Winter Spa Care in Alberta

Using Your Hot Tub Through an Alberta Winter

Many owners keep their spa running all winter — and love it. Others prefer to drain and winterize. Either approach works if you plan ahead. The goal is simple: protect plumbing from freezing and keep energy use reasonable.

Running Your Spa Year-Round

If you soak through the cold months, focus on heat retention and freeze protection:

• Never leave the cover off in sub-zero weather — heat loss accelerates fast
• Clear snow and ice from the cover regularly; do not let weight build up
• Confirm freeze-protection is enabled on your control pack
• Keep water level above all skimmer and intake lines
• Schedule a pre-winter service check — weak heaters fail on the coldest nights

Winter Water Chemistry

• Cold water can skew test strips — bring a sample indoors before testing if needed
• Maintain sanitizer levels; heavy cover use and less splash-out still allow bacteria growth
• Watch for scale in hard water when evaporation concentrates minerals
• Change water before the deep freeze if it has been 3–4 months since the last drain

Winterizing (Seasonal Shutdown)

If you will not use the tub for several months, a proper winterization prevents cracked pipes and costly repairs:

1. Turn off power at the breaker
2. Drain all water from the tub, pumps, heater, and filter canister
3. Blow out plumbing lines with a shop vac or spa blower — trapped water freezes and cracks fittings
4. Remove filters and store indoors
5. Loosen fittings slightly on drain points if your manual recommends it
6. Secure a tight-fitting cover and consider a cover cap for extra protection

Not comfortable winterizing yourself? Our Edmonton service team can handle drain-down, blow-out, and spring start-up.

Power Outages

• Keep the cover closed to retain heat as long as possible
• If power is out for more than a few hours in extreme cold, call for service guidance
• Do not run generators indoors — carbon monoxide risk
• After extended outages, inspect for leaks before refilling or heating