Hot tub water temp

[JenF75]

We're going away for 3 weeks and our hot tub won't be maintained. We can't drain it as our temps are below freezing here, so we need to keep some warm water circulating throught the plumbing to prevent damage. How low would you say is acceptable to keep the water temp?? And would you dump a bunch of chlorine in before you left, or is that hard on the equipment? (We already know that when we get home, it'll require a complete drain and clean out, just not sure if it's better for the hot tub to attempt to maintain some chlorine in it)

 

[Mdragger88]

Many tubs will only go so low, the lowest mine goes is 80 degrees F so that’s what I set it to when going on vacation.
Last year @ vacation time (labor day) my swg was on the fritz so I was manually dosing. I raised fc to slam level for my cya
FC/CYA Levels & was still within target range fc upon checking it a week later. I turned the temp down but since it was hot outside it never dropped below the high 90’s.
My tub doesn’t have ozone or uv so my chlorine is not consumed by those factors.
It is completely safe for surfaces & equipment to raise fc to slam level for your cya.
Be ready to purge with Ahhsome upon return.
Adding your spa info to your signature will help you get more detailed replies.

 

[Mdragger88]

One more thought *
Since you’re going away during freezing weather…..
do you get alerts if your power goes out?
If this does occur, & it’s an extended outage, do you have a plan for someone to go & drain the tub for you?
Perhaps someone who might already be checking the mail etc.
having a hose easily accessible & someone willing to be deployed for this might be a good plan for an extended absence.
Unless you happen to have an automatic backup generator.

 

[JenF75]

Ohh, you've brought up a lot of good points that I never thought of!!! Off to get a few more details sorted out!

 

[phonedave]

One more thought *
Since you’re going away during freezing weather…..
do you get alerts if your power goes out?
If this does occur, & it’s an extended outage, do you have a plan for someone to go & drain the tub for you?
Perhaps someone who might already be checking the mail etc.
having a hose easily accessible & someone willing to be deployed for this might be a good plan for an extended absence.
Unless you happen to have an automatic backup generator.

That would be my concern as well. Normally I would say drop the temp as low as the tub allows, it is still going to be well above freezing.

However, if there is a chance of loosing power, then I would keep the tub at normal usage temp. That way it can withstand sitting for a while without freezing.

Short of a multi day outage in the middle of sub-zero temperatures, a tub should be able to withstand a power outage if it is only for a few hours.

 

[Mdragger88]

It was fresh on my mind because we just went through an extended outage- thankfully my yeti cooler of a tub only lost about 13 degrees over several days in freezing temperatures.

 

[wireform]

You would still need someone to check on it whether there's a power outage or not. Anything can go downhill at anytime. Draining it is only an option if the lines can be safely blown out.....

 

[phonedave]

It was fresh on my mind because we just went through an extended outage- thankfully my yeti cooler of a tub only lost about 13 degrees over several days in freezing temperatures.

My concern is not so much the tub itself, but the pipes.

My tub holds heat really well too. But I know that when I turn on the fountain water feature, the first bit of water that comes out is noticeably cooler. Without power, nothing is going to circulate.