Spa & Hot Tub Covers

Things To Know Before Shopping For Hot Tub Covers

This is not really exciting stuff. It hardly compares to relaxing in your hot tub after a hard day. However, if you are in the market for a hot tub cover this is important information about these items that will help you to make a better decision. So….

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is used as the primary insulating material in most hot tub covers. This foam works by slowing the heat in your spa from being conducted into the surrounding air.

Foam density is used to describe the weight of a cubic foot of foam. A heavy duty hot tub cover will generally have at least a 1.0 lb. density. As you go up in foam density you increase the insulating properties and the strength.

The R-value is used to describe the insulating ability of the material. The higher the R-value the more it will hold in the heat. Look for a minimum insulating value of R-12.

The manufacturer will quote the R-value of the hot tub cover you are considering, but keep in mind that this industry is not required to test the R-value according to any particular standard. As a guide, you can use this table to double-check the insulating value.

Find out the density and multiply the thickness in inches of the cover by the R-value per inch, and that will give you the insulating value of the hot tub cover. For example, a 3 inch thick cover made from 1.25 density foam (which has an R-value of 4.0 according to the chart) would be: 3 inches X 4.0/in. = an R-value of 12.

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You’ve searched the classifieds for a used hot tub and found what looks like a great deal. Or maybe a friend has offered to let you buy theirs, or maybe you have even been given a used tub as a freebie. Is it really a good deal? There is no way to tell for sure until you have it installed and running.

The first and most important thing is never to buy and pay for any used spa or hot tub that you have not seen in operation and tested completely. Buying a “dry” tub is a disappointment waiting to happen. You might get lucky and everything will work fine, but you also stand the chance of having a budget-busting disaster on your hands.

You have to also keep in mind that simply moving a tub puts a whole new set of stresses on the plumbing, tub shell, and frame. An unnoticable crack in the spa sitting at its original location might be made worse by loading it on a truck and moving it. This is especially true if the tub has been repaired sometime in the past. So just because everything was fine when you checked it out, does not mean it will be exactly the same when you finish your move and installation.

Even with a free hot tub you will likely will have some hidden and possibly unexpected expenses:

• You have to find a way to move it. Many “portable” hot tubs will not fit in the back of a pickup truck.

• You have to hook up the electrical (and unless you are a licensed electrician this is something that should never be attempted by a homeowner). This might involve trenching for the electrical line and running a 220 volt drop, in addition to the electrical supplies.

• Once you get it all set up you have to fix anything you broke moving it, and repair damage or defects that were not apparent when you inspected it.

• You will also likely need to buy other supplies (chemicals for the water, a testing kit, a new cartridge filter, and possibly a hot tub cover).

• Does it come with a hot tub cover? If the cover cracked, torn, discolored, waterlogged, or a spa cover is not included in the deal, then you might be looking at a significant additional expense.

• Check the cartridge filter to make sure it is in place and that the filter itself is not torn or just completely worn out.

When inspecting the hot tub, be sure and check the following:

• Use a thermometer to check the accuracy of the hot tub thermostat. If it is out of calibration that is not necessarily a problem, but is information you need to know to operate the tub safely. If it won’t heat the water to normal operating temperature (usually 104 degrees) that is another issue entirely. There might be a heater problem.

• Open up any of the doors that give you access to the equipment or areas underneath the tub. Look for any leaks or signs of water. Check around the pump for any indication that the pump seals are leaking and will need to be replaced.

• Listen to the sound of the pump running. It should be a low steady hum. Any other sound should tell you that you might have a pump replacement in your future.

• Turn on the blower and again, listen to the motor. It should sound a lot like a vacuum cleaner and if you hear any knocking, pinging, or scraping this is not normal and means you might be whipping out a credit card soon.

Any problems that you discover can be used as points for negotiating a lower purchase price. If you point out these issues to the seller, you might get a price concession which will make the deal more attractive for you.

With all this said, there are some great values in used hot tubs. Just check things out carefully and make a wise decision, budget for some unexpected expenses, and cross your fingers.

If you were careful with the steps to winterize your hot tub in the fall, then it should not take long to get your spa up and running again in the spring. Your tub has waited patiently for you all winter long, and is ready now to give you a warm and rewarding soak.

Remove the special winter hot tub cover or the tarp if you put one on top of your foam core hot tub cover. This should have protected your expensive spa cover from the winter elements.

If there is any water inside the tub you might have to use a shop vac to suck it out, or soak it up with towels. If water froze in the spa over winter it might have damaged the acrylic hot tub shell. Any cracks might not be visible but will become apparent when you start filling the spa with water.

Find the filter you packed away in the Fall. If you did not clean it then you need to take the time to do so now. There are special filter cleaners which you can get from your local spa dealer or buy online. If you are in a real hurry, you can spray it down with a garden hose by directing the water at an angle and dislodging all the traped dirt between the pleats. Reinstall the filter.

Most hot tub covers have a foam core with an outer covering of vinyl. Now is a good time to clean and condition the spa cover. There are special cleaners and conditioners that you can buy online or at your local spa dealer. You’ve made a significant investment in your hot tub cover, so now is not the time to scrimp on $20 worth of the proper chemicals necessary to help protect the top from cracking and discoloring.

Inspect the plumbing and look for any obvious signs of cracked pipes. If you find one, unless you are very handy you might want to call a professional to do the repair work.

