How to Winterize Your Hot Tub in Summit County, CO
A hot tub left unprepared for a Summit County winter can crack a shell, split a pump housing, or freeze a line solid in a single hard-freeze night at altitude. Whether you're closing up a short-term rental before you head out, shutting down a second home for the season, or just want to do it right the first time, here's exactly how to winterize a hot tub — and when it's worth calling a professional instead.
Why Summit County Winters Are Hard on a Hot Tub
Breckenridge, Frisco, and Silverthorne all sit above 9,000 feet, where nighttime temperatures drop fast and stay well below freezing for months at a time. Water left in a pump, heater, or jet line doesn't just get cold — it expands as it freezes, and that's what cracks fittings, splits pipes, and ruins a heater. Power outages during a storm make an actively-running tub vulnerable too, since a tub that stops circulating for even a few hours in sub-zero temps can freeze internally.
When to Winterize vs. When to Keep Running
Not every hot tub in Summit County needs to be winterized. If you or your guests are using it through the winter, the right move is usually to keep it running and properly maintained — a running, well-insulated tub rarely freezes. Winterizing — fully draining and shutting the system down — makes sense when the property will sit vacant for an extended stretch: a second home closed for the season, a short-term rental between bookings through the off-season, or a tub being taken out of service. If you're not sure which situation applies to you, that's a quick call, not a guess.
Step-by-Step: How to Winterize Your Hot Tub
- Power down. Shut off power to the spa at the breaker, not just the topside control panel, before touching any plumbing.
- Drain completely. Use the drain valve to empty the shell fully, then use a wet/dry shop vac on each jet, one at a time, to pull residual water out of the lines — water hiding in a jet line is the #1 cause of a cracked line found in spring.
- Clear the pump and heater. Remove the pump unions and let any trapped water drain out; do the same at the heater housing.
- Add non-toxic RV antifreeze (propylene glycol, not automotive antifreeze) to the lines that can't be fully blown out, per your model's manual.
- Protect the equipment and cover. Leave the cover loose (not sealed tight) so trapped moisture can escape, and check that the cover and any lifter hardware are secure against wind.
- Leave the topside panel in an "off" or storage setting per the manufacturer, and label the breaker so nobody powers it back on by accident.
Common Winterizing Mistakes That Cause Spring Damage
The most common failure isn't skipping a step — it's leaving water in a jet line after "draining" the shell, because a shop-vac pass gets missed on one or two jets. The second most common: using regular antifreeze instead of non-toxic RV/pool antifreeze, which can damage seals and gaskets. The third: sealing the cover down airtight, which traps moisture that freezes and warps the cover itself over winter.
Why Many Summit County Owners Call a Professional Instead
Winterizing is a one-shot job — if a line gets missed, the damage doesn't show up until spring, often as a cracked manifold or a heater that won't fire back up. Summit Hot Tubs winterizes and re-opens spas throughout Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon, at a flat $150/hour service rate, and documents every visit with photos so second-home and rental owners who aren't on-site can see exactly what was drained, cleared, and protected before they leave for the season.
If a past winter already left you with a cracked line or a heater that won't start, the same team handles
repairs from freeze damage. When a repair would cost more than the tub is worth, they can also walk you through
replacing an aging spa.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to winterize a hot tub in Summit County?
Summit Hot Tubs charges its standard $150/hour service rate for winterizing; most jobs run one visit.
What kind of antifreeze should I use?
Non-toxic RV/pool antifreeze (propylene glycol) made for winterizing plumbing — never automotive antifreeze, which is toxic and can damage seals.
Can I just leave my hot tub running instead of winterizing it?
Yes, if someone will be checking on it and the power supply is reliable — a running, insulated tub is usually safer than a partial winterizing job. Winterizing is for tubs that will truly sit unused and unmonitored.
How is this different from just "cold weather care"?
Cold-weather care is about keeping a tub that's in use running safely and efficiently through winter. Winterizing is fully shutting a tub down for a stretch when nobody will be using or checking it. Most owners only need one or the other, not both — the sections above cover which applies to you.
Do you handle spring reopening too?
Yes — Summit Hot Tubs handles both the winterizing shutdown and the spring startup, so the tub is ready to go when the property is back in use.
Serving Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne & Dillon
Summit Hot Tubs handles winterizing and spring reopening for full-time residents, second-home owners, and short-term rental managers across Summit County. That includes
hot tub service in Breckenridge,
hot tub service in Frisco, and
hot tub service in Silverthorne, with Dillon covered as well.
Winterizing is only half the season, so the team also comes back for
spring reopening and regular maintenance
once the property is back in use. If your property will sit empty for stretches of the winter,
schedule a winterizing visit now and book the spring reopening at the same time to take the guesswork out of both ends of the season.
Protect your hot tub investment this winter. Contact our professional hot tub service team for expert winterization that prevents costly freeze damage and ensures reliable spring startup.
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