Thermal Blankets - Anyone?

[cedris]

What is your experience with using a closed-cell or bubblewrap type thermal blanket under your spa cover?  I live in MA and this will be our first winter with a tub.

Does anyone think the foam blanket is better than the bubble wrap?

thanks

[Bonibelle]

I really like my foam blanket. I got it to help reduce heat loss during the winter and to protect my spa cover. It does both really well. As far as the bubble covers, I don't think they last as long or work as well. But maybe someone with a bubble cover will comment. I will say from my experience, the foam blanket is a worth while investment.

[hottub.pool_boy]

bonibelle is right.

[NE-Phil]

cedris,
I think you'll find the concensus here is that the bubble blankets don't last as long as the thermals. Here is a recent thread started by our very own Bonibelle on just this subject: http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1153834094/0.

My tub is outdoors, too, and last winter I used the thermal blanket. My own experience shows the thermal blanket deteriorated enough by the end of July that I had to remove it. I had bits of blanket floating in the spa and I had it less than a year.  :-/

I still haven't decided if I want to replace my blanket this year or not. I'd need to determine how much the thermal blanket saves me in heating $ over the winter vs. the cost of the thermal blanket. Especially if I have to buy one every year. But I don't have a good way of determining heating $ saved nor have I seen any posts here with hard numbers.

Phil

[The_Bends]

As a dealer, we have a bubble type blanket floating on our running spas.  A lot of people ask about them.

We use the blanket in the showroom because it makes better sense for us.  It virtually eliminates the humidity in the showroom while preventing evaporation and heat loss, all without having to keep a bulky cover on the show spa.  

Most private owners keep their covers on all the time, so I guess they wouldn't really need them ( a  blanket) especially if you have an upgraded cover, or an Arctic cover.  The only real benefit that I read in an article was that it slowed the reaction of the cover to ozone/chlorine off gasing.  

[The_real_Clown_Shoes]

I'm not a big fan as it is just one more thing you have to take care of before you can get in the tub.

PS- no luck on the Hydro'ssage jet... all I have are about 15 Micro'ssage jets.

[kervis]

I lucked out--my neighbor's didn't take care of their practically new bubble pool cover, so it tore and they had to replace it.  They gave it to me and I was able to cut the good parts into 9 spa blankets!

I have them rolled up and ready to use, one by one.  I don't have my current piece cut to fit perfectly, nor is it long enough to overlap the tub when closed, but I am most pleased to have a bunch of free blankets to experiment with.  (the next time I get out the scissors, I will have a better idea of how to cut it!)

I figure I'm set for a good 7-8 years!  8-)

[The_Bends]

If it helps, I took a dry erase marker, make sure the spa is filled to where you like it most of the time, and press the bubble into the different curves and trace with the dry erase.  Then you can take off the blanket, cut on the lines, and if there are any lines left you can 'erase' them!