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I guess I'll have to defer to your vast spa knowledge. I didn't realize how companies work in this industry, how spas are made and marketed or that "energy efficient" spas are silly.
No need to get defensive.
Nah, that post wasn't meant to be defensive at all. I realize a lot of people get caught up on HP so that part is understandable but when he said "I think anyone who claims to have an "energy efficient" tub is just being silly.", I actually laughed. To think that there isn't a difference in energy efficiency is so absurd its funny.
Pumps take energy, Heaters take energy......I think anyone who claims to have an "energy efficient" tub is just being silly. No matter what your design is, you're still just a big bowl for hundreds of gallons of water that needs to reach (and maintain) temperatures of over 100 degrees.
Hopefully he won't be one of the people who come home with a spa that has some fancy name for their insulation method only to find out that theory of how to insulate and how well the manufacturer designs and implements it too often are two very different things. We've all seen many people come here a few months after getting their spa to get advice on how to lower the bill the just got floored with.
I'm not arguing that one hot tub may be insulated in such a way that it might save you a few cents per use, and a few bucks per month over another brand of hot tub. I doubt it. My old hot tub ran almost every day for the past few years. I'm pretty used to the power consumption of a hot tub by now. Once I get the new tub, I'll be surprised if my bill changes much in the next few months....but I'll definitely take a look at it to see whether it goes up or down compared to the old one.
This is what I said:I stand by every word of that. Any hot tub you buy is going to jack your power bill regardless of what some slick talking salesman tells you about it being "energy efficient". Over the years, I've seen dozens of similar "energy efficient" claims made about chest freezers, refrigerators and air conditioners....and it doesn't take a genius to realize that's all BS too.They may be efficient compared to some other model of the same appliance, but what happens when you plug any of those things in? The next month...boom...you'll notice it on the bill. A hot tub is no different....no matter what the sales pitch says. Heating water to 102 degrees or so (then keeping it there) takes a lot of juice. You'll notice it on the bill, no matter how "efficient" it is supposed to be. That's not even taking into account all the hours you spend out there each month with the jets on.I'm not arguing that one hot tub may be insulated in such a way that it might save you a few cents per use, and a few bucks per month over another brand of hot tub. That's probably true. I'm just saying that it's only a matter of a couple of bucks, and nothing to get excited about. In the grand scheme of things, they're all HUGE power suckers. They cost more to operate each month than just about any appliance in your home (except maybe the AC in summertime). Calling any of them "efficient" is just a stupid sales gimmick.I doubt it. My old hot tub ran almost every day for the past few years. I'm pretty used to the power consumption of a hot tub by now. Once I get the new tub, I'll be surprised if my bill changes much in the next few months....but I'll definitely take a look at it to see whether it goes up or down compared to the old one.
It is VERY naive to think all spas are basically alike when it comes to energy efficiency and we're not talking about a "few cents per use" or a "few bucks per month". Two people could buy 2 brand new spas tomorrow, similarly priced similarly powered (and similar pumps/features), use them the same amount of time in the same climates and it would not surprise me if the more energy efficient spa cost them maybe $40 a month while the less efficient costs 3x that.
It is VERY naive to think all spas are basically alike when it comes to energy efficiency ........
And you base this on your years and years of being in and around this industry? You own a hot tub. You did some research when buying a hot tub. An all knowing expert in this industry you are not.
Everyone's ego feeling better? Ok.
I'm not arguing that one hot tub may be insulated in such a way that it might save you a few cents per use, and a few bucks per month over another brand of hot tub. That's probably true. I'm just saying that it's only a matter of a couple of bucks, and nothing to get excited about....Calling any of them "efficient" is just a stupid sales gimmick.
In a test of thermal efficiency of eight hot tubs, the Alberta Research Council found that at -12C, the most efficient model tested used 266W/m3*h while the least efficient used 968W/m3*h or over three and a half times as much energy. So where a "silly" energy-efficient hot tub might cost $30 a month, a less-efficient unit might cost over $100. That difference is considerably more than "a few cents" and the facts suggest that there is more involved than "a stupid sales gimmick". There are actually some physics and engineering involved.
Some of us come here to stay in tune with what is out there, to read about what others see, to help others with our experience, etc. That kind of comment is inaccurate and ridiculous.
So....if you're in a helpful mood, perhaps you could let me know which brands exactly are considered the "Top brands" that you consider to be "energy efficient". Also...maybe you could give me a list of the ones that aren't. It might be a useful reference for people.
If there are and other 3rd party tests out there I would like to see them. Not interested in any self reporting tests.
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