Time to change your hot tub cover
How to know when it’s time to change your hot tub cover and what to do to make your cover last.
Replacing your hot tub cover is a common maintenance issue that you will eventually need to address during your time of being a hot tub owner. How often, and the life span of the cover all depends on how well you take care of you cover. Keeping proper water chemistry, always keeping extra debris and weight off of the cover, using a protectant-such as 303– on the cover, and investing in a cover lifter are the main points of allowing your cover to last its optimum life span.
Still, even after you take great care of your cover, replacing it is inevitable. Consider the following when making the decision to buy a new one:
1. How does it look?
How does the outside of the vinyl look? Is it cracked, faded? Maybe the straps are starting to rip? Or the seam is starting to break?
If you can visually see any of these issues, it may be time for a new cover. Again, using 303 helps to prolong the life of the vinyl. Also, keep as much excess weight off as possible. Make sure no one is sitting or climbing on the cover. Even though they will hold your weight, they are not designed for this purpose and will put extra strain on the cover. Snow, rain and ice should also be removed from the cover. Make sure you are using something soft to do this, such as a soft bristled broom. Do not use a shovel- they may puncture or rip the cover.
2. The foam– does it smell? Is the tub puddling water on top? Does your hot tub cover feel like it weighs 500 pounds?
If your hot tub cover has a mildew, musty or moldy smell, the only way to fix that is to replace. Over time the foam will start to retain water and become extremely heavy. There isn’t much to do to prevent this issue and just happens over time. With the water saturated foam core, it will begin to give off that musty smell, and the foam may also begin to deteriorate. When that happens, that is normally when you begin to see the cover begin to sag, or pool water.
3. You’re spending more on your electric bill.
Once the cover starts to retain water its efficiency will begin to decrease as well. Same thing with the vinyl covering. One the vinyl begins to tear and rip in spots the seal of the cover is compromised and it begins to let more heat out then a brand new cover would. At first the heat loss would be minimal but the older the cover, the less efficient it will become and the more your electric bill will cost you.
If you have any of these issues, it’s more than likely it’s time for a new spa cover. Replacing the cover is very easy, and we’d order you one with the exact template of the one you already have.
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