If wintering is common for a swimming pool, we rarely bathe with water at 4 ° C and a neighboring outside temperature; this is much less the case for a spa. For the excellent reason that the portable spa or the inflatable spa can be entered into a room to spend the winter in the shelter. As for the outdoor buried Jacuzzi, if you have taken some precautions for cold regions, you can very well leave it on, even in the most severe snows, and enjoy a hot bath under a winter sky.
Steps For Winterizing Your Spa
If you decide that your spa is going to overwinter, here are the preparation steps you will need to apply:
Turn Off The Power To Prevent Heater Operation.
Then purge the spa to empty it of its water. You can use a submersible pump for this or the suitable old siphon pipe method. For residual water from the bottom, finish with a sponge, paying attention to residues that could be abrasive to acrylic or polyester in the case of prefabricated spas. Search for spa cover lifter
Purge The Blower Of Its Air.
Remove all filters and store them “warm” for the winter. It is essential to thoroughly clean the filter cartridges and drain them of all water before storage. Using an air blower for this is a perfect solution. Also, clean the filter compartments and any skimmer.
Bleed the pumps and all lines to prevent freezing. Use a vacuum cleaner or a blower to expel as much water as possible from the nozzles and the circuit.
Finally, clean the hull, the cover, close the hydrojets and, before closing the panels, place rock wool on the flying pipes of the circuit, an effective solution against freezing.
Steps To Leave Your Spa In Operation In Winter
This is the solution to avoid winter chores.
Particularly read the instructions for your spa. Some spas intended for cold regions are equipped with a frost protection system that must be activated.
Check minimum set temperatures and reduce filter cycle times, so pumps start more often, so they don’t freeze.
Try to keep the temperature as constant as possible, even with daily use of your spa. Replace the cover immediately after using the spa to save some heating energy.
Avoid using the blower in winter, or even close the air inlet nozzles. At this season, the blower will inject cold air, which will be heated even more. It is not economical in terms of electrical energy.
Ensure that the water level remains constant, especially never below the filter, so as not to deactivate the pumps.
Put on the thermal blanket, in case of power failure, while waiting for the return of electricity. Only a very prolonged outage (storm causing an outage of several days) can be problematic.
And For Restarting Your Spa After Wintering:
- Open all the hydro jets.
- Use the skimmer or the well of the filter cartridge to fill the spa and, at the same time, more easily prime the pump.
- Restore the power supply and start the circulation pump, then the hydro jet pumps. If nothing comes out, activate the purge valves.
- Switch on the blower.
- Wait for the water to heat up and come to temperature.
- Finally, measure the water quality and make chemical adjustments if necessary.