Hot Tub Energy Efficiency
Running an energy efficient hot tub is important. Following the basic steps for hot tub energy efficiency will have a significant impact on your utility bill.
A Matter of Degrees
Set your temperature to 102 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. A couple of extra degrees can really save energy (and money!) over time.
Control Your Controls
Use your technologically advanced control system to heat hot tub water to a specific temperature during preset time periods. For example, set controls to warm the tub water to 102 degrees Fahrenheit between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and preset a lower temperature during remaining hours. Most hot tub manufacturers refer to this temperature control feature as their “economy” setting. If your hot tub does not have an updated digital control system, consider an affordable upgrade.
Cover Up
The hot tub cover is your most significant energy saving option. Heat rises, so your hot tub cover can have an enormous impact on heating costs. Replace your hot tub cover if it gets heavier over time, which means it’s taking on moisture and losing insulating value. Consider a replacement cover with more advanced insulation for greater energy savings.
Floating Insulation
Consider adding a floating insulation blanket to keep heat in and cut down on evaporation.
Clean Filters
Clean and replace filters often for maximum hot tub energy efficiency. Dirty filters can strain the equipment and cause your hot tub to use excess energy.
Draining your hot tub:
Consult your local hot tub dealer you purchased the tub from or the professionals you have a service contract with concerning your hot tub maintenance.
Why you would have to drain your hot tub:
As you add chemicals they are adding to the saturation of the hot tub’s water. It’s like the high school chemistry experiment where you add a tablespoon of sugar to a glass of water and it dissolves. As you continue to add more tablespoons, they start to dissolve slower and slower until the sugar doesn’t dissolve and drops to the bottom of the glass. That water is saturated. You will notice the similar results, as the hot tub’s water gets “older”. The water will start to get hazy and you might even experience grit on the shell.
A spa contains a much smaller amount of water than a pool—and the more people you add, the more “leave behinds” in a smaller volume of water. One of the many benefits of using a hot tub is that you detoxify your body through sweating. The sweat is removing all of the, deodorant, lotion, perfume, etc. which doesn’t dilute very well and can lead to foaming and/or cloudy water.
Temperature plays a big part. Spas are kept very hot and this effects what you need to do to keep your water clean and clear. As the hot water evaporates, it leaves behind any added solids: chemicals, bather waste, etc. all adding to the saturation of the water.
As the hot tub water gets older and the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) raises you will notice your filter may need to be cleaned more often. The filter is trapping the partially dissolved solids that can reduce the energy efficiency of the hot tub’s heater.
You should be testing the water regularly anyhow. If the water stays in balance, you should be able to make the 3-4-month mark before you need to drain and change. If you have consistently cloudy water, grit, or an odor develops, it’s time to drain the water.
Whenever you bring a water sample to Pettis Pools ask for a TDS test, it only takes a couple of seconds.
Find out how much water is in your spa. (Roughly: 2-seater spa holds 200 gallons, 7ft x 7ft hot tub holds 300 gallons, 8ft X 8ft hot tub holds 400 gallons)
The next thing you need to know is the ‘bather load’ of your spa—how many people use it and how often.
Now you can use the formula, take the gallons of water divided by the average number of people in the spa for a 20-minute session each day, divided by 12. That gives you the number of days between each water change. (For a typical family spa, this formula should yield about every three months)
When you decide to drain your hot tub, take the time to give the plumbing and jets a thorough cleaning. A spa with clean plumbing gives you clearer, fresher water and better circulation. Add a flush product to the water before you drain and run the pumps on high speed for about 20 minutes. We stock everything you need. Just be aware, if your spa hasn’t been cleaned for a while this will probably flush a lot of dirt into your water that can be thrown out when you drain.
