Your hot tub cover is probably the most important, and yet the most underappreciated, part of your spa. Let’s be honest – it’s not all that pretty. It’s a little bulky. If you don’t have a cover lifter, it can be kind of difficult to move around. It’s just not something you spend a lot of time thinking about, really.

But woe unto you. Your cover keeps dirt and debris OUT of your hot tub, and it keeps the warmth IN. Just try to imagine your hot tub without it.

With proper care, a hot tub cover will last for a few years. But here in Florida, with our weather extremes, cover life does tend to be a little shorter. The point being that, eventually, you’re going to have to replace it. You’ll know it’s time for a new cover when:

• the cover is sagging in the middle, instead of lying flat
• the vinyl is punctured, torn or cracked
• the cover has grown heavier over time (That means it’s retaining water because the vapor barrier has degraded.)
• it smells moldy or musty. (Mold may be growing inside the foam core.)

If your existing cover is showing any of these signs, it’s time to go cover shopping. If your cover is in good shape, you can wait until it’s given all it has to give before you replace it. That’s perfectly fine. Just understand that as your cover begins to degrade, you’ll begin to lose efficiency in your hot tub. Heat WILL escape, and dirt and debris WILL find their way in.

Your other options? Start shopping for a high-quality replacement now. Something designed to hold up to weather extremes or pretty much anything you can throw at it. Like a Covana hot tub cover.

• They’re fully automated, so you no longer have to struggle with the cover, and you no longer risk damaging the cover by removing and replacing it.
• They have a high insulating value.
• They also function as gazebos for privacy and instant shade – a welcome feature here in the Sunshine State.

Covana covers are available for hot tubs and swim spas. Stop by the showroom to learn more!