Winterizing A Hot Tub

[Quickbeam]

I am wondering if anyone can tell me if there is any reason I should not be winterizing my hot tub. This is our first year with a hot tub, and although we have loved using it this winter, the tub is located at a vacation home that we do not live in full time. We are in the home full time in the summer, but only come up every couple of weeks during the off season. We are finding it difficult to maintain the tub when we are not here all the time.

So while a part of me wants to keep the tub up and running, the practical side of me says that at least for next year I should be winterizing it. If we do decide to winterize the tub, is there anything in particular we need to be careful of. I had someone tell me that if a tub is left for an extended period of time without water that the seals and gaskets might dry out and crack, thus creating leaks. Is this true? Anything else I should be concerned about? Thanks so much.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

You need to be very careful to get ALL the water out of ALL the plumbing. You'll need to blow out every fitting, then vacuum out every fitting...then repeat, repeat again, and again. Open all unions and drain plugs on the equipment and make sure there's no water in ANY of the equipment. Then repeat the first step again. And yes, seals and gaskets might dry out and crack prematurely. I would also tarp the spa to prevent any water from getting in.

[TwinCitiesHotSpring]

You need to be very careful to get ALL the water out of ALL the plumbing. You'll need to blow out every fitting, then vacuum out every fitting...then repeat, repeat again, and again. Open all unions and drain plugs on the equipment and make sure there's no water in ANY of the equipment. Then repeat the first step again. And yes, seals and gaskets might dry out and crack prematurely. I would also tarp the spa to prevent any water from getting in.

all of this is spot on..I will add one little tip to the bold part above and that is once you "feel" like all the water is exhausted you can add a small amount of RV antifreeze to the lines (don't go nuts, your not trying to fill the lines) and continue to blow with the shop vac so in essence your tracing something pink colored through the lines so when it appears out of the other end you'll 100% know all the water has been exhausted. 

[Quickbeam]

O.K., thanks guys. I'm getting the feeling that it might be easier to just try and keep the tub maintained through the winter. The possibility of drying out the seals and gaskets, resulting in leaks, is kind of the clincher for me.