It is no secret, a hot tub will increase your electricity bill, but don’t let that get in the way of enjoying nice warm hot tub sessions during cold winter evenings.
Penguin Hot Tubs have put together a few tips and tricks for keeping your electricity cost down and ways to reduce your hot tub’s environmental impact without sacrificing the relaxation and fun it provides.
These are our top eight tips for making your hot tub eco-friendlier:
1. Use an alternative sanitiser.
2. Always insulate.
3. Lower the Thermostat
4. Turn Off Your Hot Tub When Not in Use
5. Heat at the Right Time
6. Set up a Wind Block
7. Use LED lights.
8. Use solar power.
1. Use an Alternative Sanitiser
Chlorine and bromine are typically the chemicals used to keep a hot tub clean and safe. However, both can have a negative impact on the environment.
This is especially when deposited directly into the soil, like when you’re draining your hot tub water.
To avoid this, look into alternative sanitisers which allow you to use much lower amounts of chlorine and bromine than you would otherwise.
For example:
Ozonators, which kill bacteria with ozone molecules.
Ionisers (purifiers), which kill bacteria with ions derived from metals like silver or copper.
Saltwater sanitisers, which kill bacteria by using salt to generate a small amount of chlorine.
As always, be sure to never drain your hot tub water directly into your wastewater drainage system or natural waterways (rivers, streams and burns etc), as this can harm water sources.
2. Always Insulate
Although all hot tubs come with either full or partial insulation, you can increase your hot tub’s insulation with a couple extra accessories.
Get a Good Hot Tub Cover: The number one way to reduce your hot tub energy costs is to have the right hot tub cover for your environment. Depending on the area you live in, consider buying a deluxe or extreme cover. A good cover will trap the heat inside your tub, so the pumps and heating system won’t have to work so hard.
Make sure to regularly check the hinge. The hinge is where most of the heat escapes, even with a new or good hot tub cover. Hot tub covers usually come with two steam stoppers at each end of the middle hinge, which are usually enough for most climates. If you live in a colder climate, like Scotland for example, the full-length steam stopper is a worthwhile upgrade. Also make sure the cover fits perfectly. If your cover is too small or too big, it can cause heat or water loss and will keep that meter running and your energy bill rising.
Hot Tub Thermal Float Blanket: Thermo Float Spa Blankets pay for themselves by saving energy, protecting your hot tub cover, and reducing heating time. Also acts as a solar-cell sun blanket and debris shield, especially on in-ground spas.
3. Lower the Thermostat
The most useful tip to reduce your hot tub energy bill is to lower your thermostat by a few degrees. You are unlikely to notice a difference of a few degrees, but your hot tub heater sure will. Moving from 104° to 100° can have a noticeable effect on energy consumption. Some modern hot tubs even have an Eco mode where the hot tub will automatically reduce in temperature when not in use.
4. Turn Off Your Hot Tub When Not in Use
This tip is fairly straightforward, but it’s worth discussing. If you don’t plan on using your hot tub for an extended period of time, simply drain your hot tub and winterise your hot tub.
So, next time you take off for a two-week holiday, or if you don’t anticipate using your hot tub for the rest of the season, shut it down and winterise your hot tub. By doing this, you can significantly cut its energy usage.
Information on how to winterise your hot tub, please read our recent blog: Preparing your Hot Tub for Winter - 10½ easy steps
5. Heat at the right time
Do you know that your appliances work harder when it’s peak energy time? Usually, mornings and evenings (around dinner time) are the highest peaks for energy consumption because every household uses electricity at the same time. So, you might want to set your hot tub to heat between 11 PM and 7 AM. A good cover will keep the heat inside your hot tub long enough for you to enjoy a nice and warm after dinner soak, without needing much more heating.
6. Set up a Wind Block
If your hot tub is located in a windy location, you may want to create a windbreak around your hot tub. You can use fences, trees, privacy panels or anything that fits your garden design. Not only will it prevent the wind from cooling your water, but it will guarantee a better time when you’re using your hot tub.
