The first thing you need to do is drain the water from your tub. This can be accomplished a number of ways. Most hot tubs and spas come equipped with a drain. Simply attach your garden hose to the drain connection, and allow it to drain. One way to do this is to place the end of your garden hose in the tub and run the water for a moment. While the one end of the hose is still in the tub, disconnect the other end from the tab and connect it to the tub drain. The water ought to flow when you remove the hose from the tub.
This would also be an ideal time to remove your filter cartridges. It is also important to drain the water from the water blowers. To do this, simply turn the air blowers on and allow them to run for a minute or so. You may want to leave the lid on the tub while you do this. When this is complete, you should disconnect the power supply to the tub. If your tub was properly installed, it should have a dedicated circuit on your circuit panel. Turn off the power by flipping the switch on the circuit panel.
Be sure to loosen the couplings on your heater housing and on your pumps. As well, you should also loosen any other drainage valves that may be on the equipment. This will allow any other water to drain from the system. Many people like to place antifreeze in the lines during the winter. This is not a bad idea, but it is not really necessary if you can get all of the water out of the lines. Use a Shop-Vac to remove any remaining water. The only thing left to do is replace your spa cover, and close your control panel. Repeat these steps in reverse, for a proper start-up in the spring.
Terri Greene spends much of her time soaking in her favorite hot tub. When she is not telling her friends about the last hot tub party, she is threatening to sue them if the pictures end up on the internet. In her spare time, she writes for hottubsandhomespas.com – a resource for anyone interested in Great Lake Hot Tubs, Aloha Pools and Spas, Arctic Spas and more.