Original > Hot Tub Forum
High electricity usage
Firsttimehottub:
Hi everyone. Wondering if I might get some opinions from you all about the electricity usage our new hot tub has brought, which is at least twice what we expected.
For background info we live in the North of England (Leeds) so it can get cold here in the winter but not usually below 2 degrees (centigrade) and we've been having some very mild evenings lately.
We've got an Artesian 748L and had it delivered in mid November. We are using it at least every other day at the moment in the evenings for between 30-60 minutes. It has it's own electricity supply which comes straight from the meter outside the house and through the back of the garage. The tub is sat on decking and has a gazebo over the top. We have the temp at around 38-39 degrees centigrade and it's set to do a 2 hour filter cycle every 12 hours.
So, before we got the hot tub our highest usage was 226kwh in a month.
From mid November to mid December it was 686Kwh
From mid December to mid January it was 687Kwh
So, in essence our usage has tripled. We were probably expecting it to double at most. The hot tub is the only new thing we have started to use and so definitely the reason for the spike.
I have spoken to the dealer we got it from and he said it is impossible for this tub to use that much electricity - something to do with the amps it draws (electrics not really my area of expertise). He said it's his best selling tub and customers average about £1 a day extra cost, with a max of £10 per week.
As a test to see whether it's definitely the tub drawing that and not just the electric set up, we took a meter reading yesterday morning at 7:15am and then carried on as normal, used the tub last night for 40 mins. Then this morning we took another reading at the same time and then turned the hot tub off. We will take the reading again at the same time tomorrow morning and see what it says. If the usage drastically reduces we can conclude that the tub is drawing that and, if not, it's the electrics (or something else!)
I guess I want to be prepared for it being the tub and wondering what (if anything) we can do about it? All sorts of questions are running round my head:
It is due to the decking and that we're losing too much heat underneath?
Are we using the cover correctly (supplied with the tub)?
Is it down to us not closing the jets when we're not using it?
Although I've checked a million times, is it on the right setting/ mode?
Should we put it on economy mode until we want to use it?
Do we need more insulation (it's got half foam already)?
Do we need to accept this is is and maybe think about using it less/ switching off during the week to save £?
As long as it doesn't go any higher I think in the long term I can live with the cost because I love the tub so much and it's really helping with some injuries I have - we will just have to spend less money elsewhere! I just want to check that everything is as it should be so we're not doing something stupid that's costing us more.
ratchett:
Yeah, that doesn't sound right. I'm in a warmer climate. But my new 200 gallon 3-seater has only increased my electric bill about $10 USD per month this winter, so basically nothing haha
If it were me, I would be calling an electrician to review the wiring. And then I'd get a FLiR thermal imaging camera and start looking for any "hot spots" - naturally the tub is going to get hot - but I'd be looking for an electrical short generating heat.
I'm by no means an expert on hot tubs, but I do work with electrical components enough to know it sounds like you might have a short (or loose connection) which is using up electricity and converting it to heat.
The only other thing I'm thinking is that your cover is not properly seated and you're losing heat through an improperly sealed cover. But I don't see how this could be the case.
In either case I replied just so I can follow along, I'm curious to know what this turns out to be.
Tman122:
--- Quote from: Firsttimehottub on January 14, 2020, 03:44:33 am ---Hi everyone. Wondering if I might get some opinions from you all about the electricity usage our new hot tub has brought, which is at least twice what we expected.
For background info we live in the North of England (Leeds) so it can get cold here in the winter but not usually below 2 degrees (centigrade) and we've been having some very mild evenings lately.
We've got an Artesian 748L and had it delivered in mid November. We are using it at least every other day at the moment in the evenings for between 30-60 minutes. It has it's own electricity supply which comes straight from the meter outside the house and through the back of the garage. The tub is sat on decking and has a gazebo over the top. We have the temp at around 38-39 degrees centigrade and it's set to do a 2 hour filter cycle every 12 hours.
So, before we got the hot tub our highest usage was 226kwh in a month.
From mid November to mid December it was 686Kwh
From mid December to mid January it was 687Kwh
So, in essence our usage has tripled. We were probably expecting it to double at most. The hot tub is the only new thing we have started to use and so definitely the reason for the spike.
I have spoken to the dealer we got it from and he said it is impossible for this tub to use that much electricity - something to do with the amps it draws (electrics not really my area of expertise). He said it's his best selling tub and customers average about £1 a day extra cost, with a max of £10 per week.
As a test to see whether it's definitely the tub drawing that and not just the electric set up, we took a meter reading yesterday morning at 7:15am and then carried on as normal, used the tub last night for 40 mins. Then this morning we took another reading at the same time and then turned the hot tub off. We will take the reading again at the same time tomorrow morning and see what it says. If the usage drastically reduces we can conclude that the tub is drawing that and, if not, it's the electrics (or something else!)
I guess I want to be prepared for it being the tub and wondering what (if anything) we can do about it? All sorts of questions are running round my head:
It is due to the decking and that we're losing too much heat underneath?
Are we using the cover correctly (supplied with the tub)?
Is it down to us not closing the jets when we're not using it?
Although I've checked a million times, is it on the right setting/ mode?
Should we put it on economy mode until we want to use it?
Do we need more insulation (it's got half foam already)?
Do we need to accept this is is and maybe think about using it less/ switching off during the week to save £?
As long as it doesn't go any higher I think in the long term I can live with the cost because I love the tub so much and it's really helping with some injuries I have - we will just have to spend less money elsewhere! I just want to check that everything is as it should be so we're not doing something stupid that's costing us more.
--- End quote ---
Initial heat up? More towels in your dryer? More lighting outside while you use the tub?
Firsttimehottub:
--- Quote from: ratchett on January 14, 2020, 07:21:33 am ---Yeah, that doesn't sound right. I'm in a warmer climate. But my new 200 gallon 3-seater has only increased my electric bill about $10 USD per month this winter, so basically nothing haha
If it were me, I would be calling an electrician to review the wiring. And then I'd get a FLiR thermal imaging camera and start looking for any "hot spots" - naturally the tub is going to get hot - but I'd be looking for an electrical short generating heat.
I'm by no means an expert on hot tubs, but I do work with electrical components enough to know it sounds like you might have a short (or loose connection) which is using up electricity and converting it to heat.
The only other thing I'm thinking is that your cover is not properly seated and you're losing heat through an improperly sealed cover. But I don't see how this could be the case.
In either case I replied just so I can follow along, I'm curious to know what this turns out to be.
--- End quote ---
Thanks, will keep you updated. Do you think the short might be in the hot tub or the wiring, if anywhere? Will see what our little meter reading test says and that might narrow it down a bit.
Firsttimehottub:
Initial heat up? More towels in your dryer? More lighting outside while you use the tub?
[/quote]
Yes I guess some of it can be put down to initial heat up during month 1 but its the same in month 2. Definitely not more towels or lighting and that wouldn't account for the tripled usage surely?
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version