3 Tips for Maximizing the Energy-Efficiency of Your Spa

December 31st, 2013

2 min. read

By Amy Rushia

Make the most of your outdoor spa by maximizing energy-efficiency all year long!

While some spa owners choose to shut done their hot tub or spa during the colder months, many homeowners will tell you that their favorite time of year to use the hot tub is in the winter.  After all, does anything really beat sitting out in sub-zero temperatures while basking in a delightful bath of warm water?  If you’re one of the many who choose to keep their spa open year round, here are some tips that’ll help you save on costs so that you can make it a possibility:

1. Upgrade Your Foam Insulation

Every hot tub has an “R-value”, which is a value that indicates just how much insulation is present in both the floor and the shell of the spa.  The greater the R-Value of a spa, the slower any heat is to pass through the shell.

If your spa has a low R-Value, or if you’re at all concerned about retaining the heat of the water, then you may want to consider adding some foam insulation yourself.  Foam insulation (particularly lcynene foam) will help retain the heat, and yet it won’t react to the moisture so you won’t end up with a ton of mold and bacteria.

2. Add A Cover

Regardless of the time of year, you can vastly improve the efficiency of your spa simply by
throwing a hot tub cover on top of it.  Covers not only help increase the insulation and maintain the heat of the tub, but they also help keep debris out of your spa as well, thus reducing any additional energy costs that may be expended towards pumping, filtration and circulation.

3. Get A Better Circulating Pump

Speaking of circulation, the circulation pump that you currently have can be costing you a lot in dollars every month.  The average spa should have a circulation pump which draws close to 0.4 amps.  The lower the amount of amps that the circulation pump draws, the less it’ll cost you to operate both in off and in peak season.

Shasta Pools is a Phoenix pool builder who provides a variety of services including swimming pool remodeling, commercial pool building, and pool service and repair. Since its establishment in 1967, Shasta has helped over 80,000 families realize their dream of pool ownership. By providing exceptional value, quality craftsmanship and superior customer service, the Shasta team continues to fulfill the corporate mission of astonishing and delighting their customers and exceeding expectations. You can learn more about Shasta Pools & Spas by visiting them online, or by connecting with them on Facebook or Twitter.