Hot tub?

[fshagan]

Originally Posted by SuperTrooper

The best winter solution is to enclose the unit to keep the ambient temp as high as possible and keep wind away. Keeping it covered whenever not in use is a given for saving energy.

If you have access to natural gas or propane there are models out there and most companies make one. It's a special order item that I've never actually seen in a store, but I've seen a few in the field. They are supposed to be about 40% more efficient than electricity. Even better would be a unit connected to a heat pump. I have a heat pump for my inground pool and it uses about 20% of the electricity vs an electric heater. Higher initial cost, but it would pay for itself in 3-4 years and wouldn't break down as often. I've talked to my Hot Springs dealer and he said a custom unit without an electric heater would be about $1500 less. Since I already have the heat pump I'm already ahead.

Electric heating using immersion elements is 100% efficient; its also more expensive (usually). You can get condensing gas heaters that advertise 98% efficiency, but the efficiency is dependent on the inlet water temp. At about 80°F, the condensing gas heaters are 98% efficient, but at 140°F, only about 84% efficient. At the typical hot tub temperature of 104°, my guess is that you would get about 92% efficiency. But the condensing gas heaters are expensive to buy. Natural gas and propane, at standard 82% efficiencies, would probably be cheaper for the life of the heater.

Softtub does something interesting; they noted that they could use the waste heat off the electric motor (that typically runs 24/7) and the friction of the water itself passing through the pump's impeller to heat the water. When the tub is covered, it heats it up nicely after a few days. They are probably the most energy efficient of the spas and hot tubs.

The typical use is to use the hot tub a lot when first bought, and then not so much after that. Sort of like exercise equipment. But maintenance goes on forever; you have to keep the water chlorinated and filtered or you create a health hazard.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by ttoyoda

Nice article with pictures of skin lesions:

Not tempted to click.

Is there any "practical" way to make one the least bit economical?

Yes. The question is whether you can implement it. (location, skills, money and materials)

• First order of business, treat it as a hot gray-water mass.
• Drop it into an insulated shell with a roll-on roll-off weather cover.
• Consider an immersion heater (wood pellets or whatever)
• Consider routing the house fresh air intake behind the insulation.

Ideal would be a circular tub set into an exterior wall with two quarter-spherical covers. Rotate the inner one out and you have an indoor tub. Rotate the outer one in and you have an outdoor tub.

'People soup' is a problem, shower beforehand. Consider UV light or ozone treatment. When I had an [indoor] hot tub my hair below my shoulders had a blonde tint from the bleach.

Originally Posted by akkeosflomdis

Even manufacturer web sites for big brands like Hot Springs, Sundance, Jaccuzi do not quote MSRP on any of their models. So how does one even know if they are getting a deal or getting ripped off ?

duckduckgo.com/?q=stock+watering+trough&iar=images&iax=images&ia= images

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

From '98 to '02 I lived in a house that had a regular bath tub, yet there was still a normal shower in the same bathroom. That bath tub never seemed to work properly, so it served as an oversized fish bowl for a while. I don't remember if it actually had its own heating element.

[redneck]

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Wood fired hot tubs

https://viblog.org/diy/diy-pool-heater-fire/

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=wood+fired...82321.jpg&pn=9

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=wood+fired...deos&ia=videos


No thanks

https://www.bustle.com/articles/7552...mmer-is-almost




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[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I was 17 when I got to know how much of a biological hazard a hot tub is. I didn't really get so excited about them anyway.

[freebeard]

You get similar benefit from a sauna.

In my case I was typically the sole occupant, and when the neighbors used it I drained and refilled it each time.

You do feel cleaner even the next day compared to a shower.

[freebeard]

I had a literal shower thought.

The hot tub has a pressurised subsystem for the jets. Pressure could be bled off into a partial flow into a plenum with UV lights* and additional filtering and then fed back into the circulating water.

*This could be indirect lighting for paintings on black velvet.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

You get similar benefit from a sauna

At least a sauna is usually cleaner, yet taking a shower to get rid of the sweat is always better.