Your Hot Tub and Freezing Weather

There’s nothing quite like stepping outside on a cold day and slipping into your warm, inviting hot tub with its luxurious massaging jets. Perhaps you’ve wondered though, what to do if you lose power.

First, we want you to know that even though you may worry about the pipes freezing outside your house, usually well insulated hot tubs from Caldera Spas don’t have these issues. Yet sometimes accidents happen, or homeowners leave town. There are ways to keep your hot tub from freezing, and in this article, we discuss your hot tub and freezing weather.

Keep It Covered

One of the most important things you can do to keep your hot tub from freezing is to keep the cover on your spa. This means every time you use it, put the cover back on. Buy a quality spa cover and be sure to replace yours if it is worn or damaged.

When you leave the cover off, you lose heat, and you waste energy. What’s more, leaving your cover off for extended periods of time makes your pump and heater work extra hard. This in turn may cause your equipment to fail.

If you don’t have a cover lifter, come see us today. You’ll be amazed at how easy it makes your life. With a cover lifter, you’ll use your spa more because it’s easier to lift your cover. Plus, it extends the life of your cover.

Check Your Hot Tub Regularly

Even when you aren’t using the hot tub, it’s always a good idea to take a quick peak under the cover on a regular basis.

– Does the water level look about right?

– Is the water temperature what you expect?

– Can you see a subtle movement of water at the water’s surface?

– Does the jet pump work when you test it?

– Early awareness that your hot tub is experiencing a problem is the best way to avoid emergency calls and costly repairs.

Circulate Your Water

This is a must! If you’re using your hot tub regularly you are already doing this. Fortunately, Caldera Spas have a 24/7 Circulation pump that assures your hot tub is always circulating water.

Running your hot tub also adds warmth to your water. Also, if your spa has a freeze protect or auto heat mode, be sure and use this feature at least once per hour.

Don’t Drain Your Spa

This one is important – don’t drain your spa when it’s freezing outside.

You want to keep water in your spa and keep it running. If you drain your spa, you may leave water in the pipes, jets, and filter bays. This can freeze and cause you problems.

Watch Your Water Level

You want to pay attention to your water level during the winter.

A full spa stays warmer, and it also uses less energy.

If you use your spa daily, you are probably already monitoring this. If not, please check it daily.

Buy a Backup Battery

Let’s face it, life happens. Sometimes during the winter, we are faced with an unexpected, prolonged power outage that comes with an ice storm or a downed power line.

To avoid costly issues, consider installing a battery or solar backup on your pump so you can keep your water circulating.

If  You Lose Power During Freezing Weather

Most of the time, your hot tub will be fine for a while if it’s covered, and the water is heated. If you have a well-insulated shell and cover, your hot tub may be ok for a day or so. Do keep the cover on and avoid the temptation to look inside once you know it isn’t working properly.

On the rare occasion you lose power for a prolonged period of time, or your heater stops working, please follow the steps below. In addition, give us a call so you can chat with our service team.

• Don’t drain the spa.
• If your spa is already drained, please refill it.
• Run the jets periodically to circulate the water. This will add a bit of heat to the water.
• If your jets aren’t operating, put a submersible pump in the foot well of your spa. Plug it in and let it run in your spa without a hose. This circulates your water and transfers some heat to it.
• Keep your spa cover closed to retain any heat.
• In the equipment area of your hot tub, put a small ceramic heater or a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. Do be sure the heater/bulb do not touch any of your hot tub components or plumbing.

Final Thoughts on Freezing Weather

You’ll find that the very best spas, like the ones we carry (Caldera Spas), come equipped with freeze protection and have circulation jet pumps and heaters that are activated when temps drop to 40 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the water hot and flowing.

What’s more, our Caldera Spas come with an EnergyPro® circulation pump that periodically pumps the water through the filters to help keep it fresh, as well as an EnergyPro® heater that keeps the water well above the freezing point.

Caldera Spas have more features that keep the spa warm throughout the winter while providing energy efficiency. They have:

• A FiberCor® insulated cabinet. Top-quality insulation protects the spa’s machinery and water from the effects of cold weather.
• A fitted, insulated hot tub cover. An insulated cover made specifically to tightly fit your spa model helps prevent heat from escaping, reducing your energy costs and keeping the water from freezing. Since spa covers are heavy-duty, most can withstand a few inches of snow accumulation before cleaning off.
• A Poly Sheet bottom seal that helps keep the warm air in the cabinet from escaping. The bottom seal of Caldera Paradise® Series and Vacanza® Series spa helps to keep heat from escaping from below and when the spa is on a concrete pad or deck it provides another layer of insulation. Utopia® Series spas include an ABS basepan with a ribbed pattern, which is designed to reduce contact with the freezing ground.

We encourage you to keep your spa running at an optimal temperature during the cold winter months. Use it daily for extra wellness benefits, too! You’ll find that keeping your spa from freezing is easier if you’re using it and maintaining it. If you run into issues, our expert service staff is here for and happy to help! Contact us below: