It’s time to face facts: your hot tub cover isn’t going to last forever. Typically you should inspect it every year to make sure the vinyl cover and the foam inserts are still performing at maximum capacity. Because hot tub covers are responsible for preventing heat loss in your hot tub, keeping contaminants and dirt out of it, and providing safety against children or babies falling in, you want it always in peak performance. A spa cover that is gaining weight is a simple sign of waterlogging, and a big sign the the end has begun.
But whether or not you plan to replace your cover regularly, there are some definite signs that the time has come for you to replace it.
Vinyl Cover Cracking or Breaking
Any cracking or brittleness in the outer vinyl covering, for instance, is definitely a sign that your hot tub needs a new lid. Cracking or breaking can indicate that the top has simply become too old, or else that you have not treated it properly with life extending products that protect it from the elements above and spa beneath.
Another early destroyer of covers is putting them right back on top after you have treated the hot tub itself. The best thing to do once you’ve added chemicals to the water is to leave the cover off for at least an hour to let them blend with the water instead of immediately steaming upward and affecting the cover. Doing so not only protects the vinyl casing, it saves the foam inserts from breakdown as well.
Foam Insert Bending or Breaking
Bad foam inserts also mean it’s time to get a new cover. Any bending or breaking beneath the surface of the outer cover will make for a less effective lid and eventually contribute to the breakdown of a vinyl casing that could still be saved simply by replacing those foam inserts.
Look for the signs: breaking, cracking, bending, and water logging that cannot be dried out. Any of these should result in a new hot tub cover right away, so don’t hesitate. A quality cover will keep your spa safer, more antiseptic and looking better.
Happy Tubbing
Ethell Elliott
