Just opened the side panel of the spa for the first time

[Guest Michael]

I just opened the side panel on my spa for the first time and took a look inside (the spa came with the house).

I did this mostly because my cover lifting device needed to be screwed into the sides of the spa, but I found that the sides of the spa couldn't support any screws/weight. It turns out that the spa sides are only a thin, wobbly sheet of wood and that the inside of my spa is basically hollow with a bunch of tubes running around in it. From this vantage point, the sides of the spa look like they have a thin (quarter inch) spraying of insulation on them, though there are certainly "bare" spots without insulation.

Is this lack of any appreciable insulation normal? Is this why my electric bills were $100 higher in the wintertime than in the summertime despite my not using any additional electrical appliances (no electric heat) in the winter? I'm in New England, where it gets moderately cold.

I built in some framing inside the hot tub in order to have a firm base to attach the cover lifter to. Does one normally have to do this?

I was thinking of buying either some foam panel insulation or some generic home spray insulation and adding some insulation to the inside of my tub. Are there issues/risks I should be aware of, or is this not even likely to be worthwhile anyway?

Thanks!

Michael

[Guest eirc]

Don't think it would hurt Just make sure that your pump or pumps have air flow.

[Guest Chas]

Adding insulation will lower your operating costs. Having a good cover will too.

I have seed DIY insulation of many types. Some folks have put shipping pellets into trash bags and stuffed them into all the cavities of the spa, staying away from the equipment area. Others have spent a bunch of money buying spray foam kits and adding a 3" thick layer over the entire back of the spa. Still others have added hard foam boards to the inside of the cabinet.

All seemed to help. An easy way to check and see if you have improved the situation: shut off the spa and see how many degrees it drops. A more accurate way might be to see if the tub can maintain temp with a shorter heating time - if that can be programmed on your tub.

[Guest Michael]

Thanks for the tips. I did buy the 6"-4" cover from rhtubs a few weeks ago and expect it to arrive in the next week or so. I like the trash-bag idea -- I'll probably attempt to do something along those lines sometime soon. Are there fire-hazard risks involved?

-Michael

[Guest Jim Arjuna]

The trash bag idea is not a good one. It is much better to install outer wall insulation.

If you want to know how to do it, email me.

[Guest Bret Bisaillon]

I am in the EXACT same position. I ordered the EXACT same cover from rhtubs yesterday with an R rating of 21 and am spending time today looking at spray foam insulation for the inside of the unit.. I found a product called Versa-Foam *System 15 (16 Cubic Feet of 1.75 PCF density foam) which will cost about 250.00.

http://www.bestmaterials.com/RHH_Foam.aspx

I am hesitant to do this 1) because of the cost, and 2) because I don't know if my adding this insulation will interfere with the engineering of my spa. I also don't know how much insulation to add. Should I avoid spraying near/on the inner tubes and the underside of each jet where they meet the spa walls? Obviously I will not spray near the control panel or the pumps but how will i know what is an "approprate amount of air flow" near the pumps? Further, I am questioning whether or not installing this foam will cause problems if I need to have repairs done in the future (which I have already had to do because of leaks, etc.)

I am very interested in the idea about installing outer wall insulation and am hoping someone can provide instructions.

Any answers, comments, advise, or instructions will be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Bret

[some help]

I am in the EXACT same position. I ordered the EXACT same cover from rhtubs yesterday with an R rating of 21 and am spending time today looking at spray foam insulation for the inside of the unit.. I found a product called Versa-Foam *System 15 (16 Cubic Feet of 1.75 PCF density foam) which will cost about 250.00.

http://www.bestmaterials.com/RHH_Foam.aspx

I am hesitant to do this 1) because of the cost, and 2) because I don't know if my adding this insulation will interfere with the engineering of my spa. I also don't know how much insulation to add. Should I avoid spraying near/on the inner tubes and the underside of each jet where they meet the spa walls? Obviously I will not spray near the control panel or the pumps but how will i know what is an "approprate amount of air flow" near the pumps? Further, I am questioning whether or not installing this foam will cause problems if I need to have repairs done in the future (which I have already had to do because of leaks, etc.)

I am very interested in the idea about installing outer wall insulation and am hoping someone can provide instructions.

Any answers, comments, advise, or instructions will be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Hello use ..stirofoam panels from hobbi shops or stucko form panels also stirofoam from a construction supplier and liquid nails.

Bret