Cold Weather Is Here

[cashews]

What do all of you do for an extended power outage? Do you drain your tub after a certain number of hours without power? I don't quite know how long it takes for things to freeze up in a hot tub, but I *do* know we get outages in my area, 2 years ago from an ice storm...FOUR days w/o power!!

Anyhow, just trying to be prepared...midwest winters can be brutal.

[BMR]

What do all of you do for an extended power outage? Do you drain your tub after a certain number of hours without power? I don't quite know how long it takes for things to freeze up in a hot tub, but I *do* know we get outages in my area, 2 years ago from an ice storm...FOUR days w/o power!!

Anyhow, just trying to be prepared...midwest winters can be brutal.

What brand of hot tub do you have, as, this will determine how long the tub will go before you have to worry about freeze ups. I have read that even in cold weather, the Arctic Spas will last for a long time without power due to the way it is insulated.

BMR

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

DO NOT Drain!!! If you have a high quality spa it should last 4-5 days at least if you do not open the cover. If it is going to be longer you can use a small space heater on low,carefully placed, a hairdryer on low or even a a good old fashioned 75-100 watt light bulb under the cabinet and keep everything buttoned up. 300-400 gallons of hot water will take longer to cool and frezze than the 20-30 gallons left in your lines and pumps if you drain the tub. If it is drained, proper measures must be taken to winterize it.

[Tom]

If it is going to be longer you can use a small space heater on low,carefully placed, a hairdryer on low or even a a good old fashioned 75-100 watt light bulb under the cabinet and keep everything buttoned up. 300-400 gallons of hot water will take longer to cool and frezze than the 20-30 gallons left in your lines and pumps if you drain the tub. If it is drained, proper measures must be taken to winterize it.

Uh, the power's out! That space heater, hair drier, or light bulb won't much help unless you're running it on a generator.

A catalytic tent heater (using propane or ethanol) may be a safe alternative, but take care to keep it away from plastic parts. I think it was Roger who recommended that you drape a heavy tarp over the spa and make a temporary tent with the heater aimed at the spa innards.

[Yunus]

Anyone ever considered adding hot water to the tub using a Turkey fryer? I brew beer and home and I have a keg with the top cut off, holds 15.5 gallons. Adding 7.5 gallons (normal turkey fryer size pot) of 150F water to the tub would probably hold off freezing for another day at least. No power required just propane and a turkey frying pot.

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

If it is going to be longer you can use a small space heater on low,carefully placed, a hairdryer on low or even a a good old fashioned 75-100 watt light bulb under the cabinet and keep everything buttoned up. 300-400 gallons of hot water will take longer to cool and frezze than the 20-30 gallons left in your lines and pumps if you drain the tub. If it is drained, proper measures must be taken to winterize it.

Uh, the power's out! That space heater, hair drier, or light bulb won't much help unless you're running it on a generator.

Oh my god, must have been a Monday when I wrote that, little slow on the draw.

A catalytic tent heater (using propane or ethanol) may be a safe alternative, but take care to keep it away from plastic parts. I think it was Roger who recommended that you drape a heavy tarp over the spa and make a temporary tent with the heater aimed at the spa innards.

[cashews]

I have a Jacuzzi 230. It holds 460 gallons.

Wow, I really thought the tub would freeze quickly. Guess not.

I *do* have a generator that I could always fire up if need be. Then I could use that lightbulb/hairdryer.

I'm hoping we'll avoid the lengthy outages this year. It all depends on Mr. Ice Storm.

Thanks for your thoughts...

[jeffr72]

Hi,

I live in southern Maine and can share a power outage experience we just went through due to a nasty ice storm that killed power to us for 3 1/2 days. We have a Hot Springs 225 gal. with the OEM cover and keep the tub at 104-105F. I only opened the tub once a day to check the temp and had a propane burner on standy if needed.

The first night was in the low 30's and when I checked the temp in the morning it was 98F.

The next night was very cold with lows in the teens. Tested in the morning and temp was 89F.

The 3rd night warmed a bit to the high 20's and in the morning it was 81F.

When we got power back around midday it was at 78F. Looks like the average drop was about 8deg/day.

jeff

[104 Degrees]

Hi,

I live in southern Maine and can share a power outage experience we just went through due to a nasty ice storm that killed power to us for 3 1/2 days. We have a Hot Springs 225 gal. with the OEM cover and keep the tub at 104-105F. I only opened the tub once a day to check the temp and had a propane burner on standy if needed.

The first night was in the low 30's and when I checked the temp in the morning it was 98F.

The next night was very cold with lows in the teens. Tested in the morning and temp was 89F.

The 3rd night warmed a bit to the high 20's and in the morning it was 81F.

When we got power back around midday it was at 78F. Looks like the average drop was about 8deg/day.

jeff

What temp was the equipment room???

[cashews]

Hi,

I live in southern Maine and can share a power outage experience we just went through due to a nasty ice storm that killed power to us for 3 1/2 days. We have a Hot Springs 225 gal. with the OEM cover and keep the tub at 104-105F. I only opened the tub once a day to check the temp and had a propane burner on standy if needed.

The first night was in the low 30's and when I checked the temp in the morning it was 98F.

The next night was very cold with lows in the teens. Tested in the morning and temp was 89F.

The 3rd night warmed a bit to the high 20's and in the morning it was 81F.

When we got power back around midday it was at 78F. Looks like the average drop was about 8deg/day.

jeff

That's so pleasantly suprising! Thank you for sharing your story. I'm glad your power's back on....and your hot tub is toasty again.

[jeffr72]

Hi 104degrees,

The equipment room is the great outdoors (grin)

My tub sits on the back deck exposed to the elements.

What temp was the equipment room???

[Tom]

What do all of you do for an extended power outage? Do you drain your tub after a certain number of hours without power? I don't quite know how long it takes for things to freeze up in a hot tub, but I *do* know we get outages in my area, 2 years ago from an ice storm...FOUR days w/o power!!

Anyhow, just trying to be prepared...midwest winters can be brutal.

Three years ago, I did a Fermi study on heat loss in a hot tub (unfortunately lost this past summer in a hard drive crash; it was considered nonessential data and was not backed up). The result of that study showed that the water in the hot tub proper (any well-insulated hot tub with an equivalent of 3" of foam on all six sides) could last for up to 21 days before freezing solid, but pipes in an exposed equipment compartment could freeze as quickly as 3.5 hours. Using the -8 degrees per day given elsewhere in this thread gives about 12 days until the water begins to freeze; another few days will see the water frozen solid (latent heat of freezing), which is in line with the study. We had a letter (also lost) from a spa tech in Alaska reporting numerous equipment freeze-ups after a single cold night without power. "People were astonished at how quickly their equipment froze up," he wrote.

Very few well-made spas these days have totally uninsulated equipment bays, so you can reasonably expect somewhat more than three hours - but be prepared to take action to protect your unit within that time period.

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

We are in NH and we are out straight getting to tubs that are freezing up due to the extended power outages. The tubs with the equipment in the cabinet space (dead air) are fairing well. We have not had any freeze issue. Most are still at 60-70 degrees. The ones we are trying to salvage are the full foam tubs that the pump is in an isolated equipment area. The pumps/heaters are freezing on these even though the body of water may be at 60.

We are having to use a generator to get the tubs drained and winterized and it is not fun! Good homeowners is going to play a huge role in many of these peoples tubs that someone did not get to in time.