After you’ve made the decision to invest in a hot tub, your next question will likely be, “How much will this raise my electric bill?”
Although many factors go into the actual costs of running your spa, such as the size of your hot tub and frequency of use; you do have some control over your hot tub’s energy consumption.
As you will discover in this article, educating yourself on what to look for, and making smart investments, can greatly reduce your hot tub energy costs.
Insulation is the number one factor that affects energy efficiency
There are two types of insulation: full foam and thermal insulation. Over 70% of hot tubs built today are built the old-fashioned way–with full foam.
Although foam can be a good insulator, if there is a leak or repair that needs to be made, it becomes a nightmare to fix.
Thermal insulation uses layers of insulation material in the walls and base of the hot tub to trap the heat inside. Another benefit of this type of insulation is that it locks in the heat generated from the spa’s pumps and motors, a system called co-generated heat.
Thermal insulation is simply a smarter and more modern method for hot tub insulation.
All of our designer series hot tubs come with our unique ThermoInsulation system that consists of layers of insulated materials between the spa shell and the cabinet walls.
Independent tests have shown that ThermoSpas unique insulation system requires less kilowatts of energy than solid foam spas, making them less expensive to operate.
The importance of a good hot tub cover
Even though ThermoSpas hot tubs are well insulated on the walls and base, since heat rises, a good cover is also needed to reduce heat loss.
If your cover is waterlogged, or does not seal tight when closed–your hot tub is going to lose a substantial amount of heat, and subsequently use more energy.
The ThermoCovers designed by our engineers are 70% more energy efficient than industry standards. All you need to do is make sure that you replace your cover when
necessary to keep it working efficiently and saving you money.
Some of the signs you need a new cover:
- Your vinyl is cracked, torn, or dry
- The cover is sagging, extremely heavy, and waterlogged
- The cover has a musty, moldy smell
Any of these signs could mean you need a replacement cover. Call our customer care department for questions and orders: 1-800-876-0158 (Option 2).
Keep your filters clean
Dirty filters reduce the circulation of the spa water, causing the pump to work harder and the heater to run less efficiently.
To keep your filters working efficiently, clean them every one to three weeks, and replace them once every 3-4 months.
Keeping your filters clean is not only an easy way to save on energy costs, it also prolongs the life of your hot tub, and saves you time and money on chemical maintenance.
Follow this guide on cleaning and changing your hot tub filters.
Drastically reduce heating costs with one small investment
Investing in a thermal blanket is a small investment that will give great returns. Not only does a thermal blanket reduce energy costs, it extends the life of your cover, and reduces the amount of chemicals you use.
A thermal blanket floats on the surface of the hot tub water, underneath your cover. It reduces heat loss by adding another layer of heat protection, and it also slows down chemical evaporation.
More energy-saving hot tub tips:
- Use a timer. Set the heater to turn on 15-20 minutes before you are going to use the hot tub.
- Maintain a steady temperature. It costs more money to heat an entire spa that has been turned off for 4-5 days than it does to maintain a consistent temperature using economy mode.
- Use sleep mode when you know you aren’t going to be using the hot tub for an extended period
of time. - Reheat during reduced rate off-peak hours when you need to reheat your spa after draining.
Only drain your spa when necessary to save energy and water.
When approaching the subject of hot tub heating costs, it’s important to look at the bigger picture. If a small investment will save you money every month, it will add up to a substantial amount of savings over a period of years.
A hot tub representative can go more into detail about all the unique patented features that make ThermoSpas hot tubs a smarter energy-efficient choice.
Contact us today at 1-800-876-0158 or schedule a free site inspection online.
