For those of us who live in the northern parts of the country, cold winters are an annual reality. For new hot tub owners, this might pose a conundrum. Can you leave a hot tub outside in the winter? The good news is that you can. In fact, many hot tub enthusiasts feel that spending time in the hot tub during colder weather provides some of the most enjoyable experiences available in a hot tub. However, there are preparations and precautions that need to be taken to allow your hot tub to function properly in the colder weather. To learn more, read on.
Keep Your Heater Running
The greatest danger facing your hot tub when running it in the winter is the formation of ice. Ice crystals can cause irreparable damage to the hot tub’s plumbing and mechanical components, so it’s important to prevent the water from freezing. Your best defence against this is to keep your water heater on and the set temperature at 98 degrees or your preferred temp for winter soaks. If you plan on being away for an extended period of time during the winter, we recommend to keep your hot tub set at its minimum temperature setting. It’s as simple as turning the temperature down to the lowest setting on your topside control panel. This will maintain a consistent warm temperature that’s above freezing and will reduce the chances of the water freezing if there happens to be a power failure. Some people might believe that this results in wasted energy, but the fact is that it’s more energy efficient to keep the water temperature at a constant level compared with repeatedly turning the heater off and on.
Use A Winterized Hot Tub Cover
After your water heater, a properly insulated hot tub cover is your next major defence against the water freezing. Hot tub covers not only keep dirt and debris out of the water, but they also retain water heat when the tub isn’t being used. Make sure your cover fits tightly and is able to be properly secured.
Keep the Water Clean
Maintaining the cleanliness of your hot tub’s water is important all year round, but it’s especially important in the winter. If you allow your water chemistry to get too far out of balance your only solution is to drain the tub and refill it with fresh water. However, this is something you do not want to attempt in freezing temperatures. The chances of ice forming and causing problems is just too great. Therefore, it’s extremely important to test the water regularly and to cut down on chemical consumption taking a shower before getting into the hot tub.
Time Your Deep Cleanings Carefully
Depending on how much use your hot tub gets, you’ll need to give it a deep cleaning every three or four months. That said, a deep cleaning requires that the hot tub be emptied. As mentioned above, this can be a tricky situation when the ambient temperature falls below freezing. For this reason, it’s important to time your deep cleanings carefully to avoid having to drain your hot tub when the weather conditions could cause permanent damage. Make sure to get in a deep cleaning just before it gets too cold and with careful water monitoring, you should be able to make it through to spring.
Reduce the Jet Power
Your water jets are what make the difference between a hot tub and an outdoor bathtub. Inadvertently, running your jets at maximum power for too long during cold weather will reduce the water temperature. Jets run by forcing outdoor air into the water. If the air temperature is far below freezing, it won’t take too long before the water temperature will be affected. If you plan on using your hot tub for extended periods of time during cold weather, turn down the power of your jets to reduce their effects on the water temperature.
To learn more about running a hot tub in the winter, download a free buyer’s guide today.