Tips for Winterizing and Protecting Your Hot Tub, Part 2

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some basic tips for winterizing and protecting your hot tub or spa during the cold winter. Many homeowners choose to shut the hot tub down for the winter, and doing so requires some very basic care and steps taken to ensure everything is still in order when you’re re-opening the spa during the spring. At Dolphin Pools & Spas, we’re a proud Bullfrog Spas dealer in addition to our numerous custom pool contractor services. Part one covered the basic steps for simple winterization – here are some additional tips on post-winterization protection, insulating the hot tub and some general pieces of advice if you do want to use your hot tub during this season.

Post-Winterization Protection

For those in an area like Salt Lake City, which experience significant snowfall during the winter, it’s vital to follow several general protection tips for your spa after winterizing it:

• Use a broom or another non-sharp item to brush off any excess snow from the hot tub cover regularly – this is to prevent the weight of the snow from caving in the cover.
• Consider the use of a piece of thick plywood or another strong material against the underside of the spa to support it. Cover this with pads or a blanket.
• Strap down this plywood using strong strap – two sets if you live in a windy area or are concerned about displacement.
• Place a cover on the entire tub and the plywood sections.

Insulation Considerations

For those who are unable to drain the spa, or if you simply want some additional temperature protection, insulating the hot tub during the winter is a good idea. The simplest way to do so is using a floating thermo-blanket on top of the spa water, but under the cover – this stops heat from escaping out the top, the most common location, while the blankets stop any evaporation from taking place. For older or heavier spa covers, however, we recommend replacement once every five years or so. This is usually around how long it takes for air pockets to fill in the foam, ruining the insulation properties.

Winter Hot Tub Usage Tips

If you’re a homeowner who wants to keep using the spa during the winter, a couple basic tips:

• Only change the water during sunny days, if possible when the weather is above freezing temperature. This prevents water from freezing inside the hot tub’s plumbing.
• If you use the spa regularly during winter, keep it at your normal preferred setting consistently – this will reduce the time it takes to heat up and save you energy.
• If your hot tub has a freeze protection or sleep mode, utilize this regularly if you won’t be using the hot tub for at least a week or more at once.

For more on winterizing and protecting your hot tub during the cold season, or to learn about any of our custom pools or spa services, speak to the staff at Dolphin Pools & Spas today.