A hot tub or swim spa cover has a life. Due to the purpose of a spa cover and how they are designed, they will not last forever, and when they need replacing, customers can be left a bit shocked with both the price and lead time of a replacement.
A vital part of the hot tub, the main purpose of the cover is to retain heat, leave the hot tub safe and covered when not in use and protect the spa from the outside world. Most of the time, the lid will be closed and more important in todays world with rising energy prices, is the fit and efficiency of your cover, as this could potentially save you vasts amount of money over a year.
Common issues you can experience with your hot tub cover and what causes them are listed below.
Excessive Weight - Over time your cover will become heavy. The foam inserts absorb water which can result in the cover weighing 10x or more what it did when it was new. Although the closed-foam inserts are often wrapped and sealed, they will take on water eventually. This can result in damage to the cover, damage to the cover-lifter or damage to the hot tub panelling.. Although you can remove the foam inserts from the cover skin, you wont have success in trying to dry them out sadly. Ultimately, this is unavoidable but we have noticed hot tubs and swim spas that are more sheltered from the elements, typically last longer (for example: spas that are indoors, under shelter, or covered with a cover-cap).
Shrinking - On most hot tubs and swim spas, the material used for the cover skin is the faux-leather material. After years of ownership, it is common to experience cracking and shrinking on the edges, the corners and in the middle join. The material itself, combined with the outdoor temperature fluctuations, result in the material becoming brittle. Newer covers and custom options now offer Weather-Shield fabric opposed to the faux-leather material, which should avoid this from happening.
Damaged Inserts - If you damage a cover insert, then this will likely cause pooling on the spa top when it rains, which will accelerate the damage further. This is often caused by children climbing on the cover, removing the spa cover incorrectly or even leaning over it to clean it. It is recommended to avoid all weight across the middle of the hot tub cover, as only the edges will be supported by the spa shell underneath. If you damage an insert, it is possible to replace the insert at a lesser cost, but sometimes with great difficulty.
Costs and Lead Times
If you are lucky, and your hot tub or spa is a standard or common size, then you may have the option of buying a stock cover. You can find many solutions online, for more common sizes. The quality of the covers can vary from supplier to supplier. Stock covers usually range anywhere from £300 - £600 and are usually stocked for fast availability and delivery.
If you can't find the correct fit, then you would require a custom order cover. The benefit is you have options of thickness, material, colour or even skirt length and other custom features. Typically, these can take up to 10 weeks and will price higher, normally anywhere between £450 - £1000+. There is a few UK companies who can make a custom order cover within 2 weeks, though in our experience the quality isn't the same.
How to measure a hot tub cover and what is important ?
When you are looking for a new cover for your hot tub, there is 3 key measurements... Length x Width x Radius. Measure your overall hot tub Length x Width, and note where the fold is. Most hot tubs are square, so the fold isn't an issue, but you should never assume. If the hot tub isn't square, then it's important to note which side the fold is on, so the replacement cover folds away the correct side.
The radius is also important and can vary massively, from 20" - 4" radius. If you get this wrong, the new cover might not cover the whole hot tub, even if the Length and Width are correct. To measure the radius, you will need a straight edge along the side of the cover (as pictured), continuing straight where the corner is. Then measure across to where the other side of the cover starts to curve and this will give you the measurement you require ideally.
On top of these measurements, you will also need to measure the cover drop (skirt/sides), so the acrylic shell is covered. Too long is better than too short.
The last important measurement is the Taper, this will decide on the thickness of the replacement cover and can help with heat retention. Typically, this wont result in a right or wrong cover by measurement. The taper will decide on the thickness of the cover, which can be 4"-3" traditionally, 5"-3" taper for a thicker option, or even 6"-4" taper for the thickest option.
As a service company, we can assist with it all. If you prefer to arrange us to measure, supply, fit and dispose of your old cover, then we offer these services. If you require a stock cover within 24-48 hours, we can help with this too.
Should you wish to know more about the products we offer, then contact us today at service@spasimple.co.uk, WhatsApp us on 07508199945 or call us on 01275 401140.
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