Hot Tub Spa Covers


Houston Texas Hot Tub Spa Covers - Hot Tubs & Spas Factory Direct

Replacement Hot Tub Covers

Author: Thomas Stevenson

The main reason for Hot Tub Covers keep debris from blowing into your spa water while you're not using your hot tub.



Secondly, Hot Tub Covers are supposed to help insulate the water from the outside so your spa water stays toasty warm while using less energy.

In the dawn of the recent age of the Hot Tub, spa manufacturers gave little thought to a cover for the spa. They just covered a piece of rigid foam board with vinyl as a way to keep stuff out of the spa. But cheap foam board gets saturated and begins to warp fairly fast if it isn't reinforced. Especially if it is used to span a wide area that contains hot water. Hot water turns to steam, steam rises. Some of the steam molecules penetrate the foam board and then condenses back into moisture. Before long the moisture fills that foam to the point of saturation. Aside from making the hot tub cover too heavy to lift, the saturated foam offers no insulation since the air spaces the moisture occupies are all gone.

Essentially at this point rigid foam hot tub covers offer the same insulation as a wet piece of plywood. The foam often sags until it comes in contact with the water, forming a huge bowl that catches rain water and dumps it along with all the debris, into your hot tub water.

Hot Tub Cover manufacturers have developed "improved versions of the foam cover by wrapping it with layers of plastic, reinforcing the center edge of the foam board with metal to prevent sagging and saturation.

Did it work? Hot Tub Covers still got too heavy to lift so they were still getting saturated. They still broke, so just putting metal down the edge did little to stop that.

Why do Hot Tub Dealers still only offer more of the same? Henry Ford once gave a new car to the humorist, Will Rogers. Mr. Rogers tried to refuse the gift saying, "you can't make any money if you give your cars away!" To which Mr. Ford replied, "Not true, with the money I make from selling parts to repair my autos I could afford to give them away." Think about it for a minute. There have been a few times in history that no new cars were being sold. How did car dealers stay in business? Repairing and replacing parts.

Selling an inferior product to their customers does two things for hot tub dealers... First it adds another way for them to make money after the sale. It also keeps the customer coming back in to the store every couple years. Getting the customer back in the store gives them an opportunity to show off the latest spa models and hopefully sell a few more hot tubs with more bells and whistles.

Unfortunately, this isn't what always happens. More often than not the hot tub owners get tired of buying the same thing over and over again. When the hot tub cover starts to get heavy, they just use their spa less. Eventually it becomes less a priority. Which is truly sad because spa use is one aspect of a healthy life. It relieves stress to the point where you require less sleep. The sleep you do get is better, more restful after a little water therapy. If you suffer from stiff joints or muscle soreness it can be the key to living a much improved life.

All this because of poorly designed Hot Tub Covers? It would be like giving up your car because your tires got bald. That's why the SpaCap Hot Tub Covers make so much sense. SpaCap Hot Tub Covers use air to insulate. No foam means no saturation. No rigid foam board means nothing to break or get heavy. SpaCap Spa Covers keep debris out of the spa, insulate better than any foam cover ever could and tend to last a lot longer.

Check them out at SpaCap.com or call 800-850-2468.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/replacement-hot-tub-covers-1570566.html

About the Author

Thomas Stevenson, Freelance Writer. We are committed to providing free helpful information about SpaCap Hot Tub Covers. If you want know more about SpaCap Hot Tub Covers covers visit http://www.waxorchard.com/replacement-hot-tub-covers/


Comments

  1. GG-pa says:

    That sounds high to me. An uncovered hot tub wouldn’t typically wouldn’t loose much more then that.

    Even if the cover does not seal, the evaporation should condense on the underside of the cover and redeposit in the tub.

    I think the condensation must be clinging to the cover and dropping off outside the tub rim. Install a strip of adhesive backed weather stripping to the underside of the cover just inside the tub rim. The condensation will run to the strip and drop back into the tub.

    Some people would not think this is important, but it will help you reduce your “cycles of concentration”. The faster you cycle it up, the sooner you need to dump and refill.

