Cost on inground Tub

[caliskier]

All,

I have a ~600 gallon gunnite inground tub that came with the house I bought. Until this fall we have not used it other than to keep water running through it and closing it with the attached pool. This season we are considering keeping it open and I have a few questions. Background. We live in Oklahoma City. Temps drop into the low 20s sometimes teens Dec - Jan. and are in the mid 20s to low 30s starting November and ending after February. I have a temp sensor to turn the pump on. I have 2 pumps, one for the filter (without a temp sensor) and one smaller one for the jets (with a temp sensor), so I know when the temp drops below freezing I am going to have to have both running.


How much does it cost, if I keep a thick spa cover on the pool at all times, to keep it heated and running? I am probably going to keep it at 55 degrees covered until I want to use it Are we talking about $~$50 a month? If we use it a lot I will keep it around 75 degrees covered.

 

[mas985]

A spa is pretty easy to bring up to temperature if your heater is big enough so you shouldn't need to keep it fully heated all the time. You could just keep it at a lower temperature and then heat on demand.

How often would you really use it?

How big is your heater?

Because there are so many variables involved, it would be difficult to calculate how much it would cost you to keep it heated. However, because of freeze protection, you may need to keep the pumps running constantly and that alone would probably cost quite a bit.

Emerson 1.5hp K63CXESE4972 pump

That is a motor not a pump. What is the pump make/model?

 

[caliskier]

A spa is pretty easy to bring up to temperature if your heater is big enough so you shouldn't need to keep it fully heated all the time. You could just keep it at a lower temperature and then heat on demand.

How often would you really use it?

How big is your heater?

Because there are so many variables involved, it would be difficult to calculate how much it would cost you to keep it heated. However, because of freeze protection, you may need to keep the pumps running constantly and that alone would probably cost quite a bit.

That is a motor not a pump. What is the pump make/model?

We will probably use it 2x a week. Heater is a Jandy lite 2, http://www.jandy.com/~/media/zodiac/global/downloads/h/h0248900.pdf its a pool heater.
You are right on the pump, thanks for that actually forced me to look harder. Its a Sta Rite Dura-Glas single speed 1.5 HP pump. P2RA5F-182L. The little pump has a label but it only says dura-glas HL, the label with the model is worn off. will update my signiture. thx

 

[mas985]

With only 2x per week, I would probably just heat on demand, especially if those two days are on the weekend. Unfortunately, a 125k BTU heater will take some time to heat up (20 deg/hr) so you may need to plan ahead.

Does it ever get cold enough for the pool or spa to form ice?

 

[caliskier]

no, not ice over, but gets in the teens.

 

[Isaac-1]

In Oklahoma city I suspect it will get cold enough that you need to do some active freeze protection at least a few days per year most years.