If you’re looking for a way to warm your chilled bones when the temperatures start to drop, you wouldn’t be crazy for considering hopping in your inflatable hot tub in winter. While this might seem like a great idea (it’ll definitely warm you up!), there are one or two things you should know before you decide to set up your hot tub in the winter months.
In this guide, we’re going to find out whether or not it’s safe to use your inflatable hot tub in winter. We’ll also cover some key considerations that you should be thinking about. Below, we are going to look at the answer to the question – can you use an inflatable hot tub in the winter? Without further ado, let’s get right to it!
Is it Possible?
The short answer: yes! Inflatable hot tubs have been proven to maintain their maximum water temperature quite well when the cold temperatures outside drop below freezing. This means that you’ll certainly be able to enjoy them during the colder months of the year, though you may want to invest in an insulated cover to make sure that the water doesn’t freeze over when the tub isn’t in use.
Keeping Your Inflatable Hot tub Functioning During Winter
There are a couple of things you’ll want to do when winter comes around to preserve your inflatable hot tub and ensure it is still usable. Let’s cover them now.
Invest in insulation
You’ll find that in most spas, there is a mat or disk that separates the floor and the hot tub, creating a barrier of heat that keeps the water hot. However, this barrier does not fare well in cold temperatures, so you’ll want to invest in some good insulation to ensure that you’re never stepping into cold water when the air temperatures start to freeze.
Connect a heater
This is fairly self-explanatory, but you can get your hands on a propane tank that connects to your hot tub to keep the water’s ambient temperatures above freezing. This will make sure that the water never freezes over when you’re not using the tub.
Consider storing during winter
While it might be great to step into your hot tub during winter, you should consider storing the tub away for winter. There’s a lot of maintenance that goes into preserving an inflatable hot tub during the cold months, and if you’re not using it at least once a week, you’d be better off draining it and storing it away for a period of time.
When the weather starts to warm up again, you can set the tub up again and enjoy some nice warm water.
What to Consider Before Getting an Inflatable Hot Tub
If you don’t yet own an inflatable hot tub, we think you should know a couple of things before you run out and buy one. Here is what you need to consider before you look at an inflatable hot tub.
Dimensions and Capacity
Try not to let yourself be misled by the suggested capacity stated on the box of your hot tub. This number refers to the number of adults that can sit inside the hot water, side by side, very close together. Not very comfortable, especially in any kind of inflatable pool.
If you want to use your hot tub in winter as a place to stretch your legs and enjoy a nice massage at maximum temperatures, then you’re not going to be able to fit however many people the tub’s capacity states.
Costs!
It’s important to consider how much it’s going to cost you to run your hot tub, and in this field, there are three main areas you should be thinking about: water costs, energy costs, and maintenance costs.
Let’s discuss these costs in more detail so you can understand what you are in for.
Water
Inflatable hot tubs use a lot of water. Even the smallest models on the market use about 180 gallons of water, while larger ones can have a capacity as high as 300 gallons.
So, you’re going to want to think about how much money it will cost you to get all that hot tub water in there. You’ll occasionally need to drain all of the hot tub water as well, which naturally means refilling it, so be sure to consider this additional cost as well.
Be sure to consult your water provider about your tariffs to see your monthly cost for water. This will help you get a better idea of your hot tub costs.
Energy
Once you have achieved your maximum water level, it will be time to heat the water up. Heated water in any kind of hot tub should only get as hot as 104°; if you like this temperature, you should expect to wait as long as 24 hours for the water to heat up.
This period will depend on your hot tub’s capacity and initial water temperature. Once the water has been heated, you’ll likely want to run the massage system. You’ll also need to run the water heater again to warm the water up once it starts to cool down, and these heating costs can start to add up over time.
Chemicals
Finally, as with any pool, you’re going to have to purchase some chemicals to make sure that your hot tub’s water supply is always safe and clean.
Using chemicals is a completely different and often overlooked area of owning a hot top. The initial purchase will be fairly inexpensive, though completely unavoidable. Untreated water can damage the hot tub itself and affect your health. Water treatment is always important.
Massage System
We’ve already mentioned the ‘massage system’ a few times, but what exactly is it?
In most inflatable hot tubs, the massage system is made up of a ring of holes at the bottom of the hot tub walls and is found around the entire tub body. When you turn on the massage system, air will be blown through these holes, creating a powerful massage for your entire body.
You’d be surprised at the strength of the massage systems in inflatable tubs. It’s easy to think that a massage system with more jets is better than one with fewer jets, but this is rarely the case. The effectiveness of the system is determined by how strong the massage motor is – it has to provide enough power to blow air through the holes.
So, you should always check the strength of the motor unit. One main difference between traditional and inflatable hot tubs is that the massage system is not directed. This means that you won’t be able to focus it on certain areas of your body for a more targeted massage.
Safety and Electricity
In the US, inflatable tubs are known as plug-and-play tubs. This is because they are plugged into normal household sockets to supply them with power – no special wiring or tools are required for setup.
With that being said, you should never use an extension cable to power your tub. Most models will come with their own cord that is around 20 feet long, which is generally more than enough for most people.
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