This is a very commonly asked question, especially this time of year when the summer holiday period is almost upon us.
Should I just switch the hot tub off?
This is the most obvious thing to do, like most other electrical items in the house, you turn them off before you go away. Well, in the case of your hot tub, it might not be the best idea. With the hot tub off, it will be unable to circulate and filter the water, that means stationary water which isn’t being circulated. Water sitting in the pipework could end up going stagnant and causing problems when you return.
Another issue with powering it down depends on the weather if you leave the hot tub switched off through cold weather you risk the chance of water in the hot tub freezing and causing damage to plumbing and component.
Holiday just before a scheduled water change
If you’ve timed your holiday just right, it might just coincide with a water change on your return, so switching it off won’t be so much of a problem as you will be disposing of that load of water. It’s still good practice to make sure there is a higher level of sanitiser in the water before you fly off. When you return, before you drain the water; shock treat the water and use a pipe flush solution or chlorine dioxide (Chlorogene T25) treatment to make sure it’s all nice and clean.
Maintain your water quality
If a water change isn’t due, then you need to ensure your water stays clean and safe for the duration of your holiday.
Reduce the temperature
The first thing to do is lower the temperature of the hot tub, there’s no need to keep the water warm as it’s not going to be used. The sanitizer in the water (especially chlorine) will last much longer also.
Put your hot tub to Sleep
If your hot tub has an ‘Away’ or ‘Sleep’ mode, then now’s the time to use it. The majority of hot tubs have either a sleep mode (limited heating) or an away mode.
Make sure your water is as clean as possible.
Firstly test your water, make sure all your levels are where they should be. Incorrectly balanced water has more chance of something going wrong.
Use a Non-Chlorine shock to remove any organic contamination from the water. Apply the shock and leave to work with the cover off for about 20-30 minutes
Clean your filter out, either rinse thoroughly or even better use a filter cleaner to remove any greases and oils. A clean filter is less likely to re-contaminate your hot tub water.
Finally, increase the level of the sanitiser in your hot tub. It’s a good idea to have a slightly higher than normal level. It just means you know your water can go that much longer without needing more and makes sure nothing nasty can survive in the hot tub.
Use a floating dispenser
Floating tablet dispensers can be a great idea as you’ll always know there will a sanitiser feeding the water. Just be careful not to use too many tablets and don’t open the aperture on the feeder to much to avoid overdosing the water.
Don’t forget your toothbrush
Now you can put on the cover, lock it for safety and enjoy your holiday without worrying about your hot tub. Your hot tub is now in a hibernation mode with a healthy level of sanitiser to last the duration.
On return from holiday, after the jet lag has cleared, check all your water readings and adjust if necessary. Increase the heat back up to your preferred temperature and don’t forget to change the running mode out of Sleep or Away.
If you have any further questions or if we’ve missed anything, please drop us a message.
Happy Holidays
