Why don't we have gas heaters?

[Gomboman]

OK, this is probably a dumb question. Why don't the major spa manufacturers offer gas heaters as an option?

I know natural gas prices have gone up recently but I'm thinking it would be more efficient than electric. Where I live, it costs me over $.20 per KwH to operate my spa and the prices keep going up. I have a gas water heater and a gas dryer at home. Most or all of the gunite pools and spas use gas.

I'm assuming that if everyone had a gas line right next to their spa it would be different?

[Wisoki]

Jacuzzi spas of the past were retrofit to receive the needed lines to plumb in a gas heater. However The vast majority of of spa purchasers never spent the extra $1100 for the 95,000 BTU heater, plus instalation of gas lines, so they did away with the $4.00 PVC investment and went strictly electric.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

1. Expense. A gas heater would add over $500 to the production cost of the spa.

2. Safety. The heater would have to located remotely, at least 5' from the spa..... AND be properly vented.

3. Installation expense and difficulty... The spa would become significanly less "plug and play". Besides needing an electrician to wire it up, you'd now also need a plumber to run the gas line....... which by the way almost certainly could NOT simply be tied into an existing gas line, but would need a dedicated gas line run all the way from the main gas meter.

[Bill_Stevenson]

I could be wrong, but methinks you can get gas heaters for spas, at least for the non-portable variety that are built into the ground.  In fact, the community I live in has a community spa and 3 pools, and it is served by a gas heater.  It is remote, the jets are not of the same capacity, or competence as what we are accustomed to, but it is gas heated.  Maybe it would be possible to retrofit a portable spe with an remote after market gas water heater?  The cost might be high, but a three year payback would attract the smart buyer.  I would look into it, but my community specifically forbids any gas except for a typical tank for the barbecue.

Regards,

Bill

[Chas]

There is no such thing as a gas-heated spa.

Really.

[tanstaafl2]

There is no such thing as a gas-heated spa.

Really.

I dunno, I have a fair amount of gas in my spa, especially if I go in after a big dinner!

And most of that gas is pretty warm....

[Chas]

Not what I meant...

[salesdvl]

I dunno, I have a fair amount of gas in my spa, especially if I go in after a big dinner!

And most of that gas is pretty warm....

Maybe its me , but if your water is 104 and you "blow" 98.6 air into it wouldnt that have a "cooling" effect?  Of course if the person had a fever....
 

[Gomboman]

It's funny, when I tell regular people (not spa people) that I have a spa, the first question they ask if it's heated by gas or electric.  

When I tell them that none of the manufactureres use gas they don't believe me. I'm not sure why.

There is no such thing as a gas-heated spa.

Really.

[chaunceyboyblu]

the extra cost could never be offset by the savings. how about having one that uses waste oil for heat, or corn cobbs? plus gas heaters make noise electric doesnt. when im in my tub late at night i like the quiet.

[Chas]

I still maintin that there is no such thing as a gas-heated spa.

Just isn't.

[Gomboman]

What do you mean Chas? Didn't Wisoki say Jacuzzi used to have one? I know almost all ingound spas are gas heated. I thought some of the old school spas ran off of gas. I guess you would know.

I still maintin that there is no such thing as a gas-heated spa.

Just isn't.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

There are currently no PORTABLE spas that come standard with a gas heater........ years ago there was. They used a Ranai (sp) heater that vented right out the side of the skirting. Most inground spas, and the vast majority of our traditional wooden hot tubs are heater with gas. A few people have done gas conversions to portable spas, but as previously said, even with the cost savings of heating with gas, the cost of the conversion will never be made up. The main reason for doing the conversion is the heat up time. Rather than 2 to 6 degrees per hour, you can get 20 to 35 degrees per hour.

[East_TX_Spa]

or corn cobbs?

T.P. Cooter sez:
"Dang son, corn cobbs is fer wipin' yore'n backside, not fer heetin' yore hot tub, lessin' it's a Sooper Hind End Deeelux hot tub."

[OC_Spas]

Gas won't heat a spa. But a gas-fueled flame will. Is that what you meant Chas?