In the dead of winter, there aren’t many moments as great as slipping beneath the waters of a steaming, bubbling hot tub. Not only does the heat keep you warm, the tub’s therapeutic jets can work wonders when it comes to relaxing tired, sore or aching muscles.
But now that things are really starting to heat up out there, what should hot tub owners do with their equipment in terms of riding out the summer and getting it ready for next fall and winter? In this post (and the next), we’re sharing a number of tips to help you do that. Whether it’s your home hot tub or perhaps one that you own as part of a rental property in the Great Smoky Mountains, these ideas will help you transition seamlessly from season to season.
1. Completely drain your hot tub – And we mean completely. Any residual water can cause problems for your jets and blowers. Attach a hose or sump pump to the tub’s drain plug, let the water out and then cap the hole. Use a shop vac to suck up any remaining moisture. Next, turn off electricity to the tub, turn off the heater, then power back up to run the blower for 30 seconds. This forces out any water remaining inside. Finally, turn off both the water and the electricity again.
2. Clean your filters thoroughly – Use warm water and dish detergent to clean the surfaces. Heavier stains might require something more effective. But never use harsh cleaners or a metal scrubber on your tub surfaces; they’ll ruin them or, at the very least, make them look unsightly. Don’t forget to remove the filters and clean them as well. Rinsing will usually suffice, but let those filters dry before putting them back in place.
3. Cover your hot tub securely – You don’t want to expose your hot tub to the sun in summer. The UV rays can damage the acrylic materials used in most tubs, and leaving them exposed can also void your warranty. Purchase a cover specifically made for hot tubs and secure it, especially if you plan to leave it unattended until fall. You don’t want high winds to blow it away, so look into some sort of system that utilizes clasps and locks or even bungee cords to hold the cover in place.
These are just a few of our tips. Check back here in a few weeks, when we’ll post four more strategies for storing your hot tub in the summer months.