Welcome to our four-part series about how to infuse some warm summer fun into the frosty winter months! Fortunately, with today’s al fresco amenities, there’s no need to turn your back on your outdoor entertainment center. Instead, you can keep that party going year-round!
We start this series with a fan favorite: hot tubs.
Hot Tub History
The name is synonymous with Jacuzzi, but according to this forward-thinking family, “Ancient cultures were known to make use of natural hot springs, from the Japanese ‘onsen’ since at least A.D. 737 to the Roman thermal springs and bathhouses. When hot springs were not available, past cultures created rudimentary hot tubs by adding heated stones to a cauldron of water. Later on, the Romans developed piping to carry hot water from a furnace to a pool or other contained body of water.”
However, it was the Jacuzzi brothers (Italian immigrants who designed solutions for aviation and pumps for agricultural use) who revolutionized hot tub relaxation as we know it today.
According to their website, “In 1956, a Jacuzzi family member developed rheumatoid arthritis. In an effort to reduce the pain associated with this child’s affliction, the Jacuzzi brothers used their knowledge of hydraulics to create a hydrotherapy pump, the J-300. This pump was portable and transformed any standard bathtub into a rejuvenating spa, launching the wellness industry.”
This is an extraordinary story of how necessity drove the innovation that continues to transform relaxation and physical therapy for people everywhere, every day.
Five Winter Hot Tub Tips
These structures are incredibly versatile and can accommodate any backyard layout and/or budget. They can be inflatable so can be mounted virtually anywhere, or standalone to make any patio your personal spa. Hot tubs can even be integrated into your pool’s installation, a lovely spin-off of the sparkling main feature.
If you already wring every delicious drop out of your backyard oasis, you understand that staying ahead of maintenance will allow all equipment to perform at top capacity and last its lifetime.
Otherwise, it doesn’t take too much to keep this soothing sanctuary at the ready. Here are a few ideas for sustaining a winter wonderland:
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Invest in a Good Cover
The purpose of the cover is not just to keep those errant leaves and twigs from gumming up the works. Covers act as insulators to keep the heat and water where you want it: inside the tub. With water evaporating more quickly in the colder months, a perfectly fit, waterproof cover that’s well insulated is your best defense against what could potentially affect your hot tub.
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Keep an Eye on the Water
Just like your pool, you want the water kept at the manufacturer’s recommended level so the skimmer can continue to do its job and to preserve the optimum temperature. It’s a good idea to check the water level after every soaking and also take a peek every few days. You don’t want to run the risk of damaging any components OR not having that perfect water temp awaiting you after a long day of work!
Additionally, if you are committed to keeping the hot tub dream alive over the year-end holidays and beyond, drain and fill your tub before the freezing temps kick in. Like the pipes in your home, you want to make certain nothing freezes up, so get ahead of that curve.
Finally, just like your pool, you want to keep the water clean. You are not going to be draining and refilling in the icy dead of winter, so set the house rules for a pre-soak shower rinse to remove any traces of lotion and soap residues. Those few extra minutes will translate to plenty of hot tub time.
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Lower the Jets
While your instinct may be to light that tub up, you may want to be a bit conservative given the colder outdoor temps. Between the jets pulling in the cold air and the simmering water exposing the surface to that cold air, you will have a faster rate of heat loss. If you dial it down a notch, you’ll still get the maximum benefit of all that soothing effervescence!
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Winterize Your Retreat
In the summertime, you set the party stage with buckets of beverages on ice and perhaps even a sunscreen station. Along with changing cabanas and an outdoor shower, you rock the amenities that make your backyard a welcoming haven.
You can dress up your winter water park with similar conveniences.
For example, you’ll never regret buying that towel warmer! When you leave the tub for some plush, heated terrycloth, it’ll feel like the perfect hug. You can also place a mat on the heat. Then toss it on the ground to step down into some toasty softness. Heat lamps are practical and serve to provide additional ambiance. You also can’t go wrong with candles, music, and a little wine.
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Avert Holiday Blues
The wintertime can be a rough patch of year. Among other things, there’s the forced holiday merriment along with the pressures of gift-giving, etc. Depending on where you live, you may experience months of gray, sunless skies and icy slush stretching for miles. The imposed isolation due to the weather can also take a toll.
Besides, if you’re accustomed to just jumping out onto your deck to fire up the grill, or enjoy your garden, or recline in your chaise lounge, or beat your own best time swimming laps, it can be a little depressing when you feel otherwise confined.
That hot tub will be the bright patch of sunlight on a cold day. The intoxicating tendrils of steam, the rejuvenating “bubble-iciousness” of the water, the hydrotherapy that simmers stresses away.
If you don’t own a hot tub, this might just be the time. If you do and are staring across the yard at what appears a forlorn looking structure, then maybe you’re ready to fire it up to cure what ails you. It seems the Romans and the Jacuzzi brothers were on to something!
Stay tuned later this month for Part Two in our How to Keep Summer in Winter series, with our exploration of the very versatile…fire pits.
Providing pool and home improvement loan solutions since 1979, Lyon Financial loves hot tubs and their myriad benefits. We also love the difference we can make for your family by providing something that puts years of memories within reach. Call 877-754-5966 for more information about creating your ideal backyard oasis.
