Winter Hot Tub Owners – What You Should Know

One of the most enjoyable things in life is getting into a nice, warm hot tub on a cool winter day. While winter is the best time of year for hot tubbing, it also brings some unique challenges for hot tub owners.

With that in mind, here is a list of winter hot tub do’s and don’ts to enjoy your winter hot tub experience that much more!

WEAR A HAT

In winter, especially in the United Kingdom can be very cold. Wearing a long hat helps your body regulate its temperature better and keeps long hair dry, leaving you comfortably warm while you enjoy all the benefits of your hot tub!

WEAR SANDALS

Wearing sandals (or slippers) to the hot tub not only helps to keep your feet warm as you move from your house to your hot tub, but it also stops you from tracking dirt and debris into the water!

OPEN WATERFALL VALVES

There’s a little danger to hot tub plumbing lines freezing, like those that supply water to your waterfalls – do run the risk of freezing.

The problem arises when these lines are closed and no water is allowed to flow through them. To make sure that these small pipes don’t freeze, open all jets and waterfall valves when you’re done using your hot tub. This allows new, heated water to flow through the pipes and but eliminates the chances of your pipes freezing.

LOCK YOUR COVER

Hot tub covers insulate much better when they’re locked, forming a tight seal that keeps heat in. Without the straps being locked, the edges of the hot tub cover can lift slightly, allowing heat to escape.

Not only will this cost you money in extra heating costs, but a bad seal will also allow steam to escape. This means having to top up the water level more often and having to add more chemicals to balance the water.

TURN THE AIR CONTROLS OFF

The air controls in your hot tub take air from inside the hot tub and force it through the jets. While this added air makes for a better massage, it also lowers the temperature of the water.

Not only that, the added air can also push up on the bottom of the hot tub cover, breaking the seal and allowing more heat to escape, costing you even more money!

DON’T CHANGE YOUR WATER IF IT’S VERY COLD

Yes In general we say that you should change your hot tub water every 3-4 months. For some people, this means having to change your water in the dead of winter.

If you absolutely need to change the water, do so in small batches. Remove 6″-12″ of water at a time; refilling – and reheating – the water in between these partial drains. While this won’t get you the same results as completely draining and refilling the hot tub, it will get you by until the weather warms up.

DON’T USE A SHOVEL TO REMOVE SNOW FROM THE COVER

Heavy snow loads on a hot tub cover are never a good thing. All that weight can “cup” the cover; pushing down the centre of the cover and lifting the edges. Removing that snow with a shovel is also not a good thing, however, If you’re not careful, the blade of the shovel will dig into the cover, ripping through the vapour barrier and causing the hot tub cover to take on water. Not only will this dramatically reduce the lifespan of the hot tub cover, but it also dramatically reduces its ability to insulate.

Instead of using a shovel, clear snow off of your hot tub with a broom or a brush (like the one that you use to clean your car). If there is an ice storm or freezing rain coming, tarp the hot tub. Once the weather clears up a bit, remove the ice that should come with it!

DON’T NEGLECT THE HOT TUB

There are a few reasons why you don’t want to neglect your hot tub in the winter, the biggest being all the time and effort required to fix a hot tub with water quality issues.

Even if you’re not using the hot tub, you should still try to get out at least once a week to check on it and add your maintenance chemicals. Doing this can save you a massive headache later and make sure that your hot tub is ready to use when you’re ready to start using it again.

Neglecting maintenance leads to water quality issues, like cloudy water and foam. These issues take more time, money and effort to fix than regular maintenance does!

Final Note:

While hot tubbing in the winter is great, the cold weather also brings some unique challenges to hot tub owners. Following these ideas will allow you to avoid these challenges and focus on enjoying your hot tub!