24 hour Circ Pumps

[Mendocino101]

That does seem excessively high for any most any "WELL MADE" spa outside of a swim type spa...you might want to put  a meter on it and see what its actual draw is...

[Steve]

I'm with Mendo on this one. Often, owners "guess" their usage and are waaaaaaaaay out.

I would bet that you would be closer to the $30 or $40 per month range unless something was drastically wrong with the pak/motor.

Steve

[stabone]

  Circ pumps, were used back before the computer programmed cycles, or they used those hoky timers with the teeth you had to pull out to make time cycles, I don't think anyone could figure those stupid things out.  
  Most FF tubs use circ pumps, most TP tubs use 2 speed pumps for filtering?  The biggest reason for this is how the tubs are built, if there were signicant cost or filtering difference in the to everyone would change to one or the other.  I think both provide great filtering, and similar cost for filtering.  
  The reason for different styles of filtering, is how the tubs are built. TP tubs have their equipment inside the insulation, and use heat from pump motors as warm air insulation.  Bigger pumps produce more heat even on low speed.  And in cold weather the pump can sit idle between filtering modes, without the threat of freezing.  It is more effective in that style of tub!!  
   FF tubs put their equipment on the outside of the insulation, and vent the compartment, and don't need to use the heat producted by running a larger pump.  
Also, in extreme cold equipment on the outside of the insulation is more vulnerable to the cold, if there pumps sat idle for 6 to 8 hours between filter cycles the ice could begin to for in the pipes or wet end of the pumps. The continious running of the circ pump, puts off heat in the small equipment space to protect the other equipment inside.
It doesn't make sense for FF tubs not to run circ pumps. It works better for their design, and now with ozone it is tied in to the circ pump and is a bonus to circ pumps.
 

[Big_Ed]

...I would bet that you would be closer to the $30 or $40 per month range ....
Steve

How much would you like to bet?

For 3 years, electric bills ranged $70-85/month.  Install the tub, last 8 months have been a low of $163 to a high of $187.  No other new appliances introduced.

Yeah, I'll take a piece of that action, bring it on.  Offset some of my energy bills!

[Mendocino101]

Big Ed,

You do need to meter your spa to get an accurate reading and than you will know if there is a problem or not with your spa ...if it is running normal you will not have that kind of a bill unless you were using the spa excessively....

[hotubinn]

Also, make sure that your cover fits properly.  If it is allowing heat loss, your heater will come on excessively.  

[Steve]

You've got 2 choices here Big_Ed.

Get the spa metered to get an accurate amp draw or sell the damn thing and get a decent tub that should cost you a buck a day to operate!

If what you're saying is true and you use this tub maybe once a week, and the cost to run it is $80 or $100....it's time to shut 'er down! That's ridiculous and far from the industry average and what a quality tub should be operating at.

Steve

[Brewman]

Big Ed-  

Out of curiousity, what is the rate you pay for electricity?

Brewman

[Chas]

I agree with the folks who say you need to meter. I have had many folks come in claiming that the spa 'I sold them' is using far too much power.

One of them borrowed a portable meter - and put it on the 'fridge in the garage. The thing was dying, and taking a lot of their money with it. They got rid of the old 'fridge, and their bill dropped to below what it was before the tub showed up.

Another customer had to have the meter wired in: 220 hardwired tub. They found that the tub was using less than I had promised, and that the kids had changed the settings on the home thermostats to run the AC all day during a warm spell.

I have had customers who put the tub in just as the weather turned cool (doesn't get all that cold around here) and the bill went up over the previous few months. They needed to compare to last year - but...

Still others have been caught off-guard by an increse in power rates ; so be sure to compare the number of KWH used, not just dollar amount on the bill. I don't know many people who are paying the same per-unit rate this year as they paid last year. So the fact that your dollar amount is higher doesn't mean you are using that much more power over last year.

And finally, if none of this helps, do as Steve said.

[HotTubMan]

How much would you like to bet?

For 3 years, electric bills ranged $70-85/month.  Install the tub, last 8 months have been a low of $163 to a high of $187.  No other new appliances introduced.

Yeah, I'll take a piece of that action, bring it on.  Offset some of my energy bills!

I guess you have taken into account that all other things are equal:
ie:
1)price of electricity
2)usage by you and all other family members of everything electric
3)weather has beeen constant?