Enjoying your hot tub when it’s hot outside

When a classic British summer heatwave hits, getting into a hot tub might be the last thing on your mind. Many owners assume that a spa is strictly a cooler weather luxury and don’t make the most of their hot tub in the summer. However, with a few quick adjustments, your hot tub can easily become the ultimate summer relaxing sanctuary. Don’t miss out on your garden oasis just because the temperature is rising. Here is how to enjoy your spa all summer long.

Turn down the heat

The easiest way to transform your hot tub into a refreshing summer retreat is to lower the thermostat. Dropping the temperature down to the low 30s, or even into the high 20s, creates a soothing spa that instantly cools you down on a stifling day. You get all the benefits of the hydrotherapy massage pumps without overheating, making it the perfect spot to relax with a cold drink. While it might be tempting to go even colder (and you absolutely can), choosing a temperature around 30°C is a great balance that allows you to feel cool, whilst still staying in your spa for a prolonged period of time.

Go colder still

If you have an Air Source Heat Pump, you might even be able to get your water even cooler. Most air source heat pumps fitted to hot tubs can also act as chillers and have the capacity to cool water as well as heat it. This means you can get your water colder than the ambient temperature and beat thermal creep. With a heat pump you will be able to set your water chilling as low as your hot tub settings allow which is normally around 15°C. This is recommended as a beginner / intermediate temperature for an ice bath so plenty cold enough for most! A great way to build in some contrast therapy and cool off in the heat.

Note: air source heat pumps themselves can often be set as low as 3°C but it’s best to match your minimum hot tub settings to protect components. if you set the heat pump lower than the hot tub minimum settings, you will find your hot tub goes into winter protection mode and changes how it’s filters and pumps the water.

Change up your soaking schedule

If the afternoon heat feels a bit too intense, simply shift your hot tub time to the bookends of the day. Lounging in the spa during a crisp summer morning is a fantastic way to wake up, while an evening soak allows you to unwind as the air naturally cools down. Nighttime soaking also lets you take full advantage of your spa’s LED light therapy systems; the glowing water has known positive impacts on your mood and mental relaxation after a long day.

Keep an eye on bather hydration

When you are relaxing in the spa, the warm breeze and massage jets can mask how much your body is actually sweating. It is incredibly easy to become subtly dehydrated while soaking on a hot day. Make it a habit to bring a large bottle of chilled water, fresh lemonade, or fruit-infused water out to the tub with you, and save the alcoholic drinks until after you’ve finished your soak to avoid getting dizzy or lightheaded.

Reduce the time, but enjoy the massage

You don’t need to stay in for hours to feel the benefits. Shorter, 15-minute hydrotherapy sessions in cooler water are fantastic for relieving summer fatigue, easing tense muscles, and lowering your heart rate after an active day in the garden. You get all the restorative muscle recovery of the premium jets without draining your physical energy in the heat.

Elevate the vibe with summer aromatherapy

Nothing seals the deal on a relaxing summer evening quite like the right scent. Traditional bath products can wreak havoc on your spa’s filtration and chemistry, but dedicated hot tub crystals are completely safe to use. Adding a scoop of a refreshing, summer-inspired fragrance—like eucalyptus, crisp citrus, or tropical fruit—instantly elevates your soak into a true spa experience.

At 1 Stop Spas, we stock premium aromatherapy salts that 100% hot tub safe. These crystals are specifically formulated to infuse your water with long-lasting fragrance, skin-moisturising botanicals, and stress-relieving magnesium sulphates without affecting your pH levels or clouding up your water. Drop by our showroom or check out our online shop to grab a jar and find your favourite summer scent!

Watch out for “thermal creep” (and why you must keep the cover on)

When it’s scorching outside, it can be incredibly tempting to leave your hot tub cover off to let excess heat escape. Don’t do this! An open hot tub is a magnet for leaves, bugs, and organic garden debris, which quickly exhausts your sanitiser and clogs your filters. The UV rays will also burn off free-chlorine resulting in you using more chlorine or bromine in your spa. Furthermore, your spa’s internal acrylic shell is not designed to be exposed to prolonged, direct UV sunlight, which can cause costly cosmetic damage over time.

Instead, leave the cover securely closed, but be prepared to combat thermal creep. This is a natural phenomenon, especially highly insulated premium spas, such as our American Whirlpool and Icelandic Wellness ranges, where heat is retained so efficiently that the heat generated by the pumps combined with ambient outdoor temperatures warms the water up past your set temperature. If this happens, try setting your thermostat a few degrees lower than your target temperature to compensate.

On some spas, like American Whirlpool, you can remove the centre heat-seal pads (or pillows) to allow some heat to vent out. These are the small pads on the edges of the centre fold of your cover. Simply undo the velcro pouch, slide out the foam block, and your cover will safely vent excess ambient heat while remaining firmly locked down against debris and sunlight!