Hot tubs are an excellent addition to any home or business. After all, a relaxing soak can be a terrific way to unwind after a long day at work or to unwind.
However, just like any other device in your home, if you find the hot tub temperature not reaching what it should, you’ll find they have the potential to break down and stop working.
When the heater fails, it can often mean a repair or a replacement heater. However, if you can’t get a hot tub heater when you need it from the hot tub manufacturer, you may find you’re stuck for a while.
There are, luckily, solutions to this issue you can use as you wait for your new hot tub heater to arrive.
In our guide, you can learn more about hot tub heating and how you can do this to have warm water when you need it. By the end, you’ll be a happy hot tub owner, as you can use your hot tub even with a broken heating element.
You can also find ways to use your hot tub with no heat at home should the temperatures be too hot. (Learn How To Unclog A Bathtub Drain)
How To Heat Your Hot Tub Without a Heater
Warm Your Hot Tub in the Sun
Sunlight can warm your hot tub if the weather is nice and you have strong sun. It can, however, take a few hours to warm to the desired temperature.
If it’s around 80 degrees outdoors, it’ll take a long time for the hot tub to get hot and isn’t to be compared to a regular hot tub heater. However, if your goal is to enjoy the hot tub without the water being too cold, it can work to relieve aching muscles.
A hot tub cover could help heat the water faster. The cover can keep heat in the hot tub water as it warms throughout the day. Besides this, using the pump and jets can help speed up the heating process.
To properly heat using the cover and the pump will take time, yet it will retain heat and offer the chance of a warm soak when you reach home.
Get the Best Hot Tub Cover
You may not have a good hot tub cover right now. Using your hot tub’s cover is preferable to not using one, although a thermal hot tub cover may be helpful.
A good hot tub cover will trap heat in the water well. If you use a hot tub cover while it’s warm outdoors, you can keep the water warm.
The sun will help the hot tub heat faster. When using an outdoor hot tub, always use a cover.
There are many other reasons to use a hot tub cover. Keep debris out of the hot tub so you can use it without dealing with disgusting sludge.
A hot tub full of leaves and dead bugs isn’t appealing. That’s reason enough to purchase a high-quality hot tub cover, but that it helps heat the hot tub makes it much more appealing.
Put Your Hot Tub in a Good Location
Placing your hot tub in a sunny location on a warmer day might help it heat faster. For example, if your hot tub is in a sunny area of your yard on a hot day, you’ll have a better time with the heat inside your hot tub.
If you have a lot of trees shading the area, the hot tub won’t heat up as quickly. This can be an issue when trying to heat a hot tub without one.
Those with unfavorable hot tub sites may wish to consider moving them. It may be possible to use the hot tub without a heater in the future.
Even when your hot tub works properly, you can use less energy when you use several hours of sun exposure to get halfway to the right temperature.
With water circulating to stop any cold pockets, your tub will work as if on economy mode, and you can save a considerable amount on your electric bill. (Learn How To Clean A Used Hot Tub)
Can You Use A Hot Tub Without Heating It?
With a hot tub, the family can have a comfortable spot in a cool, clean spa without resorting to a kids’ swimming pool.
Whether warm or cold, taking a soak in a hot tub is a relaxing experience.
Re-energizing is among the many health benefits of hydrotherapy hot tub owners enjoy.
Hot tubs are insulated, so once you’ve settled on the ideal temp, whether warm or cool, keeping at this temperature is easier to achieve.
Turn down the temperature of the hot tub and let it adjust. You can add cold water to drop the temp quicker.
Running jets helps cool the water and especially in the cooler evening air.
Should you have no heat, you may ask, can you use a hot tub as a swimming pool? There are ways of turning hot tub into pool depending on the size of your hot tub and what you do in the pool.
It makes sense to use a hot tub cold to replace a regular pool if you lounge around. If you want a cold dip, you can add ice when the temps outside get too hot.
Also, can a hot tub also be a pool? They can, as you can, get swimming spas that are a little longer. Rather than swim laps, it was designed by swim university where the hot tub jets of water create the current you swim against and give the effect you are swimming while you don’t move.
