How did you get the thermal image? Would love to see what mine looks like. Mine feels cold to the touch on the outside on the top and sides.
I bought the FLiR One Edge attachment for my phone. Sounds like yours is insulated well. You want it to be cold on the outside.
My next experiment will start in about 1 hour. I'm going to turn the tub temp to 80 degrees for twenty four hours. Theoretically the heater should not run during this time (Unless the tub drops from 99-80 in twenty four hours). Based on my math, the heater runs on average 6 hours per day adding up to 24kw usage (6 hours x 4kw heater). So, my twenty four hour meter reading could be close to 20-24 kw less over that twenty four hour period.
A 4000 watt heater run for 6 hours will consume 24 kWh's. Since nothing else in the tub will be drawing 4000 watts, 6 hours is a reasonable estimate.
Good question. These are estimates on my part, but so far pretty accurate. Given my power consumption increased by approximately 970kw during my first month of ownership, I did some calculations. I know my spa parts and amperage, which I then converted to Kw's. The default for my single 2 speed pump is for it to run twice per day for 2 hours on a filter cycle. So that will run at least 4 hours per day. But, when the tub calls for heat, and the heater kicks in, it also runs the pump on low speed. Then, I use the tub for 30 minutes each day and run one 20 min high speed jet cycle. To generate the type of increased Kw consumption I experienced, it has to look something like the below table.
Agreed. Already since I turned the temp on the hot tub down to 80 degrees (From 103), the hot tub has lost 4 degrees. That is approximately 1 degree per hour so far. And that math lines up perfectly with the heater running 6 hours per day (With assumption that a 4kw heater can increase the tub temp by four degrees every hour). If my tub is losing 1 degree every hour, then in 24 hours it is losing 24 degrees. And 6 hours of a 4kw heater running daily heats it up approximately 24 degrees.
Yes, visually I have. What I mean by that is I suppose I can't know for sure without connecting an amp meter. But when the heater kicks on, the tub looks and sounds the same as when it's in a filter cycle.
I spent a lot of time researching and working with the dealer to choose this hot tub. Full Foam is standard on all these models. Plus I paid and additional $300 for their "Extreme" foam additional service for cold winters in New England. So, they definitely screwed it up during the manufacture process. I also got an extended 5 year warranty beyond the standard. I agree they should send out a new one that is properly built. But, something tells me I'm going to get scr#wed and get zilch from them. I'm a pessimist. So, I'm trying to figure out how to handle improving the situation if they do the wrong thing and hang me out to dry.
Yeah good point. That foam is covering the hoses and components. That gap to the right is empty....nothing there except like a 85 degree heat coming off the shell of the tub due to the water temp. It's like that in all 4 corners and on the top section of the shell too. I can find no evidence that there is spray foam on the shell whatsoever, just the components.
Not yet. I might drive there this weekend to see how theirs looks. However, it's not uncommon for showrooms to have bare bones models with no insulation. So, it could work against me too I reckon.
Maybe this picture will help explain. The red boxes are where there is no insulation at all. The blue box is where there is insulation. Now picture that on all 4 sides. That's a lot of uncovered tub shell.
Agreed. There is just so much heat filling up pockets in the cabinet due to zero insulation on the shell. If I had easy access to the shell I might be able to insulate it better on my own. But because there is so much foam sprayed like in the photo you saw, there is only a 1-2" gap for me to stick my hand in. I stuffed insulation in there, but I just can't pack it in tightly enough to make much of a difference.
