hurricane making landfall When a hurricane is predicted to make landfall near your town (we're looking at you, Hurricane Florence) , your first thoughts are likely how to keep your home, family, friends, and neighbors safe. But, since your hot tub is one of the largest investments you will ever make, you should also consider being proactive in keeping your hot tub safe. Fierce downpours, high winds, water contamination, flooding, and power fluctuations can cause extensive damage to your hot tub’s components. With another hurricane season upon us, Master Spa Parts would like to take a moment and share some tips on how to prep your hot tub for a hurricane, as well as what to do once the storm has passed. We hope this is information you will never need to use, but you’ll be glad to have in case a hurricane ever hits your area. Knowing the right way to prepare your hot hot tub in the event of a hurricane can save you thousands of dollars over the cost of repairs.

What to Do Before the Hurricane

#1. Personal Safety Comes First

At Master Spa Parts, we love our hot tubs. But, we would also like to say that prepping your hot tub for a hurricane should only come after you’ve made plans for the safety of your family and pets. Hot tubs are investments, but they are replaceable (unlike people and pets).

#2. Don’t Drain It

The average hot tub holds about 400 gallons of water. This means that, when filled, your hot tub weighs an additional 3,300 pounds. This added weight will likely prove beneficial in keeping your hot tub in place during strong wind gusts.

#3. Add Chemicals and Sanitizers

No matter how secure your hot tub’s cover may be, contaminating elements are still likely to get mixed into your hot tub’s water. To maintain the sanitary conditions of your hot tub, add extra bromine or chlorine to ensure that any contaminants will be neutralized. Depending on the severity of the hurricane, it may take days before you can return to your property. Plus, with your hot tub powered down, the water will not be circulating throughout the system, so adding a little more sanitizer than usual will be beneficial. Following the hurricane, you may end up draining the hot tub water anyway, so achieving the perfect chemistry should not be a major concern. Once you’ve added the hot tub chemicals, allow your hot tub to circulate for a minimum of 15 minutes before shutting it down.

#4. Cut Off Power

During a hurricane, the electrical grid’s output can vary wildly. Plus, there is always the risk that cables can come loose, leading to electrical shock and fire risks. In addition to shutting off power to the hot tub tub at the circuit breaker, any type of electrical add-ons (sanitizing systems, pumps, lighting systems, etc.) should also be disconnected. Even if you’re turning off your home’s main breaker, you should also flip the breaker switch leading to your hot tub to ensure the unit doesn’t accidentally kick on while you are away.

#5. Secure Loose Furniture and Other Items

All tables, chairs, garden ornaments, toys, accessories and other loose items should be either locked down or stowed away in a secure area until after the hurricane has passed. Any overhanging tree limbs should be trimmed so they don’t pose a risk to your hot tub or property. Outdoor items that are not secured can easily become projectiles during high winds. You may not think a plastic lawn chair could cause much damage, but when it is being tossed by the wind at over 100 miles per hour, it can easily damage the exterior of your hot tub or home.

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to invest in a cover wind strap, or other type of strong strapping system. This should help in keeping your hot tub’s cover from going airborne during high winds. If the cover cannot be secured, it may be best to bring it indoors or stow it away in a shed.

#6. Bag It

During a hurricane, low-lying areas (especially near the coastline) are prone to flooding. To protect the sensitive electrical components within your hot tub, you may want to line the outside of your hot tub with sand bags to keep out flood waters.

After the Hurricane Passes

#1. Check Electrical Connections

Following a severe storm, you may be tempted to flip the breaker switch back on to check its condition, but first you will want to perform some steps to ensure it is safe to do so. The circuit breakers and other connections should be absolutely dry before turning the system back on or reconnecting any type of electrical equipment. Walk around the hot tub and inspect the wiring, harnesses, and other connections. If there is standing water around the hot tub or you see something that doesn’t look right, consult a professional before restoring power.

#2. Remove Debris

A skimmer or net will be a great help in removing all the bits of debris from within the hot tub. Remember: All those tiny bits can quickly clog your hot tub’s filter, so removing all those leaves, sticks, plastic, and other bits of debris before restarting your hot tub will save you quite a few headaches.

#3. Balance Chemicals

Now that the debris has been cleared out of your hot tub, you can go about sanitizing the water and balancing the chemicals. If there are visible specs of debris still floating around, you may want to circulate your system before balancing your hot tub’s chemistry. (After this, you will want to rinse off your filters.)

#4. Restore Power

Once you are certain that the electrical components of your hot tub are safe to operate, you can then restore power to the unit.

#5. Relax

This is by far the easiest and most enjoyable step. Following all that chaos and calamity that a hurricane can bring, now it’s time to focus on you. Take the time to relax in your hot tub and soak away all the stress you’ve been under. After all, you deserve a bit of rest and relaxation after a huge cleanup process.

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Keep Your Hot Tub’s Water Safe After a Storm

High winds, flooding, and downpours can contaminate your hot tub’s water. Master Spa Parts offers a complete line of SpaBoss hot tub chemicals to keep your water safe — before and after the storm.

VIEW CHEMICALS