Is It Cheaper To Leave Hot Tub On All The Time?
The short answer, if you have a quality hot tub – yes it is cheaper to leave a hot tub on all the time. There are reasons behind why it may or may not be more expensive to leave your hot tub on all the time. It’s all going to depend on your hot tubs energy efficiency. Your hot tubs insulation, the electrical hook up, and the heater are what will determine your hot tubs energy efficiency. So, let’s dive into why it may or may not be cheaper to leave your hot tub on.
Insulation
If your hot tub has full foam insulated with quality insulation, it will be cheaper to leave it running. What does full foam insulation mean? Insulation between the shell & cabinet that fills every crevasse. Quality insulation holds a different meaning for every brand. For us, it means insulation that is at bare minimum 2lb spray foam. Anything less, and it will be too expensive to keep your hot tub running all the time.
Electrical Hook Up
This one is a little more complicated. Hot tubs typically required either a 110v (20 amp) or 220v (50 amp) connection. 220v hook ups usually are able to keep your hot tub up at temperature more easily making the hot tub more energy efficient. However, as we said before, insulation plays a huge role here. 110v hook ups usually take a little longer to heat up and sometimes struggle to stay up to temperature. If your hot tub has good insulation and a great heater, you won’t have an issue keeping the hot tub running. However, if your insulation is minimal and your heater is under 4kw, you’ll probably have to shut the hot tub off to save on energy costs.
Heater
Your heater is the workhorse of your hot tub. This component arguably carry’s most of the weight when it comes to the hot tubs functions. If your hot tub has a heater that is 4kw or more, it usually will not have an issue staying up to temperature. In this case, leaving your hot tub running will be more cost efficient. If you have a heater that is less than 4kw, your hot tub may have trouble staying up to temperature. This will make it more expensive to keep your hot tub running.
Cover
Your cover also plays an important role in energy efficiency for your hot tub. The best insulated cover has a thick foam insert that’s sealed so it doesn’t absorb moisture & tapered so rain water doesn’t sit ontop of the cover. The cover should also have a “skirt” around the sides of the hot tub to seal in the heat so it doesn’t escape from the gaps between the shell and the cover. Without proper insulation from a cover, your heat will escape even when you’re not using the hot tub. This could end up costing you $100’s of dollars a month – which as we know, really ads up!
Its cheaper to keep your hot tub running when….
Overall, if your hot tub has 2lb or better insulation, is a 220v, and has a 4kw or better heater – it will be cheaper to keep your hot tub running. Why? Because it’s able to keep your hot tub up to temperature more efficiently. If you turn the hot tub off and then back on at a later date, it’ll use up a ton of energy to reheat the hot tub. Another thing to consider is you’ll have to re-do your water care because stagnant water is never safe to soak in. This requires a lot of time, chemicals, and energy.
It’s cheaper to turn your hot tub off when…
Your hot tub has minimal insulation, is hooked up 110v, and has less than a 4kw heater in it. Your hot tub will have a very difficult time keeping the temperature up causing your energy costs to sky rocket to sometimes $150+ per month! So, in times you wont be using the hot tub, shock it & shut it down. Always make sure to test the water when you go to use it again. Also, turn it on 12 hours in advance to allow time to heat the water up. If the hot tub has been off for more than 2 weeks, we would recommend emptying and refilling the hot tub to start fresh.
What Hot Tubs Are The Most Energy Efficient?
Hot Spring & Caldera Hot Tubs are known for their quality design & engineering. Their team of hot tub experts spend countless hours creating the best hot tub in order to deliver their customer the greatest hot tubbing experience. Not only do they pay close attention to comfort and design – they also place high value on the efficiency of the hot tub to treat your money better. They’re sold worldwide in cold and warm climates & they’re tested to perform in both.
Interested in learning more about Hot Spring & Caldera Hot Tubs? Give us a call (732) 424-0030 or inquire here. One of our wellness consultants will reach out to help you start your hot tub shopping journey!
