How to Winterize a Hot Tub
Winter is approaching once again, which leads us to answer some questions we often get at this time of year. One of the most common questions people ask is: “How do I winterize a hot tub?” Many spa owners are surprised by the answer: Your Bullfrog Spa doesn’t need to be winterized at all.
Yes, you can and probably should winterize your hot tub if you plan to leave it for extended periods with absolutely no use, like at a vacation home or cabin you don’t visit all winter, but you really don’t need to winterize your spa in most situations. Here are 3 key reasons you don’t need to winterize your hot tub.
You Can Use Your Hot Tub in Any Season and Weather
Well-made hot tubs like Bullfrog Spas can be used in any weather, even in the coldest of winters. If you know you will be using your hot tub once a week up to once every few weeks, no matter the weather conditions, there is no need to winterize it. Every time you use your spa it will be heated to a comfortable temperature. Your Bullfrog Spa can maintain its temperature between uses with very little energy output. If you plan to go for longer periods between uses you may want to simply turn the heat down to save even more energy.
Materials Made for the Elements
Most high-end hot tubs, including Bullfrog Spas, are designed to function well, stay warm and hold up through the coldest of weather. The tough acrylic shell, durability of the parts, wood-free support structure and cabinet, top quality electronics, and the full foam insulation all mean that your Bullfrog Spa can easily perfom well and last for years in essentially any climate.
Energy-Efficient Operation
The JetPak Therapy System, which is only available in a Bullfrog Spa, means that your spa has around 90% less plumbing and that most of the spa plumbing is actually submersed in the spa water. Very little plumbing and water are exposed to the outside environment where it could lose heat. All other spas rely entirely on their foam insulation to protect their spa plumbing from losing heat.
Bullfrog has full foam insulation AND the JetPak Therapy System to increase energy efficiency. Run a Bullfrog Spa for a few months and you’ll see how much energy you are using as well as saving. It may actually cost you more to winterize your spa than it would run your spa all the winter. That’s energy efficiency!
If you’re not planning on using your hot tub this winter (unthinkable, I know), you’ll want to winterize your hot tub. Winterizing prevents your hot tub from freezing overnight during low temperatures. To winterize a hot tub, turn off the power, drain all the water, clean the filters and shell, and secure the cover.
How to Winterize Your Hot Tub
If you plan on using your hot tub to warm up your winter nights, great! You don’t need to winterize a hot tub unless you plan on leaving your hot tub unattended for 6 weeks in a row or longer. This is typical if your hot tub is at a vacation home or cabin that you won’t be visiting frequently.
We recommend having your local authorized Bullfrog Spas dealer winterize your spa. But here are the steps to take if you choose to do it yourself. Note that the Bullfrog Spas warranty will not cover damage caused by improper winterization of a spa.
Let’s go over the steps for preparing your hot tub for winter
1. Gather hot tub cleaning supplies and products
The following supplies are necessary to properly winterize your spa. You should be able to find them all at your home improvement store or hot tub dealership.
- Super sanitizing agent to clean water
- Garden hose to drain water
- Wet shop vacuum to get remaining water out
- Filter cleaner
- Shell and cover cleaner
- Propylene glycol antifreeze for pipes
2. Super sanitize (shock) the spa water
Shocking the spa water will slow bacteria, algae, and fungi growth in areas of your spa that aren’t completely free of water after you drain and winterize.
To super sanitize the water, add one of the following:
- Granular chlorine (2 teaspoons per 200 gallons of water)
- Granular bromine (4 teaspoons per 200 gallons of water)
- Non-chlorine shock (5 teaspoons per 200 gallons of water)
We recommend super sanitizing your spa regularly, not only when winterizing your hot tub. This will make the water less cloudy, remove bacteria, and prevent odors in your spa. Shocking your spa with a non-chlorine shock can be done weekly if you frequently use your spa. A chlorine shock is best every quarter when you deep clean your hot tub.
3. Turn off the hot tub
For safety reasons, make sure there is no power getting to the hot tub. Press the power button, unplug the power cord, and turn off the circuit breaker.
4. Drain and dry the hot tub completely
Once you’ve turned the power off to your hot tub, drain and dry your hot tub completely. Failure to do so can cause water to freeze and create cracks in your hot tub which can be damaging to your plumbing and costly to repair.
- To drain your hot tub, pull the drain out of the spa and remove the drain cap. Attach a garden hose to the drain spout to activate the drain. Once the hot tub water is completely drained, pull the spout all the way out, remove the hose, replace the drain cap, and push the drain back into the spa.
- If you have a Bullfrog Spa with JetPaks, open all lower valves on the JetPaks to allow the water to drain from each JetPak as you drain the spa. Once the water is completely out of the spa, close each JetPak valve.
- Next, use a wet shop vacuum to vacuum the plumbing lines by placing the vacuum nozzle over each of the jet faces in the spa. It’s not a bad idea to do this twice, just to be safe.
- Finally, remove the drain plug from the pump, loosen all PVC pipe unions, and pump air-bleed valves in the equipment compartment. Replace the plugs on the heater pump. Do not replace the plugs on Pump 2. Tighten the unions or close the air-bleed valves until you de-winterize the spa in the Spring.
5. Remove and clean filters
Remove the filters from the spa and drain any water in the filter slot. We recommend cleaning your spa filters now and storing them in a clean, dry place until Spring.
