Is your hot tub cover starting to look like it needs a face lift?
There are some telltale signs that you need a new cover for your hot tub. For instance, if the water is dirty, smells bad and is too cool and the tub’s cover has flaking, dry, dirty, cracked or brittle vinyl then it’s time to invest in a new cover. If your current cover isn’t doing its job properly then the tub won’t be able to retain the heat and the water will become dirty and unhealthy. Dirty water means you’ll need to spend more money and time cleaning it with chemicals and a loss of heat will result in higher electricity costs to warm up the water.
You should take the time to give your tub cover a regular and thorough checkup. These are some things you should be looking for and checking out to see if your hot tub cover needs replacing..
Locks and Straps
It’s important to make sure the locks and straps on the hot tub cover are working properly since they’re needed for safety reasons. If you find that either the locks or straps aren’t in working condition then you should see if you can replace them.
Bad Odour
If the hot tub water is murky, musty or gives off an unpleasant odour with your present cover there’s a good chance you’ll need a new one. This is especially true if you’ve been adding the right amount of chemicals and clarifier to the water.
Protect the Outer Vinyl
As we mentioned, if the vinyl is deteriorating in any way then the hot tub cover won’t be able to keep the water clean, healthy and hot and the safety of the cover will also be compromised. Also, it won’t be very attractive. If the vinyl is cracked, torn or brittle etc. it’s basically in an un-repairable state. You can always try to keep the cover in good shape by cleaning it regularly and using a protectant on it. However, if this fails to keep it from falling apart it’s time to install a new one.
The Foam Cores
If your hot tub cover starts to sag it usually means the foam cores are in bad shape or are broken and this results in gaps in the cover’s sealing capabilities. If this happens it’s time to look into installing a new cover. In addition, if the cores are bowed or broken they will just get worse over the course of time. If water accumulates on the foam it will cause it to break. The metal channel can also bend or break under water weight and the vinyl can rip. Remember, a saturated hot tub cover won’t dry out. If the cover is heavy it means the foam cores have absorbed water and it should be replaced. The cores are essential for safety and heat retention and they can be replaced. But if the cover is more than two years old it’s recommended the cover be changed rather than replacing the cores. This is because older vinyl will shrink when it’s exposed to the cold and heat and it makes it harder to replace the cores.
The Heat-Seal Shoes
The “heat-seal shoes” are designed to seal the gap in the hot tub cover where the two halves of it meet or come together. When working properly they preventing the loss of heat at the hinge. When a shoe is damaged or torn apart from the hinge you may be able to fix it by performing a stitching job on it. To do this you’ll need to remove the vinyl cover’s foam cores. If re-stitching isn’t possible then the odds are you’ll need a new cover
The Hinge
Heat can escape from your hot tub if the cover’s hinge happens to be torn beyond the heart-seal shoe, which is approximately two inches from the outside edge. If the tear doesn’t extend past this point it’s possible that the cover can be repaired. However, if the tear is too big you’ll likely need a new cover.
International Pool and Spa is Ontario’s leader in hot tubs and hot tub supplies. With locations across Ontario, we offer convenient online shopping as well as local stores to serve you.
