Causes of Spa cover damage and how to prevent it

Nothing destroys a cover faster than poor chemical maintenance of your spa, besides jumping on the cover. Chemical burns can show very quickly in a spa with poorly maintained water. Here is how to prevent chemical burns on your Hot Tub cover and why you should do it. Don't know if your cover is suffering yet? If your cover looks like this image, which we call the "hamburger effect", then it's been suffering.

The three hot tub chemical issues that damage hot tub covers

1. Low ph levels
2. excessive chlorine levels
3. Chloramine Oxidation

​The part of the hot tub cover that receives the harshest affect from poorly balanced hot tub chemicals is the poly vapor wrap around the foam core of the hot tub cover, which can break down and cause either the foam to break down or soak up water and become unbearably heavy. Saturated foam also loses insulation value, costing you more on energy consumption. Once the foam is saturated it cannot be dried out due to its density and you will want to replace your cover. Click read more for more in-depth details about the three chemical issues.

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Here is a cover with a good poly wrap that is intact, and then a poly wrap that has eroded and was torn due to the erosion. You can tell because of the "blocky" look to the tear.

.1. Unbalanced ph is the most common culprit of hot tub failures. High ph won’t effect your cover, though it is still bad for it to persist in your spa, low ph is what damages your cover. Low ph is acid, and with an acidic environment the vapor from the acidic water will attack everything, including the bottom side of your cover.  Test your water at least weekly and make sure your ph does not get away from you. Keep it in the "OK" bracket of your test strips.
2. High free chlorine levels (FCl) create a corrosive environment in hot tubs. This is one of the reasons we prefer to not use chlorine in hot tubs, but excessive bromine use can cause high free chlorine counts as well. Keep your Free Chlorine (FCl) count in the "OK" bracket of your test strips. 
3. Shutting your cover after throwing in shock creates an similarly corrosive environment in the spa. Shock Oxidizer and Multi-Purpose Shock (MPS) oxidize chloramines, and with this oxidation process gassing the chloramines out of your water you want to make sure it can be released into the atmosphere. Otherwise, with no other place to go your cover will oxidize and erode the poly vapor wrap inside your cover. This is probably one of the biggest reasons people have to get new covers. Simple solution is leave your cover open for 15 minutes after you shock.

We're always here for you. If you need a new cover, call our South Store in Springville to see what's in stock or get a custom cover ordered for you. If your spa is in need of Service, reach out to our Service Center in Spanish Fork for help.