An important part of maintaining a spa, hot tub, swim spas or swimming pool includes preparing it for those months when you may not be using it. Most people believe that pools should be closed when night time temperatures are in the 40s and daytime highs are in the mid 60s to low 70s. The escalation of algae can be increased if the lid is shut too early. There will be more to clean up if you wait until the trees shed their leaves.

It is often thought necessary to winterize the plumbing, equipment and pool structure before any of these components freeze. Pools owners should inspect the structure. If something needs to be repaired, you should do it before closing your pool for the season and ideally before the freezing weather sets in.

A vacuum should be used to extract the waste water into appropriate drains. Vacuum on the filter position only if you filter doesn’t have a waste indicator. Its is easier to suck the waste using a vacuum.

It is recommended to carry out this water treatment in the winter so that the water does not become corrosive when the temperature drops to the freezing point or below. Winter chemicals will be added either before draining or before placing the pool cover on. Always check the instructions that came with your chemicals if your not sure.

After closing the valve on the skimmer line, you should then lower the water level to about 18 inches below the pool’s coping. The type of pool has an impact of how far you lower the level.It is advised to check the manual for your pool from the manufacturers website.

Be sure to drain the water and blow water out of all piping. To blow water out of circulation lines it is advisable to use a tank vacuum cleaner on reverse flow or an air compressor. You try an extract as much as possible from the heater and filter. Make sure to add the nontoxic antifreeze when winterizing. This is usually available at most pool supply stores. The chemical mix will help protect the pool from freezing over.

Drain valves thoroughly, making sure that any below water level are securely sealed. It is essential to use an electric heat tape for lines below the water level that could be exposed to freezing.

Lights that have less than 18 inches of water above them are best removed. It can be stored in a dry place as long as wrapped in plastic.

Drain the pump by removing the plugs and with the help of a wet/dry vac remove all the water from the pump housing and strainer compartment. Try not to remove the drain plugs when adding the antifreeze. Rust can be prevented by coating the drain hole threads.

All filters should be completely drained and drain plugs left out and again apply a lubricant to the threads.

Finally the cover. This should be secured tightly to keep out all the elements until the pool is required again in the Spring!

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Hot tubs are seen as an item that only wealthy people can really afford, people who have money coming out of there ears. Anyone these days can buy a portable hot tub at the low prices. Yes portable hot tubs now exist in a wide variety of forms and they are just as good as the ones that are fixed into the ground. In my opinion they are actually better, the reason for saying this is because of the fact that many of the hot tubs run on batteries which actually do last for quite awhile. So a great benefit is that if you were to go on a weekly trip or a camping trip you would be able to bring your tub and just relax because they are not heavy at all. Most of them these days are usually made out of polypropylene foam which is very versatile and lightweight, causing the hot tub to only weigh around 80 pounds so the average weight would be around the same as a person.

Its great to know that setting up a hot tub is easy and can take up to half an hour. A surface which is flat will ensure the hot tub to work properly. If you are interested in purchasing a hot tub there are a few things to consider:

If you have seen a potable hot tub you like make sure it has the features you are looking for. Hot tubs come with a wide variety of different features these days such as wave generators,ergonomic back seats, CD players and DVD’s, so you don’t have to just accept a basic version.Owning a hot tub is a bit like a car, some are more expensive to run. There is a variety of jets you can use. Hot tub jet configuration are help massage different areas of the body. Hot tubs are a great way to relax, it has been said that spending 30 minutes a day in the hot tub will make you feel healthier and live longer.

All in all I think the portable hot tub market is ever expanding and full of styles and sizes, so remember to shop around to find the best deals.

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