Preparing Your Spa for Your Absence
Vacations should be relaxing, not filled with worry about what's happening to your hot tub back home. With proper preparation, your spa can safely maintain itself during extended absences, greeting you with clean, ready-to-use water when you return. The key lies in addressing potential problems before they occur and setting up conditions that remain stable without daily attention.
Whether you're leaving for a long weekend or an extended trip, the principles remain similar—though longer absences require more thorough preparation. This guide covers everything you need to know to leave confidently and return to a hot tub ready for your post-vacation soak.
Water Chemistry Preparation
Before leaving, balance your water chemistry perfectly. Test and adjust pH, alkalinity, and sanitizer levels to optimal ranges. Water starting at ideal balance has the best chance of remaining acceptable throughout your absence. Pay particular attention to sanitizer levels—start at the higher end of the acceptable range so levels remain adequate as they naturally decline.
Consider adding an extra shock treatment a day or two before departure. This oxidizes any accumulated organics, giving your sanitizer a head start against contamination during your absence. Fresh, thoroughly shocked water with elevated sanitizer levels provides the best foundation for extended maintenance-free periods.
Sanitizer Delivery Systems
Floating chlorine or bromine dispensers become essential during vacations, providing continuous sanitizer release without daily additions. Adjust dispenser settings or tablet quantities based on your expected absence duration—more tablets for longer trips. Test your dispenser's release rate before relying on it for extended periods; some release faster or slower than expected.
If your spa has an ozone or UV system, ensure it's functioning properly before departure. These supplemental sanitizers reduce the burden on chemical sanitizers, helping maintain water quality with less frequent chemical attention. Verify operation and consider any maintenance these systems might need before leaving them to work unattended.
Temperature Settings
Lower your thermostat during extended absences to reduce energy consumption while maintaining water warm enough to prevent problems. Settings of 80-90°F keep water above temperatures where certain bacteria thrive while significantly reducing heating costs. This economy mode approach saves money without creating health hazards.
In winter climates, never let temperatures drop low enough to risk freezing. Your spa's freeze protection should activate regardless of thermostat settings, but maintaining moderate warmth provides an additional safety margin. The cost of keeping water somewhat warm is minimal compared to freeze damage repairs.
Cover Security
Ensure your cover fits snugly and all straps or locks are secured. Covers that blow off during storms expose water to contamination, evaporation, and debris that create problems requiring significant correction upon return. Secure covers also prevent unauthorized access while you're away—important for both safety and liability reasons.
Inspect cover condition before leaving. Damaged covers may fail during weather events while you're unable to respond. Address any tears, broken straps, or damaged foam cores before departure. A cover that's marginal during normal use may not survive extended unattended exposure to weather.
Circulation and Filtration
Ensure your filtration schedule will run adequately during your absence. Water needs circulation to distribute sanitizer, maintain temperature consistency, and pass through filtration. Most spas have programmable filtration cycles; verify settings before leaving and consider extending cycle duration for your absence period.
If your spa uses a continuous circulation pump, confirm it's operating properly. For spas relying on jet pumps for filtration, ensure programming will run pumps regularly. Stagnant water quality deteriorates faster than circulated water, making adequate filtration scheduling essential for extended absences.
Safety and Security
Lock your spa cover securely to prevent unauthorized access while you're away. This protects both potential trespassers from hot water hazards and you from liability for injuries that might occur. Cover locks also deter theft of the cover itself—an attractive target for thieves who can sell them or use them on their own spas.
Consider whether to inform a trusted neighbor about your spa while away. Someone who can check occasionally provides peace of mind, and they can alert you to problems requiring attention. Brief them on what normal operation looks like so they can recognize issues if they check on your property.
Power Considerations
Never turn off power to your hot tub during absences unless you're winterizing for seasonal shutdown. Loss of power stops circulation, filtration, and sanitization while allowing water to become a breeding ground for bacteria. It also risks freeze damage in cold climates when heaters and freeze protection cannot operate.
If your area experiences frequent power outages, consider what might happen during extended outage while you're away. Brief outages typically don't cause problems, but extended outages can lead to water quality issues or freeze risk. Understanding your local power reliability helps assess vacation timing and preparation needs.
Upon Return
When you return, test water chemistry before using the spa. Levels may have drifted during your absence, particularly sanitizer levels that decline even without bather load. Adjust chemistry as needed and allow time for treatments to take effect before soaking. This testing habit ensures you never enter inadequately sanitized water.
Inspect the spa for any issues that developed while away—cover damage from weather, debris accumulation around the unit, or signs of equipment problems. Address anything unusual before resuming normal use. A few minutes of inspection upon return catches problems before they worsen.
Extended Absence Considerations
For absences longer than two weeks, additional measures may be warranted. Consider having someone check the spa weekly, testing and adjusting chemistry if needed. Alternatively, a professional spa service can perform periodic checks during extended absences, ensuring any developing problems receive prompt attention.
Some owners drain their spas for very extended absences, particularly in moderate climates where freeze risk doesn't complicate the decision. Draining eliminates water quality concerns entirely, though it requires complete startup procedures upon return. Weigh the hassle of draining and refilling against the monitoring challenges of maintaining water during very long absences.