or bring in a Hiab equipped tanker truck of single malt.
|
|
|
Hot tub anyone?
- Thread starter mimico_polak
- Start date
or bring in a Hiab equipped tanker truck of single malt.
Here are my impressions so far.
We have a 7’ X 7’ tub with seating for 7.
We did a 220 V tub and it has 42 jets.
It’s been mild out so, keep it at temp has been easy. Will have to see how much it works as temps drop in the winter.
While it’s generally my wife and I or just myself, we have a couple of teenagers that jump in occasionally. 4 is nice. Any more and it wouldn’t be enjoyable.
Having seating for 7 give you choices for the various jet layout for each seat. I have about 3 spots I like to switch around.
We don’t use the lighting very often as enjoy the natural light of the evening or morning etc.
I wouldn’t bother with a 110 V set up. I would imagine as outside temps drop and the jets on, you’ll want the heater to maintain the tub temp.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We have a 7’ X 7’ tub with seating for 7.
We did a 220 V tub and it has 42 jets.
It’s been mild out so, keep it at temp has been easy. Will have to see how much it works as temps drop in the winter.
While it’s generally my wife and I or just myself, we have a couple of teenagers that jump in occasionally. 4 is nice. Any more and it wouldn’t be enjoyable.
Having seating for 7 give you choices for the various jet layout for each seat. I have about 3 spots I like to switch around.
We don’t use the lighting very often as enjoy the natural light of the evening or morning etc.
I wouldn’t bother with a 110 V set up. I would imagine as outside temps drop and the jets on, you’ll want the heater to maintain the tub temp.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
With a 2000L hot tub when it gets really cold, I need about 12 to 16 kWh per day to keep it at temp. That was with a waterlogged 3-2" cover. Hopefully new 6-4" cover cuts that back a bit.
With an inflatable 120V tub, I expect the heater would run all the time in the winter.
A buddy is a mechanic and needs his tub to relieve the aches and stresses of the day.
If a couple of bucks a day in hydro keeps someone from taking a bunch of pills I think they're ahead.
The power consumption should be about the same whether it's 120 or 240. The higher voltage typically means more power which means a faster temperature recovery. If the tub wasn't going to be used for a while the setting could be reduced but brought back in a reasonable time. You couldn't do that with a low power system so it's 24/7.
I did an experiment on a high output floor warming system that showed a potential 75% savings in power consumption but there was a potential safety risk.
Yes, power consumption is unaffected by voltage. I was figuring the 120v tub is often inflatable and therefore less insulated. If it has a 1kW heater, that should put the heater on almost full time. 220v let's you schedule heat off-peak (which we dont have right now).
Mad Mike
Well-known member
That's true however in most cases 220v will be slightly cheaper to operate over time as the resistance losses in the power line feeding the pump/heater will be slightly lower at 220v.
The main advantages of 220V:
- longer pump life -- pumps start and stop alot, 220v motors start easier, pumps last longer.
- delivers more juice on same sized wires -- run pump and heater together
- Cheaper wiring for hard installs -- 220 can lower guage for the same wattage
the new tubs also incorporate using the heat generated by the pump motor as part of the heating circuit, and the overall quality of the foam insulation has gotten better, lids with extruded foam (SM type) as opposed to the discount white bead board foam lower cost units used.
There is something to be said for a new tub if you can swing it.
There is something to be said for a new tub if you can swing it.
I tried to buy a replacement lid with extruded foam. No bueno. I could not find anyone that would sell it (since there are only two cover manufacturers in canada I wasn't that surprised). I thought about making my own inserts but that sucks too as making rigid 4x8 panels out of 2x4 panels is not easy nor cheap and I was not having luck finding someone to sell me larger sheets.
If you hunt around, auto/boat upholstery guys often will make a hot tub lid, they will use whatever foam you like. You can make bigger sheets of SM type foam by laminating , you just stagger the seams and glue it together like a wooden building block using foam safe adhesive in a caulking gun tube.
I used to make up big blocks of foam then shave them to shape to make plugs for molds for fiberglass work.
I used to make up big blocks of foam then shave them to shape to make plugs for molds for fiberglass work.
Not a bad plan. I will see what I can find again next time. It looks like extruded would cost me ~$520+tax for the foam only. Then need to add adhesive + hotwire + cover. The whole cover with white foam was similar to the SM material cost without all of the required extras.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
Why Extruded? XPS is less expensive and absorbs up to .03% moisture, EPS will absorb water -- up to 4%, adding 40-50lbs to the weight of your lid over time. Also, EPS twists and bends (look at a few boards net time you visit a Home Depot) XPS is pretty stable.
I had an XPS extreme cover done by The Cover Guys in 2008, after 12 years outside it's faded, but otherwise as as good as new.
Mikedezo44
Well-known member
I just refurbished one in my garage. count on at least 30 hours or more to get up to temperature. they're extremely slow. about a degree an hour if you're lucky.
