Maintenance Task #1:  Winterize the spa (cold climates)

It is recommended to use a pool or spa professional to close your spa.  If you choose to do-it-yourself, remember that each hot tub spa is different, so you should contact a local hot tub professional for the specific maintenance requirements for your particular spa.  But below are shown some generalized instructions for preparing your hot tub spa for the winter:

1. Drain the water out of the spa.

2. Turn off the spa heater.

3. Run the spa's air blower for 30 seconds to blow all of the water out of the air channels, if applicable.

4. Soak up all of the remaining water from inside the spa using towels or a shop vacuum.

5. Trip the ground fault interrupter, and either unplug the spa or turn off the circuit breaker.

6. Remove any drain plugs from the pump housing.

7. Loosen or unscrew fittings.

8. Blow out all water from the jet piping (or for some models, you must must use a canister-type wet vacuum to ensure that the lines are cleared of all remaining water).

9. Place hard spa cover on, and secure from being blown up from the wind.

10. Secure the equipment hatch on portable models.

11. Place tarp over winter cover over the hard spa cover.

Water expands when it freezes and will crack fittings, pipes, pumps, etc.  Proper maintenance will help avoid unnecessary problems and potentially costly repairs in the spring.

 Maintenance Task #2:  Open the spa for the season (cold climates).

Each hot tub spa is different, so you should contact a local pool or spa professional for the specific maintenance requirements for your particular spa.  But below are shown some generalized instructions for opening your spa for the season:

1. Remove the winter cover or tarp, and remove the hard spa cover.

2. Inspect inside the shell for cracks or splits.  Remove any water from inside the spa, and inspect the spa pump, filter container, valves, and pipes for any cracks or splits.

3. Remove any jet plugs etc.

4. Clean the spa shell and filter.

5. Wax the spa shell.

6. Fill the spa with water; watch carefully for any leaks.

7. Power up the spa and check the operations of the controls.

8. Adjust water chemicals.

9. Clean the hard spa cover.

See also:  Swimming Pool and Decking.

Prepares the spa for proper use during the summer.

 Maintenance Task #3:  Weekly seasonal spa maintenance

1. Adjust chemicals.
2. Clean filters.

Helps keep spa water clean and safe.

 Maintenance Task #4:  Drain, clean and re-fill spa

Completely drain water from spa.  Clean.  Refill with fresh water.

Periodically replacing with fresh water helps reduce the corrosion of the heater coil.  It also helps reduce "acrylic blisters" (bumps in the acrylic spa shell).

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS from "Ask-a-Wizard":

QUESTION from "ar2ducks": 

I'm trying to drain my pumps on my Jacuzzi twin pump hot tub, but there is not a drain plug.  To drain the housing, I removed the suction line but that will only drain half of the housing.  I live in Alaska, and the breaker keeps tripping, so I am draining it for the winter.  Any ideas?

ANSWER:

ar2ducks:

Just opening the drain plug typically is not enough to get all of the water out of a spa's pump system, but rather, to clear water from the water pumps suction and return lines you must use a canister-type wet vacuum to ensure that the lines are cleared of all remaining water. You probably should check with the manufacturer of your specific pumps to be sure.

A bigger concern is what is causing your pumps' breaker to trip. If this is being caused by an electrical problem, then I would think you would want to get this checked before you use the system.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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QUESTION from kristen on 9/7/2008
When winterizing your hot tub, should you put anti-freeze in it?

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM on 9/7/2008
Dear Kristen:

There are two schools of thought on whether you should put anti-freeze in your hot tub plumbing when winterizing it.

In some situations, it is best to remove all of the water by blowing it out with a compressor (or depending on your model, it may require that all of the water be removed by using a canister-style "shop vacuum").

However for some models, it is recommended that you put in anti-freeze (ABSOLUTELY NOT automotive anti-freeze which is poisonous, but rather, RV anti-freeze that can be used in hot tub spas). One of the problems with putting in anti-freeze is that it has to be removed properly in the spring.

Here are a couple of links to some webpages about winterizing hot tub spas.

http://www.ezhottubs.com/news/spa_winterizing.htm

http://hottubsource.blogspot.com/2005/12/hot-tubs-and-antifreeze.html


And of course, it would also be good to check with the manufacturer of your particular spa.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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QUESTION from Robert Glaser on 11/1/2008
I have a 500 gallon hot tub on our deck. It has two filters. 

I checked the filters today and one of them had a glue-like, mucous looking covering all over the filter. what is the substance and what can I do to stop it from happening again?

Robert Glaser

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM on 11/2/2008
Robert:

It sounds like you may be having a problem with a build-up of oils and lotions that is washing off from people coming into your hot tub spa. Many hot tub manufacturers will tell you to have people take thorough showers with soap before entering your hot tub. Of course, in reality, this is not always practical.

Here are some links to information on causes and remedies for build-ups forming on hot tub spa filters, and hopefully one of these will apply to your specific situation:

http://hottubsource.blogspot.com/2006/07/what-causes-yellow-scum-build-up-in.html

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080303115711AA2icpA

http://www.squidoo.com/hot-tub-filters

http://www.rhtubs.com/info/filter.htm

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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QUESTION from steve on 11/9/2009
I hooked up my jacuzzi today, i have a breaker box with gfi outside and used 6-3 wire. Ok i have a 50 amp breaker with gfi inside the inside box. Ok now my gfi box sat on the ground for a year before i mounted it to my wall, it got rained and snowed on. Anyway i hooked my jacuzzi up today and it was running perfect, jets all running and heater, then it popped the exterior breaker. I go to reset it and it pops instantly. Can my gfi in the box be bad since it sat unmounted in the weather? I dont understand it was running great. the 6-3 wire isnt hot, the breaker was a little warm. please help me i need my jacuzzi

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM on 11/9/2009
Dear Steve:

It's far more likely that there is a problem with the installation of the wiring. If your jacuzzi ran fine for a while, it sounds like it ran for long enough for water to get somewhere where it shouldn't and cause a ground fault (this is why it now pops the GFI instantly).

GFI breakers do go bad sometimes, and it's possible you just need to replace it, but while you have your load side disconnected, you should have a trained professional check the hots and neutral to ground for continuity or resistance.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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