ENERGY SAVING QUESTION

[COWBOY]

I am curious if there is any real savings on electricity cost to turn my tub down to say 96 degree's after i get out of it each night & then back to 104 degree's 2 to 3 hours before i plan to get in the next evening or should i just leave it at 104 all the time. My tub does not seem to have a problem getting back to 104 degree's in 2 to 3 hours even being on 110. Also does anyone know of a website that sells booster seat type cushions for hot tubs?

[Brewman]

I suspect with your description there may be some potential to save electricity- it's up to you to decide if it's worth the work.    

While heating your water from 96 to 104 your heater will run constantly for the 2 or 3 hours it takes to heat the water.
That will be offset by the heater running less to keep the water at 96 instead of 104.  

You'd really have to do some testing to know for sure.  And your testing would have to factor in variables like differences in outdoor temperatures and usage patterns that impact your spa's power consumption.  

Think of your heater as a taxi meter- when it runs it costs you money.  When it doesn't run, it costs you nothing.  The trick would be to find out if leaving the temp alone runs up the meter more than adjusting the temperature.

I leave mine set at a constant temperature, since I'm not very good at predicting my spa usage, and I don't want to wait 3 or 4 hours for it to heat up if I decide to use it at the last minute.  

I'm paying hundreds of dollars in power per year for the spa, saving even 10% or so on that spread out over a year isn't worth it to me.

[Spatech_tuo]

I am curious if there is any real savings on electricity cost to turn my tub down to say 96 degree's after i get out of it each night & then back to 104 degree's 2 to 3 hours before i plan to get in the next evening or should i just leave it at 104 all the time. My tub does not seem to have a problem getting back to 104 degree's in 2 to 3 hours even being on 110. Also does anyone know of a website that sells booster seat type cushions for hot tubs?

What you're doing won't hurt but it can get inconvenient as when I use my spa it tends to be spur of the moment rather than a plan where I turn it up and wait a couple hours.

If you've got a well insulated spa I'd leave it up to temp (and I'm an energy miser). The temp game only makes sense if your spa isn't well insulated (though you really would need to remedy that, not work around it) or if I used it seldom.

[COWBOY]

My tub is a h/s jetsetter i have owned for about 3 months. With the exception of about 2 or 3 times my wife & i use it every nite between 8 & 10 o'clock so as long as i don't forget it's not a big deal for me to up the temp. when i get home from work a little after 5:00. The tub seems to be pretty well insulated because it has only cooled to 100 or 101 most of the time even though being turn down to 95 or 96. I figured that i would probably have to do a study of my own to tell for sure, i was just curious what most everyone else does.

[Vanguard]

If you are using it most every night, I really don't think you'd see much savings at all.  The Jetsetter is very well insulated.  You will be using very little power to keep the spa heated every day.  I believe you are up in northeast Texas.  While we get what we think is cold weather (I'm in Houston), is isn't enough to cool your spa down much.

I'd just leave it at temp.  

[COWBOY]

Actually im in northern oklahoma. Still your probably right that there is not that much savings if any.

[kervis]

I am curious if there is any real savings on electricity cost to turn my tub down to say 96 degree's after i get out of it each night & then back to 104 degree's 2 to 3 hours before i plan to get in the next evening or should i just leave it at 104 all the time. My tub does not seem to have a problem getting back to 104 degree's in 2 to 3 hours even being on 110.[glow] Also does anyone know of a website that sells booster seat type cushions for hot tubs?

[/glow]

We tried a booster cushion and was glad when it finally popped.  It was a pain.  I suppose I could have left it full of water and left it inside of the hot tub--has anyone done that?  We kept taking it in and out and man, was it heavy.  It would be nice to have a more permanent type that was able to stay in the tub and you didn't have to fill it with anything.  The weight could be deeep inside so that if someone dropped it, it wouldn't crack the shell.  If you didn't want to sit on it, you could use it as a foot rest!  Hmmmm.  Remember, you heard it here from me FIRST!  8-)

[COWBOY]

We just got a seat cushion last night purchased on ebay. I agree it will be to much of a pain to take in & out each time. Even though ours was filled with water it still wanted to float & i didn't want it blocking the filter compartment so we are going to try putting several marbles + water in it so we can leave it in all the time.

[aduvall]

[/glow]

We tried a booster cushion and was glad when it finally popped.  It was a pain.  I suppose I could have left it full of water and left it inside of the hot tub--has anyone done that?  We kept taking it in and out and man, was it heavy.  It would be nice to have a more permanent type that was able to stay in the tub and you didn't have to fill it with anything.  The weight could be deeep inside so that if someone dropped it, it wouldn't crack the shell.  If you didn't want to sit on it, you could use it as a foot rest!  Hmmmm.  Remember, you heard it here from me FIRST!  8-)

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Have you looked here:
ftp://http://www.rhtubs.com/store/miscacc.htm

larger picture Spa Booster Seat
These versatile, water filled seats add to the comfort and convenience of enjoying your spa. Use as a booster seat or for back support. With adjustable firmness by the amount of water that fills them, they can be filled to up to 4" thick. Suction cups prevent the booster seat from floating or slipping (smooth surfaces only). Made of strong, chemical resistant vinyl.

$19.95 each

Good luck!
 

[Steve]

Maybe if you go away for a week but not every night!! It'll cost you more to reheat than sustain temps.

[ndabunka]

Others have asked the same power consumption question and if you use it everyday there really is no savings to turning it down.  I had one of the water-filled seats and left it in the tub for about a year.  Then one day I discovered the kids had taken it out of the tub and were "sitting" on it outside the tub (They were really BOUNCING on it) so it didn't surprise me that it busted.  I initially got it for my wife who is 5-feet tall so that she could "sit up" more in the tub.  However, she seldom uses the tub and didn't like the seat anyway so we never bothered to replace it.

[Eco_Spas]

I know of someone that has done this test before. His results to this test were not what he expected, he actually used more Kwhs to reheat the water than to maintain it at 102.

[COWBOY]

Actually i have to disagree. I just finished a two week study & this was what i found:

Test was done on weekdays only to assure consistancy of conditions in relationship to electrical consumption through out my house since my wife & i both work 8 to 5 (weather conditions were very similar through out test)

Days that tub was at 96 degrees following previous nights use kwh were 13 to 15
Days that tub was left at 104 kwh were 19 to 21

I have no idea how much this difference will equate into actual savings but it appears worthwhile to me provided i remember when i get home every night at 5 to turn temp. up if i want 104 water by 7 to 8 o'clock.

[Eco_Spas]

Your ambient temp must be alot warmer than 45 degrees(like where Im located). But still 13KWH!!! per day minimum for a 2008 spa. California Energy Commision's(CEC) 'Title 20" states that a spa can use no more than 6.2Kwh per day to even be sold in California.