Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: benalexe on May 26, 2008, 07:31:56 am
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I spent the weekend cleaning out my tub polishing it, getting it ready for water and the electric hook up. With any luck I will be soaking by next weekend.
One thing I noticed is that this thing does not seem like it is will insulated at all. It's got some bubble wrap and a piece of styrofoam around it. Thats it. I just does not seem well insulated.
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Sounds like you may be getting a nice Christmas card from your power company this year..... :-/
8-)
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try it and you will see.
i had the same thing on my old tub. it still was ok
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Hey Bene,
Have you ever asked your brother what it cost him to operate? From what you have said it probably didn't matter much to him though!! ;D
Good luck...........Sean
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What are the climates like where the two of you live?
8-)
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Hey Bene,
Have you ever asked your brother what it cost him to operate? From what you have said it probably didn't matter much to him though!! ;D
Good luck...........Sean
You are correct he did not care
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One thing I noticed is that this thing does not seem like it is will insulated at all. It's got some bubble wrap and a piece of styrofoam around it. Thats it. I just does not seem well insulated.
They are poorly insulated and I would not wait for the bill to come to get into action. Visit your local home depot and explain your situation and see what alternatives they show you. Whatever you sped will come back to you in a more reasonable bill. If you're not a DIYer consider hiring a handyman to insulate if for you. I'll bet you can save $15 to $50 per month by improving the insulation (total guess not knowing your power rates or climate or how poorly it is set up now though I'll bet its very minimal) so you'll get back what you spend.
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So what are you expecting. Fiberglass insulation between the shell and the tub? If I find that the bill is crazy high I just may run it until Sept/ OCt then shut it down for a 6 months.
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So what are you expecting. Fiberglass insulation between the shell and the tub? If I find that the bill is crazy high I just may run it until Sept/ OCt then shut it down for a 6 months.
ben, the winter is the best time for tubbing. good luck with your new/used spa.
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They are poorly insulated and I would not wait for the bill to come to get into action. Visit your local home depot and explain your situation and see what alternatives they show you. Whatever you sped will come back to you in a more reasonable bill. If you're not a DIYer consider hiring a handyman to insulate if for you. I'll bet you can save $15 to $50 per month by improving the insulation (total guess not knowing your power rates or climate or how poorly it is set up now though I'll bet its very minimal) so you'll get back what you spend.
On the better spas what is used for insulation? (with the exception of foam)
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Some times i don't understand the concept here.
Look you are getting a free tub. most people paying 6000$ and up.
Don't worry so much about a 30 higher power bill.
Have fun with your tub.
Regards
Frank
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Some times i don't understand the concept here.
Look you are getting a free tub. most people paying 6000$ and up.
Don't worry so much about a 30 higher power bill.
Have fun with your tub.
Regards
Frank
I understand what you are saying but times are a bit tough. GAS is $4.26 a gallon. My electric bill is already just shy of $300 a month. As much as I always wanted a tub I would not be spending $7K for one right now. SO I am just being fiscally responsible.
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On the better spas what is used for insulation? (with the exception of foam)
In general, the MOST efficient insulation is the thick "closed-cell" foam that has to be professionally applied and that is what many of the major brands use. However, I think you could use an "open cell" equivalent like the "great Stuff" foam that is sold in the home improvement shops. Many people use that stuff to fill in holes in their walls, electrical outlets, etc. But it would probably take a LOT of that to fill a cabinet and it can be sticky before drying so you can't really work with it at all. Others have used simple rolls of attic insulation as a cheap (but effective) way to further insulate their tubs. Also be aware that some MFGs (and I believe that ThermoSpa is one of them) use a technique called "Thermal Pane" design in which the open area of the cabinet is heated by the pumps themselves and then air is let out through one-way valves. Your TP may be that design and adding insulation therefore may not work as well as you think. Some of these Thermal Pane designs aren't bad. Others are pure crap. ThermoSpa's is supposed to me OK as reported by others on this site in the past.
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Thanks that helps a lot. My spa seems to have a bubble wrap around the entire tub and behind that what looks like styrofoam pannels.
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Ben,
The goal with a thermal style tub is to keep the inside cabinet area warm and minimize any thermal loss between the dead air space in the cabinet and the outside world. (Not the shell)
I would seal/caulk up any gaps that there might be. How is the bottom/floor of the cabinet? Can you add insualtion panels there?
I would be hesitent to use fiberglass batting for insualtion. If it gets compressed or wet it loses it's ability to insulate. I have heard of folks filling contractor grade trash bags (the super heavy ones) with fiberglass and adding those to the cabinet, but I have only anecdoatal evidence that would work. foam panels and the thermal blankets seem to be the material of choice.
I would ensure you have a good fitting cover. Over the years covers can warp and no longer have a nice seal. A bad cover can cost you more in electricy to heat, than it is to replace.
if the cabinets is sealed up, and you have a good cover, let's wait and see what your actual costs to operate are before doing anythign drastic. :)
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if the cabinets is sealed up, and you have a good cover, let's wait and see what your actual costs to operate are before doing anythign drastic. :)
I wouldn't do anything drastic at this point but I also wouldn't wait for a bill to do some minor tinkering like eliminating air flow through gaps by spraying some foam and the idea of insulation in bags that you can stuff into certain areas is a good idea as well. The key with this type of insulation is to eliminate air flow from inside of cabinet to outside. Also, you hit on a good point. A good cover is important BUT because people always think of hot air rising they don't see the value in insulating the bottom of the spa as well. If the bottom is open I would definitely look to insulate it.
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I wouldn't do anything drastic at this point but I also wouldn't wait for a bill to do some minor tinkering like eliminating air flow through gaps by spraying some foam and the idea of insulation in bags that you can stuff into certain areas is a good idea as well. The key with this type of insulation is to eliminate air flow from inside of cabinet to outside. Also, you hit on a good point. A good cover is important BUT because people always think of hot air rising they don't see the value in insulating the bottom of the spa as well. If the bottom is open I would definitely look to insulate it.
Yup. I wouldn't go spraying 20 cans of Great Stuff foam from Home Depot in there and compeltey filling the cabinet before I knew what was what. ;) hey... any actuall R Value for that stuff? I know they say it's better than compressed fiberglass :-/ but then again, that's not saying much.
Other areas of concern would be any vents on the skirting shoudl be sealed *during winter*. If the spa has rounded corners there may be gaps there as well. Also the gap between the shell and skirt is also a known area for potential air leaks. Gasketing this area would be a good idea.
Wind is also a big issue and can rob a hot tub of its heat very quickly. Folks placing a tub in a windy area can realize savings (and comfort) by placing a wind barrier up. The lesson here is think twice about placement before pouring the pad.
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The only thing I do know is it is hooked up today my meter is spinning a million miles an hour!!!
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Ben, your heater must be on. Where do you live? How much do you pay for electricity? It will be worth it brother.......
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I am really excited about it.
I live in Long Island.
My rates are .0857 and .0787 then there is a power supply charge of .097689.
I have no idea how these rates compare to anyone else.
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The only thing I do know is it is hooked up today my meter is spinning a million miles an hour!!!
WHAT? Have your electrician put his tester on the wires and see how many amps your tub is drawing.
Scott :o
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Doesn't really matter!!!
I am just going to enjoy the tub, deal with the bill etc.
I did notice that the concept of the thermopain is very interesting. The inside of the cabinet does get very hot!!!
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most of the tubs have a 4 to6000 watt heaters. It will use some power while in use.
Just use it.