How Do I Maintain My Spa in the Winter?
Bullfrog Spas are made in Utah, for the Utah climate. You can enjoy your hot tub all year-round, even if the weather outside is frightful. There’s just a few extra things to be aware of and consider when using your spa in the winter.
Exposing your spa to freezing conditions may result in serious damage. Always keep the spa powered and full of water during winter months.
In the winter, monitor the water level in your spa to make sure it doesn’t get too low. It’s also advised to regularly check chemical levels even if it’s not being used as often. If you notice something isn’t working right, don’t leave the spa without power in freezing conditions and never drain the water. Draining the spa could result in frozen pipes.
Most Bullfrog Spa models are equipped with a freeze protection mode (Smart Winter Mode.) When potentially freezing outside temperatures are detected your control system will turn on to check the water temperature. If heating is necessary to protect from freeze conditions your spa may turn on and heat to a safe temperature. A notification will display on the main control screen indicating this mode is engaged.
When you are not planning to use the spa for six or more weeks, or when someone is not able to maintain the spa on a weekly basis, you should use Away mode. To change the heating mode on your spa go to the Water Care submenu. There you can set up your ideal filtration and heating settings. Select Away mode and a confirmation message will appear to prevent inadvertent modification of spa water care settings. Confirm your selection and the heating mode will be changed.
What Do I Do If My Spa Loses Power During Winter Months?
If your spa has lost power or is no longer heating it’s imperative you protect it from freezing until power is restored or a technician can repair the malfunction. The methods below can be used to help protect your spa against frozen/cracked pipes:
Method 1: Remove the front cabinet door (under your control panel.) Place a small space heater or 100W service incandescent light inside the cabinet to keep the pumps and pipes warm. *Make sure the heater is not somewhere where foam, wires or the shell will melt. Cover the equipment area with a heavy blanket for insulation. It is also important to leave the spa cover on and secured. This will help the water retain its heat until the spa is operational again.
Method 2: Place a sump pump in the spa water so the water doesn’t sit stationary.
For more detailed instructions on protecting your spa from freezing CLICK HERE
Winterizing My Spa
Bullfrog Spas of Northern Utah does not recommend draining your spa during winter months because It is incredibly difficult to successfully protect it from damaging. Even if special care is taken there is no guarantee your spa will not be susceptible to damage. If you don’t intend to use your spa during the winter months instead of draining we recommend the following:
- Change the heat range to low
- Set the temperature to the lowest setting of 80° F
- Set the heat mode to “Away” or “Sleep”
- Maintain a chlorine level of 2PPM
- Periodically check to ensure the spa is powered and functioning correctly
How to winterize your spa
Bullfrog Spas is not liable for a broken spa even if this guide is followed
Step 1: Before you begin winterization, clean your spa by:
- Replace or clean your spa filters using SpaGuard Filter Cleaner® to remove any oils or buildup in the filter pleats.
- With the filters removed, add one bottle of Clean Start® to the water and run the jets for 30 minutes. This procedure will help prevent the growth of bacteria, algae and fungi in any areas of plumbing that may not be fully free of water after you drain your spa for its period of winterization.
Step 2: Drain the water completely.
Step 3: If your spa is equipped with JetPaks, open all lower valves to allow the water to drain from each pak as you drain the spa. Once the water is completely out of the spa then close each valve before proceeding to step 3.
Step 4: Use a shop vacuum to vacuum the plumbing lines by placing the vacuum nozzle over each of the lower jet faces in the spa. Lower jets are any jets located at or below the bench seat area.
Step 5: Remove the drain plug from the pump(s) and loosen all PVC pipe unions in the equipment compartment. Do not replace the plugs or tighten the unions until the spa is de-winterized.
Step 6: Clean the surface of the spa and JetPaks using Off-The-Wall Surface Cleaner® and anon-scratch dish scrubber.
Step 7: Secure the cover to the spa utilizing the tie downs and locking system. In areas where heavy snow is anticipated, place a large piece of plywood (or its equivalent) on top of the spa cover to assist in supporting the cover with the added weight of the snow. Remove snow off the cover following each snow storm. Water from rain/snow can sometimes get through the cover so wrapping the spa with a tarp is also recommended.
To avoid water from becoming trapped between the floor suction fitting and the filter pipe. Use a wet/dry vacuum to remove the remaining water out of the pipe by placing the vacuum end over the filter hole. In a two-pump spa, first plug off one filter using a tennis ball then vacuum out the water. Or pour ½-1 gallons (5-9 liters) of RV antifreeze into the filter hole. NOTE: RV antifreeze is nontoxic and does not require evacuation at start up.