Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Chubby Johnson on September 11, 2008, 07:56:57 pm
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Can anyone explain why Icynene foam is supposed to be so much better than other types of insulating foams? I know that Icynene is used to insulate homes so it must be effective but I do not know why only a few hot tub manufacturers use Icynene while others do not.
Does Icynene cost more than other foams?
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I just had a contractor come to my house to give me an estimate on Icynene foam insulation. I think the real sell of this material is that it stops drafts because of how it is applied. The ideal application is in new construction and it basically is sprayed to form an insulating envelope around the house. It is an open cell foam, so it is kind of soft when cured. I would guess that the reason that it may not be used in tubs is because the R factor for Icynene is not as high as other foams, yet it is more expensive.
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I can't imagine why someone would use open cell foam if it is more expensive. Open cell foam can absorb water. Even if they have a base pan, if water gets in, it is going to sponge up into the foam. At least that is what I've been told in the past.
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From a service standpoint It makes repairs unbelievably easy. You can pin point a leak easier than closed cell you can remove the said area easier considering you can take out massive chunks out in a uniform manner and replace that same size space with new icynene. They say you can dry out the wet icynene and it will have the same R-value but I dont take the chance. I do know from an insulation stand point is not inferior by any means I had a service call for a Beachcomber which had to do with the temp. It was -30 with windchill the cover was off and the heater as well. It took 25 mins for the temp to drop 2 degrees. I think its a great product but I ve never used it as a main selling point.
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Wind chill is the apparent temperature felt on exposed skin, which is a function of the air temperature and wind speed.
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I can't imagine why someone would use open cell foam if it is more expensive. Open cell foam can absorb water. Even if they have a base pan, if water gets in, it is going to sponge up into the foam. At least that is what I've been told in the past.
On the contrary...I've got 3 HotSprings I'm currently dealing with, a 1998 Grande at a customers house, a 2000 Grande in my Warehouse and a 2000 Landmark behind my store empty.
All three have leaks, we think we fixed the one in the field 6 month ago however we've gone back several times over the last few months to re-foam it and the existing foam is still wet so we did an experiment… The one in the warehouse and the one outside have both been sitting for over 4 months without water yet both are still saturated in the cabinet.
Likewise we've fixed a few spas that had icynene this year with leaks and re-foamed them within weeks. The closed cell acts as better support but is much harder to work with in repair. It’s also harder to track down a leak in the closed cell vs the Icynene.