Not sure where you're getting your info from but Hot tub technology hasn't changed in almost 20 years. I take 40-50 tubs a year to the dump and the foam insulation hasn't changed from the 20 year old ones I throw out to the brand new one on the showroom floor. There are about 5 different ways various companies use to insulate them (fully foamed/ sprayed on the plumbing/external heat barriers around the cabinet with no foam on plumbing) Every store will tell you something different why theirs is better than the rest. Pretty sure only arctic spa "claims" the heat generated by the motors helps with efficiency, but it is not some magical design feature they came up with, 20 other brands of spas mount the motor in the cabinet too. Nothing special. There is ZERO difference from an Arctic spa made in 2004 from one in 2020 besides a fancy new touch pad that you can control from your phone and will cost you $900 when it breaks.
So if you can find one 5 even 10 years old that is running with no leaks then you will be way ahead of the game even if you have to replace every part on the thing.
and %99.9 of covers I see on a daily basis are the white Styrofoam ones covered in marine grade vinyl. Very rare someone does enough research or ponies up the cash for any other style of cover.
I'm a victim of marketing hype.
I did have a new cover made for my last one by a guy that worked for AppleAutoGlass , now defunct , we used styrofoam SM in the insulation, 6" thick. It was three yrs old when I moved and didnt weigh a ton yet.
As your here as in house expert, does anybody make a small (just two people + leg room) tub that would fit through a 34" doorway? Its that or a crane.
I did have a new cover made for my last one by a guy that worked for AppleAutoGlass , now defunct , we used styrofoam SM in the insulation, 6" thick. It was three yrs old when I moved and didnt weigh a ton yet.
As your here as in house expert, does anybody make a small (just two people + leg room) tub that would fit through a 34" doorway? Its that or a crane.
I am still trying to pull a rabbit out of my hat (or rear end) before the winter hits. Trying to sell off some of my toys to raise some funds to buy a used tub and build a base.
Found this on kijjij. A company that builds a pad by making a base with railway ties and filling with gravel and topping with pavers. Considering that I just reagravated my tennis elbow it would be nice to have someone else build this instead of me digging down 6 inches, putting in gravel, getting it level, and putting the ABS system in I showed earlier.
Just wondering if anyone else has tried this solution or something similar?
Found this on kijjij. A company that builds a pad by making a base with railway ties and filling with gravel and topping with pavers. Considering that I just reagravated my tennis elbow it would be nice to have someone else build this instead of me digging down 6 inches, putting in gravel, getting it level, and putting the ABS system in I showed earlier.
Just wondering if anyone else has tried this solution or something similar?
I am still trying to pull a rabbit out of my hat (or rear end) before the winter hits. Trying to sell off some of my toys to raise some funds to buy a used tub and build a base.
Found this on kijjij. A company that builds a pad by making a base with railway ties and filling with gravel and topping with pavers. Considering that I just reagravated my tennis elbow it would be nice to have someone else build this instead of me digging down 6 inches, putting in gravel, getting it level, and putting the ABS system in I showed earlier.
Just wondering if anyone else has tried this solution or something similar?
I know next to nothing about hot tubs so have more questions than answers. The first is, would a shifting or settling base cause tub problems?
How much do they want to excavate, frame, level, fill, compact the granular and set the pavers? I see a lot of labour and labour comes in two variations. Expensive but good and cheap but incompetent.
What is the normal base? Wood? poured concrete? A liter of water weighs 2.2 pounds so we're looking at tons of load
I've had the elbow problem and try to avoid a recurrence. For wood construction a power nailer is my go to for more than a few nails.
A DIY concrete slab isn't that expensive. Bags of premix, a bunch of friends, water for the mix and an equal amount of beer.
There seems to be a lot of different ways to build a base, my last was sod removed, about 4" of limestone screenings , leveled and compacted with a home depot rental plate compactor ($47.00 for 4hrs) , patio stones on top, no wood framing just let the screenings be about 6-8" outside the patio stones. Total cost for the base was about $150 and took a morning. Did not shift at all in 6yrs
Mikedezo44
Well-known member
There is the round "softtub" brand that's made in Canada...they're pretty decent if you aren't concerned too much about fancy features and lots of jets, but you're sitting on the floor in it....they're not cheap either at about 4 grand. Might be better just to bite the bullet and get a real tub for a grand or two more and pay for the crane.
Marquis spas used to make a nice 2-3 person tub that would fit through a doorway, you can check their website if they still do or not. I've had 2 of them I've refurbished.
Current house came with a hot tub on pavers. Built as part of a patio so no wood edging. Tub is ~1/2" out of level. No obvious signs that pavers beneath the tub have sunk into the ground. No idea of base prep underneath. Full tub is ~5500 lbs over ~64 sq ft so ~85 lbs/sq ft.
Friends bought a house that used to have a hot tub. Based on the wire being disconnected and dropped on the ground and a granite paver path, I doubt they removed a base. It was just plunked on dirt. They have a lot of poured concrete in their backyard in other locations but for whatever reason they didnt bother with a tub base.
Those two little straps (and a couple screws) holding the perimeter wood together in fiddles pic will do slightly more than ÷/×_+ all. The concept seems solid but I dont like their implementation.
Friends bought a house that used to have a hot tub. Based on the wire being disconnected and dropped on the ground and a granite paver path, I doubt they removed a base. It was just plunked on dirt. They have a lot of poured concrete in their backyard in other locations but for whatever reason they didnt bother with a tub base.
Those two little straps (and a couple screws) holding the perimeter wood together in fiddles pic will do slightly more than ÷/×_+ all. The concept seems solid but I dont like their implementation.
|
|
|
|
|