  2. Renaissance Man says:

    Use a wet-vac (wet/dry shop vac) to remove the debris and standing water. Apply it to the jets and openings as well. Clean all exposed surfaces with a non-sudsing spa cleaner or non-abrasive cleaner. Rinse well and repeat vac to remove the rinse water.

    Start filling with a garden hose. When all the jets and filter fittings are submerged, open the drain plugs on the pumps, and loosen the union fittings at the pumps and heater connections to allow the water to flush any debris from these devices, and then re-tighten.

    Make sure you have a new filter cartridge or a clean used filter cartridge in good condition installed.

    You are now ready to energize the control panel and start testing to see if the pumps work at all speed settings. Also check the heater and any light fixtures and blower motor operation. Check for leaks at all plumbing joints and unions. Smaller leaks in cracked plumbing may not show up for a few hours. Look around the base periodically for any evidence of water leaking out from below the side panels.

    Any problems noted here should be fixed before you proceed, but if all is good to this point, you just need to let it heat up to the desired temp (100-103) ,balance the water with appropriate chemicals, and add a sanitizer. I’ve found liquid bleach (sodium hypochlorite solution) to be the cheapest, easiest, best sanitizer. Get a simple dip-strip test kit for pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, free chlorine level.

    You need to check with your local spa/pool store to learn what the correct chemistry levels and dosages are. Get familiar with this info so you know what to expect, or you could end up with more problems than you can handle.

  3. Nan says:

    Approximately how much water evaporates from hot tub? I have a 6 person, new, insulated cover.?
    Approximately what is a “top-off” amount? Is an inch a week too much? My cover doesn’t fit tightly – it can’t – my spa is down in the deck so no place to attach cover straps. Thank you.

  4. OxygenLynne says:

    I have been using H2O2 for the past 2 years. I use it orally to combat the effects of arthritis. I got this idea from Dr. Christiian Barnard. He is the doctor who performed the world’s first human to human heart transplant. I understand that there have been many attempts to discredit the use of oral H2O2, but it worked for him and it works to keep me healthy and arthritis free.

    I just recently began using my H2O2 for other uses around the house and in my hot tub. I find that my skin is softer and more moist after a few hours in m hot tub and my energy levels are through the roof. This is good news as I am almost 62 years of age.

    So yes, the combined effect of having tighter, more beautiful skin and knowing that I am not subjecting my body to harsh, harmful chemicals which will only place a further load on my liver and kidneys, makes this a no-brainer for me.

    Also when I first started, I chose to not ‘shock’ my spa. I drained the chlorine-tainted water and refilled using H2O2. You will not believe the difference it will make in our skin!

