As we enter the winter period we know many of you may choose to shut down your spas. If you are one of these people you will need to take special precautions to ensure that the freezing temperatures of winter do not damage your spa.
Each year in spring, we carry out a phenomenal amount repairs on spas which have been damaged by the cold temperatures. Unfortunately, these faults are not usually covered under warranty and customers are often left with hefty bills from our technicians – something we are sure you will want to avoid after spending so much money on Christmas presents! This guide tells you everything you need to know as far about preparing your spa for winter.
However, before we get into the ins and outs of winter preparation, remember, hot tubs do not need to be closed down at winter, in fact, they actually yield more benefits when used in winter than in summer. Most of our spas include frost prevention systems – the spas will turn themselves on automatically if temperatures drop below 5 degrees (however remember, your spa will need to be in standby mode for this to happen).
In summer we experience sweltering temperatures as high as 25-30 degrees in summer, do you really think you are going to want to come home and then put yourself into a hot tub which is even hotter? Of course not! In summer you want to cool down, not heat up!
Have you ever had a really hot bath and then noticed that when you exit that bath, even if the temperature in the house is freezing you confidently feel as though you could walk through the house with few cloths on? Well hot tubs have the same effect. The warm water heats up your inner body so when you exit the spa, even if it is snowing outside you will happily walk through your garden in just a robe.
Keep your Hot Tub running throughout the winter, get outside and enjoy the Winter Sunshine or the Stars, whatever time it may be, with your Family and Friends and beat away those SAD symptoms.
The most crucial aspect of winter hibernation is ensuring that your spa has been drained thoroughly. When water freezes it expands. This expansion can then cause pipes to crack and can also damage heaters, pumps, jets etc.
The following steps will significantly reduce the risk of winter damage:
1. Drain your spa as normal. If your spa drains with a hose pipe, disconnect the hose pipe once the spa has completed draining to allow any additional liquid to flow from the spa.
2. Turn the hot tub on briefly. Allow the air blower to run for 5 or 10 seconds. The air blower will force any remaining water from the pipework into the spa.
3. You now need to remove all of the side panels from the spa. As you circle the spa you will notice a number of unions connecting the pipes and pumps. You will need to loosen all of these unions to allow any remaining water to drain from pipework. This is particularly important with the unions connecting the pumps and heaters. Water left in heaters and pumps will most certainly cause them to fail in the spring! Note that it is absolutely fine for the excess water which drains from the unions to drain into the base of the hot tub – this will evaporate over time. It is wise to leave these unions loose for a few days to allow any condensation to drain from the spa.
4. Remove the filter from your spa. Soak your filter in filter cleaner and store it away until next year! At this stage a wet-vacuum will come in very handy. Use the vacuum to remove any remaining water from the spa. You will also need to vacuum all fittings such as jets, diverter holes, etc.
5. Finally! Before replacing all the access panels, you need to find some old towels and wipe up any remaining liquid from the spa.
Your spa is now winter proof!
These steps may seem a little over the top but it is important that none of these steps are missed out as your warranty is not valid for damage caused by incorrect Winterisation.
If the process of hibernating the spa seems a little too much, you may wish to contact us so we can carry out this service for you for £189.
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