A hot tub you'll use this winter should stay full, heated and covered, because warm, moving water is what keeps its pipes from freezing. If the power goes out, keep the cover closed, pile blankets on top and don't drain it right away. Drain and winterize only a tub that will sit unused, and then drain it completely.
Keep it running, or winterize it
Decide by how the tub will be used, not by the calendar. Hot Spring's winterizing guide says that if you'll be home most of the winter, it's best to keep the tub running and full of hot water, and it treats winterizing as the step for a long trip or a season away. A running tub protects itself: the heater and circulation pump keep water moving through the plumbing, which is exactly where a Northland cold snap does its damage.
The risky middle ground is a tub nobody checks. A tripped breaker or a failed heater in a vacant house can sit unnoticed for days. If you're leaving for a stretch, either have someone lift the cover and check the water temperature regularly, or winterize the tub properly before you go.
| Question | Kept running | Winterized |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A tub you'll use, or a house someone stays in | A tub left unused for months, or a long trip |
| Water | Full, heated and balanced all season | Drained completely: shell, lines, pumps and heater |
| Main risk | An outage or tripped breaker nobody notices | Water left in a pump, heater or low pipe |
| Cover | Closed and strapped between every use | Strapped down, with snow kept off it |
| Routine | Check temperature and filter, brush off snow | Look at the cover after storms; nothing inside to check |
| Spring | Normal water change on its usual schedule | Refill, check every union for drips, then start up |
If you do winterize, do it thoroughly. Hot Spring's steps include shutting off power at the GFCI breaker, unscrewing the drain plug and draining through the drain valve with a garden hose, using a wet/dry vacuum to clear water from the jets, the filter standpipe and the bottom of the shell, and removing the filter cartridges to clean them and store them somewhere warm. It also says to pick a clear, mild day so water doesn't freeze while the tub is still draining, and if you use antifreeze in the lines, to use propylene glycol and never a product containing ethylene glycol. If your owner's manual calls for it, loosen the unions at the pumps and heater so trapped water can escape. A tub that's half-drained is worse off than a full one.
What to do when the power goes out in a cold snap
Keep the lid shut. Jacuzzi's power-outage guidance compares the tub to a refrigerator: leave the cover on to hold the heat, and if a cold night worries you, lay warm blankets or sleeping bags over the cover. It also says not to drain the tub right away, because draining is a last resort and you don't yet know how long the outage will last. A full tub of warm water holds heat far longer than empty, exposed plumbing does.
A few more steps help. Keep people out of the tub, since every lid opening dumps heat. If the outage drags on, Jacuzzi suggests attaching a garden hose to an indoor faucet with an adapter and topping the tub up with hot water from the house. When power returns, Jacuzzi says to test the water and shock it, following the manufacturer's directions. Before assuming anything failed, check whether the tub's GFCI breaker tripped; if it trips again, leave it off and call for a repair. If the outage will clearly outlast the heat in the water, that's when a complete drain, pumps and heater included, becomes the right call.
Plan for this in October, not during the storm: know where your tub's disconnect and drain valve are, keep a wet/dry vacuum where you can reach it, and read the freeze section of your owner's manual.
Cover care and snow load
The cover does most of the winter work, so treat it well. Brush snow off with a soft broom after each storm rather than letting it build up; heavy, wet snow adds real weight, and a foam core that bends or cracks never seals quite right again. Don't chip ice off the vinyl with a shovel or scraper. Hot Spring suggests laying plywood over the cover of a winterized tub so accumulated snow and ice can't damage it.
Watch how snow melts on the lid, too. A cover that clears in stripes or along one edge is leaking heat there, usually through a worn hinge seal or a waterlogged core. A cover that feels much heavier than it used to has likely soaked up water and lost much of its insulating value. Keep the straps locked against wind off the lake, and if the tub sits on a deck, remember that snow on the cover and the deck adds to the load the framing already carries; a soft or bouncy deck under a tub is worth a look from our deck repair crew.
Signs of freeze damage
Freeze damage often hides until the tub warms up. Look for ice in the filter well or footwell, pumps that hum but don't move water, jets that stay weak after the water is warm, flow or heater error codes, and water pooling under the tub or on the ground after a thaw. With the power off, open the equipment panel and check for wet insulation, dripping unions, and cracks in pump housings, the heater manifold or fittings.
If you find ice, don't run the pumps against it. Leave the power off, keep the cover closed, and let the tub thaw slowly before you refill and watch every connection for leaks. We repair cracked fittings, unions, pumps and heaters on the tub you already own; see hot tub setup and repair for what we do. National cost guides put hot tub repair at about $181–$567, according to HomeAdvisor. That's a U.S. typical range, not our price; the flat written quote you approve is the real number.
Should I drain my hot tub before a two-week winter trip?
Not if someone can check it. A full, heated tub under a locked cover protects itself, so the safer plan is usually leaving it running and asking a neighbor to lift the cover and check the water temperature every day or two. If nobody can check it, or you'll be gone for a month or more, winterize it completely before you leave, since a failure in an empty house can go unnoticed long enough to freeze the plumbing.
Can I put blankets on my hot tub cover during a power outage?
Yes. Jacuzzi suggests laying warm blankets or sleeping bags over the closed cover during an outage to slow heat loss, and keeping the cover shut the whole time. Take the blankets off once power returns so they don't soak up snowmelt and add weight to the lid. And don't drain it early: a full tub of warm water holds heat far better than empty plumbing does.
Can I use car antifreeze in hot tub plumbing?
No. Automotive antifreeze is usually ethylene glycol, which is toxic, and Hot Spring's winterizing guide says never to use an antifreeze containing it in a hot tub. When a manual calls for antifreeze in the lines, it means propylene glycol, the non-toxic type. Even then, antifreeze only backs up a proper drain: the pumps, heater and low spots still need to be emptied first.
How do I get heavy snow off a hot tub cover?
Use a soft broom or a foam roof rake, and push the snow off in layers without scraping the vinyl. Clear it after every storm so wet snow doesn't pile up and bend the foam core. Leave ice to melt rather than chipping at it, and never stand or sit on the cover. For a winterized tub left all season, a sheet of plywood over the cover can carry the snow load instead.
New tub on the deck, or an old one that didn't make it through the last cold snap? Call or text (715) 919-7956 with photos and the tub's make and model, or send us the details. You'll get a flat written quote before any work starts, and our on-site service fee is waived when you approve the work.