As fall approaches and the weather gets cooler, some hot tub owners will start thinking of closing their hot tubs for the winter. While most people enjoy their spas year round, there is a small group that needs to winterize their spas. Winterizing a hot tub can be a lot of work. If not done properly, freezing water can cause severe damage to the spa. So, the key is to get all of the water out of the plumbing!
The first step in the winterizing process is to disconnect the power and drain the water. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for this step. Remove any additional water from the foot-well of the spa using a Shop-Vac.
Next, disconnect the plumbing unions going to the front of the pump(s). Depending on model your spa, it may have 3 or more pumps. Be careful, because the unions will all have O-rings in them that could easily fall out and be lost.
If your spa has a pressure filter remove the canister lid.
Take the Shop-Vac and use it to suck any remaining water out of the lines and the pumps.
If your spa has a blower and air chamber, disconnect the blower, reverse the shop-vac, and hook it up to the pipe where the blower was. Blow any water out of the air chamber.
On the front of the pumps there will be a small drain plug. Remove and store this plug.
Lubricate all O-rings with a silicon based lubricant.
Bring the filter inside and store for the winter.
Hope this helps,
The Spa Guy
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