Hot Tub vs. Jetted Bathtub: Which Is Better?
The constant debate between hot tubs and jetted bathtubs has been on for a while, with owners and companies manufacturing either tubs trying to prove how better one is to the other.
However, when keenly looked at, we may realize that the two perform more of the same function in the long run; thus, both may be the same in most ways.
But, between the hot tubs and the jetted bathtubs, which is better?
Let’s look more into detail and see if there are defining differences and which one may stand out to be better than the other.
Hot tubs
Sometimes, hot tubs may be referred to as spas as they appear to share a lot in common. Hot tubs are large pools containing heated water.
They differ in size, and some are relatively larger than others.
Hot tubs can be used for pleasure as well as hydrotherapy, depending on the model and function.
For instance, some are designed with bubbles and jets, which play a key role in massage and related benefits.
Jetted bathtubs
Jetted bathtubs have a peculiar design that makes them stand out among other bathtubs.
They are specifically designed with hydrotherapy jets that also play an essential function as part of their operation.
Which One Is More Expensive To Run; Between Hot Tub And Jetted Bathtub?
When comparing the running costs of the jetted bathtubs and the hot tubs, there are some key considerations which we should look into to come up with a relatively correct verdict.
There are three factors to consider for us to determine which one may be more expensive to run, such as;
- Service and maintenance cost of both the hot tubs and the jetted bathtubs
- Electric consumption cost for the hot tubs and of the jetted bathtubs, and finally,
- Water care products required for operating either of the two; hit tubs and jetted bathtubs.
Maintenance and servicing
Whenever you think about conducting maintenance services for either your hot tub or jetted bathtub, hiring a qualified professional to do it would be the best choice to consider.
However, if you have the necessary skills and some background knowledge on how to go about it, then you may proceed and accomplish the task yourself.
If you are not sure, let the professional personnel handle the work. You may do it yourself and end up jeopardizing some crucial parts of the tub.
One-time servicing can cost between 150 dollars to 200 dollars for either of the two.
However, if you have a reliable service subscription, you may pay about 25 dollars to 50 dollars per month.
Sometimes the rates may be higher or lower depending on your dealer and the distance they may have to cover to get to you.
Therefore, it is advised you contemplate going for suppliers who are locally available within the area to manage your systems, as long as they render quality service, of course.
Electric consumption
Determining the amount of electricity consumed by either the hot tub or the jetted bathtub may be overwhelming to some point since a lot of considerations have to be made.
Some of the points one has to contemplate before deciding on how much electricity is consumed are;
- The average temperature of the surrounding
- The frequency of use
- How long they are used at each time
- For hot tubs; how long they are used with jets on
- The temperature at which you prefer your water heated, and more importantly,
- The electricity tariff you are on.
When considering how much electricity is consumed with hot tubs, we have to keep in mind that hot tubs come in different models; those designed with jets and those without jets.
Keeping every other factor constant, the hot tubs with jets are more likely to consume more electric power than those without since more power is used to operate the jets.
Some hot tubs are not also just energy efficient. They cannot efficiently maintain water temperature or sustain heat.
Such hot tubs are often cheaper to purchase, which may trick you into acquiring them, but once you start using them, your electricity at the end of the month will be mesmerizing.
The average temperature of the surrounding; For both the hot tubs and jetted bathtubs, the average temperature of the environment can affect your electrical running cost.
You may realize more electric power is used during winter than during summer. Likewise, the tubs used in low-temperature locations will consume more electric power than those in hot regions.
The high electrical cost will be due to the amount of heating that has to be done to raise the water temperature in either the hot tub or the jetted bathtub.
More electric power will be used in low-temperature regions to heat the water, while in warm or hot areas, the less electric power will be used as the water temperature may not need much heating to get warm.
Frequency of use; The number of times you use your hot tub or jetted bathtub in a day may also affect the electric cost.
