Operating costs of owning a hot tub

The cost of operating a hot tub is much less than a dinner for two at one of our nice local restaurants. With the spa completely insulated like a thermos,  and energy saving like the quiet pumps to filter water 24/7, the most energy is used when you are actually using your spa and the jets pumps are in use.  Draining and refilling your spa is costly, so keep the water clean with consistent routine maintenance, and reduce the refills to a couple of times per year. With proper care and  maintenance, the average water care supplies will run about $20. per month. Energy costs depend on model size, gallons, and actual use. Averages for our spas in Alaska are @$35.- $60.per month.

Here’s 4 tips to help you save energy costs:

1. Spa Cover

Make sure you have a good cover and always cover your spa, after each use. Although the outside walls are well insulated, there is still a great amount of heat loss through the spa cover if it has deteriorated. The heat loss will be at the hinge-fold as well as on the spa shell rim because of improper seating of the cover edge. With a cover that is in good condition, the cover provides a “vacuum heat seal” which keeps more heat inside your hot tub.

Covana spa covers is just one example of a well build cover that will last you for years to come. 

2.  Create a windbreaker for your tub

By creating a windbreak you’re not only adding privacy to your tub but also minimizing the exposure to the wind which helps with the heat loss.

3. Vacation Setting

If you’re heading out of town, for more than just a few days, you can adjust the thermostat setting. During the summer months you have two options: 1. turn it down to the lowest setting (that is 80 in some models) or shut off the heater break (if that’s an option you have). But, during the winter months, we don’t recommend doing any temps adjustment to prevent freezing damage.

4. Shop for a New Spa

If you have an obsolete spa it might be wasting a lot of energy. Upgrading to a newer model would save you 50% + in heating costs. When shopping for a new hot tub, keep in mind that design and engineering of a spa is much more important than the number of jets the spa has. A tub that is well engineered doesn’t need a lot of jets to provide soothing and vigorous hydro-massage.