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Blogs • Should I leave my hot tub on all the time? By:Daniel Robinson. November 18, 2019

Should I leave my hot tub on all the time?

When you first consider getting your own hot tub you might, quite understandably, have a lot of questions about how hot tubs operate and what you, as an owner will need to do to keep your tub running.

If you’ve regularly used a hot tub or know someone who is lucky enough to own one, you’ll be familiar with some aspects of running a tub but, if not, you may have a lot of questions which you’ve never previously considered.

One question we sometimes get asked, with energy bills rising significantly, is “Should I leave my hot tub on all the time?”

The answer to this is…yes! Hot tubs are designed to be left on permanently and this is how they work best. Of course, they’ll need to be drained regularly but for the most part, they are left on 24/7.

Why are hot tubs left on all the time?

Heating up a large volume of water takes time (see how long does it take to heat a hot tub?) and energy. It’s much more economical to maintain your tub’s temperature rather than heating it from scratch each time.

If you had to heat up your hot tub from cold each time you wanted to use it, this would have a dramatic impact on your hot tub running costs. You would also spend a lot of time sitting around waiting for it to heat up!

The good news about running a hot tub

The good news is that hot tubs are designed to be left on, so they have many features which help them to maintain their temperature and therefore reduce running costs. This is where you’ll see a big difference between the performance of a high-quality tub and a cheaper hot tub, such as some of the inflatable models which often lack insulation. Tubs which are cheap to buy initially will often have much higher running costs in the long run as they can be inefficient.

Good quality hot tubs have insulating side panels and covers so that as much heat as possible is kept in the water. They also have more effective heating elements which reduce the time and energy required to add heat when necessary.

When should you turn your hot tub off

There are times when you’ll need to turn your hot tub off. Some of these are easy to predict and some depend on how often you’ll be using your tub at different times of the year. As mentioned previously hot tubs need to be drained regularly – we recommend every three months for domestic tubs and typically more often for those in holiday lets etc.

If there are times of year you’re sure you won’t want to use your tub then it may make sense for you to drain it and turn it off. Many of our customers love to use their tub in the winter and we recommend you try yours in the colder months before deciding to turn it off. 

If you do decide that you don’t want to use your tub over winter it can be drained and turned off. We can help with this as well as preparing it for use in the spring. We recommend professional draining services via our team of engineers as draining a hot tub for winter comes with associated risks to pumps and pipework. 

If you’re going to be away from home for some time – perhaps you’re lucky enough to have a house where you spend the summer – then you’ll want to consider turning your hot tub off when you go. Much like those who decide not to use their tub in the winter you’ll need to leave your tub empty and protected from the elements.

How can you further reduce your hot tub running costs? 

With energy prices rising and the cost of living increasing, there are other steps you can take to reduce the running costs of your hot tub that don’t involve switching it off.

Lowering your thermostat by a degree or two can make a huge difference to your energy consumption, without you even noticing a difference in temperature. In addition to the insulation we mentioned earlier, it’s also important to keep your hot tub covered when not in use as this will help to lock in heat (all Just Hot Tubs hot tubs come with a cover as standard).

Finally, regularly cleaning and replacing your dirty hot tub filters will help to make sure your pump is working as efficiently as possible.

If you have any questions about buying or running a hot tub then please get in touch with our friendly team directly today and they will be happy to answer any questions that you have directly.

Or to see some of our hot tubs in action for yourself, why not pop along to one of our showrooms?

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