Winterizing Your Hot Tub or Spa
or
Protecting Spa During Winter Power Outage or Spa Equipment Malfunction

Winterizing a portable spa or hot tub is not recommended since these spas are manufactured to run year-round and have built-in controls to maintain water temperature at a minimal cost to prevent freezing.

The biggest risk of winterizing is not getting all the water removed from hoses and pipes, which will cause them to expand and burst or break. The resulting damage and leaks will not be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, so you will bear the cost and hassle of fixing it and them.

However, if you still feel that you need to winterize, you’ll need to super sanitize the spa (if you have an equipment failure and are unable to perform this step, please proceed to winterization section):

Super Sanitation

Normal sanitation does not eliminate chloramines (trapped chlorine), bromamines (trapped bromine), along with other non-filterable wastes, such as perspiration, oils, hair sprays, etc. that can build up in the water. Super Sanitizing (or “shocking” or “super chlorinating”) the spa water is achieved when the sanitizer level reaches or exceeds 10.0 PPM with granular Chlorine (Dichlor), or 22.0 PPM with granular cromine (bromine concentrate). Super Sanitation can also be achieved with a non-chlorine shock.

Winterization

Note: Prior to winterizing your spa, it will be necessary to Super Sanitize the spa water following the instructions above. This procedure will help prevent the growth of bacteria, algae and fungi in any areas of plumbing that may not be fully free of water after you drain your spa for its period of winterization.

Step 1: Drain the spa.
Step 2: Remove the drain plug from the pump(s), loosen all PVC pipe unions, and pump bleed valves in the equipment compartment. Do not replace the plugs, tighten the unions or close the air-bleed valves until the spa is de-winterized.
Step 3: Clean the entire spa.
Step 4: Remove filter cartridge(s) and clean. Allow the filter to dry fully and store in a dry place.
Step 5: Secure the cover to the spa utilizing the tie downs and locking system. In areas where heavy snow is anticipated, place a large piece of plywood (or its equivalent) on top of the spa cover to assist in supporting the cover with the added weight of the snow. Remove snow off the cover following each snow storm.

Note: To keep water from becoming trapped between the floor suction fitting and the filter pipe, close the slice valve in front of the pump leading to the filter. Use a wet/dry vacuum to remove the remaining water out of pipe by placing the vacuum end over the filter hole. In a two-pump spa, first plug off one filter then vacuum out the water. Or pour 1-2 gallons (4.55-9.09l) of RV antifreeze into the filter hole.

NOTE: RV antifreeze is non-toxic and does not require evacuation at startup.

Spa De-Winterization

To de-winterize the spa, reverse the winterization procedure. Refill to the manufacturer's recommended level.

When you refill the spa, you will need to Super Sanitize the new spa water. Instructions are found above.