Close all the drains that you opened in the fall, and reconnect all the lines to the heater and the pump.

Get out the garden hose and start filling! As the water level rises be on the look-out for any leaks or other signs that the spa was damaged over the winter. If you see leaks, stop filling until you can have them repaired.

If you fill the tub and all looks good, then you can turn on the power. Before you turn on the pump or heater, be absolutely certain that all valves are set to allow water to circulate through the network of plumbing. If so, time to turn on your pump and heater.

Check each of the minor functions such as blower and lights to make sure everything is working properly.

Balance your chemicals, and dance around anxiously waiting for the water to heat up. When it reaches that magic temperature, it’s time to enjoy!

Many hot tub enthusiasts like to use their tub year round. In fact, many people enjoy the relaxing warmth of a hot tub the most with snow drifts piled around them in the dead of winter. However, if you’re not one of those types and want to shut your hot tub down during the coldest months, you will need to take special precautions to make sure that freezing weather does not damage your spa.

Even if you choose not to use your hot tub, you can still keep it running during the winter so freezing weather does not damage the equipment and plumbing. If you prefer to completely shut it down, then you should follow these steps when winterizing it. A shop vac that can vacuum water, a few large towels, and a garden hose are helpful items to have on hand.

• Turn off all electricity by switching off the circuit breaker. If it’s a portable model that is not hard wired, just unplug it. Removed the hot tub cover completely, and also remove or open all the access doors to the areas housing the plumbing, pump, and heater.

• Locate the hot tub drain and connect the hose. When the drain valve is opened the water should start to flow out if the hose is stretched out and is below the water level in the tub. When the flow of water stops, disconnect the hose but leave the valve opened.

• Some hot tubs have an air channel under the seats to provide bubbling action. You will need to switch off or disconnect the spa heater and water pump individually and then turn the power to the tub back on. It’s important to make sure that there is no electricity to the pump and heater because both could be damaged if run without water.

• Turn on your hot tub blower and let it blow the water out of the air channel for 30 seconds or so. When finished be sure and turn off the electricity at the circuit breaker again.

• Remove the cartridge filter and store it in your garage or basement.

• Look carefully around the pump and heating filter for any fittings that you might be able to take apart. Sometimes these have tabs on them that stick out slightly to make it easier to grab and turn by hand. Remove any of these you can find along with any drain plugs and let the water drain out.

• A shop vac really comes in handy at this point. You need to close the air control inlets usually located on the top edge of your hot tub, and the set the hose on the shop vac so it will blow. Get into your spa and put the hose against the jets, one by one. As you do this water will be forced out of the remaining jets and also out of the fittings you removed around the pump and heater. Continue from one jet to the other until no more water is coming out.

• Reset the hose on the shop vac and suck out all the water in the bottoom well of the tub and that might be on the seats. A quick rub inside with a soft towel should finish the job.

• Put the hot tub cover back on the spa. Because most hot tub covers will leak some water back into the tub, it’s good to cover the entire spa with a tarp or specially designed winter cover.

There you have it. You’ve invested thousands of dollars in your hot tub and with a few hours work you can make sure it will hold water when you fill it back up in the spring, without leaking due to freeze damage.

Here’s a handy checklist you can take with you when shopping at your local hot tub dealer, or while researching on the Internet. Just print it out and take it with you to make sure you cover all the important points while talking to the salesperson, or refer to it while surfing the net. It will help you remember many of the important things you need to consider before buying your hot tub cover.

Let me state at the outset that I will be discrete in this article.  But before you read further, understand that we’re going to be talking about the male reproductive process — or maybe in this case, the non-reproductive process.

A friend of mine swore one time that he and his wife conceived their second child one evening in their hot tub.  Sure, it sounds sexy and romantic, but if you are a regular hot tub enthusiast there are forces at work against conception when you give baby-making a try.

A recent pilot study from the University of California at San Francisco has suggested that there is a decrease in fertility for men who soak in the warm water of a hot tub.  It doesn’t take that much time either.  The researchers studied men who used the hot tub only 30 minutes per week for the three months before they participated in the study.  Warm water was defined as anything above body temperature.

A man’s testicles are outside the body for a reason — they need to be cooler then the normal body temperature to produce healthy sperm.  Plop those things into a spa filled with 104 degree water and you’re going counter to nature.  A mature sperm cell can take several months to develop.  A healthy man will make about 1,200 sperm every time his heart beats and it’s those immature ones that are the most at risk from high temperatures.  Should you and the little lady be trying to create a tax deduction before the end of the year the hot tub that seems so inviting in January can have an effect on your sperm count when you start on that project in March.

The study is far from conclusive.  There were only 11 men who participated in the research, but after stopping their hot tub soaks for a minimum of three months, five of them experienced a significant increase in sperm motility.  Of the men who did not improve, heavy tobacco use was a common factor.

Paul J. Turek, MD, was the investigator who led the team in the research and he pointed to hot tub use as a controllable lifestyle factor that a couple could add to the list of things to avoid when trying to conceive a baby.  And we might also observe, stopping that cigarette smoking could help, too.

On the other end of the gestation period are women who give birth in a hot tub.  My friend who successfully conceived in his spa wasn’t quite ready for that.  He insisted on the hospital.