Can I use a hot tub in the rain?
Yes, you can use a hot tub in the rain as long as there is no lightning or thunderstorms due to electric shock. Rainwater can affect the pH of the spa water if too much of it gets into the hot tub. The pH of rainwater is between 5.0 and 5.5, so it can make the water more acidic. So, ensure that if it’s raining heavily to not use the spa for a long time.
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During the rainy months of the year, I sometimes wonder if it’s dangerous to use a hot tub while it’s raining.
I did some research about using a spa in the rain and this is what I found…
Using a hot tub in the rain gives your joints and muscles a soothing experience of the warm water as your mind relaxes from the light showers on your face. If you get such an incredible experience, soaking in the rain could turn to be your favorite activity. I need to explore this topic further and see if any safety issues should concern you.
It would help if you also learned the tips that will help you enjoy soaking in the rain to acquire the maximum benefits.
Let’s get started!
Can You Use a Hot Tub in the Rain?
I have seen that you can use a hot tub in the rain. This is fantastic news if you like using your hot tub around the year, whether cold or hot, rainy or sunny.
You’ll be lucky to enjoy the experience of your hot tub if it is placed right outside your door. But it doesn’t harm to walk a few steps from your house to reach the hot tub.
I understand that convincing yourself to walk amid the showers of rainfall to the hot tub is not easy. Nevertheless, you will never feel the unique soaking experience in the rain if you don’t give it a try.
Fight the fear of the cold weather and the freezing rainfall and take the bold step into the hot tub. Remember that you will not feel the cold soon as you sit in the spa. You’ll enjoy therapeutic healing as the light showers fall on your face.
The rainwater that falls in your hot tub is too minimal to raise the alarm on the temperatures of your hot tub. However, I shall later see that using a hot tub in a thunderstorm can cause electric shock. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure that there are no thunderstorms if you decide to soak in your hot tub when it is raining.
Is it Safe to Use a Hot Tub in The Rain?
Using the hot tub in the rain is entirely safe. It’s also soothing and healthy. There’s nothing you need to be worried about when soaking in the rainfall unless you’re directly under a thunderstorm. Do not use your spa in a thunderstorm.
But there are a few things you need to increase your safety and experience in the hot tub when it’s raining. The most significant concern that most people express is coldness. You must remember that you will be soaking in hot water, and the outside temperatures may not affect you significantly. Still, you can wear a warm robe and carry an umbrella to shield yourself. The light showers that splash on your face may not affect your health in any way but improve your therapeutic experience when you soak.
Another concern is walking along the slippery floor into the hot tub. It is good to wear slippers and walk in a hurry. Wearing the slippers will ensure that you do not fall and get an injury. However, this might be unnecessary if your hot tub is just right outside your backyard door.
Other items you could carry to stay safe when soaking in the rain include a hat or an umbrella. The umbrella will help shield you from rainfall as you walk to the hot tub.
An umbrella will also help cover your drink, shoes, slippers, and robe when going to the spa. Make sure you protect your skin if the outside weather is freezing. If you do these things, I assure you that it will be safe to use a hot tub in the rain.
Stop wasting time and money with hot tub maintenance and confusing water chemistry! Get Instant access to this easy-to-use book and video course so you can spend less time cleaning and more time soaking.
Learn MoreIs it Safe to Use a Hot Tub in a Thunderstorm?
No, you should not use a hot tub in a thunderstorm if the spa is not covered or protected in any way. Suppose you have a permanent structure such as a fully enclosed gazebo surrounding the hot tub. In that case, using the spa in a thunderstorm is fine. However, if your spa is directly exposed to the sky, lightning becomes a significant hazard.
The idea of using a hot tub when there’s a thunderstorm must never cross your mind. I know some people might ignore this warning and soak amid a thunderstorm. But electrocution is a real risk. When you hear a thunderstorm, then lightning is also present. The lightning can strike your hot tub because the spa water is a conductor. In the next subtopic, I shall explore the risks of lightning to hot tub users.
Can You Get Struck by Lightning in a Hot Tub?
Yes, you can get struck by lightning in a hot tub in extreme cases if the hot tub is fully exposed to a thunderstorm. If there are no tall structures near the hot tub and the cover is lifted off, lightning can become a significant hazard. The best way to avoid this is to protect the hot tub with a gazebo or other permanent covering and keep the spa close to the home.
It can be very romantic to soak in the hot tub when it is raining. But you should not use the spa when there’s lightning. Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from the spot where the storm is happening. Thus, listen for the signs of thunderstorms even from the furthest distance. If you sense a storm coming, leave the spa alone until it passes by.
Lightning gets attracted to the tallest objects, and your hot tub water does not attract lightning. When you are out in a vast open space sitting up in the hot tub, there are high chances that you’re serving as the tallest object in the vicinity. Thus, you will be risking getting struck by lightning.
However, a hot tub located in the backyard with trees and the house has a lower chance of attracting lightning. In such a case, the house or the trees could be struck by lightning and leave your hot tub safe. But this does not make soaking in the hot tub when the lightning strikes to be safe. You’ll still be subjected to the risk of falling tree branches from the lightning strike effects.
Is Rainwater Bad for a Hot Tub?
