Hot tubs and spas are fun in the summer and the winter although we find that more people use them when the weather is cooler. When you own a hot tub you can enjoy the water in your backyard year round and that is pretty amazing, right? If you have a hot tub, chances are you’re not swimming laps lol but you can get a workout in the hot tub and we will talk about that in a different article.
Hot tubs are fun and relaxing BUT they can pose certain health risks that if you’re new to hot tub ownership you may not have thought about. We have put together a list of hot tub safety tips for your review. Make sure you talk with your hot tub contractor for a full list of hot tub safety tips.
Never Do This In Your Hot Tub & Spa
Never use the hot tub alone.
Just as you’d never leave a child in a swimming pool or tub alone, you should never leave them alone in a hot tub NOR should you ever use a hot tub alone. It just isn’t safe to be in a body of water without someone being in the vicinity in case you suffer a health emergency.
Hot water and alcohol aren’t a good combination.
When you’re in a hot tub, you’re dehydrating. When you drink alcohol, you get dehydrated. Hot water and booze aren’t a good combination. Sure you may be able to sip a glass of wine or have a beer, but don’t plan to spend hours in the hot tub and drink. When you get dehydrated you could get dizzy and trip and fall. Soak sober.
Open wounds and hot tubs don’t mix.
Not to spoil your soak, but if you have an open wound or rash or razor cut, it’s best to avoid the hot tub. An open would could become infected, especially if the water isn’t as clean as it needs to be. Also, you don’t want to expose anyone to your infection, right?
Limit yourself to short soaks.
Hot tub water temps are higher than the temperature of your body and that means you need to get out frequently. It’s easy to get overheated and dehydrated when soaking in the hot tub with water that is typically heated to 104°F. That temperature is relaxing and therapeutic, but it can also strain your cardiovascular system; this is especially true for those with high blood pressure. In fact, ask your doctor if soaking in a hot tub is a good idea. There are some times that a hot tub soak can help — with neuropathy or sore muscles, for instance.
Just set a timer to remind you to get out every fifteen minutes or so.
Never soak alone
Just as you would never leave a child alone in the pool or bathtub, you don’t want to leave them alone in the hot tub, either. Adults should also not soak alone — in case you get dehydrated and/or lightheaded from the heat of the water.
Children can also get overheated very quickly and shouldn’t soak longer than five to ten minutes at one time.
Check the main drain
Swimming pools and hot tubs both have pool drains — main drains. Today’s swimming pools and hot tubs should have main drain covers to protect anyone from injury. The suction from these drains are strong enough to pull in hair and clothing and could be deadly.
Make sure there is a main drain cover in your hot tub make sure hair is pulled up and that clothes are not loose-fitting and baggy.
Get out if it’s storming
You’re already wet, so why not be in the hot tub in the rain, right? Wrong! If the weather takes a turn and lightning strikes you could be injured. Stay out of bodies of water in storms.
Once you get out of the hot tub, put on the cover to protect it and to keep the water chemistry in line.