What fun a spa is – until it breaks.    A spa is happiest when it is kept hot and left on.  Typically a spa can only heat up to 3 degrees at a time before shutting off.  So if the spa is left cold, it will be a long time to heat up.  Also, the chemicals used work best in a hot tub and probably won’t work if the water is cold.  

If you are not using your home often – make sure you have someone checking the spa weekly.  Open covers or undiscovered leaks can lead to problems with the heating and pumps.  A spa left with the cover off (or the cover blown off in winter )will evaporate in a matter of hours.  And when there is no water the heater and pumps will quickly burn out.  Here is more information on chemicals and spa care http://www.poolandspa.com/page9.htm .   Be sure to secure the spa cover with clips or a brick if necessary (the alternative is not pretty).    

At Home Fridays we recommend weekly checks and contracting with a spa maintenance service for mothly or bi-monthly chemical adjustment.  Also, the spa should be drained, scrubbed out and fresh water put in at least 2x per year.