We live in the land of plenty. really, when and where have people ever been as fortunate and as rich as us. By “us”, I mean 21st century North America. Think about how much we have that people in most other places and all other times just don’t/didn’t have.
- How much convenience.
- How much luxury (gadgets, cleanliness, stuff, etc.).
- How much education.
- How much health.
- Such long life.
- How much freedom.
- How much capability.
- How much variety (food, travel, etc.)
But sometimes, all of this can come at a cost. One of the ultimate modern luxuries available to modern man is the hot tub. And hot tubs have costs, just like everything else. Hot tubs cost money and they cost the environment. Both these costs are due to the great amount of energy they consume. And energy costs are predicted to continue climbing, while environmental challenges are predicted to continue growing.
So isn’t it nice to know there are seven things you can do to reduce your energy use in your hot tub. Reduce your costs. Reduce your environmental footprint. Reduce your worries.
COVER UP
No need to keep the hot tub exposed to the open air. Put the hot tub cover on right away, when not in use. You keep your door closed in winter to keep the heat in, or in summer to keep the air conditioning in. Remember when your mother used to remind (or nag?) you to “Keep the door closed. Are you trying to heat the whole neighbourhood?” Well, the same goes for your hot tub – keep the spa covered, or you’ll heat the whole neighbourhood. Stop exposing your hot tub.
DAYTIME COOL-DOWN
Are you a night-owl spa-user? Do you light up the area at night? Have you considered replacing bright energy-sapping electric lights with gentle mood lighting, such as candlelight? A few candles don’t consume as much energy as electric floodlights do (and you might enjoy the romance and/or the calm of their soothing glow).
TURN IT OFF
When you know you’ll be away, you don’t need the heat. Any time you know in advance that your schedule will be just too busy to pop in for a dose of instant spa relaxation, turn the heat down or even off. (CAUTION: In cold winter weather, keep some heat on so that pipes don’t freeze and equipment is not damaged.)
DON’T WASTE WATER
The more water gets splashed around outside the tub, the more new water has to be replaced and reheated. Save water, save heat.
WINDBREAK
You can keep the “hot” in “hot tub” better by creating a windbreak around your spa. You know how food cools down so much more quickly on your patio table than your kitchen table? So does your spa. The wind carries the heat away, and the spa has to reheat the water much more quickly, much more intensely. Save energy keeping your hot tub warm, by creating windbreaks, such as nicely ornamental fences (you might even want to paint them with scenes of a Cuban beach or a forest stream) or flowering shrubbery.
FILTERS
It pays to keep your filters in good condition, and replace them as they show their age. Clogged filters slow down water circulation, straining the equipment you’ve invested in. This makes your motors work harder and consume more power (higher energy costs). An overworked motor will also have a shorter life and need to be replaced sooner (higher maintenance costs). Treat your filters with respect.
KEEP COZY
How about a light-weight thermal blanket, specially designed for pools and spas? They neither cost much nor weight very much. It will add to the insulating value of your hot tub cover.
In addition to saving energy, a thermal blanket keeps moisture away from the hot tub cover, which helps it last longer. Since the thermal blanket costs much less than the cover, this is a great investment.
So a thermal cover saves you money in two ways. Keep your baby cozy.
Now that you have seven ways to save money, save energy and help the environment, your next hot tub session can be even more relaxing.
This post was included in the Carnival of Wealth and the Canadian Finance Carnival.
