How to Winterize a Hot Tub

To everyone who has a hot tub in parts of the country where it gets to freezing and below temperatures, a specific problem occurs annually. Should you shut down your hot tub for the cold season, or should you leave it usable so that you can enjoy it? Either one requires a certain amount of work and upkeep, so it is really a matter of which one you would rather do.

Shutting the hot tub down for the winter involves cleaning out the various pumps and filters, taking many of the filters off and storing them away so they do not freeze, and making sure the tub is completely clean of water, so that the tub itself is not damaged by freezing water. You, as the owner, do not even have to do it all yourself. Several professionals are willing and able to do the work for you, for a small fee.

The upside to shutting down the hot tub is that you only have to worry about the hot tub once. After the work is done, you will not have to deal with it until the spring when it is time to set up the hot tub again. The downside, however, is that you will not be able to enjoy the hot tub during the winter weather.

The other option is to leave the hot tub running for the winter. While it does not require a lot more work, it does require keeping a watchful eye on the hot tub. The biggest problem one can run into while keeping their hot tub running for the winter is the use of energy, and therefore, money. One must find a way to keep the water hot, so to stop it from freezing. There are several ways to do this. The cheapest, easiest way is to buy a tarp, or a thermal blanket, and place it over the top of the hot tub when not in use. This will keep the heat in, and the cold out. The upside of this is that you can use your hot tub throughout the winter months. The downside is, as said, it requires a watchful eye.

Whether or not you winterize your hot tub is really up to you. As you can see, there are pros and cons to either choice. it is really a question of how important it is to you to be able to use your hot tub during the winter months.