A hot tub is a wonderful investment in both the value of your home and your health. If you want to protect your investment, having a well-maintained hot tub cover is key.
Even if you take excellent care of your hot tub cover, however, you will likely need a replacement within five to six years. That’s because UV rays, debris from trees, snow, and ice take a significant toll on a cover’s lifespan.
Are you unsure if you need a new hot tub cover? These three indicators will tell you it’s time to go shopping for a new one!
1. It’s Cracked Or Ripped
The bright rays of the sun, heavy rain, hail, ice, and snow weaken your hot tub cover over time, resulting in damage to both the top material of the cover as well as its foundation. As soon as your cover cracks or tears, its inner foam core will begin soaking in moisture every time it rains or snows.
Over time it will become waterlogged making it heavy and difficult to lift. The crack also leaves your spa unprotected, making maintenance of your hot tub’s water chemistry much more labor-intensive.
A cracked or ripped hot tub cover also becomes a safety hazard. Small children and animals can easily slip through the cracks and become injured.
2. Odor And Mold Are Growing
If your spa has an odor, that’s a sure sign that something is wrong. The only odor coming from your hot tub should be due to hot tub chemicals.
If you catch a whiff of anything else when you open your spa, it’s a sure sign that mold, mildew, or other harmful bacteria is growing and that it may be time to replace your spa cover.
If the problem is on the outer layer, your cover can be cleaned. If bacteria has crept into the core, however, no amount of cleaning will save it. Mold on the inside is dangerous and can become a breathing hazard.
3. It’s Sagging
If your spa cover is looking a little saggy, it’s time to look for a replacement. A sagging cover is not only unsightly, but it can also be dangerous. A sagging cover can easily collapse, which can cause serious damage.
Heavy snow or large puddles of water sitting on top of your spa cover for lengthy periods are the most common culprits of sagging.
The weight of the ice or snow can break the cover’s core or cause its reinforcement to give way. Once this has occurred, the seal loosens, permitting steam and heat to escape.
How To Keep Your New Hot Tub Cover In Great Shape
Once you have a new cover in place, it’s important to take care of it. Using a cleaner that is formulated specifically for hot tub covers, give the vinyl a good wipe every few weeks.
To take the protection up a notch, apply a high-quality UV vinyl protector every three or four months. If that idea doesn’t appeal, you also have the option of purchasing a cover cap.
Finally, during the cold months of winter, remove all snow and ice off of your cover after every storm. Never use a shovel or anything that could scrape your cover. Instead, opt for a broom or brush.
SWIM WORLD
Do you need a new hot tub cover? We can help.
As the provider of the best hot tubs and hot tub covers in Washington, Swim World Chelan has everything you need for your spa from a hot tub cover lifter to hot tub parts.
Drop-in at our Woodin Avenue showroom or get in touch with us today!
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