Hot tub heating

Ted_9

This spa has electric heat. Can this be converted to hydronic? Its a Dimension One Spas Model Diplomat. What do I need to look for.

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Mark Eatherton1

You have to ask yourself...

is it worth it? Here in Denver, it cost me $1.00 per day to heat my hot tub electrically. I could heat it for probably 60 cents per day with gas, but what's it going to cost me to git'er done?

2 to 3 grand retail? Makes the economics look pretty poor...

ME

Ted_9

Customer is paying $60.00 a (EDIT) MONTH to heat it electricly. We are planning to do radiant and possible complete heating system upgrade.

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Ken_8

Now we know the hot tub is

100 feet long, 200 feet wide and 20 feet deep - in Alaska and on a glacier to boot!

That explains everything (;-o)

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$1800.00 per month

to keep a tub of water hot! Wow, seems like an odd use of energy. That's more than most house payments

How large of a tub? Insulated and covered? Even if you could cut that cost by 1/3 seems like a waste of energy for a luxury, ocassional use, heat load.

hot rod



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Mark Eatherton1

I hope..

that'sa typo. In either case, I guess the answer is YES, it's worth it. Installation is quite simple. Control logic is a bit touchy, but most tub manufacturers should be able to give you accurate control with simle dry output contacts.

Ted_9

Sorry, I meant month.

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Ted_9

Heres a pic.

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Mark Eatherton1

Well I'll be....

Thats no bigger than mine. I'm at 7 cents per kwh. I idle mine an donly heat it up a few hours before use. Maybe shes keeping it hot all the time...

Also, on the dwg I generated, its not shown, but the spa filter is before the secondary take off to the HX so you lessen the chances of fowling the HXer.

ME

Ted_9

Thanks Mark. Will the spa supplies have these items?

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Mark Eatherton1

They may have the controls package...

but I doubt they'll have the shell and tube HXer, but ya just never know. Triangle Tube makes a good S&T HXer. The secondary tees and the ball valve will probably be PVC, and the existing hot tub pump is all you need. On a hot tub call for heat, the hot tubs pump is started on low speed, and the dry contacts closed, sending signal to the heat source to fire up.

ME

jerry scharf_3

another way

ME,

I'm not a fan of the partially closed valve to feed the HX. I would use a second circ pump with closely spaced tees on the HX loop. Then, you can filter without necessarily running water to the HX.

You are right on about the location of the filter.

Just another way to do things.

jerry

rb_6

Our Hot Tub

didn't come with a women looking like that ...what up with that! The consumer complaint department is gonna hear about this one.

Mark Eatherton1

A word of caution...

If you choose to use a separate pump on the HX side, it MUST be UL approved for that application, and Taco and Grundfos are not, in their normal circulator lines.

ME

Mark Eatherton1

Mine is actually...

a one man 6 woman hot tub!

ME

michael_15

Might be easier

Just to buy a new hot tub. New ones have extra-thick insulation and apparently only use up about 6-7 kW-h/day, which translates to about a dollar where I live. Otherwise, you're trying to make your heating more efficient but not solving the problem of an energy-inefficient tub. It's like putting a marble toilet in a portapotty.

The cover on our hot tub developed an imperfection which allowed heat to escape through it. Our heating bills skyrocketed to around $3/day (electric) to keep it warm. New covers are only about $400-$500 for hot tubs of the size you've shown.

-Michael

Ted_9

Good point Michael. I suspect that its a newer unit, but I'll look into it further.

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