A hot tub cover is an essential part of having a successfully working hot tub. Any reputable brand will ensure you have a hot tub cover when you purchase your spa. But why is a cover for a hot tub essential for hot tub ownership? How do you take care of a hot tub cover? We’ll go over these basic questions and more hot tub cover care tips.
A high-quality cover is a vital hot tub accessory. Covers help stabilise chemicals, retain heat, protect from debris and accidents, which in turn saves money, energy, and even lives.
Let’s explore the vitality of a good hot tub cover in depth:
- Covering your hot tub saves money on chemicals. Without a cover, evaporation wastes water and the expensive chemicals you use to maintain it, leading to more frequent refills and rebalancing.
- Just as a thermos lid preserves heat, a hot tub cover maintains water temperature. This efficiency reduces the need to reheat, resulting in lower energy consumption and costs.
- Anything out of doors will collect debris. Having an uncovered hot tub would affect filters and pH. A hot tub cover stops natural debris such as leaves, pollen, bugs, and more from falling in the hot tub.
- Hot tub safety is a big deal, even if you don't have kids. To keep everyone safe, especially little ones and pets, always cover your hot tub when you're not using it. Your spa cover should fit snugly, with no gaps, and it should have locks. Optional straps are available if you have wind concerns.
To preserve the longevity of your hot tub cover it requires cleaning. Remove leaves, snow, etc., weekly and after storms to prevent damage and stave off bug breeding. Use a push broom or leaf blower; avoiding sharp tools that might nick or tear your cover.
When your spa is covered, condensation will accumulate on the underside of the cover, this is why it is important to use your hot tub- to prevent mould and algae growth on your spa cover.
Clean your hot tub cover regularly with a safe hot tub cleaner, avoiding alcohol, oil, or silicone. Scrub, wipe, and rinse. Clean the underside (and top if needed) with a 10:1 water-vinegar (or diluted bleach) solution to prevent or remove mould. Water/vinegar will not alter your water’s chemical balance. Bleach certainly will alter the water chemical balance.
Maintaining balanced water chemistry and cleaning the cover regularly also helps. Avoid covering the spa immediately after shocking; let chlorine levels drop below 5 ppm and allow the cover to air dry first. This prevents chemical damage.
For vinyl covers, treat with an outdoor vinyl protectant such as 303, this reduces UV damage for outdoor spas and helps prevent brittle and cracking vinyls.
A problem many hot tub owners face is a suspicious smell that ends up being a stinking cover. A smelly hot tub cover indicates mould/mildew, caused by:
• Damage - Resolve by repairing tears/ broken zippers as they appear.
• Neglect - Resolve by removing cover monthly to dry out, and make sure you air out your spa regularly if not using it.
• Poor Quality - Resolve replacing cheap covers, a money saving investment in the long run.
• Water Imbalance - Resolve by maintaining proper water chemistry to prevent bacterial growth.
In rare circumstances, water can have such high levels of sanitiser that it degrades the hot tub cover. When this happens, covers will get waterlogged faster. A suspicious smell might emerge from the broken cover, as water gets trapped and mould and mildew can form.
Foam cores absorb water, making them heavier. The vapour barrier most hot tub covers have slows this, but eventually fails as it wears off. Heavy covers strain lifters and users, reducing spa enjoyment. Waterlogged covers can also suffer from reduced insulating efficiency, meaning higher costs to keep your spa heated. Replace waterlogged covers to prevent injury and lifter damage. Or invest in a cover lifter to assist in lifting.
Removing a hot tub cover by hand is free but cumbersome, requiring space to sit it when using the hot tub. Cover lifters offer easier, solo operation. They're typically corrosion-resistant and low-maintenance. They can also be a cheaper alternative to replacing a water-logged hot tub cover.
To open your cover using a cover lifter, ensure the black bar sits behind the stitched seam of the cover. Unclipping any clips or locks on your cover, fold the front half of the cover back over the cover lifter bar. Using the foam handle at the side of the bar, pull up and toward the rear of the spa, supporting the cover and cover lifter on its way back.
Regularly inspect your cover lifter for bending or bowing; replace damaged parts. Check brackets/hinges every few months, tighten loose screws, and clean hydraulic mechanisms. Lubricate non-hydraulic hinges with silicone spray, while protecting the cover and water from it.
Follow these cleaning tips at least every two weeks.
Important: Avoid any cleaning products with alcohol, detergent, oil, or silicone.
We hope these hot tub cover care tips help you out! Now that you’ve learned how to take care of a hot tub cover, maybe you’ll be interested in other hot tub care tips- find more hot tub care information in our maintenance blog posts.
If you'd like to leave the cleaning to us, browse our servicing and maintenance plans.