Unless your hot tub’s inside or you live in a warm climate all year round you’re going to have to winterize it before the cold weather blows in. If you don’t, like here in Canada, and the tub is subject to freezing temperatures it could suffer irreversible damage to the plumbing lines and pump. This means you’re going to have to follow some necessary steps to close the tub down before the sun starts shining again and the temperatures heat up. These are the steps you should take when closing or winterizing your hot tub. They’re relatively easy tasks and they’ll protect the tub after you’ve drained the water before winter arrives.

1-Make sure all the jets are open and the therapy control valves are closed.

2-The hot tub’s circuit breaker should be turned off.

3-Drain the water from the tub. The best way to do this is by using a submersible pump. However, if you don’t have access to one you can always hook up a garden hose to the spigot which can be found in the interior of the tub on its primary water pump. Make sure the drain line runs out somewhere that can handle the drained water.

4-Take off the cabinet panel from the front of the tub’s equipment compartment.

5-Open up the hose spigot which sits near the primary pump and drain all of the remaining water. After it’s been drained leave the spigot open.

6-Locate the unit’s heater and then open up its unions at both ends. This can be done by turning them in a counter-clockwise direction.

7-Use a canister-style wet vacuum and suck the water out of the pumps return and suction lines. The wet vacuum needs to be a canister style to make sure all of the water has been removed.

8-Take the drain plug out of all the unit’s water pumps and drain the water.

9-Once the water has been drained from the pumps put the plugs back in them.

10-Reconnect all of the heater unions at both ends. This can be done by turning them in a clockwise direction until they’re tight. Check to make sure that the O-ring gaskets are properly sealed and they’re not being inched.

11-Replace the cabinet panel in the front of the tub’s equipment compartment. This panel was taken off in step 4.

12-You can now turn the hot tub’s circuit breaker back on. It was turned off in step 2.

13-Remove the water from the air and plumbing channels by turning on the blower.

14-You should now turn the tub’s circuit breaker off once again.

15-Take the insulated cover off of the hot tub.

16-Use the wet vacuum at every fitting to make sure all remaining water has been removed from the spa shell, water lines, and fittings.

17-Grab a sponge or absorbent towel to remove all of the water left in the shell of the tub.

18-Clean the tub shell and make sure there’s no debris in it.

19-Clean the unit’s filter and store it along with the filter basket indoors.

20-Place the insulated cover on the hot tub and check to make sure that rain and snow can’t leak through it and into the tub.

Remember, once the freezing temperatures arrive your hot tub can suffer some serious damage if it hasn’t been properly winterized. Also, while you’re still using the tub in the cooler autumn months before closing it down you should check it daily to make sure it’s in proper working order. If you find the water temperature is dropping or detect any other problems you should contact your dealer as soon as possible.