How to Drain a Hot Tub Easily Using a Drain Garden Hose

Last Updated: May 11, 2022

A hot tub is a relaxing way to wind down, but they also require a good amount of maintenance. Draining your hot tub doesn't have to be overwhelming. You can use a garden hose to do the job quickly and cleanly. This article explains how to drain a hot tub using a garden hose, with as little fuss as possible. The idea is to create a basic siphon, which will let gravity do the work for you.

1

Connect the Hose

Connect the hose to the water bib (that's the faucet on the side of your house). Put the open end into the hot tub, and start filling the hot tub. The idea here is to fill the hose with water completely, with minimal air bubbles in the line.^{[1]
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2

Turn Off the Water

Once you've got flow into the tub, turn off the water at the hose bibb. Keep the hose end in the hot tub submerged, or you'll have to refill the hose with water!^{[2]
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3

Stop Water Flow

Bend a kink into the hose a couple feet below the connection to the hose bibb. This seals the water inside the hose, more or less.^{[3]
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4

Disconnect the Hose

Disconnect the hose from the faucet. You'll have to hold the kink in the hose until you get the tail end (the end you're holding) below the level of the hot tub. This is where gravity comes into play.^{[4]
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5

Resume Water Flow

Once you've got the end you're holding (still kinked) below the level of the hot tub, and you're in your pre-selected location for where you want the water to go, let the end of the hose un-kink. The water will start flowing. You've just created a siphon!^{[5]
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- Water "seeks it's own level", which is how this system works. The water pressure in the hot tub essentially pushes the water out the hose, because the open end of the hose is lower than the level of the water in the hot tub. Yes, the water has to go up and over the edge of the tub, but here's the neat part––because the hose was full of water, the water inside the hose creates suction at the end inside the tub, which pulls the water over the edge, and flows down the line.

6

Remove the Water

Remove the water. Wipe down and dry the hot tub and store/cover as suggested by the manufacturer.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I have to unplug it?

Community Answer

In most cases you will not have to unplug anything. You can just drain it as is. It is best to drain it at least twice a year and after winter.