Sitting in the steaming water of a spa during the cold winter months is fun and relaxing for many. It is refreshing for the body as you step out of the hot water and the crisp air hits your skin. You feel alive and ready to take on the world with renewed vigor. For others, running from the warm house into the frigid air to sit for 15 minutes in the water is not that appealing. For those hot tub owners, shutting things down for the season makes good sense. Securing your hot water haven for its long winter’s nap properly ensures that things will be ready when you take off the hot tub cover next season.

11 Steps to Winterize Your Hot Tub

Freezing temperatures will damage your spa if you do not adequately protect it. Spending a little time winterizing it will save you money and increase your equipment’s longevity. Use these steps to protect your hot tub:

  1. Grab your tools. Make winterizing a breeze by grabbing the tools you need. For example, you will use a sump pump, garden hose, shop vac, filter cleaner, filter soak, cleaner, hot tub cover cleaner, non-abrasive sponges, and soft cloths or towels.
  2. Allow the chemicals to dissipate. Hot tubs have chlorine and other sanitizers which are toxic to plants and wildlife. You don’t want to release that out onto your yard. Give the chemicals a few days to dissipate and test the levels before draining.
  3. Turn off the GFCI circuit breaker. This means you do more than turn off the power. You want to make sure there is absolutely no power getting to your spa.
  4. Drain the water from the tub. You can drain all the water by removing the drain cap and attaching a garden hose to the drain spout. You can use a sump pump to release the water quicker.
  5. Loosen unions on the heater and pumps. By loosening the unions, the water can drain from the plumbing lines. It is also a good idea to remove drain plugs from the pump.
  6. Remove the water from the lines. A shop vac will help evacuate water. Insert it into each drain, the jet face, union, suction, and filter cavity, and suck out all the moisture.
  7. Clean the filters. Now is the time to remove the filters and clean them up. Since they will be stored for months, you may want to do more than clean them. You will also want to use them in a chemical soak.
  8. Replace drain plugs on pumps. When the water is gone from the lines and pumps, it is time to replace the drain plugs, tighten unions, and keep the gate valves open.
  9. Add hot tub antifreeze. Fill each pump with hot tub antifreeze and pour one gallon into the filter cavity.
  10. Replace the equipment access panel.
  11. Clean up and put back on the hot tub cover. Once all the water is removed and ready for storage, put your cover back on. Winterizing is a perfect time for replacing worn vinyl covers with new aluminum hot tub covers.

Prep for Spring Hot Tub Season by Winterizing Now

Properly winterizing your spa now will protect your investment. Be-Lite Aluminum Spa Covers helps by providing a product that can handle exposure to pets, kids, and weather. Our covers are beautiful, too. For your perfectly fitted cover, start with our template designer, that guides you through the correct steps. Then give us a call with any questions, and order yours.

Contact our team today for beautiful and sturdy aluminum hot tub covers online, or call us at 707-864-8919.