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Master Spa Lsx1050


Got-soaked

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Ok, it is a little too late for anyone to give me advice on what manufacture tub to buy. I'm a whole lot wiser today and a lot poorer. not to mention it is costing me more to run this hot tub then it cost me to heat my house. :angry:

I purchased a Master Spa LSX1050 and had it delivered and operational in November 2006. The hot tub was installed during the electric billing cycle so the month of November bill didn’t reflect a full month usage. My electric bill for November 2006 jumped by 1300 KWH @ thirteen cents a KW hour that comes to an increase of $169. My December electric bill jumped by 1700 KWH @ .13 = $221.00. The average temperature according to the Delmarva electric bill for December 2006 was 42 degrees. The Master Spa dealer replaced the heater and circuit board 3 times thinking the heater and board was defective. Replacement of the circuit board and heater had no impact on reducing the KWH. I should also note that my house is heated and the appliances are all natural gas. The electric usage for the most part is limited to lights and the LSX1050.

The spa cover was also replaced by the dealer due to quality issues and was replaced with a Sunstar cover which appears to be a denser foam. (much heavier to lift)

The hot tub was used for 30-60 minutes per day and was set at 102 degrees. If the outside temperature was in the 30s and the breeze blowing the hot tub could not maintain 102 degrees. I documented this information and e-mailed the owner/operator of the Master Spa dealer. The Dealer had an electrician come out and place a KW meter on the electric breaker supporting the hot tub. The KW meter confirmed the Master Spa LSX1050 tub was the culprit of the high energy bills.

April of 2007 the Master Spa dealer agreed to replace the tub. The tub had several issues that needed to be addressed but the electric power consumption was my biggest concern. This month November 2007 the replacement LSX1050 was delivered. I’m hoping my old LSX1050 was defective and that the new tub will not be plagued with the same issue.

Are there other owners of the LSX1050 in the mid-Atlantic that have had similar issues with huge amount of power consumption?

Q1) What did you do to help reduce your electric bill?

Q2) Has anyone had any success on better insulating their hot tub?

Q3) Any concern about adding additional insulation and the pumps over heating during the summer months?

Q4) Is there a successful way to add foam insulation?

Q5) What should an LSX1050 cost to run in the mid-atlantic?

Q6) Has anyone any experience with the products listed below?

http://www.prodexsa.com/

http://www.roxul.com/sw47757.asp

Thanks in advanced. :)

Got-soaked

Edited by Got-soaked
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Has anyone any experience with the products listed below?

http://www.prodexsa.com/

http://www.roxul.com/sw47757.asp

I used roxul in my tub a couple weeks ago - it was moderately easy to install. It was a new tub so I don't have any past electricity bills to compare it to nor do I have my first bill yet - sorry.

I also plan on using a pool blanket (haven't decided which kind yet) on the water surface when it isn't in use to further help retaining heat in the water as well as protecting the tub's cover from condensation and hopefully prolong its lifespan.

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Has anyone any experience with the products listed below?

http://www.prodexsa.com/

http://www.roxul.com/sw47757.asp

I used roxul in my tub a couple weeks ago - it was moderately easy to install. It was a new tub so I don't have any past electricity bills to compare it to nor do I have my first bill yet - sorry.

I also plan on using a pool blanket (haven't decided which kind yet) on the water surface when it isn't in use to further help retaining heat in the water as well as protecting the tub's cover from condensation and hopefully prolong its lifespan.

I appreciate the sharing of the information. Where did you purchase the Roxul (HD?)? Do you have any concerns about the Roxul insulating the pumps and overheating?

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Where did you purchase the Roxul (HD?)? Do you have any concerns about the Roxul insulating the pumps and overheating?

No problem.... I posted some photos and information about it, and some other more experienced people added some helpful info in this post: http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9744

If there is something that isn't there that you'd like to know feel free to let me know!

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I have a Down East 8'x10' spa, similar to the master spa. I installed it last fall, and watched my electric bills go up around $100-$150 per month compared to previous years. I just assumed that is part of the cost of running a hot tub all winter long.

One thing you could check on your tub is how long your filter cycles are set to run. If you have it running for a long time, that will increase your energy use. Also, I know on my tub there is an economy mode, where the heater doesn't run except during filtration cycles. That's another way to lower the electric usage.

To reduce my electric bill for this winter, I replaced all of the white 3/4" beadboard insulation around the skirt with the pink 1-1/2" insulation. It wasn't too hard to do, I just used the old pieces of insulation as a template to cut the new insulation. I'm hoping that helps reduce some of the heat loss out the sides of the tub. I'm also going to be buying a thick cover (probably the extreme cover from RHTubs). You might want to inspect your cover to see how much heat you're losing through the top.