6. Add antifreeze
Pour propylene glycol antifreeze into the filter hole to prevent the pipes from freezing. Some smaller spas may only require 1-2 gallons, medium sized spas generally require 3-4 gallons, and large spas and swim spas generally require 5-6 gallons. This is an added safety measure in case you were not able to empty all the water out of the spa.
WARNING: Do not use ethylene glycol antifreeze (the kind used in cars), as it is toxic. Propylene glycol (the kind used in RV’s), is nontoxic and does not require evacuation at startup.
7. Clean the shell and cover
Clean the inside of your hot tub by applying a small amount of window cleaner or dishwashing soap with a soft sponge or rag. Make sure to rinse well and dry completely with a clean towel.
Clean and protect the outside of your cover with a weather-resistant cleaner such as 303 Aerospace protectant. This will help your spa cover keep its color and protect it from damaging UV rays and other weathering.
8. Cover your spa
Make sure your spa cover is tightly secured to keep out rain or snow. If you live in an area with strong winter winds, consider purchasing some Hurricane Spa Cover Straps to keep your cover extra secure.
If you live in an area where snow is frequent, place a large piece of plywood on top of the spa cover to help support the weight of the snow. Be sure to remove any snow off the cover after each snow storm.
What To Do If Your Hot Tub Freezes
If you forget to winterize your spa and it ends up freezing, you’ll need to thaw all the ice and check for damage, leaks, and cracks.
To do so, turn off the hot tub, carefully break through the ice, and remove as much of it as you can. You can pour hot water onto the ice to speed up the melting process.
Once you have removed the ice, inspect the pipes, heater, and pumps for cracks or other damage. If you notice anything wrong, we recommend contacting your local authorized spa dealer for help.
If you don’t find any damage, turn the spa back on and check for water leaks. Your hot tub should be fine if you don’t find any leaks, but we advise keeping a close eye on it for a few weeks to make sure there were no undiscovered issues.
How To De-winterize Your Spa in the Spring
To enjoy your hot tub again in the Spring, clean any areas that have gotten dirty throughout the winter. And even though you used a non-toxic antifreeze, it still is a good idea to get it out of the pipes so it doesn’t irritate your skin. To clear antifreeze out of your plumbing, partially fill the hot tub with water, run the pumps for a few minutes, and then drain.
Reconnect the pumps and heaters, open the air-bleed valves, and close the drain valves. Refer to your owner’s manual or call your spa dealer for any questions you might have.
To finish de-winterizing your hot tub, simply replace the filters, refill the water, super sanitize it, turn the power back on, and jump in.
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Gary Diefenderfer | Nov 20, 2018 at 10:36 pm
I plan to leave for two months. The spa will not be maintained in that period. Is it best to winterize or simply get the chemicals at a normal level and turn down the heat?
Thanks
Bullfrog Spas | Nov 26, 2018 at 4:20 pm
It’s our recommendation to winterize the spa if it will be left for longer than 6 weeks, especially if there will be freezing temperatures. You may also select to use a slow release sanitizer and simply lower the temperature, however, this isn’t ideal as it may increase the sanitizer beyond recommended levels or not have enough for the time period.
Jamie | Nov 28, 2018 at 4:58 pm
Hi, how do I turn the heating off on my bullfrog 454 swimspa.. Thanks
Bullfrog Spas | Dec 31, 2018 at 2:59 pm
To turn completely off you must turn the power off. If you are decreasing the temperature setting below the current set point and the spa continues to heat there is likely an error in the electronics. Contact your dealership for service.
Kirk Petersen | Dec 4, 2018 at 1:55 am
I need to put my tub on edge to move it through a gate. Does it matter which edge/side?
Ben Soutas | Dec 4, 2018 at 8:19 am
No, it shouldn’t matter which side.
Robert Benedict | Feb 7, 2019 at 1:53 pm
Our power is out due to an ice storm. How long can my tub sit in 20-30 degree weather before I need to worry about anything freezing and causing damage. Tub was fully operational @ 102 degrees when the power went out about 36 hours ago.
Ben Soutas | Feb 7, 2019 at 2:17 pm
Let me double check with our tech team to be sure, but I believe it should be fine for 2-3 days. I’ll see if they have any tips for keeping it from freezing for longer in case the power doesn’t come back on for a while. I’ll get back to you with that info as soon as they respond.
Ben Soutas | Feb 7, 2019 at 2:42 pm
Robert, here is our tech team’s response: You will want to get a space heater in the equipment area or get a 100W work light to make sure that it won’t freeze. The heater pipe and pumps could freeze in a couple days. I would say if the power won’t be on in the next 5-10 hours I would put that in there.
Mark Frizzell | Oct 19, 2019 at 8:10 am
Hi Ben. I have an R Series hot tub that i plan to winterize. Can you provide an instructional video on step 4? Specifically step 4.4. There is no mention of dealing with the heater. Does something specific need to be done for it? Do you have blow it out and the pumps as well on their own? Thank you
Lance Hansen | Oct 25, 2019 at 11:54 am
Great feedback. We will add that to our list of upcoming support materials. Enjoy the spa!
Harlan Moore | Nov 29, 2019 at 8:44 pm
My son has tried to clean and winterize the hot tub and he drains it and he says once it’s done draining it fills back up after a storm I mean how much water can leak into a hot tub after a storm , cover has never leaked until I turned splice valves and winterized it.
Lance Hansen | Dec 2, 2019 at 11:00 am
Hi Harlan,
Let’s get this troubleshooting started. Feel free to reach out to your dealer or techservices@bullfrogspas.com to get started.We want to make sure you are satisfied after a winterization.