Hot Tub Cover Aftercare

Caring for and looking after your hot tub lid could not be simpler, thesteps are easy and take very little time to complete.

Even with high marine-grade vinyl, with age, if you allow it, it will look old and jaded, whilst having a propensity to tear at the seams and main stress areas. Our careful workmanship, quality materials, and internal sewn reinforcing will not help against the ravages of Mother Nature unless the cover is properly cared for.

Every clean down, which in most instances is every three months, cleans and conditions the cover using Aerospace Protectant 303, it is a gentle deep cleanser that adds UV blockers and plasticisers back into the vinyl. With regular use, 303 blocks up to 100% of the harmful UV rays, in essence, prevents sun damage, if you think of it like "sunblock" for your lid.

The high-grade inserts will gradually get heavy over time as they fill up with water. Not many companies will tell you this upfront but it is inevitable, we seal with a triple-thickness vapour barrier with a variety of techniques, no other company does this but no amount of manufacturing prowess will prevent the inevitable evaporated water from entering through chemical burns or ozone damage in the lid underside in the latter years, there is no lid in the world market that prevents water ingression - the trick is to prevent it for as long as possible.

This is why we are always developing our lid design and providing a triple barrier to entry on our covers as standard, no other company provides this as standard for such a fundamental failure -why? To keep costs down!

Our inserts are carefully sealed but be aware that if you shock your hot tub or add high levels of sanitiser and forget to completely remove the cover for at least half an hour then you will not allow the membrane-damaging chemical vapour to escape into the air.

Please remember as standard our triple-thickness vapour barrier cores provide double the protection from water ingression, no other company offers this as standard.

Our Greatest Tip!

When shocking the spa or adding high levels of sanitiser always fully remove the lid and run the jets for a minimum of 30 minutes otherwise microscopic holes will burn the core sheath allowing water to ingress into the core, eventually making the lid too heavy to lift.

This practice will prolong the life of your cover considerably. Please don't just flip one side open as all that will happen is the unopened side will fail and get heavy first.

A floating blanket will help to cut down on evaporation and chemical attack which will again prolong the life of your hardcover, it also has the added benefit of improving considerably the insulation.

Naturally, inferior cores will bow over time, this is drastically minimised by our hinge support which provides additional structural integrity, however, this potential bowing or a heavy downfall may cause you to get a puddle on your cover, unzip the vinyl covering and turn over the foam core. That will probably take care of it!

Another important thing is not to place heavy objects on the cover, this includes children and dogs walking, sitting or leaning on the cover causing microscopic cracks to appear in the inserts/cores that will grow over time eventually causing the lid to fail.

Monthly maintenance of your spa cover:

Your spa cover should last years under normal conditions. Washing and protecting it monthly can help the outer skin look new for a very long time. We estimate your cover has a 75% greater chance of seeing a 5-year - 8-year lifespan if you use a cover lifter.

Use the handles to position the cover & safety straps to secure your lid. Try to minimise their use for carrying the weight of the cover. They can tear over time if you use them repeatedly.

Try not to drop, drag or scrape the cover as this damage will grow over time eventually leading to the demise of your cover. Have a look at our cover lifters and cover savers

If you have any concerns about proper water chemistry, please email us on info@poolandspacentre.co.uk , this will extend the life of your cover and your spa, and reduce the possibility of mildew.

After a snowfall or ice storm, use a soft broom to remove accumulation from your spa lid

Use Hold-Down Straps for added security in all wind and storm conditions.

Approximately every 12 months, take the inserts out and flip them over so that the opposite side of the insert is over the water.

Please Note: If, for any reason, you remove the cores from the vinyl encasement - DO NOT leave them exposed to direct sun. Also, DO NOT use plastic to cover your lid or leave metal objects on top of the cover. On those once and a while summer days, the heat generated can melt the cores inside the cover.

When storing the cover, place it on a flat surface as continual buckling will bow the cores leading to water pockets forming on the cover top. (the duck pond effect)

Finally, there are a few things you can expect your cover to do under certain common conditions. For instance, you can expect the vinyl underside to become darker or lighter and the texture raised due to the chemicals and heat in the spa water. This will not diminish the function of the cover.

That's about it for the aftercare of the lid, it is pretty straightforward, but if you are still unsure or have any questions, please feel free to email us for some expert advice.