Yes, you can leave a hot tub empty. It is essential to drain the hot tub thoroughly to ensure no water remains in the pipes and hoses. If water remains in the spa, the pipes could freeze in the winter. In the summer, mold and debris could be left behind.
This is why the general recommendation is to drain your hot tub every 3-4 months to prevent the TDS from ever getting too high. Another reason you need to drain your hot tub is to flush out the pipework and ensure a good deep clean.
Saltwater spas and hot tubs should never be drained on a lawn. However, more traditional chlorine-treated hot tubs can be drained safely if the cover is left off and the chlorine and bromine levels are allowed to dip below 1 ppm or, even better, below detectable levels.
As a rule you should change your water every 3 to 4 months. Sometimes if the spa has had a lot of use it may be a good idea to change the water more often than this. The problem is TDS Total dissolved solids, just like a cup of tea if you keep putting in sugar there will come a time that it just does not dissolve.
Tip : Keep a hose in your house during the winter months, so it's easier to fill up your hot tub when needed. You will need to thaw the outside water spigot with hot water to unfreeze the tap, and then hook up your hose and fill up the hot tub.
A fitted, insulated hot tub cover. An insulated cover made specifically to tightly fit your spa model helps prevent heat from escaping, reducing your energy costs and keeping the water from freezing. Since spa covers are heavy-duty, most can withstand a few inches of snow accumulation before cleaning off.
Winter is a wonderful season to use a hot tub. The hot water & massage breathes life back to frozen feet and aching joints. Instead of winterizing the spa for the cold, why not make the most of your investment and enjoy it? New, energy saving hot tubs stay hot and ready all winter, without adding to your electric bill.
Water left in the pipes and equipment can grow bacteria biofilm, which is difficult to eradicate. Plus, without water, seals and gaskets become dry and begin to leak. Therefore, make sure to not leave your hot tub sitting empty.
Keep in mind, we strongly recommend that you never leave your spa empty for a period of 2 weeks or more. Leaving your spa empty can cause damage to the pumps, heater element, and shell.
A hot tub cannot typically freeze overnight. It would take a temperature of below 28 degrees and at least 36 hours for the water to start freezing. If there is no power and the cover is firmly in place, the hot tub can run up to three days before freezing.
You should put chlorine in your hot tub at least once a week. However, some people prefer to add a small amount after each use. Finding the best water care routine will depend on how often and how many people use it. Chlorine levels should be between 1.5 and 3.0 ppm.
Again, as a general rule of thumb, people should wait at least 30 minutes after adding chlorine before getting in the hot tub. Those who use bromine might have to wait a little while longer. Make sure the hot tub cover is off, allowing chemical vapors to escape.
Causes of cloudy hot tub water. When it comes to cloudy water, it's likely one of a few culprits — high pH, high alkalinity, and low sanitizer. Dirty filters, body care products, and old water can also be responsible for cloudy water.
A floater is really the worst way to take care of sanitizing your tub—about the most “dinosaur” method still used. It's difficult to regulate the amount of sanitizer being dissolved into the body of water. Then, it starts to seek out what it wants to “eat” after bacteria is gone: pH, tub shell, and more.
A typical use of one person taking a 15-minute soak once a week might only require adding chlorine every 2-3 days, while more frequent use can mean topping up the chlorine every day. Another factor that contributes to how often you need to add chlorine is the total amount of bathers in your hot tub at one time.
*A hot tub can be left without power up to 3 days without risk of freezing, IF you follow these tips: 1. Keep hot tub cover closed and locked in place.
Disease outbreaks tied to swimming happen even in the winter, often after people go in hot tubs or spas, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It costs you approximately $4.75 a month to circulate your Royal Spa hot tub, and it takes at least three hours to properly winterize a hot tub.
Draining your hot tub if you won't be using it in summer is, as mentioned earlier, a good idea. However, leaving it exposed to the sun isn't. The problem is that the sun's UV rays can be exceptionally damaging to acrylic. It's so detrimental that leaving the tub exposed can void your hot tub's warranty.
Hence, the water temperature in your hot tub should never go below 78.8°F, which is the appropriate minimum limit recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Hot tubs don't just have to be used in the winter; you can also use them to cool off in the summer too. Depending on how cool you want the water to be, we recommend experimenting with temperatures between 29 and 35°C to find the most comfortable temperature to suit you.
For a Fully-Foamed hot tub to start to freeze the temperature needs to be below 28 degrees F for at least 36 Hours straight. Even if it does get that cold if your hot tub & pumps are still operating, the water is circulating and will not freeze.