Ecowrap by Sundance

[DaveMc]

I have searched the web for info on "Ecowrap" and find one patent pending---many clear plastic stretch wrapping machines and practically nothing on the Sundance "Ecowrap" insulation.  So my questions are :
1. What is it?
2. How thick is it?
3. how many layers of material?
4. What are those layers made of?
5. What is the location of the material within the tub enclosure?

What I have deduced is that it appears to be about a half inch thick---insulation---paper back and tinfoil type face---and it is adhered to the panels that make up the finish sides of the tub with the tinfoil face facing the cavity----tho the data says that it is "full" insulating foam---I see a space a gap between the "foam" and the exterior finished "panel"

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 My question would be where do you live?    It's basically a foil wrapped insulation made out of recycled jeans type material.   We sell a few up here in the PNW,  but if you are down south across the nation I would say skip it. 

[DaveMc]

I live in California---bay area--but I think that is irrelevant--if the ecowrap is as they say a 20 to 25% savings in energy then it saves my cost 20 to 25% over the long haul--5 to 15 years at least---it may be colder in Colorado --but in California we pay 31 cents or more for a KWH of juice---so a 25% reduction would make that .2325---their calcs say $20.02 per month for the optima---so at 10 cents that would be over $60 here and a 25% savings would be 62.06 ---$15.52 per month so 186 per year and about a thousand dollars for 5 years---that's a lotta lattes to give up!

[wingizzmo]

The dealer I just ordered my optima from talked me out of the eco wrap if it gets warmer in your area it causes overheating problems and I live in mass.

[Topline Mike]

The dealer I just ordered my optima from talked me out of the eco wrap if it gets warmer in your area it causes overheating problems and I live in mass.

I doubt this to be true.  One half inch of insulation causing a heating problem.  Why would Sundance put this in their tubs if this was the case.  Jacuzzi calls their insulation "smart seal".  Same stuff, different name. 

In another month or so, I'm going to insulate the heck out of my Jacuzzi.  I'll post the results in December, good or bad. 

[Quickbeam]

The dealer I just ordered my optima from talked me out of the eco wrap if it gets warmer in your area it causes overheating problems and I live in mass.

I doubt this to be true.  One half inch of insulation causing a heating problem.  Why would Sundance put this in their tubs if this was the case.  Jacuzzi calls their insulation "smart seal".  Same stuff, different name. 

In another month or so, I'm going to insulate the heck out of my Jacuzzi.  I'll post the results in December, good or bad.

I actually could see this being a problem. We don’t have a Sundance but do have a Jacuzzi. Our tub has what is called a “Summer Logic Mode” and I think most tubs have something similar. This kicks in if your water temperature gets 2 degrees or more above your set temperature. And when the “Summer Logic Mode” kicks in, it shuts down your circulation pump. Maybe not a problem for some, but it was for us. We went away for a short holiday this summer. The outside temperature had been quite warm, and when we returned it was obvious to us that something was wrong. This was the first time our water was “off”. After some investigation we figured out the “summer logic mode” had kicked in and shut off the circulation pump. It obviously was not off all the time, but it was off enough to cause some problems in our tub. By searching through archives on this forum, I found one solution people had used was to simply put a block of wood under their cover to let some of the heat escape. I think I may have found another solution but haven’t yet tried it. I posted about it here http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/forum/index.php/topic,18032.0.html

In any case, while this extra insulation may save you money in the cold months, it is possible it could cause you problems in the hot months.

And if this is not the situation the dealer was referring to about causing problems, I was also told by another dealer that the "smart seal" insulation (as Topline Mike says, this is what Jacuzzi calls it) would be good for a cold, dry climate, but for wetter climates this extra insulation can get damp. Not sure if that is true, but that’s what this one dealer told me and he advised me against it for this reason.

[Topline Mike]

Quickbeam, I don't think my J375 has this "summer logic" mode.

I can program my spa for two different operations.  One is Filtration/Heating mode, with options F0 to F6.  The other is the Circulation Pump Filtration Cycle, with options C0 to C6.  C0 is 0 hours per day of filtration, C6 is 24 hours per day.  I'm assuming if I have my temp set to 100°, and the water got up to 102°, the circulation pump would still work according to the setting I have it set on.  hmmm.

[Spatech_tuo]

The dealer I just ordered my optima from talked me out of the eco wrap if it gets warmer in your area it causes overheating problems and I live in mass.