Rainwater can be bad for a hot tub in large amounts. So if it’s raining heavily for a long time, closing the spa is ideal. The general rule of thumb is to maintain the hot tub water at a pH of between 7.4 and 7.6. When it is raining, the rainwater will mix with the hot tub water from the surface. The pH of the rainwater is usually 5.0 and 5.5. Depending on the intensity and the rainfall duration, the spa water pH can be affected.
Rainwater can affect the chemical balance of your hot tub. This means that it will be necessary to check the pH levels in your hot tub regularly.
But this is not to say that rainwater is terrible for your hot tub. No, the only bad thing about it is that you will be required to keep maintaining your hot tub’s chemical balance.
North America receives acidic rainfall. When the rain falls into the hot tub, the acidity increases as the total alkalinity decreases. Unbalanced pH levels in the hot tub could affect the jet performance, scale build-up, and cloudiness in the hot tub water.
The specific cause of these effects is usually Calcium build-up. But the light showers of rainfall affect the chemical balance temporarily before everything gets back to normal.
Check out our full article on how to raise pH in a hot tub for more information.
Consider Using a Water Care Monitor
Monitoring the health of your hot tub can often be challenging if you are not testing the water on a regular basis. This can also be a problem if you go on holiday or you are unable to take care of your hot tub due to mobility issues.
Bluelab PENPH pH Pen Tester tests the pH of your water with extreme precision.
This pH tester comes with an easy-to-read LCD display, double junction probe, temperature reading, and long-lasting batteries.
If you’re worried about the pH of your spa, this product will help resolve pH problems.
How do I Protect my Hot Tub in the Rain?
To protect your hot tub from rainwater, buy a small enclosure such as a gazebo or an umbrella, and protect the spa with a waterproof cover. When it’s raining, you will flip the cover over the hot tub to prevent the rainwater from mixing in the hot tub. Don’t let too much rainwater get into the spa if you plan on using it. After you are done using the spa, remember to close the cover tightly.
For some great ideas to protect your hot tub and make it more private, check out our full article on hot tub privacy.
I recommend the ULTCOVER Waterproof square cover to protect your hot tub from rainwater when you’re not using it.
If you’re looking for a simple yet sturdy gazebo to help enclose your hot tub, check out this Sun Shelter from Sojag.
Tips to Enjoy Your Hot Tub in the Rain
Here are some tips to enjoy your hot tub while it’s raining.
If you would like to know more about how you can enjoy your hot tub in the rain, check out this great article from backyardscape.com.
Warming your Towel and Bathrobe
Warming your towel and bathrobe is not part of your daily practices. When it is raining, you can do this to acquire a soothing and wonderful sensual experience. You can do so by sticking your bathrobe in the drier for a few minutes and put them on immediately.
If you’re looking for a great spa robe as a gift I recommend this robe from Turquaz Linen.
Covering Your Face Under an Umbrella When Soaking
You can choose to bypass the experience of the showers of rainwater from your face with an umbrella. Close your eyes and take a deep breath as you connect the sounds of raindrops with nature. You will get a deep therapeutic feeling that would make you prioritize soaking in the rainfall.
I recommend this simple Umbrella Canopy from Firnisa Covers to help protect you from the sun and the rain.
Drinking Something Warm
Taking a warm drink will ensure that both your outside and the inner body benefits from the warm healing experience. Indeed, it is one of the reasons I recommend carrying a drink into the hot tub even when it’s not raining.
Make yourself a hot cup of coffee or chocolate for your enjoyment when soaking. Remember to carry the drink into a stainless bottle because it will help maintain your drink’s temperatures. Besides, the risk of breaking a glass bottle is higher when it is raining.
Moisturizing Your Face
Putting a moisturizer on your face is necessary if it is freezing outside. It is also essential for you to know your skin is susceptible to harsh weather. In such cases, ensure you put a moisturizer that protects your face from severe weather. Try not to get any moisturizer into the spa water, and if you need to wipe your face, use a small hand towel while in the hot tub.
Add Hot Tub Aromatherapy
Hot tub aromatherapy is a natural therapy using oils and salt crystals to medically improve your health, mind, and spirit while enhancing your emotional health as you relax in your spa. Aromatherapy uses natural plant extract to promote well-being while adding a nice scent to your hot tub. There are many different aromatherapy scents to choose from, including lavender, lemon, and jasmine.
Check out our full article on hot tub aromatherapy for more information.
Hot Tub in the Rain: Conclusion
It’s now clear that you can use a hot tub in the rain. It gives you a fantastic experience and additional therapy from the light showers of raindrops as they fall on your face.
I have also seen that it is safe to use a hot tub in the rain. But you must wear slippers to prevent slipping and falling. Unfortunately, you cannot use a hot tub when there are lightning and thunderstorms.
Although rainwater is not harmful to a hot tub, it can cause a chemical imbalance that can affect your skin and the hot tub. But you can use a hot tub umbrella or cover to shield the hot tub from rainfall.
Make sure you warm your robe and towel to enjoy your soaking. You could also take a warm drink and moisturize your face against the harsh weather.
I hope you found this article about using a hot tub in the rain helpful.
Thanks for visiting spatoolkit.com
James Brockbank
Stop wasting time and money with hot tub maintenance and confusing water chemistry! Get Instant access to this easy-to-use book and video course so you can spend less time cleaning and more time soaking.
Learn More