Hot Tub Forum

Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: mader on February 16, 2007, 12:31:18 am

Title: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: mader on February 16, 2007, 12:31:18 am: Just a fun post. I just refilled by tub for the second time, and I got to thinking, how fast can one drain the tub, fill it, and get it up to 100/104 degrees and have balanced chemistry.

I did it today in 11 hrs with a 375g tub. Anybody?
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: anne on February 16, 2007, 03:42:05 am: I think the last time I drained/ refilled, it was about 8 hrs for me. I am not including perfect water balance......just drain/clean+rinse/refill/add stuff.... and soak! I was amazed that it was such a short time but it was in SEPT in CA. I could be off by a bit one way or 'tother but I remember that I didn't think I'd get a soak that night since it was well into the afternoon that I finished the fill, and yet I was in the tub before bed!
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: Brewman on February 16, 2007, 07:39:56 am: Takes my spa about 45 minutes to drain, 45 more to refill, then heats water at 5-6 degree per hour. I've never actually timed it anything, I usually do the drain and fill in the morning, and let it heat during the day, and it's ready to use sometime in the evening. I'll be doing this as soon as in March as the weather allows, and the tap water will be very cold, probably less than 60 degrees to the water heating alone will take a good 10 hours.
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: loosenupspas on February 16, 2007, 09:04:15 am: submersible pump at home depot about $85........drain in 10 minutes.....just a thought
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: drewstar on February 16, 2007, 09:08:09 am: Quote
submersible pump at home depot about $85........drain in 10 minutes.....just a thought

Really 10 minutes, (32 gallons a minute) or is that just a "figure of speech?"

I have a submersable pump from Homodepot, and I paid about that price, but it takes me more like 40 minutes to drain my 320 gallon tub. >:( I have it connected to a very long ( 100' ") garden hose. Perhaps this is limiting my time? I don't need to run a 100 feet of hose, it's just what I had hanging around. Is such a long hose significanlty effecting my drain time?
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: wmccall on February 16, 2007, 09:11:31 am: The heat back up part is a big variable for me. My water out of the tap this time of year is close to 40F. In July it can be 75-82. At 5 degrees an hour, that is a difference of 6 hours right there.
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: LtDan on February 16, 2007, 09:47:08 am: Quote

Is such a long hose significanlty effecting my drain time?

You wish! ;D
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: drewstar on February 16, 2007, 09:50:56 am: ouch. ;)

Pehaps I need a wider hose? Is it more a function of girth than leangth?
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: txwillie on February 16, 2007, 10:19:34 am: I have a small sump pump ($85 or so from the depot) for mine as well. I connected about 15 ft of 3/4" garden hose and it took about 10-15 min to drain my 300 gallon tub. I've seen folks use a 2" vinyl backwash hose when draining swimming pools. They are cheap and fold flat when not in use.

txwillie
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: Brookenstein on February 16, 2007, 10:23:53 am: I drain the old fashion way with the help of an extra hose. Usually take about 1.5 - 2 hrs to drain, 1/2 hr to clean, maybe an hour or so to refill, and forever to heat. If I start around 8am, I should be able to soak around 10 pm.
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: GoBlue on February 16, 2007, 12:34:00 pm: 45 minutes to drain using pump and 100' hose
30 minutes to fill
5-6 degress/hr to heat

Did mine Sunday.
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: loosenupspas on February 16, 2007, 12:37:07 pm: blue flat pool draining hose works the best. using a garden hose slows things way down. 420 gals in ten minutes, 15 may be.....
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: loosenupspas on February 16, 2007, 12:45:16 pm: I guess I paid more than $85.

Here it is....check it out

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc%2fsearchResults.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@0931688558.1171647769@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceaddkejelgfhcgelceffdfgidgng.0&MID=9876
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: glfahlc on February 16, 2007, 01:11:55 pm: if one has a submersible with a 1 1/2 outlet, one should use 1 1/2" hose... anything less will prolong the outcome...
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: nlittle on February 16, 2007, 01:33:14 pm: I haven't done it yet but I know my first heat up took about 30 hours on 110...so I don't think I will be setting any records in this thread!
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: loosenupspas on February 16, 2007, 03:33:58 pm: nlittel.....may be fill it from you hot water heater or a house faucet....30 hours is forever.....
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: Brewman on February 16, 2007, 03:58:06 pm: I wouldn't suggest filling your spa from your water heater, assuming it's a standard tank style. Most of them only hold 40 or 50 gallons of water, and that will quickly be depleted into your spa. At that point you'll just be pulling cold water from the tank faster than it can be heated. So you'll be out of hot water for the length of time it takes all that cold water to get hot. Many hours, possibly.

Once that 40 gallons of 120 degree water is mixed with several hundred gallons of cold water, you won't have gained much but an empty water heater.
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: nlittle on February 16, 2007, 04:30:45 pm: Quote
nlittel.....may be fill it from you hot water heater or a house faucet....30 hours is forever.....

Yeah, 30 hours is forever! But, if I use my noggin, I will clean and refill in the morning and the next day/night I can be soaking...just need to have plans for that time.
As far as using my hot water, I have an on demand hot water system, no tank but I practically drain my well as it is while filling the tub, I don't want to work my furnace too.
I can be patient.....I think. OR I can upgrade to 220!
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: mader on February 16, 2007, 07:22:29 pm: wow....the 120v take a long time!
Title: Re: drain, fill, soak how fast can you?
Post by: Brewman on February 17, 2007, 11:03:33 am: Big deal- so you have to wait a day between water changes. As long as your spa maintains it's heat while you're using it.