Hot Tub and Spa Covers

The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Hot Tub and Spa Covers

The Good.

Simply stated, this is what you want: a hot tub cover in perfect condition. It’s rock solid with no saddleback sags or buckles. The straps are intact, strong, and work perfectly to hold the cover snugly on the tub. Here are a few tips on keeping it that way.

Firstly, do not let anyone sit or walk on it. If you have a sunken tub where the tub’s lip is at or near deck level, don’t allow anyone to take a leisurely stroll across it. Seriously, it happens. Start with a blanket of snow that obscures the cover and makes it blend in with the rest of the deck. Then add the next-door neighbor that forgets it’s there and walks across it while delivering a gift of beverage. Finally, there’s the pet problem. Snow or no snow, large dogs love to lay on hot tub covers. It’s usually warmer on that cover and they will seek out the heat. When your tub is not sunken and sits on the deck and people are gathering outside, reminiscing about how awful the winter was, don’t let anyone sit on the cover.

Secondly, back to the snow issue. We’ve had a lot lately and many of you have considered using a snow shovel to remove snow from the cover. I hope you didn’t because most snow shovels get some rough burrs from abrading against driveways, sidewalks, and ice. These burrs will cut the vinyl which in turn will allow water to reach the foam interior. Instead, just brush it off by hand or a soft broom (which you have inspected in advance for a rough edge or wire supports).

Lastly, don’t fold the cover back then tilt it up and let gravity do the job of removing the snow. Wet snow is heavy and the stress placed on tilting that cover could crack the foam interior. It can also place extra stress on the fold’s sewn hinge causing it to tear.

The Bad.

Frankly, this is what happens when you have already done any of the things listed above. Perhaps your cover was already ‘ailing’ before this winter. One side of the cover was already waterlogged. No problem. You’ll just unzip the cover, remove the foam, and let it dry out…right? Nope. I don’t know the scientific reason, but that foam will never ever dry out or lighten up again. I know that from firsthand experience after allowing blistering summer heat and sun to bake a foam insert for a week. It never got any lighter. And almost without exception, you don’t want to order new foam. After all, something caused it to get waterlogged. Examine that vinyl skin closely. Somewhere, there is a problem. As for cracked foam, maybe you can order a new section, but good luck getting in inserted into the vinyl. More aging zippers have been ripped out attempting this than I’ve had birthdays. And I’ve had a lot of them.

The Ugly.

A broken down, sagging old cover is the ultimate ugly sweater. For most hot tub owners what they see 99.9% of the time is the unit’s sidewall and cover. A failing cover is an eyesore, but more importantly, it can cost you money. Old worn out or damaged covers don’t seal properly and allow heat to escape. It’s like opening a window in your home in the dead of winter. Then with that heat loss comes water cooling which in turn causes the heating element to kick on more often to play catch-up. And then there’s the water loss. I personally don’t want to be outside running a garden hose to top off the level when the windchill is comparable to what you would find in Anchorage Alaska. Or worse.

Here is the acceptable part of the ‘ugly.’ You may not have done anything wrong. Hey—things sometimes wear out and need replaced. Furniture wears out. So do dishwashers, microwaves, and a myriad of other things in the house. And that hot tub cover’s existence is in a far more hostile environment than that vacuum cleaner that seemingly went kaput just sitting in the closet. It’s time to bite the bullet and replace it. The vacuum cleaner AND the hot tub cover.

In summary…

Start the process by going to eastgatepools.com. In the main menu, click on ‘Spas’ then tap ‘Covers.’ Scroll down to ‘Ordering’ and download the order form. It will give you great guidance on all the information that we need to provide you with a brand-new cover. Bring it to the store and let our sales specialists make sure everything is clear and correct. If the hot tub was from us, we may have one in stock for immediate pick up or delivery within our service area. If not, we can order one and have it made to your specifications.