Anyone every used a Generator for the tub?

[nlittle]

I was just thinking what a great idea a generator might be so when the power goes out you don't have to worry.  And when its 50 degrees in the house because you have no heat you can still soak!

[neocacher]

We people with 115 V tubs and 1000W pumps and heaters could probably get a small generator and use it.  

However, I do not know of any 230V generators that are small and portable enough to use, much less with 5.5KW necessary to drive it.

Neo

[countryboy]

I think most at Lowes or Home depot have the 240, or atleast the ones with a twist lock.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=45428-348-30245&lpage=none

[Brewman]

Many portable gas powered generators can be setup for 220.  But connecting them to a spa could be problematic-
  
Plugging a free standing appliance into a generator is one thing, but
the fly in the ointment is the way spas are wired.  Most 220 (and 120 for all i know) are hard wired- you can't unplug them.  That being the case, appropriate means need to be taken to prevent your generator from feeding back on the power grid.  That requires some type of transfer switching equipment which has to be correctly installed- not a job for the weekend hacker.  These switch panels are most often used for stationary generators that are intended to supply power to the entire dwelling.  
 Switch panels can cost hundreds plus labor.

Feedback to the power grid can get pretty nasty, and if you're caught, could cost you a big pile of loot- you might be liable for all kinds of damage and liable for possible injuries.  Don't hack on something like this.    

This might be more trouble and expense than it's worth for the small benefit you'd get.
Our power doesn't go out very often, and when it does, it goes on very quickly in the winter.  

Some people I know have stationary generators that run on natural gas, and fire up automatically if the power is interrupted.  No gas tanks to maintain, and the whole house is pretty much business as usual- but these things are also pretty spendy- could be $10K or more.

[brentp]

I use a 240v generator, . . . but not for the SPA.

Can it be done, absolutely.  Lets see, . . . 240V, 50A circuit, . . . one would need at least a 12,000W generator (larger unit more likely to avoid surges).  And this would leave nothing else for house circuits.  This would be costly.  Wiring is not an issue, . . . you simply need to do the same you would do for any generator 'protected' circuit you wish to supply with the generator (go through a special transfer switch next to the main box).  These switches will disconnect the circuits from the main line and re-connect to the generator source during power failures.  

With the 5000w unit I have, I can run my gas furnace or water pump (not at the same time), plus a couple of sets of lights, refrigerator, a couple of laptops & our DSL modem.  Enough to stay warm, surf the net, or read a book.   Most importantly, keep the house from freezing.
 

[Tman122]

I was just thinking what a great idea a generator might be so when the power goes out you don't have to worry.  And when its 50 degrees in the house because you have no heat you can still soak!

12KW gen set 6500 bucks, direct wire pigtail 60 bucks, time to install after a power outage 1 hour. Cost to operate 15 bucks for four hours operation. New tub in the very very very unlikely event of a freeze up 7000. It's a wash. Get a 2000 watt honda for 900 and use a trouble light to prevent freeze up and wait it out. It will be back on in a couple hours. Run a cord inside and run a small electric heater and a light to read by.

[MarKee]

We rent a 240v generator to hook up Epics in the summer time for tent sales.  Seems to work fine.

[Chas]

I have one Grandee owner who lives off-grid. They run a large genny to charge up the battery, pull the temp down on a couple of large freezers, and bring the temp back up on the spa. They only run the genny three hours per day, sometimes less.

They have a large battery that runs the circ pump and ozone system all the time the genny isn't running. They only have jets in the tub during the time the genny is running, which is just fine with them.

They have been doing it that way for many years, and wouldn't have it any other way. They live in Ojai, an inland valley, and it gets frosty every winter, but not much snow or real ice.

Yes, you can buy a genny large enough to run a spa. Not cheap. And you can keep a spa from freezing up by just running the small circ pump or the low-speed on one jet pump. I don't know if it would be worth all the wiring and special switching gear. Also, if you need to share the output of your generator with your house, you would need to know exactly what you can run when on genny power and what you can NOT run when on the genny. If you don't follow the rules on that, you might find yourself trudging out to reset a breaker in the wee hours of the night during an ice storm - or turning off heat and/or filter cycles on the spa so your house heat can come back on...

If it were me, and I lived where snow and ice shut down power for days at a time, I would run a small heater or at least a trouble lamp into my spa's motor compartment and hard wire THAT to the genny. I might also put in a special plug or switch to power up the circ pump as well. The circ pump and a light could keep a tub from freezing for a long long time.

 8-)

[Tman122]

You put it all together nicely Chuck......KNOCK IT OFF!!!!

[Chas]

You put it all together nicely Chuck......KNOCK IT OFF!!!!

 

 8-)

[cool breeze]

code would require a positive disconnect switch at the meter.
 but as someone here called it hillbilly wiring
you can just turn off your main braker and any high amp. brakers you do not need (house hot water heater, and such)and back feed from a generator through a made up power cord into your dryer plug or stove plug.
you just need to be aware of the amps you are pulling in your house or you will trip brakers or over load your generator =not good to do
and keep a lookout for your neighbors lights to come back on