I have a spa but no power. Now what do I do?

www.rickrobinsonhomes.com

Have spa but no power?  

Not to worry... most spas are very well insulated and can retain their heat fairly well for up to 2 weeks.

Not all spas are the same, some of your older spas or smaller ones may not have  full foam insulation within it.

 This could be an issue for you, if this true for your spa go out and get some household insulation and stuff this inside the spa cabinet like you would inside your attic this will give you a barrier from the extreme cold nights.

The biggest mistake people make when they have a spa and the power goes out is to drain it this is NOT a good idea.

If the spa was running and was heated to around 100 degrees just before the power went out then it will take a while for the spa water to cool down on it's own (up to two weeks), but if you drain the spa of water, that safeguard you may have had is gone. 

Now the surface of the spa will get cold and then transfer that coolness to the under side of the spa and the plumbing lines. Then the spa lines can FREEZE and crack. Now this doesn't mean that if you drained your spa it will automatically freeze. The outside temp needs to be below 40 degrees for several days for this to possibly happen. I have seen spas with ice inside them defrost in the spring and run fine with no issues.

Now getting back to my original statement LOL...

Most spas are fully insulated and as long as you do not keep going out there and lifting the cover up to check on it every hour  "you know who I am talking to" the water temp will remain high and you should be fine. I have seen a spa with a temp of 99 degrees when the customer lost power for 2 weeks and when the lights came back on the water temp was only down to 68 degrees.

Once the power comes back on you want to go out to the spa and be sure that the spa has power as well, if not check the breakers.

Run the pumps to be sure all is good then note the temperature on the topside display set it to 100 degrees and monitor it every hour to see that it will go back up to temperature without any problems. If you have made it this far you are golden check the spa chemicals to be sure that it has a good balanced level before going back into it.

I hope everyone is OK and has power back.

Until Next Time...

10 Great christmas gifts for the spa owner



Rick the Spa Guy

  10 great christmas gifts for the spa owner

Do you have a spa or know someone that does and are having trouble deciding on what to get them for christmas this year?

Look no further as I will show you some of the nice accessories out there that would make a great gift this christmas. I know every year I rack my brain trying to think of a good present for family members and friends, so this year I have decided to find gifts that they can use to accesorize things they already have.


First of all decide what things they might need, like steps, new pillows, Do they like fragrences? There are a lot of great things out there. You can click on the link on the right for "In the swim" to see some of them.  

1. Pillows- Understand that most if not all spa manufacturers have there own version of pillows attached to the spa. This would mean that you would need to go to a local dealer of that spa to get the pillows to fit. that being said you can get generic pillows with weights that just flop over the spa edge and allow you to place the pillows anywhere in the spa you would like.
2. Fragrences- Spazaz offers a great selection of fragrances for the spa, they have Crystals that are anti-inflamatory as well as a liquid, I reccomend that you use both to get the best overal expierience. The more you put in the stronger the scent. You only need 2 oz to have a nice arouma, and it will filter out within 24 hrs.
3. LED Light- There is a replaceable light bulb that you can remove the old white bayonet style lightbulb and insert this Starburst light into the same socket and convert the regular light into a color changing LED light, they usually have 5-6 different colors to rotate through. You will use the light button on the spa controls to change the colors.
4. Towel Rack- There are several versions out there but I like the wooden towel racks. They are easy to assemble, usually in 10 minutes, you can set the hooks for the towels at what ever height and placement you like. These are usually a stained cedar wood they come in several color options usually a grey, redwood, and natural wood color. This is a must if you ask me as you need a place for your towels and or robe in the winter when you go outside to get into the spa.
5. New Steps- Maybe your family or friends need a new set of steps. Years ago all the spa steps were made from real wood and by now they have rotted away, the new steps today are made from a plastic polymer that needs no maintenance. You can get them in various widths from 30"- 60" most popular is the 48", these also come in several different color options to match almost any color cabinet out there.
6. Spa Handrail- Maybe you have some older relatives that will be visiting and you should have a handrail to assist them getting into and out of the spa. These can be screwed into the spa cabinet or some models have a flat plate that goes under the spa for stability although with this version the spa will need to be emptied to install but definatly worth the effort.
7. Spa Umbrella- Is the spa in the direct sunlight all day? Then get an umbrella to give you some shade relief. These two have several installation methods, a "T" shape base that you must stabilize with block, you can bolt them down to your wooden deck or patio, and they also have ones that have a spa base, which is a flat plate to go under the spa.
8. Spa Vacuum- Everyone needs one of these. You will always track some type of dirt or debris into the spa and with a vacuum you can easilly remove it. they come in a hand pump style that sucks up the debris into a chamber then you can easily remove the debris every week. They also come battery operated.
9. Submersible Pump- Tired of waiting that hour or two for the gravity spa drain to empty the spa? Then get an electric submersible pump and connect a garden hose to the pump drop it in the spa and within 30 minutes it's empty. They range from 70 gallons per minute to 1700 gallons per minute. This will make quick work of it.
10. Booster Seat- You made be a little  height deprived and some of the seats in the spa drown you. Not any more, just pick up a booster seat and it will allow you to enjoy all the seats and benefits of the spa. These come in weighted versions that will sink on there own, some you leave in the spa for 10 minutes and they saturate then sink and some you fill with water or sand to weight it down.

So there you have it the 10 Christmas gifts to get your spa owner this year. I know that any of these items will thrill the spa owner in your life as I am sure they have thought of getting every one of these items. Merry Christmas and Happy new Year.

Until Next Time...