What are the factors involved in heating a hot tub?
As the weather warms, it’s the perfect time for a gathering and perhaps that summer BBQ with friends. You’ve bought the food, drinks and charcoal. But there’s one thing that’s not looking so good. Your hot tub looks like a swamp.
At this stage, the hot tub is beyond any miraculous chemicals. You need to drain, clean and start again.
That’s all great, but as hot as it may be outside, you want to avoid freezing your guests to death in a ‘cold’ hot tub!
Once you’ve cleaned and re-filled your tub, do you know how long it takes to heat up the hot tub water so you can be summer party ready?
The actual time it takes to heat a hot tub depends on a number of factors:
The ambient temperature
How hot it is outside is a huge factor in heat up time. It makes sense that if it’s minus 5 outside then your hot tub will take far longer to heat than if it’s a balmy 25 degrees. If it is a lovely hot day, then it will take on average 8 hours to heat a hot tub. On colder days it can take up to 10-12 hours to come to temperature. A general rule is to expect your hot tub to heat up between 3 degrees per hour.
The other factor to consider is the temperature of the water from the hose. In winter this can be as cold as 6/7 degrees Celsius, whereas in summer it can be up to 13 degrees Celsius.
The Quality of the Components
It makes sense that a hot tub with quality components will be quicker to heat than one with older, more inefficient parts. Consider an annual service and regularly replace frequently used parts such as the water heater, pump, and jets if they become damaged. Good quality Hydropool parts will also allow the water and heat to flow freely through the hot tub, maximising efficiency and maintaining temperature effectively.
Your Garden Layout
Design and landscaping pay a huge part in protecting your hot tub from the elements. Consider shrubbery, fencing, or a walled area to shelter the tub from the prevailing wind to help preserve the temperature of the tub. Protection from the weather will also help your hot tub to heat up faster.
Hydropool Self-Cleaning Technology
With a Hydropool hot tub you’ll find that dependent on usage and proper chemical balance, you only need to replace the water every 8 -12 weeks or so.
Chemical maintenance and filter cleaning allows you to preserve the water you have in the tub for as long as possible before draining and refilling.
With clever patented Self-Cleaning technology, Hydropool hot tubs allow 100% of the water to pass through the filters every 15 minutes. Regular filtering of the water reduces pressure on the main filter and keeps the water clearer for longer – so fewer refills!
Top tips
Don’t run the jets when heating up your hot tub. The air flow will push cold air around and slow down the time it takes to heat up.
Be patient. Think about the volume of water that needs to be heated. It makes sense that it’s not going to be a quick process.
Leave your hot tub cover on whilst heating up to preserve any heat from escaping.
Avoid lifting the cover too often to check the temperature. It’s like opening an oven door during cooking; the heat will escape.
Don’t be tempted to jump in before the desired temperature has been reached. Bathing in water that’s too cold can result in hyperthermia and is especially dangerous for children who cannot regulate their body temperature as well as adults.
Need help cleaning your hot tub?
If you need to drain and refill your hot tub and would like some help, then give our maintenance team at Yorkshire Hot Tubs a call and book an appointment with one of our engineers.
