Insulate my integrated spa?

[brimorga]

Ok, so this is probably a crazy question, but energy costs here are going nuts in Ca and just going to get worse, so here it goes. I'm getting an integrated spa with solar and gas heating with an autocover. Solar heating is primarily to extend the swimming season and I'm hoping to use it for partial spa heating in the summer. I will use the spa year round, ideally daily, but the pool probably from late April to October. Does anyone ever use any kind of insulation in the spa walls? Does it not matter because all of the heat will be lost vertically even though I have the auto cover?

I've just had rebar done and plumbing next, so it's an ideal time to account for this if it's worth the effort.

 

[cowboycasey]

most will be lost from the top and it would help majorly to have a cover just like a normal hot tub.. they can make custom covers and worth every penny, get the thickest and best one possible as they work better..

I bet spray foam would help some but not sure.. Ask your builder if he can do it or what he can do... I thick layer of plastic may help some also, like pond plastic... The problem is the rebar is already in there so no room left.. if you were to do anything the concrete shell would be thinner and you do not want that...

 

[Jimrahbe]

B,

I assume it will be a spillover spa.. If so, what would be the point of insulating it? You will be constantly mixing the spa water with the pool water.

Will the spa be under the auto cover?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[brimorga]

B,

I assume it will be a spillover spa.. If so, what would be the point of insulating it? You will be constantly mixing the spa water with the pool water.

Will the spa be under the auto cover?

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hi Jim,

It will be a spillover spa, but I thought I only had to do that a few hours a day to mix the water. The spa will be under the autocover. I'm getting 70% coverage of solar pool heating to heat the pool in the shoulder season. I don't think I need that for the summer to heat the pool due to the autocover. The solar pool heating will be north and east facing. I was thinking to circulate the spa with pool water late at night or early morning and then use the solar heating to reheat the spa as warm as possible before I had to turn on the gas heater. Since it's east facing solar, it will be hotter earlier but I'll most likely use the spa later in the evening. If it could hold the heat better, it could save me a few bucks of running the gas heater.

 

[brimorga]

most will be lost from the top and it would help majorly to have a cover just like a normal hot tub.. they can make custom covers and worth every penny, get the thickest and best one possible as they work better..

I bet spray foam would help some but not sure.. Ask your builder if he can do it or what he can do... I thick layer of plastic may help some also, like pond plastic... The problem is the rebar is already in there so no room left.. if you were to do anything the concrete shell would be thinner and you do not want that...

Makes sense that I should have accounted for this before rebar because in order to do anything now it would mean less concrete. Thanks for the input!

 

[cowboycasey]

I forgot to give you a link

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