Hot Tub Forum

Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Brookenstein on July 15, 2006, 11:27:20 am

Title: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Brookenstein on July 15, 2006, 11:27:20 am
Ok... I've decided to change my water this morning.  We have an expected high of 105 today.  At 8:30 it is already of 80.  My question is this.... I don't want to use the heater to heat it, (seems like a waste) should I keep the cover on or off?
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: The_real_Clown_Shoes on July 15, 2006, 11:31:36 am
Keep the cover on.

Don't expose an empty hot tub to a hot sun if at all possible.
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Wisoki on July 15, 2006, 11:35:23 am
I don't know of any one here that has tried that Brooke. Why dont you run a test for us all. Fill 'er up and leave the cover open and time it to see how long in 105 heat it takes to get up to temp.
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Gomboman on July 15, 2006, 12:17:12 pm
Brooke, I was also thinking about re-filling this weekend. I'm planning on filling without turning on the heater and using it as a small pool for the kids. I'm sure in a few days it will be back near 100°.

Quote
Keep the cover on.

Don't expose an empty hot tub to a hot sun if at all possible.



I know you shouldn't expose an empty spa to the sun. What about a filled spa to the sun? There's still quite a bit of spa surface exposed to the sun--top and sides of the shell. Can the sun discolor any shell surface not submerged in water?
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Brookenstein on July 15, 2006, 12:22:57 pm
Well it's 9:20 and the tub is filling.  Took 3 hours for me to drain and clean thanks to the 2 yr old pulling out my extra thick hose that was kicking @ss.  I never was able to get it going again and just the drain plug hose thingy took forever.  

I cleaned the cover for the first time.  Note to others:  Clean off bird poop immediately.  It takes the color right off the cover.

I'm thinking I will prop the cover open with tennis balls and see how that goes.

BTW, it is now 90 outside.   >:(
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Chas on July 15, 2006, 12:48:49 pm
There should be no trouble in leaving the top open on a filled spa. Other than leaves or other debris which might blow in. I would certainly fill it and leave the heat off. Get some solar heat.


Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Brookenstein on July 15, 2006, 01:07:13 pm
Tub is filled and lid propped.  Tub temp is currently 81, outside temp is about 93.  We'll see if it does anything with the heater set to 80.


Oh and an aside... when I turned the tub back on, I flipped the 30 amp and instead of just the bubbles coming up like normal my jets turned on.  I turned the jets off, then turned the breaker off again... same thing so I went ahead and flipped the 20.  I've never had that happen before.  Any ideas?  Everything seems to be working normal.
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Chas on July 15, 2006, 01:24:49 pm
Wow - I don't know why that happened. Hmm. Can't see why it would be a problem, but it is strange.


BTW - once the tub is filled and running, and you close the lid, it will come up to the mid-nineties all by itself, even whith the heat off. This will take a two or three days.

Here where I live in Paradise, whenever I hear, "My tub is holding steady at 97 degrees," I know that the heat is not working for some reason. Most common reason is a kid or relative turned it down, or they forgot to go back and turn on the other breaker after a water change.

;)
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Brookenstein on July 15, 2006, 02:27:59 pm
In 90 minutes the tub has heated up 2 degrees.
:)

Currently 95 outside.

Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Brookenstein on July 15, 2006, 08:22:19 pm
At 5pm it was 87 in the tub and 104 outside.  I've now shut the cover.
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Brookenstein on July 15, 2006, 10:53:20 pm
In the last 3 hours, with the lid closed the tub has gone up 3 degrees.  I'm guessing I should have just left the lid closed all day.  Its down to 92 outside now and 90 in the tub.  Not to bad...

Oh, and we didn't have power from about 12-4 today so there was no heat from running the circ pump or anything.
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Gomboman on July 15, 2006, 11:07:33 pm
Quote
In the last 3 hours, with the lid closed the tub has gone up 3 degrees.  I'm guessing I should have just left the lid closed all day.  Its down to 92 outside now and 90 in the tub.  Not to bad...

Oh, and we didn't have power from about 12-4 today so there was no heat from running the circ pump or anything.


Very nice. How hot did it get at your place today? Are you on the Summer Discount Plan where the power company can shut off your power for a reduced monthly rate? Maybe you just had a power issue in your area? Nothing like fresh water. Love those large ozone bubbles.  :)


Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Brookenstein on July 15, 2006, 11:13:09 pm
We were gone from about 2-5 so we could use the AC in Lowes, Target, etc... since our house went from 74-80 in less than 30 minutes after we lost power.  So, I'm not sure what the peak was today, I just know at 5 it was 104.

I think the plan you are referring to shuts off your AC not all the power... oh wait there is the one where you can volunteer to be shut off, I forgot about that one.  Neither of those were an issue for us, and it wasn't a rolling blackout either... there was an actual problem that 2 different crews had to take care of.
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Tatooed_Lady on July 16, 2006, 09:35:55 am
Quote
I cleaned the cover for the first time.  Note to others:  Clean off bird poop immediately.  It takes the color right off the cover.

just imagine what it does to your car. ;) I'm outside with a hose a lot lately, and a few times per week I hose down the tub cover to get bird crap, leaves, dirt, etc off. So far, so good.
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: seamoe on July 16, 2006, 11:54:57 am
I too recently re-filled my tub, set my temp to 102 and let it go.  It was 104 in NW WI yesterday and my temp did not go up any.  Seeing my tub sits in direct sunlight, was afraid it would have gone skyhigh, but it didn't.
Title: Re: Water Change at 105 outside
Post by: Gomboman on July 16, 2006, 10:17:22 pm
OK Brooke, I'm guessing you're around 93 degrees or so by now. How about an update with your experiment.