Getting the Most Out of Your Hot Tub in the Winter

10 Tips for the Ultimate Hot Tub Experience During the Winter

Living in Colorado means being comfortable with the fact that bitterly cold, snowy winters are a normal aspect of calling this place home. However, just because it starts to get chilly doesn’t mean it’s time to pack up the hot tub and call it for the season! Keeping your hot tub filled and ready to go can be a godsend when the temperatures plummet, providing a warm, cozy escape while the snow falls. 

Thankfully, modern models of hot tubs require much less maintenance and upkeep during the winter than the models of yesteryear. Today’s hot tubs are designed with energy efficiency in mind, and to be able to operate smoothly year-round. These 10 tips are meant to be a helpful guide to getting the most out of your Colorado hot tub experience and keeping your spa in tip-top condition for many winters to come.

Invest in Hot Tub Protection

Hot tubs generally come with a standard cover, but they don’t always cut it when it comes to protection during the winter months. A high-quality hot tub cover will not only function to keep debris and cool air out, but also behave like a vacuum seal to keep things inside the hot tub that are important — water and heat, in particular. Colorado’s cold temperatures combined with a dry climate means that water can evaporate at a rapid rate. Extreme cold temperatures can make your hot tub work overtime to maintain heat levels if it isn’t properly insulated. To combat these elements, you need a high-quality hot tub cover that is waterproof, creates a tight seal, and features a thick, dense layer of insulation to keep all of that cozy warmth where it belongs. 

Keep an Eye on the Water Level

As briefly mentioned before, Colorado’s high-desert climate makes water evaporate very quickly, even during the winter. If the water level in your hot tub should fall beneath the level of the skimmer, your hot tub’s water circulation system won’t be able to function properly, maintaining a consistent temperature throughout. If your hot tub isn’t properly circulating warm water, it also puts it at a much higher risk for frozen pipes, which could burst and be expensive to repair. Make it a point to check the water level after every use, or at least every few days.

Maintain Water Purity

When the snow begins to fall, opportunities to drain and refill your hot tub with clean water become few and far between. Because of this, it’s important to maintain the cleanliness of your water to the best of your abilities. If it’s at all possible, before occupants enjoy their soak in the hot tub during the winter months, ask that they take a quick shower. Doing this eliminates the possibility of all of the things we apply to our bodies — lotions, soap residue, hair products — from murking up the water unnecessarily. 

Drain the Water Early in the Season

Since we’re talking about draining and refilling when it’s feasible, try to get to it before the outside temperatures are predicted to fall below freezing for an extended period of time. If you wait too long, you risk your pipes freezing as you attempt to drain your hot tub on a frigid winter day.

Calm Your Jets

As incredibly relaxing as a high-pressure stream of jets can be for your aching muscles, there is prudence in moderation. The jets in your hot tub pull in air from outside the tub. What happens when freezing air is pumped into your hot tub at a high speed? You get a rapidly cooling hot tub — a cold tub, if you will. From a physics perspective, when you agitate the water with jets it exposes more of its surface area to the cold air, resulting in even further heat loss. You can still enjoy your jets, just don’t overdo it.

Don’t Overdo It

Speaking of moderation, you may be tempted to spend an extended period of time enjoying your hot tub on a bitterly cold evening. What’s true about your body during warm nights still holds true during the winter — don’t overdo it. Prolonged exposure to the high heat of a hot tub can still be detrimental to your health. Keep your relaxing soak to about 20 minutes, stay safe, and pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you begin feeling nauseated or dizzy, it’s time to vacate.

Drink Plenty of Water

Having something nice and cold to drink, namely water, can be a great compliment to your hot tub experience. Water also has the benefit of keeping you hydrated. Although you are literally immersing yourself in water, your body is going through moisture like crazy to keep itself regulated. Keep water nearby, within reach, in a non-breakable container, and take a few sips here and there.

Don’t Strand Yourself

Don’t get so excited about your soak in the hot tub in your winter wonderland that you neglect your escape route. In freezing temperatures, water can freeze practically instantly on concrete. Have a plan in place to safely exit the hot tub and make it back indoors without freezing or slipping. Don’t forget your towels, robes, and slip-on shoes, and make sure the path from your hot tub to your door is clear and safe to walk on when you’re soaking wet. 

It’s Okay to Go on Vacation

Modern hot tubs are designed with resilience in mind. As long as you keep it running, locked, and well-insulated, it’s okay to leave it alone while you take your family on a getaway. If you’re going to be away for an extended period of time, you should still try to have a plan to safely drain the tub, but if you’re only gone for a quick vacation, rest easy — your hot tub should be fine. 

Customize Your Backyard Escape

A hot tub can enhance just about any home’s backyard appeal. It’s a convenient luxury that can be used year-round, allowing you to still enjoy all the parts of your property no matter the season. Consider what other enhancements to your spa area could make it more convenient, like outdoor heat lamps, privacy walls or wind blocks, warming towel racks, and flooring that allows for traction even on snowy nights. You’ll be thanking yourself for making these enhancements. 

Outdoor Hot Tubs in Northern Colorado

To get the most out of your home this winter, come to Mountain Mist Pool & Spa in Longmont or Bear Naked Hot Tub Company in Loveland! Our team of hot tub experts is ready to get you set up with a spa system that will make our Colorado winters a little less grueling and a lot more relaxing. Visit our showrooms today!