Hot Tub Spa Cover Help!

By: Ayu Wuryandari

Hot Tub Spa Cover Lift

One of the most important accessories to your spa is hot tub spa cover. Hot tub spa cover is more than just an accessory as it can trap the heat from escaping out of your spa, just like a thermos. So, it will save you money on your heating cost. Because of the natural process, your hot tub spa cover may start to fade, crack and even becomes brittle. There are ways to maintain and to prolong the life of your hot tub spa cover.

Hot tub spa cover is expensive enough and certainly it will be costly to purchase. Usually it will last only about three years. Of course it can burden your wallet. Therefore, you have to know the ways to keep your hot tub spa cover lasting as long as it can be.

Your hot tub spa cover should be cleaned every month by using a recommended hot tub spa cover cleaner. Beware of the cleaners. Some of them may keep your cover looking shiny and new, but in the long run it can dry it out and causing it to be brittle.

Every 2 – 4 months on a sunny day and cool night,  your hot tub spa cover also should be taken off your spa and unzip the panels to let the foam inside the cover air out. This will keep it as light as possible for a longer period of time. If not, then the foam time by time can log the water and makes the hot tub spa cover really heavy.

Hot Tub Spa Cover Buying Tips

Hot tub spa covers are many and various. You need a guide which is intended to help you know the accessories that make up hot tub spa cover, so you can choose the best one for you with the best piece too.

Foam thickness

These days, all hot tub spa covers are made in tapering form so that the rain, snow and ice will run off just like on the roof of your house. The covers range in thickness from a 3 inches in the middle tapered to 2 inches on the outside, to a 5 inches tapered to 4 inches. The difference in the thickness of the foam is not only size but also the load capacity, and this is the most important part of the thickness. The thicker the foam the more load capacity the cover can withstand.

Foam density

Foam density has an important role in your insulation value and also the load capacity that your hot tub spa cover can endure. The levels of foam density which are used today are 1lbs and 1.slbs. The lower the density of the foam the more open the cells are. This will induce R-value, lower weight capacity and higher saturation point. The higher the density the longer it will take for the cover to be waterlogged. This will lower the operational cost. For this reason, high density 1.5lbs is better than 1lbs.

Vinyl

The vinyl which used for high end hot tub spa cover at present is 30 oz. It is treated with UV and fungus inhibitors which allows in direct sunlight for hours and avoids fungus from building on your hot tub spa cover.

Scrim

The scrim is used on the underside of hot tub spa cover and primarily to protect the foam core from moisture. There are various types of scrim available from cheap mesh to the latest and greatest reflective full backing. Some water repellent and some are not. The best scrim is the reflective one which deflects the heat from your spa back into the spa. This will lessen the heating cost. The other thing which is also important is water repellent as it will save your foam core and adding years of service.

Locks

This is very important for hot tub spa cover to prevent children from get an accident of drowning. There are options available 2 locks or 4 locks. 4 locks is more recommended as it is safer than 2 locks.

Cover Protection

There are several ways to protect your hot tub spa cover. The best is by using Spa Cover Cap, a kind of tarp with an elastic hem that can protect your hot tub cover even in the winter months. Floating solar or thermal cover also will protect the spa cover from dangerous chemical filled condensation that will damage the underside of your hot tub spa cover.

I suggest you check out my other guide on Hot Tub Cover Lift and Inground Hot Tubs.