  5. Robert Simpson says:

    Does anybody use 35% hydrogen peroxide for hot tubs instead of Bromine or Chlorine?
    HOW TO USE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN YOUR POOL OR SPA Hydrogen Peroxide Pool and Spa discussion.
    For a spa, we do recommend you drain it to get rid of all chemicals. However, H2O2 will not adversely interact with current pool chemicals and some will transition to H2O2 usage. If your pool is highly organically fouled, you may want to use a much higher initial level of H2O2 to kill the organics, drain this, and then go to the same maintenance levels as for a pool.
    For a pool, it is not necessary to drain the pool if you do not want to until when you would regularly drain the pool while using pool chemicals. Or you may want to transition to H2O2 at that time. Hydrogen peroxide will not have any adverse reaction or interaction with pool chemicals. The level of H2O2 suggested below will vary by the amount of organic material that comes into the water (leaves, dust) and by pool usage that then also brings contaminating organics into the water. Within the context of the water volume in a swimming pool, increasing concentration to address high pool usage or high organic content can not reach a harmful level no matter how high a concentration you decide to use.
    Below are the recommended levels. You may then adjust this later as you feel necessary.
    NOTE – There are no hard and fast rules for pool and spa maintenance. Each pool or spa is unique and depends on the following factors:
    •Area of the country… heat levels, organic material entering pool or spa.
    •Type of water… hard, soft, etc.
    •Ultraviolet radiation levels… is pool or spa covered when not in use?
    •Level of use… how many times a day or week is it used.
    All the above will affect maintenance programs. You will need to customize your own program to each pool or spa. Keep in mind that there is no danger of health problems even if you use H2O2 at too high a level for what is actually needed. Store bought H2O2 is at 3%. To get pool or spa levels to a 3% solution would be extremely expensive. You are looking at 100-200 parts per million for proper dosing, and even if you got to 1000 parts per million, you’d be nowhere close to 3%.
    Getting started:
    Many recommend shocking your pool or tub to start using hydrogen peroxide. Either Food Grade or Technical Grade can be used.
    To “SHOCK” your pool or hot tub, a relatively high level is used at a ratio of 1 cup of 35% concentration for every 250 gallons. DO NOT RUN your pump continuously. Rather, run it only long enough to circulate the water and then turn off the pump. Ideally, you should add the H2O2 at sunset and allow the water to sit 24 hours before turning the pump back on. The tub or pool may be used afterwards.
    It is NOT necessary to shock your pool or hot tub if you are starting with fresh water. H2O2 will not adversely interact with other pool chemicals.
    POOL AND HOT TUB MAINTENANCE:
    This depends quite a bit on the water source and the amount of organic materials that enter the water (dust, leaves, number of people using the pool etc.) If you are starting with new water, a good starting point is 1 cup of 35% H2O2 for every 500 gallons of water.
    H2O2 interacts with and oxidizes organic materials and decomposes with UV light. This is a reason that H2O2 must be added time to time to maintain its level in the water. There is no danger of H2O2 levels increasing or forming dangerous residual chemicals.
    H2O2 TEST STRIPS:
    Peroxide test strips are a plastic strip with a reactive pad on one end. They are used to test the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in a solution. You can obtain these strips by doing a search on Google for “Hydrogen Peroxide Test Strips.” See http://www.superfastsolutions.com
    Ideally, you would keep the concentration level measuring between 50 and 100 ppm. For areas with high levels of organic contamination potential, this can be safely increased to as high as 1000 ppm. You can find test strips doing a Google search for “hydrogen peroxide test strips.”
    NOTE: Be sure to check with your pool or spa manufacturer regarding H2O2 use on their equipment. Some systems have natural rubber which will be degraded by H2O2. More modern systems use a synthetic rubber which is not affected by H2O2.
    CHECK YOUR FILTERS OFTEN: As with any pool or hot tub with a filtration system, you should regularly check your filter(s) as clogged filters will damage some pumping systems.
    STORAGE: For best results, keep the H2O2 in a cool and dark place…a basement room that can be secured is ideal. You can empty the gallon or 5 gallon bottles into 1 gallon or quart plastic containers and refrigerate or freeze them for optimum storage. UV light causes H2O2 to decompose.
    CAUTION:wear plastic gloves and safety goggles when adding H2O2 to the water as it can splash or spill. You simply add the hydrogen peroxide to the water and no special injection system is necessary.

  6. turbointhailand says:

    How should I get a hot tub going?
    How should I go about getting a hot tub going?
    I recently rented a house which came along with a hot tub off the deck, long story short the owner’s ex son in law left it installed and he doesn’t know much about it and doesn’t mind me using/fixing/cleaning it etc.

    Currently its got maybe less than a gallon of rainwater (cover was folded open) and maybe a cup or so of sand/dirt/sediment in said water as well (mostly on the bench seats and a small amount on the floor (with a tiny bit in 2 jets from the looks of it)…

    So what I need to know is… I want to see if its working therefor hows the best way to get the water and sediment out and clean it a bit, and then whats next (fill it with the hose?) then turn on the power and…? I don’t have much experience with spas and just basically need a walkthrough of yearly matainance…

    here are some pictures of the spa and situation…

    http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/this_beautiful_republic/IMAG0235.jpg
    http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/this_beautiful_republic/IMAG0234.jpg
    http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/this_beautiful_republic/IMAG0233.jpg
    http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/this_beautiful_republic/IMAG0232.jpg

    Hopefully someone can just give me a step by step on what to do and how as well as what to expect… Thanks
    yeah the reason I reposted was to include some pictures of the hot tub to see if that helped… I appriciated the answer.