If the hot tub is used about three or four times a day, then electric power consumption will be higher than when it is used once a day.
Thus, it is better to consider using your hot tub or jetted bathtub as minimum times as possible.
You don’t have to go in there if you do not have to. Once in a day, a relaxing dip into your tub may be all you need to relax at the end of a strenuous day.
How long per use; Apart from just considering the number of times you use either the hot tub or the jetted bathtub per day, the other factor to consider is how much time you spend in there each time.
Some homeowners may prefer to spend about 25 minutes in their tubs, while others may want to spend longer, 45 minutes, or sometimes even more up to hours.
If you compare the amount of electric power used to heat the water for 25 minutes and that which will be used for 3 hours, you realize there may be a significant difference in energy consumption.
The 25 minutes may probably result in a lower energy amount consumed than that of 3 hours. You should therefore consider spending as little time in the tubs as possible.
Both the jetted bathtubs and the hot tubs may use a different electric power amount depending on how long you stay in them, maintaining heat.
Temperature preference; Heating your hot tub or jetted bathtub water to low temperatures may not result in high electricity costs as when the heating is done at considerably higher temperatures.
You will use a lot of electric power to heat the water to high-temperature levels and use more energy in maintaining the temperature at a constant level.
Homeowners who prefer to heat their tub water and maintain them at the same level may encounter higher electrical costs than those who heat their tub water at relatively low temperatures and keeping them at a low level.
Therefore, both the jetted bathtubs and the hot tubs will result in different electrical costs depending on the temperature you want your water to be heated and maintained.
Electricity tariff you are on; The type of tariff you are on also contributes to your overall electric bills.
Higher tariffs translate to higher electrical running costs, while lower tariffs result to lower electrical running costs.
You should consider subscribing to lower tariffs if you frequently use your hot tub or jetted bathtub so that you don’t feel much strain on electric expenses.
Which Factors Affect How Much Energy-Efficient A Jetted Bathtub And Hot Tub Are?
Since we have looked into what to consider to determine how much energy-efficient a hot tub or a jetted bathtub is, particularly on the electrical running cost.
You may be wondering which conditions may also affect their energy efficiency. Well, here are some factors to keep in mind;
- The heater in your hot tub or jetted bathtub
- The volume of water in your jetted bathtub or hot tub
- The insulation ability of the hot tub cover
- Electrical components within the hot tub or jetted bathtub such as air blowers and pumps.
- Insulation quality of the hot tub or jetted bath tab cabinet area
The heater
Most hot tubs and jetted bathtubs use electric heaters. The heaters are used to raise water temperature to initially set temperature.
Most of the time, the temperature ranges between 37 degrees Celcius to 39 degrees Celcius.
Once the set temperature is reached, it is maintained throughout with an insulated hardcover; to ensure you do not need to heat the hot tub every time you want to use it.
Heaters have different kW ratings. However, you should note that the difference does not affect hot tubs energy efficiency directly.
Heaters with higher kW ratings heat water faster than those with lower ratings.
For instance, if you heat your hot tub water with a 1.5kW heater, it may take about 2 hours to raise the water temperature by 1 degree Celcius. A 3kW heater may get the job done in 1 hour.
Also, the heating elements used by various heaters when transferring heat may determine how energy-efficient they are.
For example, when titanium is used in hot tub heaters, the heat will be transferred more efficiently than when stainless steel is used since they are better conductors of heat.
Water volume
The water volume in your hot tub or jetted bathtub plays a key role in the amount of energy used in heating.
The large water volume may require more energy to heat up and maintain than the lesser water volume. Purchasing at most 250 litres capacity hot tubs is enough for basic use.
There is no point in acquiring bathtubs with larger capacities that you may not need.
Hot tubs with larger capacities will only raise the energy to be heated than those will lesser volume capacity.
Insulation ability of the hot tub cover
When hot tubs are purchased, they are often accompanied by hot tub covers. Most of the time, the hot tub covers are of good quality and perform the task efficiently.