I've thought about trying to fill the air gap around the tub to create a full foam tub effect. Has anyone used the expanding foam that they sell at Home Depot? It's usually for cracks, but I've seen some stuff online that is for wall insulation. My thought is to spray it into some plastic garbage bags so that it will expand into the gap without sticking to all the components. Then, if I ever need to remove it, I can just pull out the bags of foam. Of course, I wouldn't do that around the motors and electronics, just around the other three sides of the tub.

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I have a Down East 8'x10' spa, similar to the master spa. I installed it last fall, and watched my electric bills go up around $100-$150 per month compared to previous years. I just assumed that is part of the cost of running a hot tub all winter long.

One thing you could check on your tub is how long your filter cycles are set to run. If you have it running for a long time, that will increase your energy use. Also, I know on my tub there is an economy mode, where the heater doesn't run except during filtration cycles. That's another way to lower the electric usage.

To reduce my electric bill for this winter, I replaced all of the white 3/4" beadboard insulation around the skirt with the pink 1-1/2" insulation. It wasn't too hard to do, I just used the old pieces of insulation as a template to cut the new insulation. I'm hoping that helps reduce some of the heat loss out the sides of the tub. I'm also going to be buying a thick cover (probably the extreme cover from RHTubs). You might want to inspect your cover to see how much heat you're losing through the top.

I've thought about trying to fill the air gap around the tub to create a full foam tub effect. Has anyone used the expanding foam that they sell at Home Depot? It's usually for cracks, but I've seen some stuff online that is for wall insulation. My thought is to spray it into some plastic garbage bags so that it will expand into the gap without sticking to all the components. Then, if I ever need to remove it, I can just pull out the bags of foam. Of course, I wouldn't do that around the motors and electronics, just around the other three sides of the tub.

Filter cycle runs 2 hours per day 7am-8am and 7pm- 8pm. Last winter I tried the economy cycle and the heater couldn't maintain the water temperature, the tub dropped 5 degrees the first day so I went back to the standard mode. I had the same idea about using the expandable spray foam from HD until I heard about the Roxul insulation. I have used the spray foam before and it can be messy.

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Has anyone any experience with the products listed below?

http://www.prodexsa.com/

http://www.roxul.com/sw47757.asp

I used roxul in my tub a couple weeks ago - it was moderately easy to install. It was a new tub so I don't have any past electricity bills to compare it to nor do I have my first bill yet - sorry.

I also plan on using a pool blanket (haven't decided which kind yet) on the water surface when it isn't in use to further help retaining heat in the water as well as protecting the tub's cover from condensation and hopefully prolong its lifespan.

What product line of Roxul did you use AFB, Flexiatt (whis is only sold in Canada), etc?

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Good point about the pumps drawing a lot of power. I was assuming the electric consumption was due to the heater and didn’t consider the pumps being an energy pig. How come Master Spa advertise that their tubs will cast a $1 a day in electricity? There should be some energy efficiency ratings on these tubs.

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Good point about the pumps drawing a lot of power. I was assuming the electric consumption was due to the heater and didn’t consider the pumps being an energy pig.

The pumps certainly are a source but other spas have good size pumps and aren't energy pigs. I'd blame your insulation more than the heater or pumps so you really want to concentrate on that.

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Good point about the pumps drawing a lot of power. I was assuming the electric consumption was due to the heater and didn’t consider the pumps being an energy pig.

The pumps certainly are a source but other spas have good size pumps and aren't energy pigs. I'd blame your insulation more than the heater or pumps so you really want to concentrate on that.

Any recommendations on manufacture and type of insulation? I have a call into the regional account representative from Roxul.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update to my original post dated 10/15/07

I have had the Master Spa LSX1050 spa replacement tub for less then 2 weeks now and had to call the dealer due to several issues. What surprises me is that several of the issues are the same as the original tub they replaced. It appears there are several leaks underneath the skirt coming from the jets and PVC pipes. One of the bigger issues is the electric power consumption of the tub. I have come to the conclusion the thermal “pain” design is flawed and can’t hold heat. The Kilowatt usage is indicating this tub is the same energy pig as the original tub was. The master Spa LSX1050 is the flagship for Master spa fleet and Master Spa touts tub as the one President Bush has at Camp David.

Is it a rare phenomenon for me to get 2 lemons from Master Spa or would it be a rare phenomenon for me to get a master Spa with zero defects?

There are three costs with owning a spas 1) the spa purchase 2) the energy consumption to run the spa 3) repair. My experience to date with Master spa is they are every high in all three areas.

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