I doubt this to be true.  One half inch of insulation causing a heating problem.  Why would Sundance put this in their tubs if this was the case.  Jacuzzi calls their insulation "smart seal".  Same stuff, different name. 

In another month or so, I'm going to insulate the heck out of my Jacuzzi.  I'll post the results in December, good or bad.

I agree mostly but what can overheat is the equipment compartment. On all other sides it can be a 365 day addition but in the case of the front I'd put the insulation on the insides of the front door but make it easily removable for summer time.

[Spatech_tuo]

I live in California---bay area--but I think that is irrelevant--if the ecowrap is as they say a 20 to 25% savings in energy then it saves my cost 20 to 25% over the long haul--5 to 15 years at least---it may be colder in Colorado --but in California we pay 31 cents or more for a KWH of juice---so a 25% reduction would make that .2325---their calcs say $20.02 per month for the optima---so at 10 cents that would be over $60 here and a 25% savings would be 62.06 ---$15.52 per month so 186 per year and about a thousand dollars for 5 years---that's a lotta lattes to give up!

Agreed, its not just about outside temps but more so overall energy cost. What does this insulation upgrade cost?

[Quickbeam]

Quickbeam, I don't think my J375 has this "summer logic" mode.

I can program my spa for two different operations.  One is Filtration/Heating mode, with options F0 to F6.  The other is the Circulation Pump Filtration Cycle, with options C0 to C6.  C0 is 0 hours per day of filtration, C6 is 24 hours per day.  I'm assuming if I have my temp set to 100°, and the water got up to 102°, the circulation pump would still work according to the setting I have it set on.  hmmm.

Hi Topline Mike,

Hope you don’t mind, I took a look at some of your old posts to try and determine the year of your spa. In a couple of posts you had mentioned your spa was one year old, so I’m assuming it is a 2013??? I took a look at the 2013 Jacuzzi manual online, and if you look at item #14.1 on page 45 you will find the item on the summer logic mode. It is not something you can program. It’s a function that’s built right into the spa. If I don’t have the right year of your spa, try taking a look under the “Error Conditions / Error Messages" section of your manual. The summer logic mode is the first item in this section in my manual, and also the first item in this section in the 2013 manual. And in case you don’t have the manual, you can find the 2013 manual here: http://www.jacuzzi.com/hot-tubs/brochures/J300_English_web.pdf

Hope this helps.

[Topline Mike]

Quickbeam,

You are correct.  It was on page 44 of my manual.  Thanks for that info. 

I've seen my water temp be 1° above the set temp many times this past summer, but never 2°.  I'll have to monitor that once I insulate my tub. 

The ten day forcast for So. WI calls for temps in the 60's, and low's in the 30's.  The jacuzzi is going to get a workout.

[wingizzmo]

I live in California---bay area--but I think that is irrelevant--if the ecowrap is as they say a 20 to 25% savings in energy then it saves my cost 20 to 25% over the long haul--5 to 15 years at least---it may be colder in Colorado --but in California we pay 31 cents or more for a KWH of juice---so a 25% reduction would make that .2325---their calcs say $20.02 per month for the optima---so at 10 cents that would be over $60 here and a 25% savings would be 62.06 ---$15.52 per month so 186 per year and about a thousand dollars for 5 years---that's a lotta lattes to give up!

Agreed, its not just about outside temps but more so overall energy cost. What does this insulation upgrade cost?

300.00 buck is what I was told !

[DaveMc]

Thanks for the responses---too bad Sundance doesn't keep up their web page or facebook page---so by default this page becomes the current criteria for them.

Bay Area----- California is $0.31 cents per KWH---not the "10 cents" that Sundance based their criteria on.---that figure varies across country--but in California one needs to multiply their figures by by 300% to get our cost's.

if there is danger of overheating in summer---why not add a top and bottom small adjustable "vent" to the removable panel(s) in the front---the other 3 sides will not need to be vented---(imo)---having been in construction---their is value to trapping air space betrween to elements of insulation--the foam and the "ecowrap"

[Chartreux]

I'm in Texas and the Sundance dealer employee told me they do not get eco wrapped tubs down here, very humid down here and I was told to keep a side panel off in the hotter humid months, this year has been cooler than most years for us...Mosquitos are the problem we have right now and they are bad around here...

[DaveMc]

My cost for the ecowrap was $100.00---but then they (factory) forgot to put it in!
We could get sophisticated and add a fan (like a computer!) in the plenum and activate with hi temp---RV's have them in the ceiling vents--------
Not sure how to solve a humidity problem--or a mosquito problem!