Hot Tub During Winter? Help!

[mrsrossisme]

Hi,

This will be my first winter with a hot tub. We are new owners of this home, and don't see ourselves using the hot tub too often in the colder months. Can you please offer some advice on maintaining the hot tub during the colder months? I don't want to go broke from the electric bill.

Thanks for any advice!

Amy

[cwb27]

I've been told/read a well maintained, proper fitting cover is one of the best things you can do to keep the bills down. Next to that, keeping the temperature down a few degrees can also make a difference.

Winter is prime hot tub season!

[djousma]

Winter is the ONLY time we use our hot tub. Just now fired it up for the winter here in Michigan. Come about mid-april, and freezing temps are done, it gets drained for the summer.

I look at the additional cost kinda like running the A/C in the summer. I set ours at 104 and leave it. If you only use the tub say once per week, then I would turn the tub down or use "economy mode" to save money. If you find yourself using the tub daily, or at least several times per week, then I would leave the temp up, as you will spend more money heating the tub everytime you want to use it vs, maintaining the temp.

As for how much it costs, you will have to experiment. If it is a newer tub, they are pretty economical - maybe $30 month. if older, then its anyone's guess.

[Dnepr Dave]

We use our spa 3 to 5 times a week, year round. Winter is fun, especially when there's snow!

Dave

[NoSuitsAllowed]

I plan to use mine all winter as well... but are there any concerns with water in the drain plumbing freezing? (I assume it's not circulated with the rest of the water?)

[mrsrossisme]

Thanks for the information! I believe the tub is about 7 years old. I'm not sure if that's considered old or not.

[soakmyfeet]

If you can get away with it, keep the cover half open while only 1-2 people are in it, which minimizes heat loss from evaporation off the surface of half the tub. I also keep the temp down to 101 or 102 when not in it, then turn up to 103 when I get in. At 35-40 degress, it takes my J 345 7 ft tub about 15 min to heat up 2 degrees with cover open. Also helps to lower the temp a few degrees (just so heater doesn't come on) while you have the cover open adding/gassing off chemicals, and to only open 1/2 the cover for chemical additions. If you do use your tub in the cold weather, get yoursef a very thick, long turkish terry bathrobe (Lands End sells them). It is my favorite thing I own except for the hot tub. I put it in the dryer for 5 min while I rinse off before going out to the tub. When I put it on, it is toasty warm and snuggly to go out in the cold, and covers to the top of my feet. When I get out of the tub, it is cooled off, but I am so hot it is fine to put a cool robe on. It dries me off and shleters me from the wind better than a towel would, and frees my arms to close the cover and open the door to the house quickly so that I can skidaddle back inside where it's warm. Just wish I had a way to keep my feet warm going to and from the tub in cold weather...but that's why we're considering putting the tub in a sunroom. I hate cold feet!

Amanda

[stryker709]

No question, as most have already stated, the winter is the absolutely best time to hot tub! There is nothing like sitting in a hot tub with a cigar at -15 while the snow is falling an seeing someone shovel their driveway! The coldest I have been in the hot tub is around -33.

[Spanky]

Most of the heat loss of a Hot Tub is from the top. This is where a quality cover pays for itself. In addition to a cover you can also install a "Blanket" which reduces the heat loss even further The cost of using a tub in cold weather will depend on several factors including usage patterns, quality of tub insulation and local hydro rates.

During the day our tub is closed up with the cover and blanket, while I wouldn't say the heater doesn't come on, it's use would be minimal. We use the tub at night and obviously that's when the heater demand is high. In our area we have "Smart Meters" which track both hydro usage and time of day. There is a substantial cost difference in $/kWhr between "Peak" (daytime) hours and "Off Peak" (nightime) so in our case just using the tub at night takes advantage of very low hydro rates.

All said and done I find winter to be the best time to use the tub but it's also the time when people find out that the "Bargan" price they got for a poor quality cover turns out to be "Penny Wise and Pound Foolish"

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Most of the heat loss of a Hot Tub is from the top.

That is true when its a well insulated spa. If the sides are not fully insulated then getting a good cover lessens the heat that escapes out the top but only does so much.