Should I drain my spa for winter? Before we begin with the draining & winterizing procedure, please pause for a moment to ponder the question... After all, you bought your spa for relaxation and enjoyment, so why not use it year 'round? Many families actually prefer to use a hot tub when weather is the coldest. On a chilly winter's night when toes are numb, nothing beats a hot soak in the tub! If there's snow on the ground, it can only add to the pleasure.. as the steam rolls off the warm water onto the white blanket below. There are practical concerns as well. While a properly drained spa will save you money on energy costs and supplies, most spa damage in cold climates is actually caused by freeze damage due to improper draining/winterizing (or none at all!) Residual water after draining may cause damage far exceeding any savings realized in closing the spa. And don't forget, besides the chore of draining & closing, there will be the same chore in reverse come spring. If you decide to run all year long, then be sure to read Winter Use below. Draining for Winter If you're still reading, then you are at least still considering draining & winterizing your spa or hot tub, so let's see how it is done right! NOTE: If you don't feel comfortable closing down and winterizing a spa yourself, you may wish to contract a local professional to do the job for you. Remember, a good service company should guarantee their work against freeze damage. If they don't, pick a different company. Also note, the following procedures are primarily for above-ground spas and hot tubs. In-ground installations are a different breed, and their systems are often better left to the pros for winter service. Cut the power Always start any service procedure by shutting off the heater and then powering off the spa. Then switch off the power service at the breaker panel or disconnect box for safety. Tip: Before disconnecting power, now is a good time to check the GFCI to make sure it is functioning properly by pressing its "test" button. Flush your system, then drain your spa We recommend that you flush your plumbing system with Spa System Flush. Then with cover still off, empty your water by opening the drain valve. Some spas allow you to hook up a garden hose to carry the water away. A spa vac such as the Shake-a-Vac or a submersible pump may also be used to speed the draining and to remove remaining water and debris from foot wells. Air blower? If your spa is equipped with an air blower, you should purge it of water as well. This can be done by first shutting the heater off to prevent damage, and then with cover back in place and power restored, running the blower for 15 to 30 seconds. When complete, trip the GFCI again, shut off the spa circuit at your breaker panel, and unplug your spa as before. Obviously if you have no blower, you can skip this step! Remove your filters With cover off, remove your filter(s). Now is a good time to clean and soak them in filter cleaning solution, so that they can be put away in a dry location for the winter. If they've had a year or more of use, they should be replaced with new Clarathon Premium Spa Filters. Never store a dirty filter. Make sure to remove any remaining water from filter compartment-- terry towels are often helpful here. Clean the filter compartment, and skimmer basket if so equipped. If your spa has a separate filter canister, make sure it is completely drained. Loosen fittings There may be several fittings on your spa's plumbing system that can be loosened enough to allow water to drain. Open any unions on the inlet and outlet of your pumps and heater. Your pump housing may have drain plugs. These should also be opened as pumps can easily be damaged when water freezes. If you have an external gas heater, shut it down per the manufacturer's instructions. Your main concern now will be to remove all water from the unit by opening drain valves, pipe fittings, and by blowing out remaining water with a GFCI-protected wet-dry shop vac. Gas heaters which are shut-down for the winter will often require a cleaning or "tune up" in the spring. Blow your jets It is also important to get any remaining water out of your jet plumbing. This can be accomplished by first opening all jets (with topside jet controls set to the off position) and with your wet-dry vac set to the blowing mode, forcing air into each of your jet fixtures. Work your way around the spa clockwise, and when you have gone all the way around, go back around counter-clockwise and blow out each jet again. Repeat until no significant amounts of water can be purged. Clean your shell Cleaning your spa shell is very important, and will make the job of opening your spa in the spring a lot more pleasant. Use a non-foaming cleaner such as Clean All. Wipe down all surfaces and rinse with clean water. Mop up Any remaining water inside the spa should now be mopped up with terry towels. Applying spa wax or 303 Protectant to inside surfaces is a good idea, and will make start up and cleaning of your spa in the spring easier. Protect your cover Clean your cover both inside and out, and apply a quality protectant such as 303 to both inside and outside surfaces. Never apply any product containing silicone oil to a vinyl spa cover, as it will promote deterioration. Replace cover, and secure & lock the straps. If you live in a high-wind location, you might consider the addition of additional tie-downs, such as our Hurricane Straps. Secure your cabinet If your spa has an enclosure with doors, make sure all are closed and any thumbscrews or latches are secured. Check Wooden surrounds If your wooden cabinet needs a coat of finish, this should be applied before weather dampens the wood, or the temperature gets too low. Consider a Spa Coverall Many people cover their entire spa for the winter, if in a location exposed to the weather. This prevents rain water or snow melt from seeping back into the spa and causing potential freeze damage. Far better than hard-to-manage tarps is our ProtectaSpa Coverall. What about Antifreeze? Although there are pipe antifreeze products on the market, we do not recommend them because of the difficulty of removing the residues in the spring.
