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I AM GETTING PRETTY SERIOUS ABOUT PURCHASING A HS JETSETTER. I ALLREADY HAVE 110 AVAILABLE ON MY PORCH. I KNOW THE JETSETTER CAN BE WIRED EITHER 110 OR 220. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES EITHER WAY?ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS A DIFERENCE IN POWER I DON'T THINK I WOULD WANT TO SACRIFICE THAT.
There will be no difference in the power of the pump/jets. There are two drawbacks to running it 110v versus 220v. 1) That's a small spa but even so when you initially fill it (and any time you drain/refill) you'll have to wait probably about 15 hrs or so for it to heat to 100º if its a 110v spa. If you go the 220v way it's take about 1/4 that time to heat up. 2) When you're in it wired 110v, if you turn the jets on the heater is automatically disabled until you turn the jets back off. If you live in a cold area or if you tend to use the jets for 10+ minutes you'll see the temp drop and will want to turn the jets back off so it can start to heat back up. All things being equal go the 220v route. You could hook it up to 110V and try it that way and if you find it an issue hook it to 220v later though usually you want it set up for good initially because most won't want to deal with changing it later.BTW, it'll cost about the same $wise to run it either way.
220 all the way, baby! I'm very impressed with how quickly my HS Sovereign's 6,000 watt heater heats up 355 gallons of water. My personal preference is to keep it at 90-95 then bump it up to 98-100 after I get in.Initially, heating up 50° water to 100° will take about 7 hours on 220 or about 14 hours on 110 at a cost of $2.94 based on my average electric rate.
The bottom line to me however, is that most 110v spas require a dedicated line... If you have to pay to have that installed anyway you might as well go 220.
This is so true. The Jetsetter does require a dedicated 20 amp line to run on 110 volts. Just about any spa does. I have delivered many spas to homes where the outlet turned out to not be able to run the spa. If you run your new Jetsetter on 110, it needs to be a dedicated outlet, and that means that in most cases it is or was installed so that there is a 20 amp breaker with wire running to this outlet and no other. Never a 15 amp breaker, and never the same circuit as the bathroom or any other outlets. This is not something most homes are equipped with, unless it was installed as an extra, or left over from a previous owner who had a tub. Most homes have a single circuit with a GFI outlet in a bathroom - then that circuit goes to another bathroom or two and finally outdoors. That way the one GFI outlet protects all the outlets on the circuit for the minimum dollar amount to the builder, but it makes it not work for a spa, or at least not work well. If the heater or jets in the spa and something like a blow-drier should be run at the same time you will have to walk out and reset the breaker for that circuit. Even a vacuum cleaner can cause this if they are run on the same circuit. Some folks save the money and just put up with the minor hassle - Your dealer should be willing and able to check this out for you or have it checked out at no charge, but I would be glad to walk you through some simple steps to check it yourself if you have not already done so.Having said that, you might as well go 220 if you are going to have to put in a dedicated line. It is not much more to go 220 at that point - the main increase in cost is the subpanel which contains a pair of GFI breakers for your new tub. That panel can be purchased through your dealer - usually for less than buying it from your electrician. But check first - I have had many installs where I found it faster and cheaper to put a pair of breakers into the main house panel instead - it all depends on the individual job.Finally - I would like to say that I have sold many many Jetsetters over the years, and have set up more on 110 than 220 by far. Most of the folks set them up on 110 with the understanding that this is a convertible spa and can be changed to 220 at any time. They figure on trying it out on 110 to see if it does in fact cool as the jets run. Please keep in mind that I live in a temperate climate, not a snow belt, so your results on this may vary, but the water simply does NOT cool as the jets run. There is a reason for this: HotSpring tubs recycle the waste heat from the jet pump motor back into the spa. They have a simple shroud on the motor which captures the hot air as it exits the motor. Most of that air is ejected from the bottom of the spa to keep the motor compartment from overheating, but some of that hot air is directed back into the jets. You control the amount of this air, and thereby you can control the tub's ability to stay at temp or even climb as you jet.Now I have had some who made the change to 220 later, but generally it was because they were talked into it by a contractor or electrician, and it was done in connection with some other work. For example, I have put Jetsetters in place on a patio, where it was enjoyed until a new deck or other home improvement was completed. Part of that home improvement may have included an electrical upgrade and a 220 circuit for the spa in it's new location - or things along that line - which made the cost of adding 220 smaller than normal.I have also had customers go 220 if they replace the water more often than the normal 4 month interval. Some folks have reason to replace the water more often, and the speedy reheat is a big deal to them.HTH 8-)
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Topic: 110 OR 220 (Read 7043 times)
