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Author Topic: Spa cover cap and possible heat damage  (Read 3351 times)

ugarte

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Spa cover cap and possible heat damage
« on: September 29, 2012, 10:49:29 am »
I got a spa cover cap--fits the cover tightly and extends about 14 inches down the sides of the ht--and left it on during a relatively hot day here in the Northeast (75-80).  The vinyl top layer of the spa cover inflated under the cap and continues to inflate and lift from the foam core even without the cap on on warm days.  Needless to say, I now remove the cap in the morning on sunny days.  The vinyl top layer is tight and normal on cool days.  Anyone seen this?  Have I blown the seals?  Melted the cores?  Why would the cover continue to inflate on hot days even with the cap off?  This is in Maine, by the way, not Arizona.

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Spa cover cap and possible heat damage
« on: September 29, 2012, 10:49:29 am »

Shaamus

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Re: Spa cover cap and possible heat damage
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2012, 12:38:04 pm »
My guess is the cap may be a coincidence unless it's trapping the heat.  Most don't as they don't fit well enough to do so to be honest.  Just a function of standard size caps and varying size tubs.

What you are seeing happens with spa covers.  On the hot days, the PVC vinyl is expanding allowing more space in between the vinyl jacket and the foam cores.  Air produced by running your blower or in some cases just normal off-gassing naturally rises.  There's just more room inside the jacket now for it to go.  The reason it recedes on the cold days is that the vinyl is shrinking back.

Depending on the color of your cover, the use of the silver cap may help the situation by reflecting some sun away.  Of course, if the cap is super tight that could also cause you some issues.  The main thing you want to avoid is the foam melting inside the cover.  It's rare, but we've seen it.  Anyone that has their spa installed in a lot of direct sunlight should avoid the dark vinyl colors.  Most of the melted foam we've seen over the years come from when spas are parked right up against a southern facing brick facade of a home and when there is a window located in a place that can reflect sunlight down onto the spa's cover.

I know it's not super-definitive and there's a lot to consider there, but I hope it helps.

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Re: Spa cover cap and possible heat damage
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2012, 12:38:04 pm »

 

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