Are Plug and Play hot tubs good in the winter?
Winter is fast approaching, and you are either contemplating buying a new plug-and-play hot tub or worried whether the one you already have installed would be of service under such weather conditions.
So, are plug and play hot tubs good in the winter?
Plug and play hot tubs can be used during winter but may not be the best choices to consider.
For instance, they are not cost-efficient under such conditions, and you are likely to spend more on energy bills.
The energy bills will be higher since a lot more heat is used in heating the hot tub every time you want to have your warm baths.
Also, given that the temperatures are often too low, more heat will be needed for the task, unlike the most used 220V hot tubs.
The other reason why you may not want to install plug and play hot tubs for use in winter is inadequate heat conservation.
The plug and play hot tubs do not conserve heat as they are meant for one-time use.
This means, they are only used when connected to power, and once the power is disconnected, you may no longer enjoy the warm dips.
They do not hold heat, and the hot tub will remain warm only as long as it is connected to power. Immediately you disconnect, the spa water temperature starts to drop.
Imagine how fast that will occur during winter when there are extremely low temperatures.
You may be wondering what if you station your plug and play hot tub indoors during that time of the year?
Well, nothing much changes as the hot tub will still experience a drastic temperature drop immediately after disconnecting it from its power source.
Therefore, you may not want to contemplate installing plug and play hot tubs for winter, especially if other options are available.
What are the benefits of installing plug and play hot tubs?
Even though plug and play hot tubs have several disadvantages which may not make them ideal for winter hot tubbing, they also have some benefits which may marvel at.
Here are some benefits you may experience by installing plug and play hot tubs;
Low initial installation cost; Installing a standard 220V hot tub is relatively expensive due to the wiring involved, among other setup necessities.
With plug and play hot tubs, there is not much setup involved since you can plug it directly into a power outlet.
The installation cost of standard 220V is quite involving and requires a certain level of expertise which may prompt you into hiring professionals for the job, especially if you have no background knowledge regarding the same.
In the long run, by acquiring plug and play hot tubs, you also save on the installation cost, which you may have used had you purchased the standard 220V hot tubs.
Cheap; It is not only the installation cost of a plug and plays cheap hot tub, but also the acquisition cost.
Compared to other standard hot tubs, the plug and play hot tubs stand out as the cheaper model of hot tubs when it comes to price.
One of the factors which play a major role in this is the absence of many built-in features.
The plug and play hot tubs are rather built and do not have other add-on features available in the standard hot tubs.
Portable; If you often move around and do not stay at one location for long; it may be due to business activities, recreation, or other things and still want to enjoy hot tubbing, then the plug-and-play hot tubs are ideal for you.
They can be easily moved around as they do not have complicated wiring. All you have to do is set it up at a place of your interest, fill it up with water, and plug it in.
Your hot tub will be up and running in a few minutes.
Why should I not consider acquiring a plug and play hot tub?
As we have initially discussed, the plug and play hot tubs have both their upsides and downsides which may either make you desire to purchase one or avoid them.
However, choosing whether to acquire a hot tub will mostly rely on what and why exactly you want one.
Some of the other factors which you may want to look into before settling for one in relation to their downsides are;
In North America, the compact V65L is available in a 120V plug-and-play version, or you can opt for the 240V Performance Upgrade. This upgrades the 120 GPM pump to a larger 160 GPM pump, and upgrades the electrical requirements to 240V. https://t.co/dR7DFcwdO3 pic.twitter.com/thfVXdAZNm
— Marquis® Hot Tubs (@MarquisSpas) May 17, 2021
High running cost; one of the reasons why you may be quick into acquiring a play and plug hot tub is easy to install and operate property since you fill it and plug.
However, the same factor may also play a major disadvantage when the long-term operation is considered.
For instance, you will have to plug it in and heat the hot tub every single time of use. Also, the heating source will have to remain running at all times.
Therefore, a lot more heat energy is consumed when the hot tub is running, directly translating to high electricity costs.
Therefore, the low purchasing price may be convincing, but when we also consider the overtime running cost, then it may turn up to be more expensive than the standard 220V hot tub.
Inadequate equipment; There are no many built-in features in plug and play hot tubs like the standard 220V hot tubs.
These features play key roles in ensuring hot tubs perform efficiently.
Therefore, with the equipment installed in the plug and play hot tubs, the efficiency of the hot tub is also tremendously reduced.
Well, you can’t expect to get the same experience you had with a standard hot tub from the plug and play hot tub. The experience will be different.
The inadequate equipment in plug and play hot tubs results in two major disadvantages;
- The number of jets supported is relatively limited due to the small pump.
- The heater is quite small too and is, therefore, overworked to warm up the water and maintain the temperature.
Generally, the factors to be considered when it comes to plug and play hot tubs are quite a number, and you should get your facts right and what you intend to achieve before deciding on acquiring one.
Can a plug and play hot tub maintain heat when in use?
A plug and play hot tub can only maintain heat when in use as long as the pump is running at a low speed.
The pump cannot run at high speed when the heater is also on due to the limited power drawn into the hot tub at a given moment.
That is to say, with an increase in the speed at which the pump runs, there is a corresponding decrease in the performance of the heater.
At one point, when the pump runs too high, the heater will turn off so as the available power is directed to running the pump.
This factor may not be quite a disadvantage during summer since the hot tub may not lose water temperature quickly.
