To winterize or not?

[sorebikr]

I know that it is only August, but this has been on my mind recently.  As a new tub owner (yet to be installed actually), this will be my first winter.  Some additional background - we live in the city, and the tub is located at a weekend house about 2.5hrs from here at our lakehouse in northeast PA.  Hopefully someday soon it'll be a permanent residence, but until then...

So - its quite secluded up there.  Few neighbors and power outages are quite likely.  If the power went off in the dead of winter (say...15 degrees outside) how long would we have before the pipes are at risk?  I realize it would take quite a while for the body of the tub to freeze, but without a circulation pump what am I looking at? 

Interested in any thoughts you all might have. 

[wmccall]

Normally I'm the first to say no to winterizing as I use mine all year long, but you spelled out your circumstances well enough.  At 2.5 hours away I probably would go ahead an winterize until this becomes your permanent residence.

My winters are probably about the same temperatures as what you are talking about.  I went 4 days with no power on my tub that I don't think is as well insulated as others.  I went from 104 down to about 91 in that time.



Now to be a smart@ss, if your tub located in the North Eastern Corner of PA, or is in the  town of North East, PA, which ironically is in the NW corner of PA? (Erie County)

[sorebikr]

Its located in the North East corner of PA.  At first I was thinking "definitely need to winterize" but then I saw a few posts over the months similar to yours that stated after a few days without power, the temp dropped ten degrees or so.  90 degrees isnt exactly in the danger zone...but it depends on the amount of heat that bleeds from the body of the tub into the pipes.  Could you have ice in the pipes, and 90 degree water in the tub? 

This also seems like fodder for even more discussion about fully foamed vs not. 

[wmccall]

.but it depends on the amount of heat that bleeds from the body of the tub into the pipes.  Could you have ice in the pipes, and 90 degree water in the tub? 

This also seems like fodder for even more discussion about fully foamed vs not. 

It certainly is possible to get ice in the remote pipes while the tub is still well above freezing. I have seen in the coldest days of winter that when I turn on the jets, i get a surge of cold water until things circulate.