"Bryan" wrote in message
et...
The cost of luxury in our home is killing our bottom line. We're starting
to look at ways to cut our gas and electric costs. One of our big drains
is
our hot tub. Between the 4 of us, someone uses the tub each day of the
week.

I'm wondering what the best plan of attack might be for keeping the hot
tub
ready to go and bringing the cost down.

Right now it's set at 103 24/7.
Would it make any difference in cost if I kept it at 100 and turned it up
to
103 each afternoon in time for my wife and kids to enjoy the tub each
evening and turned it back to 100 each morning?
It seems like I would be spending as much reheating the tub each day as I
would to keep it at 103 24/7.

What do think and what strategies do you use to keep your hot tub ready to
go while keeping the cost of heating down?




I am curious as to what sort of heating system your hot tub uses? I have
connected power over the years for two types that use electricity for
heating. One uses a 20 amp 120 volt circuit and heats the water only when
the jets are not in use. This unit takes a longer time to heat the water
from cold. The other type uses a 40 or 50 amp 220 volt line and heats the
water up much quicker than the previous one that I mentioned. The heater
can work with the jets going. Of course this type also consumes
considerably more power. Or do you have a gas heater?

If you have the 220 volt model, I don't think it would be necessary to run
the heater 24/7 although you may need to run the pump frequently for
filtration purposes. You could try calling the manufacturer or distributor
to ask them how long it takes for the water to get to your ideal
temperature.

A couple of manufacturers used to make timers just for hot tubs, but I
haven't seen any lately. I think solid state controls are taking over. Try
doing a search for pool or hot tub time clocks. You could also check
www.grainger.com or contact an electrical supply house. Take a look at
www.tork.com and look up models 1100D and 1100FM under Special Purpose
Controls.


John Grabowski
http://www.mrelectrician.tv