  7. James Colleran says:

    Hi

    Both answers are on the money. Get the physical dirt out as much as you can but don’t sweat it out since after filling the hot tub with water to check everything, you are going to have to empty and refill it one more time. Do not add your new filters until you are ready to start using the hot tub, after its cleaned properly.

    You filled the hot tub with water and checked the jets, heating system, noticeable leaks, took out the filters. If jets or heater don’t seem to be working, please contact a hot tub specialist in your area. You want to make sure the water is circulating properly.

    There is about 100 foot of piping wrapped around the hot tub that needs cleaning on the inside. We call this purging the pipes. You will need to buy a product that does this better than anyone else, because when you see what comes out of the jets while cleaning them, you are going to thank me. This is the main reason why I mentioned not to clean the hot tub too well the first time. I highly recommend the Ahh-Some Hot Tub Purge Bio Cleaner to clean out these pipes. It just takes a few tablespoons and about 30 minutes to clean the bio-film and gunk from the piping. Since your hot tub was waterless it may take a bit longer but you will know that the pipes are clean.

    After purging the pipes, you will have to empty and clean thoroughly the hot tub shell. Add water and check your pH level. I suggest a liquid drop system and not the strips. More than likely the pH will be about 7.4 (drinking water), but your Total Alkalinity may be low. Just add some (tablespoons) baking soda to increase the TA. Apply a cup of chlorine to the water so that you have something will start oxidizing contaminants that get into the water.

    The maintenance of your hot tub after you get the pipes and shell clean with fresh water is a science in itself, but by this you will know more about the ongoing maintenance. Don’t trust your pool or hot tub person as the sme, they want to sell you chemicals, which is not always good for us. Look into Nature 2 solutions for your hot tub, which decreases the use of chlorine and bromine as your sanitizer.

    Good Luck

  8. Atom says:

    Sometimes you can find large pieces of it on ebay for a reasonable price. Then, all you have to do is use some Styrofoam Glue (its relatively cheap) to glue the pieces into your desired shape. Cover it with your vinyl and you’re done.

  9. turbointhailand says:

    How should I go about getting a hot tub going?
    I recently rented a house that came along with a hot tub, long story short the owner’s ex son in law left it installed and he doesn’t know much about it and doesn’t mind me using/fixing/cleaning it etc. Currently its got maybe less than a gallon of rainwater (cover was folded open) and maybe a cup or so of sand/dirt/sediment in said water as well (mostly on the bench seats and a small amount on the floor (with a tiny bit in 2 jets from the looks of it)…

    So what I need to know is… I want to see if its working therefor hows the best way to get the water and sediment out and clean it a bit, and then whats next (fill it with the hose?) then turn on the power and…? I don’t have much experience with spas and just basically need a walkthrough of yearly matainance I guess.

  10. badaspunkbtch says:

    How can I make 2 pound polyurethane urethane foam?
    I just bought a hot tub/spa. It doesn’t have a cover and I don’t have $150-380 to shell out for one. That’s more than I paid for the spa! I have some industrial marine vinyl and the machine to sew it. I was looking at the 2 part kits that you pour and even those are expensive. Why can’t I just buy the chemicals and mix them myself? It doesn’t have to be as precise as the Coast Guard compliant since it won’t be holding up a marine craft. I just need something that’ll keep the heat in without mildewing and this the stuff they’re made of.Anybody know what chemicals and how much to mix in order to replicate these two part kits? Please, don’t be stupid and give me useless answers like “Google it.”. Nobody likes that. Otherwise, thanks!!!
    That is very helpful, thank you. I’ll keep trying ebay but so far, everything I’ve found on there is more expensive than the pour it yourself kits.

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