Can Stand-Alone Hot Tub be Tied Into Pool Plumbing?

[Plettschner]

Goofy question for the day...

Can a stand-alone hot tub be hooked up to pool plumbing to share heating/filter/etc?

Mostly just wondering if it's possible. Seems like it could be advantageous.

 

[cowboycasey]

Anything can be done but the #1 main reason for a stand alone tub is you do not winterize it.. You use it in the winter when the pool is closed.. why would you want to connect it to the pool and then close the hot tub also?

 

[Plettschner]

Ah! That's what I was overlooking.

 

[pgershon]

How easy is it to keep a stand alone hot tub open in north east? We get lots of snow and cold

 

[cowboycasey]

I had no issue with my stand alone hot tub with -20 degree weather.. I know many have them with much colder weather and much more snow than me

 

[pgershon]

How warm do you keep the water? Do/did you have a cover to keep water warm? How did you refill after evaporation and spillage as water fill supply must be off for winter?

 

[ajw22]

How warm do you keep the water? Do/did you have a cover to keep water warm? How did you refill after evaporation and spillage as water fill supply must be off for winter?

No problem keeping a good standalone hot tub open in the NorthEast as long as it has a thick foam cover.

With the cover you don;t get any evaporation. Modern hot tubs have an idling temperature it keeps the water at and then can heat it to spa temperature quickly.

We get enough warm spells that you can turn on the outside fill water supply if you need to top off the hot tub. Usually you change the water in a hot tub every 3 to 4 months. Plan to get fresh water in around late November and you should be good until a thaw in early March.

 

[pgershon]

I tend to keep the water for the season. It has its own heater, plumbing and SWG. It's controlled by my Jandy controller (2/6 unit). So I could set the heat at an idling temperature and boost when I want to use tub. What is a good temperature for a cold winter? Here is a picture of the tube next to the pool.

 

[cowboycasey]

there is no way to keep your connected in ground spa open all year.. We are talking stand alone hot tubs with cover at 6 inches thick or more... I kept mine at 104 degrees from Sep to May.. If water was needed you fill when the outside temp is above 32 degrees

 

[jseyfert3]

If water was needed you fill when the outside temp is above 32 degrees

Mine has a slow leak I still haven’t fixed. I filled below freezing many times. My house has a freeze-proof outdoor spigot, the through wall type typical of northern climates. I added a quick connect fitting, one without a check valve, to that and the hose. I’d hook up my hose, top up the tub, when done immediately disconnect and drain the hose. No issues all winter.

 

[cowboycasey]

I have the same type spigot

 

[pgershon]

Spa is in ground but not connected to pool at all. Seems to me as long as I keep temperature at X degrees and keep plumbing running 24/7 it should work in winter (assuming I could solve for fill). Not sure if cost in LP for heat or electric for pump however (I would probably want a two speed pump too - current one is single speed 1.5 HP and overkill).
Any reason I am missing. Photo can be misleading because it looks like pool and spa connected- but not

 

[ajw22]

I tend to keep the water for the season. It has its own heater, plumbing and SWG. It's controlled by my Jandy controller (2/6 unit). So I could set the heat at an idling temperature and boost when I want to use tub. What is a good temperature for a cold winter? Here is a picture of the tube next to the pool.

I thought you were asking about a standalone fiberglass hot tub.

Keeping an inground hot tub running all winter will be more difficult in the Northeast. You have no insulation around the outside of the spa except for the ground. Your plumbing is not insulated. And your gas heater can get corrosive condensation.

I would not keep that hot tub open in the winter.

Heater Condensation - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[pgershon]

Thanks. In the past I have kept open until November. I suppose that should remain my limit. Great point about insulation.

 

[ajw22]

Thanks. In the past I have kept open until November. I suppose that should remain my limit. Great point about insulation.

I close my pool and spa the 3rd week in October. That is just before all the leaves begin falling. Once the leaves are falling and blowing around it is too much of a mess to constantly clean up in the spa and pool. Just not worth the cleanup effort for the few more times we might use it on a nice evening.

 

[duganderson]

I LOVE having my hot tub open in the winter in Minnesota and it gets COLD here in the winter! We use it much more in the winter than other seasons. I have a TV cabinet that I got free off of Facebook marketplace with a TV in it and we watch football games or movies from the tub in the winter.

I do need to top off occasionally due to evaporation and minimal splash out. I just connect a hose to the laundry tub. I don't worry about the softened water for the little I need to fill it. I do also use my outside spigot at times and just put a spigot cover on it to help with freezing (see amazon link)

Amazon.com : ArtiGifts Pro Outdoor Faucet Cover Socks for Winter Freeze Protection, 5.9" W x 7.7" H, Mazarine Blue, Set of 2 : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : ArtiGifts Pro Outdoor Faucet Cover Socks for Winter Freeze Protection, 5.9" W x 7.7" H, Mazarine Blue, Set of 2 : Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

 

[jseyfert3]

LOVE having my hot tub open in the winter in Minnesota and it gets COLD here in the winter! We use it much more in the winter than other seasons. I have a TV cabinet that I got free off of Facebook marketplace with a TV in it and we watch football games or movies from the tub in the winter.

Adding a TV in a cabinet is on my list of things to do for our tub. We love using it in the winter too, being able to watch something would be great.