Everyone enjoys using their hot tub on a sunny day or on a crisp, clear night. Most have never considered using it in the rain – whether it’s a slight drizzle or pouring rain, however, soaking in your hot tub in the rain can be a most pleasurable experience as well.
To visualize this experience for you, you need to imaging swimming in the rain, there is just something about being outside in the rain and not getting wet from it too because you are already underwater. When the water is the clean, clear, warm one of your hot tub it is even more pleasurable.
To this end, the short answer to the question is, yes you can definitely use your hot tub in the rain and the minimal amount of rainwater that gets into the hot tub will not negatively affect the pH level in the hot tub significantly.
There is still a lot more to learn about using your hot tub in the rain, how it affects the pH level of your hot tub water and the only one time you should never use a hot tub when it is raining out.
Is it Safe to Use a Hot Tub in the Rain?
Let’s go back to the visual we had at the beginning of this article, now instead of a cold lake or a pool (which most people visualized), imagine warm water bubbling underneath and around you while contrasting with soft cool kisses from the rain on your skin. Sounds deliciously marvelous, doesn’t it?
Yes, using a hot tub in the rain is absolutely safe. You can do this to make your first hot tub soak in the rain an experience to never forget; fully commit to the experience. You need to motivate yourself for a good time.
Yes, you will definitely get wet, but most of your body is going to be submerged in water. Never look at the rain as something that reduces your time in the hot tub, but rather as something that will enhance your experience. Allow the sound of rainfall to add to the hydrotherapy massage you receive from your hot tub.
To make your walk out to the hot tub even more comfortable, follow these simple steps;
Plan Ahead
You should throw some bathrobes and towels in the dryer to warm them up in order for them to be toasty for you after your soak, plus they will feel amazing as you dry off. Ensure you keep them in a safe, dry place away from the rain. Also, wear some slippers or some shoes you do not mind getting wet, just so you do not slip over in the rain.
An hour or so before using your hot tub, you can head out with a test strip and balance your water while adding sanitizer as required to ensure that everyone using the hot tub with you is safe and comfortable.
Also, if you so prefer, you can invest in a ball cap to keep any rain off your face as you enjoy your hot tub. You could also get an umbrella that simply hangs over the hot tub. Having a moisturizer that is designed for cold weather handy will go a good way to protect your skin from cracking.
Enjoy a Warm Drink
A steaming warm drink like cocoa, tea, or coffee will help keep you warm inside while your hot tub keeps you warm outside. However, ensure that you keep your drink in a stainless-steel thermos and not glass as broken glass and a hot tub does not go too well together.
For the full rainy night in October experience, we recommend you making a Starbucks run and getting some pumpkin spice lattes.
Get Comfy and Enjoy
With your hot tub balanced and ready, a lovely hot drink by your side, and the knowledge of lovely warm towels and robes waiting for you as you get out. You can seat back, relax and let the hot tub waters and the soothing sound of rain falling around you wash away the day’s stress. Be sure to post some selfies so others not so brave and adventurous as you can know what they are missing out on!
Is it Safe to Use a Hot Tub During a Thunderstorm?
A great advantage of hot tubs is that they are designed for use in almost all weather conditions. One of the great joys of having a hot tub is using it all year round in various weather and temperatures. Sitting in your gloriously warm hot tub in a snowstorm or in a rainstorm is really wonderful, relaxing, and breathtaking.
With the various weather conditions available, is it safe to use your hot tub in a thunderstorm? No, it is never safe to use a hot tub in a thunderstorm. This may seem like common sense but there are those who are not aware of the possible ramifications.
Water is a good conductor of electricity and as such a lightning strike in a hot tub will contain the electric charge to just the water in the hot tub and give you a serious electric shock. In the US alone 10 to 20 people a year suffer from injuries relating to a combination of lightning strikes and use of domestic water.
There seems to be some confusion on how safe it is to be around water during some storms and people are unknowingly putting their selves in harm’s way. Even if the storm is still miles away and has not gotten close to you yet, it is still a good idea to not be in the hot tub. This is due to the fact that lightning can strike up to ten miles away from the storm center.
