Hot Tubs and Spas Winterizing New Hampshire Spas

This weeks newsletter is an answer to an email letter sent in by one of our readers about shutting downn the spa in winter and winterizing your spa. If you want to send in a question I will answer all email.

What brand and model of spa is it that you own. I have many customers
who have their spa winterized. I personally love to use it in the
winter.

In order to winterize a spa, I use the following method after draining
and removing the filter. The idea is to get all of the water out of all the parts and keep it out.

For a portable spa:
1. Open the equipment compartment and remove all the drain plugs on the
pump keep them handy. Open the unions on the heater and the pump(s). On the pumps with the
low out put side, just remove the unions to allow it to drain. (The side discharge would be on the bottom of the pump, not the top.)

2. If your spa has a blower (air pump) on it, I recommend that you run it for
about 3 to five minutes, then vacuum all the water out of the vessel. If you can't run the equipment with no water in the tub, then you will need to hook power to the blower directly. You can run the blower by powering it directly with an extension cord and electrical adapters. The simplest is a set of 1/4 male spade connectors inside the control box directly on the blower receptacle connectors. A 240V blower will run for this purpose on 120V and not be harmed.

3. Then, using a powerful shop vac, (2hp or more works best) place the
vacuum hose over each of the pipe fittings in the equipment area and draw out as much water as
possible. Let it run for 5 to 10 minutes. You will stop hearing water pulses after a while. Use duct tape to seal the vacuum to the pipes.

4. You can reverse the air flow and blow out the fittings for another 5
to 10 minutes.

At any time the water goes into the tub vessel, vacuum it out.

5. Place the plastic straight nozzle on vacuum at one jet at a time.
Using a plastic sheeting, cover all the other jets, and draw out all of
the water. The vacuum wild hold the plastic sheet in place over the jets. Don't
let it suck the plastic into the jet body!

6. Move from jet to jet with all the other jets in the pump jet system
covered. This draws out the water from the jet manifold. 3 minutes at
each jet or until you hear no more water being pulled into the vacuum.

7. Return to the equipment compartment an place the vacuum hose directly
on the pressure plumbing pipe. It is connected to the outlet of the
pump. Let it run for 5 minutes. Then do the same to the suction. Leave all the fittings open, and keep track of the unioin gaskets and o'rings.

8.Place a waterproof tarp neatly over the top (if you are leaving the spa) of the spa cover and hold
it down with rocks. This will insure that water will not get back into
the spa. Make it like a tent with sloping sides to allow air under the
tarp. If there is no water in the spa it can't be harmed by freezing
water as it expands when it turns into ice.

9. Spray off the filter as you would normally do then soak it over night
(12 hours minimum) in a filter cleaning solution (GLB Filter Cleans is
really good one). Rinse the filter thoroughly and let it dry with a box
placed over it to keep dust off. Have air vents in the box, small 1/2 inch holes
in to help it dry faster.
This completes the winterizing of your spa.

In the spring apply Magic Lube to all the o'rings and reconnect all the
unions on the equipment. Then replace the filter and fill it up.

I don't like to clean a spa that has had antifreeze in it. It is much
simpler to just fill it come spring. There is no need for antifreeze if there
is no water in the spa.

I always ask people this. Why are you not using the spa in the winter?
To me, there is nothing like a hot soak on a cold winter night! If you are concerned about freezing, have the SPA-Thermaguard TM installed. If you are leaving for the winter, then by all means have it winterized.

If you have an in-ground spa, it must be winterized much like a swimming
pool, by lowering the levels of the water adding antifreeze and blowing
out all the equipment. I recommend having a professional winterize a
custom installed spa.

I hope this helps you!

Jim Arjuna

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