lurky Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Hi, This is my second year with a hotspot outdoor hot tub. I live in the north east. The first year I kept it running through the winter, this time I shut it down in November. I emptied it completely and used a wet dry vac to drain the lines. The other day I took the cover off to check it out and there was a lot of water inside. Snow and ice sat on the cover for some time, I cleaned it off as best I could but it was a snowy winter. I guess as the snow melted it got in somehow, I think water got inside the cover itself as well. It feels soggy and heavy and smells moldy. Can water typically get inside a cover? Can water get inside the tub when the cover is on? The tub and the cover are only two years old. Does a cover typically fail so quickly? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark SC Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 The new cover that came with my spa let water in through the hinge seam, so, yes, it can happen regardless of age (the warranty replacement they sent me was fine). Probably time to replace the cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djousma Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 why on earth would you shutdown a HOT tub for the winter? sorry had to ask. We shut ours down for the summer. In reality it is just personal preference I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spawn Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I am sure you had a good reason for shutting down the tub, probably to save on energy bills, but as djousma says, winter is a fantastic time for tubbing. Reading the forum over tiem I have seen service techs report that shutting down a tub can oftern result in problems down the road. Certainly not always, and probably far less than half the time, but it seems to have been a factor in problems that some have had. Did snow accumulate to a level higher than the top of tub? Not sure how the cover fits on hot spot but some tubs I have seen there might be a possible ilty for runoff or snow melt from on top of a tub to migrate in, but it wouldn't seem to be much - suppose it could accumulate over time. However, the soggy cover seem to suggest that is the source of the problem. I am surprised that a 2 yo cover would become soaked just sitting on a tub. Is the cover still under warranty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1oty Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Hot tubs covers are not waterproof. After winterizing, you really should lay a waterproof tarp over the cover. If subject to heavy snow loads, I also recommend putting a sheet of thick plywood over the cover to hold and spread the load. Hopefully, you won't have freeze damage. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfunke Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Yup. All my covers have leaked at the center seam. +1 on the extra support for snow. Once the foam cracks it'll start absorbing water and then your cover will become very heavy. Agree - why turn it off in winter. I took a Jacuzzi with me to Northern Japan when I was in the service and it was great during the snowy winters. Somehow 200 inches of annual snowfall is much more tolerable with a glass of wine and a hot tub! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurky Posted March 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 We found we did not use it much the first winter, and given that we didn't use it much I decided to shut it down this time for cost savings. IT was nice once you got in but running to and from was not pleasant. Also I like to read and write while I'm in there and when it got really cold you didn't want to even have a hand out above the water. I do miss it and hope to fill it up again soon. thansk for the responses, I'll call and check on the warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PreservedSwine Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Chance it's condensation as well? Customers in this area (SW FLorida) that are here part time, have as much as 50 gallons magically appear in their spas if they don't vent the spa cover while they're gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmate1996 Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Winter tubbing is the best!! It's the getting in and out part that stinks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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