The number one question we are asked is how to winterize a hot tub. To start, please know that the most damage that occurs to hot tub spas is caused by improper winterization. Also please note that the damage done due to freezing is very costly to repair. BE VERY CAREFUL if you choose to close down your own spa. If you have any doubts, it is much better to contact us to do this for you!
1. Begin with a full hot tub: Add 1 Trio #1 pouch (Trio #1 – Start (454 grams) (P/N: 4204)– Aqua-Tech) or 250mL of Swirl Away (SpaGuard Swirl Away® Pipe Cleaner (473ml) (P/N: N750)– Aqua-Tech) to clean the hot tub plumbing. Circulate the spa for the length of time on the package directions.
2. Turn off the circuit breaker for the spa’s electrical line then remove the hard thermal cover and drain out the spa. This can be done by hooking a garden hose to the spa’s bottom drain spout, or by actually pumping the water out with a submersible pump.
3. Locate your spa heater, and turn it off. This is MOST IMPORTANT! Replace the hard thermal cover on the spa and turn the spa’s circuit breaker back on, or plug the unit back in. Activate the spa’s air blower and let it run for approximately 30 seconds. This will blow all the water out of the air channel under the spa seats. If you do not have an air channel and air blower you can skip this procedure.
4. Once again, remove the cover and soak up all the remaining water from inside the spa with towels or a mop or suck it out with a shop vac. Make sure that you get all the water out, especially in the footwell. Remove the cartridge filter from the spa and make sure that all the water is out of the filter canister compartment. Clean the hot tub acrylic with SpaGuard Swirl Away Surface Cleaner (SpaGuard Swirl Away® II Surface Cleaner (473ml) (P/N: N754)– Aqua-Tech) and chemically clean your filter with SpaGuard Filter Brite (SpaGuard Filter Brite™ (100gm) (P/N: 7544)– Aqua-Tech).
5. Loosen or unscrew any fittings on your spa equipment that look like they could be loosened or unscrewed. These are usually quick disconnect fittings on either side of the heater and on either side of the pump . As you loosen each fitting, water will come out. This is what you want! Leave all fittings unscrewed. Remove any drain plugs that may be on your pump housing. This is most important! Pump housing crack easily with only a small amount of water in them. Make sure you also drain out the filter canister and the heater and remove any drain plugs that are there.
6. You’ll want to blow out any residual water from the jet piping. The most common tool to attempt this is with the blowing end of a shop vac, an air compressor or some types of leaf blowers. Get into the spa and put the blowing end of the hose up against each jet. Make sure that the jets are all open as wide as possible, and make sure that the topside air controls are closed. Start with the jet closet to the exhaust side of the pump and work your way around the spa, jet by jet. As you do this, more water will pour out of the various fittings you unscrewed at your equipment. After you do this to each jet, you will have removed most of the water from your entire jet system.
7. Now blow proper hot tub antigel (DO NOT use pluming antifreeze) into the entire plumbing system and the hot tub equipment. In the same way that you blew the water out, blow the antifreeze in. We recommend BioGuard Hibernate Premium Anti-Freeze. Here is the link: BioGuard Hibernate® Premium Anti-Freeze (3.78ltr) (P/N: 1071)– Aqua-Tech
8. Reconnect any of the hot tub fittings and drain plugs to keep the antigel in the system.
9. Get out of the spa and put the hard cover back on the unit. Secure the cover to the spa so that wind will not flip it up.
10. On portable, cabinetized spas, close and secure the equipment hatch door. Often, vermin will try to nest inside spa cabinets over the winter. They can chew wires and cause expensive damage. Also on portable, cabinetized spas, it is a good idea to protect your spa cover and wood cabinet with a tarp over the hard thermal cover to ensure that no water leaks through the seam in the hard cover.
Remember – If you are worried or hesitant about closing down your spa by yourself, we STRONGLY SUGGEST that you contact Aqua-tech Customer Care at www.findmyparts.ca
Note: All hot tubs are different. This is just a guideline. Please refer to your owner’s manual for further instructions.