Just as the name suggests, the hot tub covers are used to cover hot tubs, sealing them adequately to avoid heat loss from the spa water.
Good quality hot tub covers tend to retain heat loss from the hot tub for longer such that you may not have to heat the water each time you want to use it.
How do you determine if a hot tub cover is efficient for the task? Well, the first factor you should consider is the thickness.
A thickness of 4 inches and above at the center and 2 inches and above at the front and back is enough for an adequately performing hot tub cover.
You should also ensure that the hot tub cover you have or purchasing seals tightly. The sealing plays a crucial role in ensuring heat does not escape from the hot tub.
If you want to notice a hot tub cover with great insulation value, then wintertime would make it easier for you.
When snow gathers on top of the hot tub cover but fails to melt, the cover has great heat insulation value.
However, in instances where you spot snow melting, your hot tub cover may not have much insulation value.
Insulation quality of the hot tub cabinet area
Electrical running costs and efficiency can be affected significantly by the type of insulation materials used in the cabinet area.
Some of the most affected parts are the plumbing area and underside of the shell. More insulation in these parts results in higher efficiency.
Cheaper hot tubs may not have as much insulation in these parts, thus resulting from heating loss by the hot tub;
Therefore, you may need to use more energy in maintaining the spa water temperature. Expensive bathtubs may be worth it after all.
Electrical Components of the Hot Tub and Jetted Bathtubs
It stands without a doubt that hot tubs and jetted bathtubs which operate with more electrical components turned on at the same time will consume more energy than those with fewer.
Some of the electrical components in the hot tubs and jetted bathtubs are the pumps and air blowers. However, you should note that energy usage varies among different types of pumps.
You should not be worried much about the lighting in place as it does not consume much energy.
What May Make Hot Tubs Bad For You?
Failure to clean your hot tubs adequately presents bacteria with an ideal breeding ground.
Once the bacteria find their way into your body, the immune system is attacked, resulting in some illnesses.
If you do not clean your hot tub well, then your visits to the doctor could be more frequent.
Keep your hot tub clean to avoid bacterial infections, which could result due to in lack of adequate cleaning.
Is It Necessary To Shower Before And After Using The Hot Tub?
Showering should be on your to-do list before and after you have used your hot tub.
The importance of showering before getting into your hot tub is to wash off sweat, cologne, and other personal body care products, and also dead skin cells.
If these are allowed into the hot tub every time, the hot tub filter will be doing a lot of work which may result in the filter’s reduced lifetime.
Also, you should consider showering again once you leave the hot tub; this is important as it helps in removing chemicals that may have been left on the skin.
Are jetted tubs outdated?
Jetted tubs are gradually declining in popularity. One of the reasons is the introduction of modern and ultramodern luxury showers.
There are some contemporary luxury showers that are preferred more than the jetted showers.
Therefore, when some homeowners realize they no longer need the service of the jetted tubs, they make an upgrade to their showers.
Therefore, it is not that they are outdated per se, but sometimes justifying their use with the amount of space they occupy is much possible.
Water care products and other consumables for hot tubs and jetted bathtubs
These are the other component which you may want to consider when figuring out which could be better between hot tubs and jetted bathtubs.
For instance, if you plan to replace your water filter after every year of use and accompany it with water care products, which may also last as long, you may spend about 250 dollars to 350 dollars.
The higher price may be on the jetted bathtubs’ side.
Final thoughts : Hot Tub vs. Jetted Bathtub: Which Is Better
Hot tubs and jetted bathtubs perform more in the same way. There are hot tubs designed with jets that could be used the same way as jetted bathtubs.
Therefore, deciding which is better may solely rely on the purpose of acquiring one. If you go for hot tubs, you may consider purchasing those with jets.
Jetted bathtubs are more for hydrotherapy, while hot tubs are for relaxing. Contemplate the desired purpose and acquire the one which suits you.
