How To Deflate Lazy Spa

How to deflate a Lazy Spa the correct way

Lazy Spa – or, more properly, Lay-Z-Spa – hot tubs are fantastic for a few reasons. One of those is easy take-down and storage. But many first-time users get stuck working out how to deflate a Lazy Spa the correct way.

Because it looks deceptively simple. But if you don’t do it right, you’re likely it find a mouldy broken mess instead of a cool relaxation station the next time you come to use your spa!

So you know how to drain your Lazy Spa and now you need to know how to deflate a Lazy Spa (Lay-Z-Spa) so that it stays in great condition over winter or between uses:

Why do you need to deflate a Lazy Spa?

It’s worth remembering that hot tubs aren’t designed to be used in really cold temperatures. Super chilly conditions aren’t exactly something that humans are designed for either, so you’ll probably want to deflate your good old Lazy Spa and store it somewhere safe at least over the worst of winter.

There are a few general things to bear in mind here:

  • You can use your tub all year round, but ideally keep it covered, sheltered, and off the ground. Do test the ambient temperature if you want to avoid problems.
  • Your pump is the most important component, with the rest of the heating system being just as vulnerable. If your pump ever freezes, your tub might be toast. Ice-cold toast.
  • You should never store or use your tub below 4°C, which is common in the UK during winter (and, to be fair, some other times of year too!).

Inflatable hot tub

How to deflate a Lazy Spa the correct way

Deflating a Lazy Spa so that it’s safe and won’t be damaged by storage calls for a bit of thought and care:

1) Deal with the pump

Remember that your hot tub pump is the most important component. You want to make caring for it your top priority before you put your tub away.

First up, disconnect the pump – turn it off and unplug it. Then remove the filter housing and chemical feed, placing the provided caps over the debris screens. You can then unscrew the couplings and remove the pump from the main body of the tub.

  1. Rinse – flush the pump through with clean water or use your garden hose to backwash it.
  2. Drain – upend your pump and make sure there’s no water left inside.
  3. Air and hand dry – attach the inflation hose to the water inlets and activate the air jets to air-dry the interior of the pump. Finish off by drying a little more by hand.

2) Drain and clean your hot tub

Before you deflate your Lazy Spa, you need to completely drain it of water and give it a good clean. There are two outlets to watch here, so read carefully before you start!

Start by locating the first outlet pipe. Attach a hose via the supplied adapter. Make sure your hose is directed to a drain (you don’t want the water in your tub to get into your soil as it’s chemically-unbalanced enough to kill plants and grass) and remove the interior cap from the outlet pipe. The water will then begin draining out.

At a certain point, the water level will be lower than the first outlet pipe. Then it’s time to locate the drain outlet underneath the tub and repeat the process. Finally, you can lift and flip your tub to empty the last dregs of water.

Then comes the cleaning process. Don’t skimp here if you want your Lay-Z-Spa to be in full working order next time you come to use it:

  • Use soapy water or a specific antibacterial cleaning product
  • Make sure you clean every part of your tub – interior, exterior, lid, and cover
  • Give the filter a special clean and rinse through
  • Rinse with clean water and wipe down after cleaning
  • Dry thoroughly, making sure no parts are concealing damp areas

3) Deflate your Lazy Spa

Finally, we’re here! It’s time to deflate your Lazy Spa. To do this, first double-check that your tub is completely dry. Next, you have two choices for the actual deflation:

  1. Manual – locate the inflation nozzle you used to inflate the tub in the first place and turn the outer ring to the left (anticlockwise). It will take a while for your Lazy Spa to deflate. Be sure to squeeze out all the air at the end.
  2. Assisted – use the T Joint and Air Jet devices (if your spa came with them or you’ve purchased them) to speed up the time it takes to deflate your tub.

In the end then, working out how to deflate a Lazy Spa is relativity simple. The important bits largely happen before, making sure your tub is drained and cleaned with a good spa vacuum cleaner before you deflate and store.

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