As a hot tub owner, blackout power may be one of your major concerns, especially when it hits during winter. As a result, many people experience anxiety during this period because of the possible damage it may cause to their hot tubs.
So, in that case, if you fear that your hot tub will freeze during a power outage, this post will outline how you can prevent that from happening. That is why don’t freak out if your hot tub loses heat in the dead of winter, and tune in to this article until the end.
6 Ways To Keep Hot Tub Water From Freezing During Power Outage
You don’t have to worry about that anymore; thankfully, there are easy and reliable ways to prevent that from happening, relieving you of the expensive costs incurred in fixing them.
Regularly Check Water Temperature
You should check the temperature of the water every few hrs using a floating thermometer that you can immediately access via an app on your smartphone or by removing the cover ever-so-slightly.
Before the pipes can stretch sufficiently to cause any harm, the water temperature inside them must drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit by a few degrees and remain at that level for several hours. At a temperature of 32 degrees, the water will not freeze solid but instead transform into slush for the most part.
Fill The Hot Tub With Hot Water
It’s not a bad strategy and won’t break the bank. Half of the water must be drained out and replaced with hot water using a garden hose attached to a spigot in the kitchen or the laundry room.
Take Advantage Of Some Hot Stones
Warm stones for 30 minutes in a fireplace or other heat source (such as a wood burner). It’s recommended to store them in a sizable cast-iron frying pan hidden away in the hot tub’s cupboard. Only 8–10 large stones are needed to warm the cabinet compartments for the night adequately.
Make Sure The Hot Tub Is Covered
Covering the hot tub will require thick wool blankets and maybe even a plastic tarp. Pull it tightly from around the perimeter. This is especially helpful for older coverings or covers that don’t quite fit the hot tub since it can help keep the heat inside.
Purchase A Seal For The Hinge
An additional foam and vinyl piece is velcroed into the hinge/fold inside the cover to provide a hinge seal. It might be included in certain covers already. The effect is to reduce the heat that escapes through the fold.
Set Up A Compact Ceramic Heater
If your hot tub is equipped with a generator, heat the equipment room with a ceramic heater or a 100W light bulb. The only thing you need to watch out for is making sure the heater or bulb doesn’t touch any of the machinery or pipes.
Additional Tips To Keep Hot Tub From Freezing During Power Outage
Aside from the six ways listed above, here are some additional tips to keep your hot tub from freezing in case a power outage occurs.
- Do not even empty the hot tub by draining the water. Most hot tubs have enough insulation and a strong spa cover to keep heat in for at least 24 hours, and power outages during the winter are usually remedied swiftly. If your spa’s equipment and pipes were heated to 90 degrees Fahrenheit when the power went out, it could take quite some time for the water to freeze. The same is true for a well-insulated hot tub with a sealed cabinet.
- Don’t put the floor of the hot tub with fire. Putting a small fire, kerosene heater, or gas heater underneath the spa is a common initial thought. However, if this happens, there could be a serious issue with melted spa components, soot, and carbon monoxide. If you have an older spa cover, it’s best to keep it covered and use heavy wool blankets on top to retain heat.
- Don’t waste the spa by adding antifreeze. This is yet another widespread error many people make. . Even though it claims to be “Non-toxic antifreeze for pools,” you shouldn’t put any of it in your hot tub. You need to add at least 10% of your hot tub’s water volume for it to work.
- Blankets and comforters should not be tucked in beneath the spa. Both the heater and the pump will require ventilation once they begin operating so using comforters or blankets will help a lot in giving insulation to the hot tub.
Will A Hot Tub Freeze During The Winter?
First, let us answer the questions most hot tub owners dread to know about.
Your hot tub can’t freeze overnight. It would need more than seven days, on average, for your hot tub to begin the process of freezing over.
