Should you leave a hot tub on all the time? This is a question that I get asked all the time. It comes up often in the summer when people are thinking about shutting down the hot tub for the off-season. They understandably are looking to save money on electrical and chemicals. Generally we recommend keeping your hot tub filled and running - this is the best for the equipment and usually the easiest thing to do. Here's a few more thoughts on the subject:
If the hot tub has water in it, always treat the water:
Unsanitized water will turn foul quickly. It can cause problems like biofilm that can cause headaches well into the future. Do yourself a favor and always keep a bromine or chlorine residual in the water - easy to do with a floating dispenser.
If the hot tub has water in it, keep the power on:
Turning off the power in your tub while it has water in it can cause major water quality issues due to stagnant water sitting in the pipes. It can also cause freeze damage in the colder months. Most hot tubs have an "economy" or "sleep" mode that use minimal electricity.
If you turn off and drain the hot tub, follow correct shutdown procedures:
Any moisture left in the pipes of a shut down hot tub can cause problems. When shutting down a hot tub, it's important to open up the unions and blow air through the pipes. If you live in a colder climate, use some hot tub anti-freeze to winterize the hot tub and prevent any freeze damage in the colder months.