7. Use LED Lights
If you have an older hot tub, it may be equipped with incandescent bulbs instead of LED lights. If that’s the case, it will be worth making the switch. LED lights use significantly less energy than their incandescent counterparts, are extremely affordable and also last much longer. According to an article from USA Today titled “Why people still use inefficient incandescent light bulbs,” an incandescent bulb will only last for about 1,000 hours, while an LED will last for 25,000.
While you’re at it, why not replace any incandescent outdoor lighting you may have with LED lighting? Both the environment and your electric bill will thank you.
8. Use Solar Power
If you’re looking to go the whole nine yards, a solar-powered hot tub could be the perfect choice for you. While some hot tubs are sold solar-ready out of the box, you can convert your existing hot tub to a solar-powered one fairly easily.
Several solar hot tub kits are available for purchase online. Or, you can go the DIY route: many videos on YouTube contain all the information you need to make your own solar-powered hot tub or read our recent blog on: Solar Hot Tubs - Make your hot tub energy efficient for 2020
So, it’s absolutely possible to have an eco-friendly hot tub. With a little extra effort, you can reduce your hot tub’s environmental impact and your electric bill. It’s time for some guilt-free soaking.
The Penguin Spas Difference
Engineered For Great Relaxation
Designed with the owner in mind, state of the art design with our spas are always warm and ready to use yet demand surprisingly affordable operating costs. Full foam installation surrounding the shell - combined with the custom fit shell covers - forms an effective insulation barrier keeping the heat in and the cold out. A modern pleasing design with a streamlined appearance and ergonomic interiors, all as standard.
Power Saving - Cleverly Saving You Money
R-10 Full Insulation Technology
R-10 Full insulation technology has been very popular and mature in hot tubs industry. It is purpose to save the running cost of hot tubs, and to achieve energy saving and environment protection. Penguin Hot Tubs and Swim always focus on innovation and breakthrough in the R-10 Full Insulation Technology, and decrease to minimize the running costs of hot tubs.
Value of Energy Efficiency
Penguin Hot Tubs and Swim Spas not only strives to perfect in R-10 Full Insulation Technology, but also incorporate energy-saving technology of massage pumps. Our partner Thermals Spas established the only Hot tubs factory with Witness Laboratory of TUV and ETL in the world. Through the several tests in the laboratory, Thermals Spas based on the performance of the massage pumps, reference the requirement of ergonomics, through reasonable allocation of massage jets and massage pumps, and play the massage pumps maximum value of energy efficiency, to reduce running costs of Hot tubs.
Penguin Insulation Cover
Penguin Hot Tubs and Swim Spas are not only equipped with a highly efficient and energy-saving heating system, but also a 10cm thickness strong cover and a full effect R10 thermal insulation layer, meaning the spa's owners can constantly keep the water in the most agreeable temperature with minimum expenditure in severely cold days or in great snow. Even if in the snow, owners are able to experience the infinite fun and relieve their fatigue in the falling snow as long as they sweep the thick snow onto the cover, lift the cover and step into the warm water.
Durable Insulated Cabinet
Penguin Spas hot tubs & swim spas feature an innovative PS type material cabinet with PVC foam insulation. It not only completely retains the performance of traditional wooden decorative materials, but also its environmental protection, light, high strength, anti-corrosion, anti-fog and durability characteristics.
Ultraviolet Sterilisation Technology
Ultraviolet Disinfection Technology has been widely used in water treatment technique. Compared with heating or put the chemicals with harmful components in your hot tub, using Ultraviolet disinfection technology in water treatment can effectively and quickly sterilise the water of you shot tub even no peculiar smell. Ultraviolet Sterilisation Technology is characterised by low operating cost, simple maintenance and easy operation. It is applied and cooperated with ozone and filter in the circulation system of Penguin Spas, which supplies you a health and clean environment
Ozone Disinfection & Purification System
Each Penguin Spas Hot Tub and Swim Spa are equipped with a highly efficient, safe and durable ozone disinfection & purification water processing system. With a life not less than 5000 hours, the ozone generator is controlled by the central processor. Once set up, it can control the start, close and operation time of ozone generator. In order to maximize the mixing and melting effect between the water and the ozone released in the spa water, Penguin Spas masterly assembles ozone generator input pipe, circulation pump, heater and filter into a scientific and highly efficient pipeline by dint of its proprietary technology and devices.