Soaking in your hot tub during a snowy winter evening is a beautiful and relaxing experience. You keep warm in the heated hot tub water while ice-cold snow surrounds you, steam rising up. It’s a picturesque moment.
Even if it doesn’t snow where you live during the winter, a hot tub helps you to keep toasty on the chilly evenings. We suggest you use your hot tub in every season, including winter.
We have put together some steps you should take to prepare your spa for winter, whether you’re planning to use it or not. If you’re not planning to use your hot tub regularly during the freezing cold winter or are going out of town, you’ll have to follow simple steps to winterize and close your spa to avoid freezing damage.
Replace Your Hot Tub Cover if You Need To
You always want to make sure your hot tub is well covered up, but it’s especially important to do during the winter. A good quality hot tub cover will keep your water warm and keep snow and rain
outside.
If your cover is sagging or bowed, you’ll want to replace it before winter, even if you’re not planning to use your hot tub. Puddles of rain or snow can form on bowed or sagging hot tub
covers, causing them to sag even more and possibly even crack.
Make sure to clean and condition your hot tub cover regularly during winter, and always push water off of your cover after rainfall, snowfall or your time in the hot tub.
Drain, Inspect and Clean Your Hot Tub
Whether you plan to close your hot tub for the winter months or not, you’ll want to drain and clean it. You’ll be creating a safe and clean environment for all of the relaxation you’ll be having
throughout the winter months, or for when you begin using your hot tub again. It’s better to clean your hot tub before the cold winter months than during.
To drain your hot tub, follow these simple steps:
- Close all therapy control valves and open all jets.
- Then, turn the spa breaker off.
- Now it’s time to drain the water out. We recommend doing this with a submersible pump. If you don’t have one of those, you can attach a garden hose to the hose spigot, which is on the
primary water pump within the spa interior. - Finally, open the spigot to allow your spa to drain.
When your spa is drained of all water, inspect the jets, pumps, valves, pipes and filters for any damage and built up dirt. You should also check your shell and the mechanics behind the panels of
your tub for any cracks or leaks. If you do find any damaged parts, you can replace them or contact us. Our representatives are available for service and repairs year-round.
After you have inspected your hot tub for any problems, dry it off and clean the shell’s surface with an all-purpose cleaner. Then, apply ThermoGloss to your shell to polish and protect its acrylic surface. Next, clean your hot tub filters to ensure that they work effectively during the winter.
Finally, if you plan to use your hot tub during winter, detach your hose, close the spigot tightly and refill your hot tub with fresh, clean water. When you’re spa is filled up to normal operating levels, turn your spa’s circuit breaker back on.
If you’re not going to use your hot tub regularly in the winter, skip down to the Winterize Your Spa section of the article.
Check Up on Your Hot Tub Regularly if You’re Using It
The winter season is the perfect time to use your hot tub regularly because it keeps you warm! If you’re planning to use your hot tub during the winter (which we hope you do), it’s important check the water temperature everyday to make sure the heater is working properly. If you detect a problem, contact ThermoSpas’ Customer Care department right away.
If your hot tub is not working properly or a power failure occurs during freezing cold weather, you’ll need to winterize your spa by taking the steps below. You can also contact our service department to come fix your hot tub. Just give us a call at 1-800-876-0158 to make an appointment.
While you’re waiting for service, you’ll want to make sure your hot tub doesn’t freeze. A good trick is to place the submersible pump in the hot tub and let it circulate the water so that it doesn’t freeze up.
Winterize Your Spa if You’re Not Using It
Many people go out of town during the winter months and won’t be using their hot tub regularly. If this is the case for you, you will want to winterize your hot tub. It’s an easy, but important
process.
If you don’t want to winterize your hot tub yourself, ThermoSpas can do it for you! Our service department can You can give us a call at 1-800-876-0158 to make an appointment.
Follow these simple steps to winterize your spa after you’re already drained and cleaned it:
- Remove the cabinet panel in front of the spa’s equipment compartment.
- Open the hose spigot, if you haven’t already, to drain any leftover water and keep it open. You can find the hose spigot near the primary pump.
- View your owner’s manual to locate the heater. Then, turn the heater unions counter-clockwise to open them at both ends.
- Use a canister-type wet vacuum to clear all of the water from the water pumps suction and return lines. You must use a canister-type wet vacuum to ensure that the
lines are emptied of all remaining water.
- Remove the drain plugs from all of the water pumps.
- After all of the water has been drained from the water pumps, replace the pump plugs.
- Turn the heater unions on the heater clockwise to reconnect them. Turn until tight.
Make sure the O-ring gaskets are sealed properly so as to not pinch O-rings. Do not
over-tighten. - Replace the cabinet panel in front of the spa’s equipment compartment.
- Turn on the spa circuit breaker.
- Turn on the blower to expel water from the plumbing and air channels.
- Turn off the spa circuit breaker.
- Remove the insulated hot tub cover from the spa.
- At each fitting, use a wet vacuum to assist in removing any remaining water in the
fittings, water lines and spa shell. - Sponge out any remaining water from the spa shell.
- Replace your hot tub cover and make sure that rain water and/or snow is not entering
the spa through the cover.
We hope these steps help you to prepare your hot tub for the cold winter months ahead. If you need help winterizing your hot tub, don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-800-876-0158.
