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The cold winter weather makes for great Hot Tubbing! There is nothing quite like relaxing in your Sundance Spa while the snow flies all around you.

A Hot Tub from Sundance Spas truly is a treat for all Seasons. To ensure you can enjoy your Sundance Spa in the cold weather, here are a few tips for keeping it in great condition and good working order through the harsh winter months.

Check Your Hot Tub Regularly

Hopefully you are enjoying your Hot Tub, jacuzzi, whirlpool or spa regularly through the winter months, and are sticking to your regular maintenance schedule. If things come up that keep you from using it as much as you would like, it is still advisable to go out once or twice a week and check it is performing properly.

Take a few minutes and head outside to check that there is power going to the hot tub, and that there are no "Open Flow Switch", "FLO" or other error messages showing on your control panel. Have a quick look at the condition of your filter, and check the water level is where is should be. A low water level can cause issues with heating / filtering your hot tub's water, so top up with fresh water if necessary. Leaving your hot tub cover open for 20-30 minutes a week if the spa is not being used will help keep the water from getting stale.

While you are out checking on your hot tub, use a test strip to check your water has a good level of sanitizer and is properly balanced, so that it is ready for you to use when you decide you want to enjoy a soak. Click here for more water care tips.

Keep Water Temperature Constant

Maintain an even, constant water temperature rather than lowering the temperature and then trying to boost it up before using the Hot Tub. Keeping a constant temperature is more energy efficient, and is beneficial in keeping the water clean and clear.

Keeping the temperature higher is also wise during the cold months as it will take longer to get down to the point where your water freezes in the event of heat loss due to a power outage or equipment problem.

Dealing With A Power Outage

If you come home to flashing clocks or notice the power in your home has gone out and come back on, it is a good idea to go out and check on your Hot Tub as soon as you can.

A power outage, sudden power spike, low voltage or high voltage surge in your neighborhood can cause your Hot Tub breaker to trip. The GFCI breaker is designed to protect key components of your Sundance Spa such as the circuit board, Heater, Sensors & topside control panel.

Your Hot Tub breaker will not reset on it's own once power has been restored, so it must be manually turned back on if it has tripped. Once you have re-set the breaker, you should check your hot tub's display panel to ensure there are no error messages and that the heater is engaged.

Discovering Cold Water

Should you go outside and discover the water is cold or you can see ice forming in the hot tub, you should check your screen for any error messages (such as "Open Flow Switch", "FLO", "FL1" & "FL2") to determine the cause of the problem. Before calling the store to arrange a service call, follow these steps to see if re-setting your spa will solve the issue for you:

1) Switch the power to the tub off by turning off the breaker.

2) Remove your hot tub filter / filters completely.

3) Wait 5-10 Minutes

4) Turn the power back on, but do not replace the filters - leave them out.

5) Check your display panel to see if the error messages are gone and if the heater is now engaged.

If the error messages remain and the spa is not heating, Contact our Service Department as soon as you can and our factory trained technicians will promptly and efficiently take care of the issue for you, so that you can get back to enjoying your Sundance Hot Tub as soon as possible.

Use of a Space Heater

If you have discovered cold water and the re-set instructions stated above did not resolve the issue, you should switch off the power to the spa and place a small ceramic space heater in the equipment bay.

When placing the space heater in your spa, it is best to place it off the ground / floor so it does not come in to contact with any water or wet spots (resting the heater on a brick is a good option).

Space heaters are widely available at all major hardware stores (please make sure you purchase a heater small enough to fit inside the equipment area). The heater should be positioned inside the equipment area of your Hot Tub and run on either a low or medium heat to prevent the pumps and interior plumbing from freezing. Do not put the space heater on a high temperature setting - it is not necessary or required.

Once the space heater is in position, re-fasten your cabinet door, leaving one screw off which will allow you to plug in an extension cord safely. Be sure to use a extension cord with the correct gauge/thickness.

This process will trap the heat in the equipment area and speed up the thawing process so that your hot tub can be repaired as quickly as possible.

If you are not comfortable placing a space heater in the hot tub equipment area yourself, feel free to contact our service department and we can help you out to ensure the job is done safely and correctly.

For more information on winter maintenance, water care or to book a winterization, please visit one of our five locations (Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville, St. Catharines  & Vaughan).

Enjoy your cold weather soak!