DIY Project: How to Winterize a Hot Tub in 11 Steps
Nothing feels greater than enjoying the cold winter inside the hot tub with your loved ones since it’s designed to serve you even in the coldest months. However, if you’re planning to go to warmer places and won’t be using your hot tub for a few months, it would be better to winterize it. Winterizing means that you drain the hot tub completely and make sure that everything is dry until you use it next time.
Open the access panel in the cabinet, and locate the pump(s) and heater.
Loosen the unions to allow water to drain from the plumbing lines.
If the pump(s) has a drain plug, remove that as well, and allow any water inside the pump to drain out.
Step 7: Clean the Filters
Filters are important parts that you have to take care of even when you’re trying to ‘freeze’ them.
Turn off the power and make sure that there’s no electricity connected to the hot tub.
Take out the filter and clean it by using a cleaning solution.
There are weekly, monthly, and 3-4 month maintenance processes that you can use. However, we recommend deep cleaning the filter if you’re not going to use the hot tub for a long time.
For more detailed instructions on how to clean a hot tub filter, you can read it here.
Step 8: Blow Out the Lines
Leaving water in the plumbing lines over the winter can cause the water to freeze and expand, which can cause the lines to crack or burst.
Please make sure that the hot tub is completely dry and empty from water, including the line system.
Turn the Shop-Vac’s setting to blow.
Insert the hose into every drain, union, and jet, and filter cavity.
Blow into each spot for 10 to 15 seconds to force the water out of the lines and into the tub. You might want to repeat this step to make sure that there’s no water inside.
The main purpose of winterizing a hot tub is to prevent the pipes from freezing and damage due to extreme cold weather. The process can be done either by a pro or yourself but if you’re going to do it by yourself, you have to spare extra time because the whole process may take 3 to 4 hours.