However, when it comes to winter, the low environmental temperature increases the rate at which heat is lost, making it more challenging for the heater to keep up.
At the end of it all, your bath may not be as hot as you would wish it to be but rather lukewarm. Well, would you enjoy that? I’m sure I would not.
The pump speed may not even matter much during winter as the heat loss is relatively significant, and the low-powered heater may not be able to keep up with the rate of heat loss.
So, the plug and play hot tub will still have a lower temperature for your bath.
The heat may be maintained adequately during summer, but as soon as the winter season approaches, the operations entirely change with a drastic drop in performance efficiency.
Therefore, if you want to enjoy hot baths in your plug and play hot tubs, you better consider doing so when it is still summer with the environmental temperature still in your favor.
When the season changes, you may have to get used to lukewarm baths or end up halting your tubbing activities until the season passes.
How do I keep my hot tub from freezing in winter?
Enjoying your hot tubbing moments is one thing;
keeping your hot tub from freezing during winter is also another thing altogether which every hot tub owner should be aware of lest you end up damaging the hot tub.
Having to make new purchases once the season is gone.
If you plan to have further use of your hot tub after winter.
Here are some simple practices that may be helpful in your hot tub maintenance, which you may want to think about as far as your hot tub’s health is concerned.
Ensure it is covered; one way of keeping the hot tub safe from freezing during winter is by covering it.
A covered hot tub will not lose heat as much as the one that remains uncovered. The covered one will also retain a lot of heat for longer compared to the one which is just left open.
Covering your hot tub will not only keep your hot tub from freezing but also play a crucial role in cost-efficiency as far as running cost is concerned in relation to energy.
Avoid draining; you may have heard that draining the hot tub may protect it from damage during winter.
However, unless you plan to store the hot tub, draining it safely should be the last consideration to make regarding your hot tub’s safety.
You may drain the hot tub, but what about the water which may still be available in the filter bays, pipes, or jets?
Install a ceramic heater; You will be doing your hot tub’s important components a big favor by installing a ceramic heater in the equipment bay.
However, while doing this, you should pay keen attention to where you are placing the heater.
For instance, you should see that there is no direct contact between the heater, the PVC pipes, or other components.
What is the lowest temperature to keep a hot tub?
The temperature at which you want your hot tub is often determined by the level of comfort you get at a preferred temperature.
However, other factors may prompt you into deciding the standard temperature for your hot tub as far as performance efficiency, different seasons, and weather conditions, as well as health is concerned.
Low spa temperatures are often set during summertime, or rather, the warm days. During these days, the environmental temperature is relatively high.
You may need to cool down; you should consider lowering the hot tub temperature to about 95 degrees F.
This often is considered one of the lowest temperatures for a hot tub since it may be lower than your body temperature, thereby giving you a comfortable soak.
However, the temperature may vary from one user to another depending on the low-temperature level at which one feels desired comfort while tubbing.
What about high temperature? What is the maximum temperature at which you can set your hot tub?
All hot tubs are designed with a maximum range of 104 degrees F for their temperature levels which they cannot surpass.
Despite the set temperature limit, most hot tub users, adults, have their hot tub temperatures at 100 degrees F.
The temperature level often varies from one hot tub user to the other, as some may prefer to use a slightly higher temperature of up to 102 degrees F.
The difference in the level of comfort experienced by different hot tub users, therefore, results in the varying temperature choices.
However, the standard one would be between 100 to 102 degrees F, with the highest being 104 degrees F.
Are plug and play hot tubs worth it?
Deciding whether plug and play hot tubs are worth it entirely depends on you as the one interested in acquiring one.
For example, you know what you are looking for and what excites you from one type of hot tub to the other.
When it comes to price, you may want to consider acquiring a hot tub with low cost of which in this category, you may want to go for the plug and play hot tubs.
However, the low cost may not mean the entire cost will be low as well. By the entire cost, I’m referring to the overall operation cost.
As we have had seen earlier on, the purchasing price may be low, but when we consider the amount you may have to spend.
The amount of energy consumed, the operation cost, in the long run, maybe higher than that which you may have used on a standard 220V hot tub;
For which then you may have to consider the standard 220V hot tub over the plug and play hot tub.
Also, you may consider the portability of the types of hot tubs available, in which case the plug and play hot tub wins.
They are quite portable and can be easily moved around to different location settings.
The other factor you may consider is set up.
Well, considering you do not have the required set of skills and background knowledge required for setting up the standard hot tub, the plug-and-play hot tub also takes the day.
They are easy to install as you plug them into a power source after filling it.
The case is different from the standard types of hot tubs where wiring is done, and you may need to hire a qualified electrician to accomplish the task for you; thus, you end up spending more on installation.
So, overall, it is upon you to decide what you expect or want from a hot tub to determine whether it is worth it or not; and in this case, the plug-and-play hot tub.
Final Thought;
After looking into detail factors to consider when acquiring plug and play hot tubs, we finally realize that they can be used in winter.
However, whether to proceed to use them during such season is an individual’s decision to make.
Given that their operational efficiency may drastically drop when compared to when they are used during summer in warm weather conditions.
If you want to use a plug and play hot tub during winter, disregarding the possible inefficient performance, then other factors may be at play, such as their portability and easy installation.
They may be an added advantage to you, especially if you are moving around to different locations or placing your plug and play hot tub at different places within your home for your convenience.