This advice also applies to indoor hot tubs as lightning can pass through electric lines and plumbing. So if you hear the distant rumblings of a thunderstorm, it is best to be out of the hot tub
Is it Bad to Get Rainwater in a Hot Tub?
Getting rainwater in your hot tub should not be any cause for concern. It will happen a lot when you begin to enjoy warm soaks during rainstorms. Nevertheless, it might affect the chemical balance of your water.
You will need to check the water chemistry regularly to ensure that it is balanced. Even though rainwater is not in any way bad for your hot tub, it will compel you to do some extra maintenance to make sure you are soaking in clean water.
The rainwater in North America is slightly acidic with a pH ranging from about 5.0 to 5.6. This is why rainwater for most of the time can cause pH levels to rise and the total alkalinity levels to fall. When your pH levels are not balanced, you can experience discomfort in the form of skin or eye irritation.
High pH levels could cause calcium buildup, which in turn can make your water cloudy and cause scale to form. The calcium buildup could also cause yellow flecks to appear in your hot tub’s water and furthermore affect your hot tub’s jet performance. You can easily lower your pH levels by using pH reducers like SpaChoice.
Although most of the time light rainfall will likely affect the water chemistry temporarily, it will for the most part balance back to normal. However, if you want to avoid rainwater from entirely getting into the hot tub, there are a few choices for you;
- Get a large umbrella. There are some umbrellas that are designed specifically for hot tubs and they will cover the hot tub entirely and protect its water from rain. An example of this is made by Abba. This is a choice product that you can easily angle in the direction of the sun or rain and with steel poles that are bronze coated, windy conditions will not break it.
- Purchase water or weatherproof cover. These are covers you can simply flip up over any hot tubs. Most hot tubs come with weatherproof equipment and parts.
Can You Get Electrocuted in a Hot Tub During a Storm?
Yes, there is a real risk of electrocution if you use your hot tub during and immediately after a thunderstorm. Getting electrocuted in a hot tub is a very common hot tub accident.
Most hot tub owners buy their own private hot tub to use whenever they want. While use during light precipitation as discussed earlier in this article is not bad, if the light rainfall takes turns into a thunderstorm, you will need to get yourself and anyone else out of the hot tub.
Lightning is a naturally occurring electric current and water is one of the excellent conductors of electricity. If lightning strikes a hot tub the current of electricity will be concentrated within a 15 – 20 foot radius of the striking point. This large radius not only includes the hot tub but its surrounding area as well. So even a person outside of the tub could get a jolt of electricity.
Even though the National Weather Service, estimates the odds of getting struck by lightning at about 1 in 1,222,000 in a given year and the odds of getting stuck in your life as only 1 in 15,300 but these odds rise if you happen to be in a hot tub when lightning strikes. And with the mortality rate of lightning strikes being only 10%, you might survive it but this would leave you susceptible to many disabilities from your injuries.
Do Hot Tubs Attract Lightning?
You can be hit by lightning while in a hot tub and even though a hot tub will not necessarily “attract” the lightning to it, it will definitely conduct the electricity very well once it is hit which could cause electrocution to anyone in the water.
Lightning is normally attracted to the tallest structure in its vicinity so, if you are sitting out in the open, then you could possibly be hit before the hot tub gets hit. Still, if you are in your garden or backyard, chances are that the lightning will strike the house or a tree than strike the hot tub.
Neither is a great option as you are still a sitting duck in the hot tub if a bit of falling wood or masonry is a result of the lightning strike.
This same problem can occur if you are under a large umbrella or canopy or some other structure in your hot tub. There is a risk of the structure being hit and falling onto you or a lightning strike being conducted by the mains supply or plumbing network.
Should I Unplug My Hot Tub in a Thunderstorm?
It is a good idea to unplug the hot tub during a thunderstorm, after all, you are not going to be using it if you paid attention to parts of this article. Or you might want to trip the breakers to make sure the hot tub is completely off.
It is always good to disconnect electronics during thunderstorms as they are susceptible to surges and if you are not home when the storm hits a surge protector will have you covered.