There are a variety of steps you may take that can assist your hot tub in keeping the water at the desired temperature. Having said that, your hot tub comprises several different components. The majority of them have some sort of interaction with water. This indicates that each is at risk of freezing to death if the electricity goes out or the temperature drops to an exceptionally low level.
So, are there any additional hot tub components that can freeze overnight? Other components of a hot tub have the potential to freeze overnight. Because it is less insulated than other areas, the equipment compartment is typically the most susceptible to freezing.
How Long Can a Hot Tub Go Without Power?
In the event of a power outage during the winter, your hot tub will remain usable for three days.
The cover, however, must be securely fastened. This time frame is based on pre-outage temperatures of 102 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. After a blackout, only remove the cover or unlock the cabinet door if essential.
The time as mentioned above frame is not universally applicable to hot tub use. For areas that get cold in the winter, there are hot tub models that are made specifically for them. In a power outage, such systems can function for more than seven days.
Meanwhile, the external drains enhance the likelihood of rapid heat loss, increasing the chance of the hot tub’s internal components freezing quickly.
After a power outage, the time it may take for the hot tub to begin freezing depends on the original temperatures and the hot tub’s location.
The surface of the water is crucial since it is where most energy is lost. As the cooler weather of fall and winter approaches, you must invest in a high-quality hot tub cover to prevent heat loss.
But What If Your Hot Tub Freezes?
Well, the first thing you have to do is not freak out.
If your hot tub is iced or frozen, you need to defrost it and remove all of the ice from the shell of the hot tub. You are able to accomplish this goal by either adding hot water or installing ceramic heaters in the hot tub.
Finally, consult with your hot tub manufacturer to gain a better understanding of how to carry out the procedure in the correct manner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions on how you can stop the hot tub from freezing, especially during the winter months.
At What Temperature Will Hot Tub Pipes Freeze?
A fully foamed hot tub will not begin to freeze until 36 hours unless the temperature drops below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. If your hot tub’s pumps and heater are still running, the water will continue to circulate even if the temperature drops below freezing.
Can I Turn Off My Hot Tub For A Few Days?
The answer is yes. However, there may be a number of factors that affect whether or not you should leave your hot tub on. When considering whether or not to leave your hot tub on when it’s not in use, a number of issues can be discussed in this article.
What Happens To Hot Tub When Power Goes Out?
The water in your hot tub should remain within a safe temperature range until the electricity is restored or a service call is scheduled as long as the spa was operating near the maximum temperature when the power went out and you follow the advised actions.
What Should You Do If The Electricity Goes Out In Your Hot Tub?
In the event that the electricity goes out, you should just keep the cover on your hot tub until it is restored. During December through February, it is suggested to keep the temperature at least one hundred degrees.
In the event that there is a disruption in electricity, there will be just a slight drop in temperature, and it will quickly return to normal as power is restored.
Is Electricity Necessary To Operate A Hot Tub?
A generator can be used in place of a power supply to keep a hot tub operating. There are two different approaches that might be utilized in order to link and safeguard a tub using a generator. It is possible to wire it so that only the circulator pumps operate, or it is possible to wire it such that the overall tub, including the heater, runs.
If A Hot Tub Freezes, Does It Become Unusable?
It is essential to defrost the ice as soon as possible and drain the spa until a professional spa engineer can visit to fix the damage caused by freezing pipes, which can result in damage to the pipes or other components.
Is A Homeowners Insurance Required for Hot Tubs That Have Been Frozen?
Depending on the circumstances surrounding the freezing, a homeowner’s insurance policy can provide coverage for a frozen hot tub.
If water within the pipes leading to your hot tub or within the tub itself froze and damaged your tub as a consequence of your negligence or an error on your part, you would not be compensated for the costs associated with the repair or replacement of your tub.
Conclusion
A freezing hot tub is a concern, especially when the pipe becomes frozen. Frozen water will expand and cause some hot tub parts to break. This is every hot tub owner’s nightmare, so if you don’t want that to happen, make sure that you follow all the tips provided above.
