Hot Tub Buying Guide

How to insulate a hot tub

You purchased your hot tub so you could relax and reduce the stress in your life. Then the electric bill came and you were surprised at the increase since you have been enjoying your hot tub. Well, there are a few things you may be able to do to help keep those costs down and keep that stress in check. Check to see that you have properly read the manual and set the tub to the appropriate mode. Is it in the standard mode maintaining a consistent temperature day in and day out all day long? Your hot tub will always be hot and ready, but is always heating and using electricity to do that. Or have you chosen the wiser standby or economy mode which allows you to program the tub to be hot and ready when you want, but not all the time? This is great if you use the hot tub at about the same time every day or maybe only on weekends. If your tub does not have programmable settings, you can reduce the temperature when you are finished with your soak and then manually turn it on with enough time to heat up for your next soak.

In addition to setting the tub to the appropriate mode, you will want to be sure your tub is properly insulated. If you tub is new, it is likely that it has enough insulation. But take a look. Are the pipes properly insulated? If not, you can purchase pipe sleeves from your local hardware store and wrap the hot water pipes to keep the tub from losing heat before it reaches the water. Is your cover doing its job? Make sure your cover is in good condition. The heat will escape quickly through a damaged or ill-fitting cover. Make sure the surround doesn't have any gaps. You don't want heat escaping or rodents entering. Also, is your tub set in a location that is protected from wind? Maybe you want to consider adding a privacy fence to help block wind.

Does your tub get some sun during the day? Using the power of the sun to keep heat is a wonderful use of nature's resources and free. Look under the tub. Is there room for you to add some insulation? Remember you need to allow room for ventilation for the pump motor and access to valves. You don't want to fill the space completely, but you can add some layered insulation along the four walls to help keep the heat in. Be sure to use safety glasses and to wear gloves when handling insulation.

And then, turn that tub on and get in to enjoy the luxurious benefits of hydrotherapy. You bought it to use it, so get on in.