Winterizing Your Spa
week of Sept, 26,1997
(I am sorry for the delay on the weekly updates.
I wasn't getting very many people on our web site.
Now we are getting many every day)
This weeks newsletter is an answer to an email
letter sent in by one of our readers. If you want to send in a question I will
answer all email. We will pick one at least once a month to publish on our Spa
Care Tips web site. If you do not want your letter published, please indicate
that in your letter, otherwise it is assumed that we have your permission to
publish it. We love to hear from you good or otherwise! All feedback is welcome!
John wrote:
Dear Sir,
I just found you site and I like
it. Can you please help me out -- I live in Pennsylvania and just purchased a
spa that I keep on my deck. I was just planning to drain it for the winter, but
the installer said that he would recommend using a non-toxic anti-freeze.
Do you have any thoughts or recommendations?
I greatly appreciate your help in this matter.
Thanks
John
John,
What brand and model of spa is it that you own. I have
many customers who have their spa winterized. I personally love to use it in the
winter.
If your spa is not well insulated your electric bill
could be as high a $120 per month. Even with a moderately insulated spa by
today's
standards. your winter use of electricity would be $30 to $40 or so per month.
In order to winterize a spa, I use the following method
after draining
and removing the filter.
For a portable spa:
- Open the equipment compartment and remove all the drain plugs on the pump and open the unions on the heater and the pump(s).
- If your spa has a blower (air pump) on it, I recommend that you run it for about 3 to five minutes, then vacuum all the water out of the vessel.
- Then, using a powerful shop vac, (2hp or more works best) place the vacuum hose over each of the pipe fittings and draw out as much water as possible. Let it run for 5 to 10 minutes.
- You can reverse the air flow and blow out the fittings for another 5to 10 minutes.
- Place the plastic straight nozzle on vacuum at one jet at a time. Using a plastic sheeting, cover all the other jets, and draw out all of the water. The vacuum wild hold the plastic sheet in place over the jets. Don't let it suck the plastic into the jet body!
- Move from jet to jet with all the other jets in the pump jet system covered. This draws out the water from the jet manifold. 3 minutes at each jet.
- Return to the equipment compartment an place the vacuum hose directly on the pressure plumbing pipe. It is connected to the outlet of the pump. Let it run for 5 minutes. Then do the same to the suction.
- Place a waterproof tarp neatly over the top of the spa cover and hold
it down with rocks. This will insure that water will not get back into
the spa. Make it like a tent with sloping sides to allow air under the
tarp. If there is no water in the spa it can't be harmed by freezing
water as it expands when it turns into ice.
- Spray off the filter as you would normally do then soak it over night
(12 hours minimum) in a filter cleaning solution (GLB Filter Cleans is
really good one). Rinse the filter thoroughly and let it dry with a box
placed over it to keep dust off. Have air vents in the box, small 1/2 inch holes
in to help it dry faster.
In the spring apply Magic Lube to all the o'rings and reconnect all theunions on the equipment. Then replace the filter and fill it up.
I don't like to clean a spa that has had antifreeze in it. It is much simpler to just fill it come spring. There is no need for antifreeze if thereis no water in the spa.
I always ask people this. Why are you not using the spa in the winter? To me, there is nothing like a hot soak on a cold winter night! If you are concerned about freezing, have the SPA-Thermaguard TM installed. If you are leaving for the winter, then by all means have it winterized.
If you have an in-ground spa, it must be winterized much like a swimming pool, by lowering the levels of the water adding antifreeze and blowing out all the equipment. I recommend having a professional winterize a custom installed spa.
I hope this helps you!
Jim Arjuna
The Spa Specialist Inc
555 Alter Street, Broomfield CO 80020
(303)-404-2224
