Cold-ish Outside Temp An Issue With Filling New Spa?

[McAli]

Hi All-

We bought an Artesian Resort 840L from Watsons that's being delivered in a few (3) days (yay!). The electricity is being hooked up on the 18th or 19th. We really want the thing up & running by the 21st for a party we're having.

While reading the packet that we got when we paid for the beast, it said that we shouldn't fill it (first time, virgin fill) if the temp is to go below 35 degrees F. We live in Minneapolis... the projected low temps for this week are supposed to get down to 28 degrees!

Is this accepted knowledge? If so, are there any workarounds?

Thanks in advance...

-A

[Roger]

Hi All-

We bought an Artesian Resort 840L from Watsons that's being delivered in a few (3) days (yay!). The electricity is being hooked up on the 18th or 19th. We really want the thing up & running by the 21st for a party we're having.

While reading the packet that we got when we paid for the beast, it said that we shouldn't fill it (first time, virgin fill) if the temp is to go below 35 degrees F. We live in Minneapolis... the projected low temps for this week are supposed to get down to 28 degrees!

Is this accepted knowledge? If so, are there any workarounds?

Thanks in advance...

-A

If your filling it during the day or afternoon, and it's up and running over night you will be fine. Don't workaround it, just go right through it!!!

[McAli]

If your filling it during the day or afternoon, and it's up and running over night you will be fine. Don't workaround it, just go right through it!!!

Thanks so much... I was getting concerned; snow is in the forecast!

[Chas]

Thanks so much... I was getting concerned; snow is in the forecast!

And to answer a question you didn't ask:

"What about putting in hot water?"

This comes up from time to time, and this might be a good place to put some notes and warnings.

DON'T DO IT. IT CAN CAUSE TROUBLE.

BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY, THEN DO IT RIGHT:

Don't connect a garden hose to the spigot near the bottom of your waterheater. That is for cleaning out the tank, and it will do just that: clean out the crud from your waterheater right into your new tub. Hook up to a hot water tap instead - such as the one for your washing machine. Or use an adapter and connect at a sink.

Hooking up to the tank also limits the amount of hot water you will get since it draws the water out of the lower part of the tank.

Don't put in just hot water. You can melt things if your heater is set to max - which is 140 degrees for most home units. But if you have a boiler and heat-exchanger system, it may give you water that is even hotter than that if you tap in close to the unit.

In any event, if the water is over 108 degrees and it gets into the plumbing you can trip the tub's high-limit devices or go above the usual temp settings which can trigger shut-downs that will be different for each maker of tub.

What to do for the point above? Use two hoses - one from a cold water source and one from hot. Put in a good foot of cold water first, and then aim the flow of hot water into that area.

Keep an eye on the temp of the water - most folks don't have the patience to do this and the water ends up luke warm since there is only 40 gallons or so in most waterheaters. But if you keep stopping to let the waterheater reheat, you might end up with water that is above the high setting for your tub.

Be aware of soft water - many homes have soft water only on the hot water, or you may end up running soft water if you mix hot and cold from an inside faucet. Soft water should not be used to fill a tub - unless you carefully reset the hardness by adding "Calcium Hardness Increaser" or similar product as soon as the tub is filled and running. Some people do this anyway, but why add the step?

Be aware of time - if you keep stopping to let the waterheater reheat, you could end up taking four or five hours to fill your tub. Most 220 volt tubs will heat from cold in about that much time. If you are in freezing temps, you might buy yourself a couple of hours by putting in some hot water first, but still watch all the above warnings.

And keep in mind that even in freezing temperatures the water from your tap is generally going to be warm enough to get you going without fear of a freeze-up anyway.

[Roger]

And to answer a question you didn't ask:

"What about putting in hot water?"

This comes up from time to time, and this might be a good place to put some notes and warnings.

DON'T DO IT. IT CAN CAUSE TROUBLE.

BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY, THEN DO IT RIGHT:

Don't connect a garden hose to the spigot near the bottom of your waterheater. That is for cleaning out the tank, and it will do just that: clean out the crud from your waterheater right into your new tub. Hook up to a hot water tap instead - such as the one for your washing machine. Or use an adapter and connect at a sink.

Hooking up to the tank also limits the amount of hot water you will get since it draws the water out of the lower part of the tank.

Don't put in just hot water. You can melt things if your heater is set to max - which is 140 degrees for most home units. But if you have a boiler and heat-exchanger system, it may give you water that is even hotter than that if you tap in close to the unit.

In any event, if the water is over 108 degrees and it gets into the plumbing you can trip the tub's high-limit devices or go above the usual temp settings which can trigger shut-downs that will be different for each maker of tub.

What to do for the point above? Use two hoses - one from a cold water source and one from hot. Put in a good foot of cold water first, and then aim the flow of hot water into that area.

Keep an eye on the temp of the water - most folks don't have the patience to do this and the water ends up luke warm since there is only 40 gallons or so in most waterheaters. But if you keep stopping to let the waterheater reheat, you might end up with water that is above the high setting for your tub.

Be aware of soft water - many homes have soft water only on the hot water, or you may end up running soft water if you mix hot and cold from an inside faucet. Soft water should not be used to fill a tub - unless you carefully reset the hardness by adding "Calcium Hardness Increaser" or similar product as soon as the tub is filled and running. Some people do this anyway, but why add the step?

Be aware of time - if you keep stopping to let the waterheater reheat, you could end up taking four or five hours to fill your tub. Most 220 volt tubs will heat from cold in about that much time. If you are in freezing temps, you might buy yourself a couple of hours by putting in some hot water first, but still watch all the above warnings.

And keep in mind that even in freezing temperatures the water from your tap is generally going to be warm enough to get you going without fear of a freeze-up anyway.

A typical hot water heater will be empty so fast that it won't even make a dent in a good sized hot tub so don't even bother with it. Been there done that.