Hot Tub Buying Guide

How to drain a hot tub

Maintaining your hot tub is a must. To allow you to enjoy the relaxing benefits your hot tub has to offer, you need to keep it clean so it provides a healthy environment in which you can sit and relax. This maintenance involves draining the tub occassionally, about every three to four months depending on usage. Also, if you close up your tub for the winter, you must drain it before the freeze comes.

How to drain your hot tub will depend on your hot tub and, as always, we recommend that you check with the manufacturer for their instructions on this. In general, most tubs are pretty easy to drain. Be sure to turn off the motor, the heater and disconnect from power. Don't be foolish in this area. Anything that deals with water and electricity needs to be handled with care take no chances. Your tub will likely have a drain built in at the bottom on the side. This drain will use gravity to help with the draining process. Simply undo the plug this may be an actual plug to unscrew, a valve to press, or a lever to turn. These plugs are subject to breakage and damage which can compromise your tub resulting in possible leakage, so please be careful and don't force anything. Once you have the plug released, water will drain. You may have a hose attachment at this site. Attach a hose and stretch it into your yard where water is needed or, at least, where it won't be a problem. The hot tub should empty of water rather quickly. If this isn't quick enough for you or if your tub doesn't have a drain, you can use a sump pump. This is a submersible pump with an attached hose that is powered by electricity and will empty the water out of your tub in minutes.

You can also siphon the water out of the tub with a piece of tubing or hose using the good old-fashioned siphoning method. Stick one end of the hose in the tub's water and the other downhill. Suck quickly on the end pulling the water into the hose, but not into your mouth, and allow it to flow. If that's too gross for you, you can also simply raise the tub end of the hose up high before placing it in the water, once the hose has been laid out, to create a siphon. The suction caused should drain the tub water out through the hose very quickly.

Once your tub is drained, close up that plug and begin your maintenance. Remember that much of the bacteria lurks in the pipes of the hot tub. Don?t forget to keep those clean with a line flush.