How to Protect Your Hot Tub Pipes

While this may be hard to believe today, winter is one of the best times to own a hot tub. Why? You can soak in a warm, massaging water while looking out at your snow covered view while the steam rises, and the jets massage your tired muscles.

Yet, with the cold comes winter challenges. Just like watching over the pipes inside your home, you want to take care of your pipes outdoors.

In this article, we look at how to protect your hot tub pipes from freezing. The good news? With high quality hot tubs from Hot Spring Spas, you have a well-insulated hot tub.

Should I Winterize My Hot Tub?

If you plan to spend most of the winter at home, your best bet is to keep your hot tub full of water and constantly running. Test and treat the water regularly, even if you aren’t using it.

Your high-tech Hot Spring Spa is already equipped with freeze protection. The circulation jet pumps and heaters activate when temperatures drop to 4o degrees Farhrenheit and keep your water hot and moving.

Our energy efficient hot tub models require little electricity to stay heated even when it’s cold.

The alternative to keeping your hot tub running is winterizing it. You may find it’s not worth the effort if you are going to be home this winter.

Even if you plan to be gone for up to two weeks, you want to leave your hot tub covered and running. Before leaving, make sure the water and filters are clean, and the spa is covered securely. You may lower the temperature a little bit if you want, but make sure the water stays constantly warm to avoid freezing pipes.

Now that you know Hot Spring Spas have built in features to keep your hot tub and your pipes from freezing, some people decided to winterize their hot tubs. Here’s how.

How to WinterizeYour Spa

You want to do this before the temperature drops below freezing, and you have to worry about your hot tub pipes. This helps ensure that water doesn’t latePreview (opens in a new tab)r freeze in the spa or pipes later.

So, don’t leave this task until the last moment. You do want to also ensure your water is clean before you drain it and the temperatures are above freezing. You need the following on hand:

A wet/dry vacuum cleaner will help suck as much water as possible out of your tub, your jets, and your pipes.
A garden hose will facilitate draining from your hot tub’s drainage plug.
Absorbent towels to sop up any lingering water from the bottom of your spa.
Propylene Glycol antifreeze to keep your spa’s pipes from freezing. For safety, never use an antifreeze containing Ethylene Glycol—the kind you use in your car—in your hot tub. It’s toxic.
A long funnel for pouring the antifreeze into narrow openings.

How to Drain Your Hot Tub

Turn off the power to your hot tub by tripping the GFCI breakers at your spa’s electrical panel. If you don’t know how to do this, consult your owner’s manual or contact us for assistance.
Grab your sump pump if you have one and use it to rapidly drain the water out of your tub.
If you don’t have a sump pump, let gravity do the work for you: Unscrew your hot tub’s drainage plug, attach the drain valve nozzle to a garden hose, and let the water flow out. Be prepared for this process to take a long time. When most of the water has drained, use your wet/dry vacuum to suck up any water remaining at the bottom of your spa.
Remove the filter cartridges, clean them, and store them in a warm space until you return. If your hot tub’s control panel comes with a wireless remote, store that indoors as well.
Even after draining, several gallons of water may still remain hidden in your hot tub. To prevent this water from freezing and damaging your spa, get rid of as much of it as possible by using the wet-dry vacuum to either suck or blow any remaining water out of the jets, the filter standpipe, and any other feature or opening in your hot tub where water may hide. Consult the owner’s manual for your hot tub model for instructions specific to your hot tub.

Clean and Protect

After you’ve removed as much water as you can from your spa, continue the winterization process by following these steps:

Screw the drainage cap back into place.
Using a clean, absorbent towel, wipe any remaining moisture from your hot tub shell.
Use a funnel to pour a small amount of propylene glycol antifreeze into your jets, your filter standpipes, and any other opening through which water may enter or leave your spa.
Replace your hot tub cover and securely strap it into place. Place plywood boards on top of your cover to prevent it from being damaged by the weight of accumulated snow and ice. Then secure a plastic tarp over the entire top of your cover.
When you decide to re-open your hot tub, remove any trace of antifreeze from your tub before it’s safe for you to use.
Fill your spa with water as usual, add double the usual amount of chlorine to neutralize the antifreeze, then drain and refill your spa once again before fitting your clean filter cartridges back in place.
See your owner’s manual or contact us for guidance on this process.

Final Thoughts

There’s no better way to warm your body and spirit in subzero temperatures than by taking a decadent soak in hot water.

If you own a hot tub, you know that winter is the perfect time of year to use your spa! And, with our quality hot tubs, you don’t have to worry about your hot tub pipes as long as you keep your hot tub running and warm.

Hot Spring Spas designs your hot tub for the utmost relaxation throughout the coldest months. However, if you won’t be around in the winter to use it, you can take steps to keep it safe from freezing temperatures until your return.

You can either winterize it yourself or hire us to take care of it for you!

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