should i leave my hot tub on all the time
The first thing you might think is,
“Wouldn’t leaving my hot tub on all the time be a massive waste of electricity?”
Most hot tub owners only use their hot tubs a few times each week, which is why so many wonder whether or not they should leave their hot tubs on around the clock.
We’re here to tell you that it is completely fine to leave your hot tub on all the time. Come dive in with us as we explore why!
Should I Leave My Hot Tub On All The Time?
Yes, your hot tub should remain on all the time.
They’re actually designed to be left on around the clock. If you look at it from an economical perspective, it requires less energy to keep your hot tub hot rather than try and heat it from a cold state each time you want to use your hot tub.
You have to remember that hot tubs use massive volumes of water. It can take many hours, if not an entire day to heat a hot tub.
During that heating time, you’re using a ton of energy. Therefore, it’s far better to maintain your hot tub temperature than try and heat the entire thing every time you want to use it, especially during the colder months.
It costs far less to keep your hot tub running all the time during the summer, especially if your hot tub has good quality insulation and a high-quality cover.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should just set it and forget it. There are some considerations to make in the realm of leaving your hot tub running.
When To Turn Your Hot Tub Off
At some points, your hot tub will need to be turned off. Typically, people turn their hot tubs off at specific points throughout the year or during routine maintenance.
For example, you should drain your hot tub routinely. Draining your hot tub every 3 months is the standard. However, if you use your hot tub frequently or a lot during the winter months, you might consider draining it even more often to keep the water clean. In this case, during the draining, cleaning, and refilling process, you will want to turn your hot tub off.
Secondly, if there are points throughout the year that you won’t be using your hot tub at all, you can drain it and turn it off. There are plenty of hot tub owners who absolutely love using their hot tubs during the winter months, though if you aren’t planning on using yours, there’s no reason to keep your hot tub running.
Lastly, if you’re planning on traveling or leaving your home for an extended period, there’s no reason to keep your hot tub on while you’re gone. For example, if you’re going on vacation for the summer, you can turn your hot tub off.
The Most Cost-Efficient Way To Run A Hot Tub
While you can run just about any hot tub efficiently, it helps if you have a cost-efficient hot tub to start.
Modern hot tub models are well-insulated and energy-efficient. As a result, these hot tubs don’t put a strain on your electricity bill when they use more power. So if you’re thinking about buying a new hot tub, energy efficiency should be one of your top priorities.
If you already have a hot tub, though you don’t have a decent cover, get one.
A quality cover can keep your hot water hot. Also, make sure that your hot tub cover is on top of your spa when it’s not in use. For our recommended products, visit The Cover Guy Reviews.
If you have your energy-efficient hot tub and cover in place, the next thing you can do is get in touch with your electricity provider and see if they have off-peak hours. There are particular times throughout the day where electricity rates go down. If your electricity provider has these off-peak hours, it’s a good idea to run your heat cycles during these particular times and refrain from using your hot tub outside of these windows.
Lastly, make sure that your hot tub filter is clean, which should be part of your routine hot tub maintenance. Using fresh water from your garden, you can rinse your filter off every three to four weeks. Then, every 3 months, you should perform a deep soak with some filter cleaning chemicals. More often than not, quality hot tub filters must be replaced every 1-2 years, depending on how often you use your hot tub.
Create a cleaning schedule and adhere to it. In the end, you’ll save more money while keeping your hot tub running all the time.
PRO TIP: Most modern spas include an economy mode feature. Setting your hot tub at economy mode will save you money. These modes run heater cycles less often throughout the day, which can net you about 10% back in energy costs each month.
We’ve got another great article for those who are now wondering: “How Much Electricity Does A Hot Tub Use?”
Should I leave My Hot Tub Filter On All The Time?
Filters have one of the most important jobs in a hot tub. They work to catch dirt, debris, hair, fibers from swimsuits, or any other unwanted particles that make their way into your hot tub. For this reason, it is crucial to keep your hot tub filter on whenever you’re using your hot tub.
Of course, as we mentioned before, it is fine to take your filter out every week or few weeks to check if it needs a rinse, though you don’t want to keep it out of your hot tub any longer than you need to rinse it off.
When your filter is out of your hot tub, don’t run the spa pump. The plumbing could end up sucking up contaminants and damaging the equipment.
Beyond cleaning it regularly, typically, after 1-2 years, you will need to switch your filter out.
How Hot Should I Keep My Hot Tub When I’m Not Using It?
The answer to this question depends on what region you live in.
For example, if you live in a hotter desert region, you can lower the temperature during the day without seeing any drastic water temperature changes. However, if you live up north where the water temperature gets cold each time you switch off your hot tub power, you should keep the water temperature near running temperature.
In general, it is a good idea to keep the water at around 5 degrees less than normal heat. For example, let’s say that you run your hot tub at 104 degrees. Then, when it’s not in use, you can keep the temperature at 99 degrees.
You’ll need to wait a period of time for your hot tub to reheat and get back to the right temperature before you get in it.
We know that most hot tubs heat up at around 6 degrees per hour. So, even if you decide to keep your hot tub water at approximately 10 degrees lower than the temperature you soak in, it will only take around three hours to heat up.
Of course, timing all comes down to the hot tub’s insulation quality, the temperature your hot tub is set to, and your climate.
Final Thoughts – Running Your Hot Tub In An Economical Fashion
So, as you can see, hot tubs are designed to be left running constantly. Therefore, you should leave it on all the time, rather than warming up cold water each time you want to go for a dip.
Consider the weather, your hot tub’s insulation, and how often you’re using your hot tub. Even if your hot tub doesn’t have good quality insulation, it is still better to leave it running rather than switch it off and let it sit idle, as that could end up causing internal issues with the plumbing.
By following the information above, you can keep your hot tub running 24/7 with energy efficiency in mind, knowing its the best way to keep energy costs down. Of course, owning a hot tub requires work, but if you create a maintenance system to keep things clean, you can enjoy your hot tub year-round without spending a fortune.
A lawyer never retires. So I would just say that I am not as active as I used to be. Now I simply dedicate myself to fishing, my hobby, and my grandchildren. For Business Finance News I write about legal aspects of mortgage policies, mostly regarding the rights of policyholders. I also have articles about personal injuries.
