at the breaker keeps power from running through the hot tub. It also minimizes the chance of any hazards that could arise as you clean and prepare to close the tub.
Drain the Water from It
Before the temperatures in your town start to dip below freezing, it is a good idea to make sure that all the water is removed from your spa. Any water left in your hot tub could break the pipes or damage your hot tub in some way. But before you drain your hot tub water into your yard or wherever you plan to drain it, it is a good idea to let the chemicals within it dissipate.
Chemicals that keep your hot tub clean, such as chlorine and other sanitizers, can be detrimental to your lawn. Therefore, it is a good idea to ensure that these chemicals dissipate to zero before you drain them from the hot tub.
Once the chemicals dissipate, it is a good idea to take a garden hose, attach it to the drain spout, and remove the water from the spa. Then, for the remaining few inches of water that remains, it is a good idea to grab a shop vac and suck this water out.
Dry Out the Lines
Once you have removed the water from the tub, it is a good idea to remove the water from the pipes within the hot tub. Leaving standing water in the tub could cause the lines to crack or burst. Use a shop vac to blow the water out of the lines so that they are completely dry.
Remove Dirty Filters
Since your hot tub will probably be out of commission for the next few months, removing old filters is a good idea. This will keep the filters from collecting mold and mildew over winter. You can easily replace these when you’re ready to use them again when it starts to warm up. In addition, remove any water in the filter well using a shop vac or towels.
Clean the Hot Tub
Draining the water out of your hot tub isn’t enough to winterize it. You will want to give it a nice cleaning before you close it to help minimize the growth of bacteria, germs, mold, or mildew over winter and early spring. Use a cleaner that doesn’t require rinsing so that you won’t have to drain water out again.
Clean, Close, and Secure the Hot Tub Cover
Once you have taken all the steps to get as much water out of the hot tub and cleared water from the lines, the next move you’ll need to make is to clean your hot tub cover and use it to protect it during the winter. The cover will keep the elements out and provide further protection until you’re ready to use it again.
Make sure that the cover and the shell of the hot tub are completely dry before placing the cover on it for the winter. Finally, ensure that you lock it and strap it to keep it from opening during heavy windstorms and to prevent things from getting into it over the winter.
Hire a Professional
While winterizing a hot tub is a relatively straightforward process, you may still be worried that you could do something wrong, resulting in problems when you’re ready to use it. If you’re not sure what you’re doing or don’t want to winterize a hot tub yourself, you can always rely on professionals to do it for you.
The Hot Tub Store in Rochester Hills can assist with any hot tub or swim spa needs. We want you to enjoy and benefit from your luxury hot tub or swim spa with ease. Our swim spa products products include filters, treatments, accessories and more. Would you like one of our experts to come out and close your Michael Phelps Legend or Twilight Series hot tub for winter? Call today to schedule an appointment and get a Free Quote on this essential service.