Knowing how to winterize a spa properly can mean the difference between an easy, hassle free process of getting back in the water come spring, and unexpected difficulty. No one wants to invest in a hot tub at home only to find out they failed to take the necessary steps to keep it looking and running great.
Winterizing Your Spa – Preparation
- Turn power off at the GFI Breaker.
- Open the drain in lower corner of spa. Either drain your spa from the spa drain with hose attached to it, or drain with a submergible pump.
- Open all jets (but do not remove them)
- Remove all diverters from their housings
- Remove filters and filter bleeder knobs
- Loosen pump unions on back of pumps. Remove pump bleeder knobs.
- Disconnect circulation pump and leave it disconnected throughout the winter
Wet Dry Vac
- Begin at the lowest points in spa and work your way up. Vacuum out each of the above items. (You could take out up to 15 gallons of water).
- Empty wet-dry vac and reverse it to blow through each of the above
- Return to suction mode and vacuum up any water left on seats or floor.
RV Anti-Freeze
- Reconnect Pump 1 (main jet pump)
- Pour ½ gallon into each filter cannister
- Run Pump 1 for less than 1 minute, or until anti-freeze begins coming out of the jets. Do not run pump for longer than 1 minute.
- Leave some anti-freeze on seats and floor where it sits. This will prevent ice, that forms over the winter, from sticking to the spa shell in those spots.
- Throw a tarp over the spa cover and weigh it down with 1 gallon jugs of water in each corner. Expect 2-3 inches of ice to form on the floor of spa over the winter.
Opening Your Spa in the Spring
- Remove the tarp
- Reconnect the circ pump
- Reconnect other pump unions. Put pump bleeder knobs back in.
- Close drain valve
- Fill spa through filter cannisters. ½ through each side.
- Turn power back on and activate both jet pumps.
- Watch for leaks or things you may have forgotten put back in place.
- When spa is operating properly, add 1 cup of liquid bleach and run keep running both jet pumps for ½ hour.
- When water is clean and clear, add sanitizer and enjoy.
The post Hot Tub Winterization Tips first appeared on Easy Spa Parts.



