There are many reasons to be concerned about energy use. On a micro level, curbing the amount of energy you consume will reduce your expenses. On a more macro level, reducing the amount of energy we use will slow down the depletion of the world’s resources and lower carbon dioxide emissions. So, doing whatever you can, at every level, can be beneficial. For those of us who own recreational appliances such as hot tubs, the amount of energy we use becomes even more obvious. We can see the change in our power bills and watch as the heat escapes into the atmosphere.So, why do hot tubs run all the time? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to turn them on and off like we would the lights or TV? In this article, we’ll investigate.
How Long Will It Take to Heat My Hot Tub?
The biggest expenditure of energy when running a hot tub is heating up the water. This is most pronounced when heating your hot tub up from a dead start. Typically, you’ll fill your hot tub with a garden hose or from a cold-water tap. The average temperature of water that comes directly out of a tap is usually around 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. While considering the ideal hot tub temperature is 104 degrees Fahrenheit, you can easily understand that there needs to be a significant amount of energy used to get the water to that point. The actual amount of time it takes depends primarily on the power of your heater. Hot tubs that are plugged into a regular household electrical outlet, known as plug and play models, don’t have the same heating capacity as hot tubs that are hardwired directly in the household electrical mains. Plug and play hot tubs can take up to 12 to 24 hours to reach top temperature whereas hardwired hot tubs can be ready to use in half the amount of time.
Why Run A Hot Tub All the Time?
Water has a high heat capacity which means that it takes more energy to heat up water than most other substances. Because of its high heat capacity, maintaining a constant water temperature requires less energy than raising it in the first place. This is the basic reasoning behind running a hot tub all the time. By keeping your hot tub running and maintaining a constant temperature you’ll end up using less energy than if you turned off your hot tub after each use and brought it back up to temperature when you wanted to use it again. As an added bonus, by running the hot tub all the time, it’s ready for you to use whenever the impulse strikes. So, keep your hot tub running to reduce the amount of energy you use, lower your electricity bill and have it available for use whenever you feel like it.
How A Hot Tub Cover Can Help
You might think that a hot tub cover is used to keep dirt and other airborne debris out of the water and you’d be right! However, the hot tub cover plays many other roles which makes it one of the most important accessories you can buy. A good fitting, highly insulated cover will do more to retain water heat than anything other than the water heater. For this reason, replacing it when the hot tub isn’t being used will vastly reduce your energy bills. A hot tub cover will also reduce water evaporation and the amount of chemicals you need to keep the water chemistry balanced. Beyond that, it provides a great safety barrier to prevent unwanted access to children, animals and troublemakers. If you want to reduce your environmental footprint as a hot tub owner, invest in a good cover.
To learn more about how hot tubs operate, download a free buyer’s guide today.