Winter is such a wonderful time for soaking in a steamy hot tub. In order to keep your hot tub working as efficiently and effectively as possible, here are a few money-saving and time-saving tips.
1. Saving Energy
Hot tubs can use a lot of energy, but there are some simple ways to decrease your energy use:
- Set your thermostat to 102℉. Some hot tubs are set to 104℉, but 102℉ is recommended for safety by most health departments.
- Out of town? Turn it down. If you will not be using the hot tub for more than a week, turn down the thermostat.
- Use a good, insulating hard foam cover. Be sure to adhere to the following practices:
- Be sure the cover is snug and tight fitting with the lip of the tub
- Fasten the straps to secure the seal
- Be sure the cover is not cracked or torn or water-logged. If it is, replace it.
- Use a floating blanket. A win-win, these are energy efficient and help prolong the life of your hard cover.
- Block the wind. Fences, trees, or privacy panels can effectively block the wind so less heat is lost from the wind blowing over the surface of the water.
- Drain only when necessary. Heavily used hot tubs should be drained every three to four months. Maintaining proper chemical balance will reduce any additional need for draining. When draining the hot tub, make sure no chemicals have been added for at least the last 48 hours. Drain to a sanitary sewer or use the water for lawn irrigation.
- Fix leaks. This may seem obvious, but small leaks can add up over time. Thoroughly check for any leaking water and fix as soon as possible.
- Use your hot tub cover and/or floating blanket as much as possible. Leaving the hot tub uncovered results in the most water evaporation due to the high water temperature (warm water evaporates quickly).
- No cannonballs in the hot tub. Splashing and jumping causes water to splash out of the hot tub.
- Drain only when necessary. As previously stated, maintain proper chemical balance in order to reduce the number of times you must drain and refill the entire hot tub.
- Shocking the Hot Tub. Shocking your hot tub is important to remove organic compounds (body oils, dead skin, sweat) from the water, to kill bacteria, to remove chloramines and to keep the water clean and clear — especially after high-bather loads. There are chlorine-based and non-chlorine-based shocks. Clear Comfort eliminates the need for shocking the hot tub as the system continuously keeps the water clear and clean.
- High Bather Loads. Hot tubs typically have higher bather loads than pools. Hot water and high levels of organic compounds render sanitizing products less effective. Due to this compound effect with high bather loads, it is harder to maintain a consistent sanitizer level in a hot tub compared to a pool.
