Winter significantly changes the spa repair equation. If your hot tub goes on the fritz in the winter, what should you do? First, contact your local spa repair person and get on their schedule right away. If you are lucky, they can come out within a day or two. If they are in a high-demand season, you may have to wait two to three weeks if not more to get an appointment.
So, what to do with your inoperable, outdoor tub of water in the middle of winter? The science is that when the outside temperature drops below 32 degrees F, water turns from liquid to solid, and in so doing expands into more space than it previously occupied. If that space is restricted, something has to give, and ice usually wins the battle against PVC plastic plumbing. You don’t want your spa to freeze, ever.
This is the perfect opportunity to say that if you are going to decommission your spa for a period of time that will span the winter months, GET YOUR SPA PROFESSIONALLY WINTERIZED! Winterization is worth every penny unless you live in an equatorial zone. In that case, winterization is a scam. Everyone else, winterize.
Rather than harp on the excruciating level of damage that can befall a spa that has become the yard’s largest ice cube, here's what you can do before help arrives.
First, assess your degree of emergency. Is your spa's water still warm? How cold is it going to get in the coming days? Spas tend to be well insulated. A warm spa without power can take weeks to drop to a temperature that can cause harm. If your daytime temps are in the 50° F range and drop to 29°-30° F at night, only to rise above the freezing mark relatively quickly after sunrise, then you may not need to do a darn thing. Is the spa circulating the water even though it isn’t heating? If it is, in most cases the spa will not freeze so don’t panic.
However, if your spa is outdoors and a hard freeze is either here or coming, what can you do to protect your asset? Fortunately, there are several things you can do. The most ideal solution is to drop a trough warmer into the tub.
I get that not everyone owns, or knows someone who owns, or can just run out and buy a trough warmer, so what else can you do? Basically, anything that adds heat or insulation to your spa is a plus. Should you put blankets over your spa? Yes. Should you wrap it in fiberglass wall insulation? If you have it lying around, yes.
After adding blankets and/or insulation, it is a good idea to cover the whole thing with a large, waterproof tarp. Additionally, remove the panel or cover to the spa’s access compartment (where the pumps and electronics are) and place a small, ceramic space heater by the opening. Place it so that the heat blows into the spa's access compartment without blowing too closely to anything flammable, like wood framing or paneling. It may be helpful to elevate the heater by stacking a few bricks or other items beneath it.
Grab the tarp on the access compartment side and pull it away from the spa and down to the ground, anchoring it with a heavy stone or two. This creates a tented area or vestibule which helps keep the tarp from settling onto, or getting sucked into the back of the heater's fan. This area also provides space to back the heater away from the spa if needed.
A lamp with a heat-producing (incandescent) bulb can also be placed inside the access compartment if no heater is available. Here, too, be smart and make sure the bulb isn't too close to anything flammable. A light bulb may not seem like much, but remember, you're just trying to provide enough heat to keep the spa's water liquid, not get it bather-ready!
If you’re really desperate and/or concerned, there is another option that works very well but ultimately requires a bit more work. And it only works if your pump(s) are still functioning. If they are, you can pour a gallon or 2 of antifreeze into your spa and mix it well by running all of your jets. Then you can shut the spa down indefinitely. Even if it is losing water and eventually drains out, it won’t matter. Antifreeze, however, tends to be very pungent and it will likely take two or three complete flushes before the smell subsides to a tolerable level.
Regardless, make it a rule not to let your spa freeze. Either winterize it, or add insulation and heat however you can when the spa won’t heat on its own. I’m sure your spa technician would love to be able to be in more places than one at a time. But until that becomes a teachable skill, you are going to need to do what you can to keep your hot tub in liquid form until they can get there. Follow these suggestions, or get creative with solutions of your own. Be proactive but be smart, and as always, be at peace. Happy tubbing!
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