winter realities

[ant 83]

So this is our first winter with our stand alone tub. The other night temps dropped into the lower 20s with a lot of wind, and I noticed a few things.

First off, the cover got rather brittle, with the plastic clips not wanting to work so great.

Second, the tub has to work rather hard to maintain temp. It runs non stop if it's below freezing outside, and if it's windy out, the temp drops even with the heater running. We've been experimenting with just opening half the cover. That seems to help. Also, we leave it at 104, as hot as it goes.

Third, and this is the most disconcerting, water freezing on the steps and the concrete pad that the tub sits on. We are often drinking alcohol we are using the tub, and I'm worried about when me or others step out onto a glass-like sheet of ice getting out of the tub. It's quit slippery.

We don't want to use sand or salt, cause we don't want it tracked into the tub or house. I've considered getting rubber mats like what you'd find in a restaurant kitchen, but wont those just fill with water as well, and then freeze to the ground? Do ya'll put towels down?

How to you guys deal with the ice?

 

[banditig]

If you put towels down, grab them when finished or they too will freeze to the ground. I know a person used those hairy welcome mats

 

[RNDEBBIEROSE]

I am also just entering my first winter with my hot tub, which is on my composite decking. Would love any and all hints on safe winter entry and exit to hot tub. I don't want to use any salt that could be dragged in either. We've had a few days in NY already where deck has been very slippery. I have one of those "hairy" mats, too soon to tell how well it will work, but they don't feel nice on the feet.

 

[RNDEBBIEROSE]

Oh, also, tried one of those restaurant type mats (that are like low pile rugs with rubber backing) and it got very saturated the first rain we had so I pulled it up to dry it out. Haven't put it back down since. Likely it would just freeze on deck.

 

[Swampwoman]

Well, you might not want to hear my solution but its the only one that has worked for me: salt.
I keep a jug right by the hot tub, next to my deck broom that i need for removing snow from the cover...and trail the path every day after, yes, shoveling

However, I don't have issues getting salt in the tub or the house...lots of extra crocs here for visitors to slide on en route to hot tub, slid off in matted foyer on return to house.

Mats, even the indoor/outdoor type, freeze and build up ice all the same, which then makes the requisite shoveling difficult.

IME, for winter hot tubbing with guests, its handy to have extra, large terry cloth robes to give them and extra crocs laying around A clear salted path will help, but warning them to take care is also essential

P.S. Ant, give up on those clips now until spring or you'll ice-lock yourself outta the tub

 

[ant 83]

Thanks for the real life experience tips Swampwoman. Crocs, salt, shovel. Got it.

With regard to the clips, one day, I forgot to clip in the backside, and in the wind, one half of the cover had flopped open. So just to be clear, Don't clip in the cover? Should I put some kind of weights on top to combat the wind?

 

[Swampwoman]

Hmmm. My cover is a super-heavy winter cover that doesn't move in the wind but its also sheltered against a fence, so for me, the clips were not necessary.

In your case, maybe you should experiment with the clips. Eg. Use the clips but keep a small container of de-icer out for good measure, or if there's a sheltered side, keep that side unlocked? My concern about keeping anything on the cover is in a heavy snow it freezing to the top...but snow itself would weight the cover....