Hot Tub Forum

Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: benalexe on December 24, 2008, 07:28:55 am

Title: heated cover
Post by: benalexe on December 24, 2008, 07:28:55 am
Someone should invent a heated plug in cover.  It w would work like an electric blanket and melt all of the snow and ice off the cover.  My cover was so frozen it was impossible to crack the ice and snow off the cover.   I ended up using  shovel.  I nicked the cover..   I knew that was going to happen but did not care as in the spring I am getting a new cover anyway.
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Chas on December 24, 2008, 01:03:19 pm
I don't live in the cold climates that some of you folks do, but don't they sell heating pads for walkways or porches or thing like that? Wouldn't you be able to use something like that? I wouldn't think that you would have to heat the entire cove - wouldn't it work to have a large part of it warmed? Perhaps you could install one of those infra-red electric spot heaters to melt off the rest. I have seen those at the entry to ski lodges all over the world.

Don't know what the cost of operating would be - I wonder if you would be able to just switch it on and let it melt your tub out - or if you would have to have it cycling on and off all during the snow fall?

(http://www.hrbforward.com/images/Image8.gif)

Just a thought.


 8-)

Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Markus on December 24, 2008, 01:38:46 pm
Heated cover?...seems it could be expensive.

I would rather cover it with a 10' X 10' tarp and clean that off or just pull it off.
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Zep on December 24, 2008, 02:52:40 pm
make sure any cover heater you "rig up" to you're hot tub cover is plugged into a GFI outlet because if some kid or someone was to let the heater slip off into the water while opening the cover it may not be pretty.

(http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/MEDIA/gallery/art/mech/images/femal_1.jpg)
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Dr. Spa™ Ret. on December 24, 2008, 03:24:32 pm
Quote
Someone should invent a heated plug in cover.

How much would you be willing to pay for something like this?  ;)
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: benalexe on December 24, 2008, 05:26:21 pm
I actually think it would be realitivly cheap to produce. Similar to an electric blanket run some wires under the vinyl and plug it in.
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Chas on December 24, 2008, 07:45:17 pm
My ski boat has an electric heater built in to the driver's seat - I forgot, since I have never once used it - but it seems to me that if they can do that, Doc could come up with a way to heat a spa lid.

Here is a http://www.mastercraft.com/teamtalk/showthread.php?t=12839&highlight=heated+seatto a guy who installed his own - they are 12 volt DC - ideas?

 8-)
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Dr. Spa™ Ret. on December 24, 2008, 08:20:41 pm
Lets see. So those heater are $75 for two...probably need 6 or 8 for a spa cover. There's $300. A redesign of the cover so they fit and the wiring has a route, add a transformer big enough to power them all, the additional labor involved in getting it all neatly into the cover, you want the thing actually UL listed (a requirement if it's actually going to be sold,and used around WATER). Ok, add a grand to the cost of the cover. Though, if you can guarantee sales of 5000 per year, I can probably cut that in half, maybe.  :-/ How many 10's or 100's of thousands of capitol do you want me to put into additional inventory? Do we want to add some kind of sensing devise to automatically turn it on? Maybe something that monitors the covers surface temperature and any additional weight? How about a remote control, so you can just look out a window and push a button from inside the house to activate it.. for a preset amount of time of course  ::)
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Chas on December 24, 2008, 11:15:17 pm
Quote
Lets see. So those heater are $75 for two...probably need 6 or 8 for a spa cover.h...:)

Might be cheaper to just make the covers thinner, so the heat from the tub comes through and keeps them free of snow and ice.

 8-)
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Dr. Spa™ Ret. on December 25, 2008, 06:10:22 am
Isn't that what Spa Crap does...for twice the price?  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: hottubdan on December 25, 2008, 09:38:23 am
Quote
Isn't that what Spa Crap does...for twice the price?  ;D  ;D
Why are you here at 3:10 AM Christmas morning? :D
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Dr. Spa™ Ret. on December 25, 2008, 11:23:53 am
(http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq215/rhtubs/SantaHotTub.jpg)
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: Shaamus on December 26, 2008, 04:56:44 pm
We've had one in development for a while.  It's expensive to produce and frankly I'm not sure when or even if we will bring it to market because we really need to work on the economics.  I just don't think someone wants to pay a lot of money just to melt ice.  We are looking at the technology for other uses, but the price point doesn't seem right for the benefit at this point.
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: b1yvtk43 on January 07, 2009, 11:48:06 pm
Ever heard of a "covana"....google it!
Title: Re: heated cover
Post by: aduvall on January 08, 2009, 08:39:18 pm
Thats all too cute, Santa  :)

Quote
(http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq215/rhtubs/SantaHotTub.jpg)