A guide to help you decide if & how you should winterize your hot tub.
Hot tubbing in the winter can be a beautiful experience if your hot tub is conveniently located & if you prepare ahead for your hot tub session. For some, they simply cannot stand the thought of walking outside in a robe to get in their hot tub. Today, we’ll go over the reasons you should hot tub in the winter & 10 steps on how to winterize your hot tub if you’re just not a cold weather person.
Top 5 Reasons to Hot Tub in the Winter
1.) Stress Relief. Stress doesn’t stop in the winter – actually, there’s a large number of people who experience depression in the winter months & increased stress during & after the holiday season. Your hot tub should be your “go to” when having a rough day at work, with the kids, or just feeling a little bit down.
2.) Get Outside! It’s so hard to find things to do outside in the winter to get yourself some fresh air & gain new perspectives. With a hot tub, it’s easy to get your daily dose of fresh air while staying warm. Snow storms are especially fun, staying all cozy warm while watching the snowfall outside. The kids will love it and it’s also probably one of the most romantic times to soak in a hot tub.
3.) Keep your body in the routine of hot tubbing every day & feeling good. It takes 66 days to create a habit & only 21 days to break it. Your body probably hurts the most in the winter in the damp cold. Keep your joints & muscles feeling good by continuing your hot tub habit.
4.) Give the kids something to do on the days you don’t feel like doing anything. Turn the hot tub to a safe temperature for them & get in the hot tub with them. You’ll get to relax & they’ll be entertained. Try bringing some fun to the hot tub with waterproof playing cards, floating toys, and even something as simple as plastic cups.
5.) Keeps your hot tub in the best shape! Think about it in terms of using a car. The best way to keep your car in good shape is to use it often. The same goes for a hot tub.
Still Want to Winterize Your Hot Tub? We understand, the cold outdoors just isn’t for everyone. So, let’s go over what it takes to winterize a hot tub.
10 Steps to Winterize A Hot Tub
What you’ll need: Garden hose, shop vac, sump pump, microfiber towels, filter cleaner, cover protectant spray, and a tarp.
1.) Release Chlorine.
Allow your chlorine level to drop to 0. This is important to not wreak havoc on your yard or allow harmful chemicals to seep into the earth.
2.) Power Down.
Turn off your breakers or un plug your hot tub to cut all power to the hot tub.
3.) Drain your hot tub.
You can do this by attaching a hose to your drain and opening the valve. Make sure you’re running the water to a place where no one will slip and fall if it freezes.
4.) Empty water from your components (heater, jet pumps, circulation pump, water care system, etc.).
You must completely drain and vacuum out all of the water from your components. If there is any water left in the components, you’ll risk water freezing and damaging the components.
5.) Empty ALL of the water from your plumbing.
You can do this by putting a vacuum to every single jet from the highest jet first to the lowest jet. You’ll know there isn’t anymore water in the plumbing when you stop hearing the water being sucked from the lines.
6.) Empty ALL the water out of your hot tub.
Yes, every single drop. You can empty the remaining water from the bottom with a sump pump. Or, if you don’t want to invest in a sump pump, you can use plastic buckets and A LOT of towels. Also, vacuum the drain. This is just to make sure every little drop of water was removed.
Emptying every single drop of water is so important when you winterize your hot tub. This is where a lot of people fail at winterizing their hot tub. If you don’t get every drop of water out, you risk damaging your hot tub and causing unnecessary leaks that could have been prevented.
7.) Rinse your filters & store in a dry temperature controlled setting.
It’s best to clean your filters thoroughly & store them in a place where they won’t freeze. You can use our FreshWater Filter Cleaner to give them a deep clean (which is recommended). This step isn’t absolutely necessary to winterize your hot tub, but it is best to keep your filters in good shape for when you re open your hot tub in the spring.
8.) Finish up by wiping down.
Wipe down your entire hot tub with a microfiber rag and the cover to give it a good cleaning for when you reopen in the spring.
9.) Secure your cover.
This is important for any potential wind storms in the winter. Since you decided to winterize your hot tub, you probably won’t think about it when a snow storm or wind storm is coming.
10.) Tarp your hot tub.
This is a good idea if we’re expecting snow or if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow. It will prevent your cover from absorbing any water from snow or rainfall & lengthen the life of your cover.
Hire a Professional:
If all of this seems like a lot to do, it is. It also requires a lot of supplies and equipment to effectively winterize your hot tub. Improper winterization is a MAJOR reason why people experience leaks in their hot tub. If you don’t take your time to complete every step of the process, you could run into serious issues when you go to re-open your hot tub.
HealthMate Hot Tubs has 22 years experience winterizing hot tubs. Our certified technicians are trained and ready to winterize your hot tub for you. You can give our store a call at (732) 424-0030 or fill out a service request form here and mention you’d like to have your hot tub winterized.