Heating Hot Tub Water Fast
A swimming pool temperature can be limited in certain states, but they don’t apply as we’re concerned with heating a hot tub. A heater isn’t the only way to get hot water for your water yoga session.
Without too much additional cost, the good news is, there are ways to warm water.
Let It Warm in the Sun
Allowing your hot tub to warm up in the sun on sunny days is one way to do it naturally, but if your hot tub isn’t working properly, this could take several hours.
This, however, will only work in the summer. But what if it’s winter or any other cold day, and the sun isn’t shining brightly? You can, however, attempt alternative options. Some of them are dangerous.
Add hot water to the hot tub – This usually is not suggested since, while it may work, it can cause several problems, such as harming the hot tub shell with boiling water or filling your hot tub with water that contains softener, which can cause corrosion and void your warranty.
Hot tubs can reach temperatures of up to 104 degrees Celsius, whereas water from a home heater can reach up to 140 degrees. Using hotter water than the maximum hot tub temperature will cause cracking and damage to your hot tub shell.
However, you can reduce this by adding an extra hose to combine cold and hot water simultaneously and, if possible, getting a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
To add the hot water, fill the hot tub halfway with cold water, then add the hot water. It’s essential to keep an eye on the temperature inside the tub to make sure it doesn’t get too hot.
This will ensure that you are in a secure area. You can balance the cold and hot water to a slightly lower temperature than the hot tub’s usual temperature. After that, you can turn on the hot tub heater to raise the temperature to the desired level.
Connect a Tankless & Instantaneous LPG Hot Water Heater
Here’s another tip that a hot tub owner shared on a forum that worked for him and required no electricity other than the pump. He also said that it heated his tub significantly faster.
He bought a tankless/instantaneous LPG hot water heater. It was then hooked up to a 9KG BBQ gas cylinder, then running a hose from the pump’s pressure side into the intake and out of the heater’s suction side. (Learn How Much Chlorine To Add To Pool)
According to the owner, the water heats to almost 100 degrees in about an hour, who then uses an electronic controller to keep the temperature at 42 degrees Celcius.
It may sound suspect, yet the hot tub owner assures everyone it is completely safe to heat things from a gas bottle no matter what the external temperature is.
Use A Natural Gas Header Pool and Spa Heater
This is a significant investment but can pay off in the long run. These are high-efficiency C-Fin heat exchangers designed to save money by lowering running costs.
You’ll find these natural gas pool, and spa heaters can save money by keeping your pool and spa warm at a lower temperature.
Unlike the other appliance effort above, they provide superior protection against corrosion and failure leading from imbalanced water chemistry. While there is an additional cost, you are certainly guaranteed top heating performance season after season.
How Long Does It Take To Heat a Hot Tub
This varies tremendously depending on what you’re using, but a hot tub will typically heat to six degrees every hour. With your hot tub it also depends on several elements.
The temperature outside is the first consideration. It won’t take nearly as long to heat your tub on a warmer day. It will take very little time to do so on a warm day.
So, if it’s 75 degrees outside and you want your tub to reach 100 degrees, you’ll need to give it four to five hours to heat up adequately.
You can also shorten the time spent heating the hot tub by covering it. Consider this: when your hot tub’s cover isn’t on, it loses heat at a constant rate.
When you cover your hot tub while it’s heating, it’s like covering a pot while it’s boiling: it keeps all the heat within and helps your hot tub heat faster.
Your hot tub’s components are also crucial. However, if the pump and jets are in good working order, your hot tub will heat up much faster than it would if they were worn out or damaged.
There are other ways to heat your hot tub than using a heater. If your hot tub is inefficient, it may take many hours to warm up in the sun.
There are a few things you can do to help speed up the warming process. Service your hot tub if possible.
The heater will significantly reduce warm-up time and make things easier.
Check Your Cover
As stated, an excellent cover will help you heat your hot tub fast. Your hot tub’s sides are very well insulated. This is because it keeps the heat inside the tub and does not leak out.
But your hot tub’s top is open. If you leave your hot tub open while heating, the heated water will try to cool, and your heating element will work overtime.
With a quality cover, you can protect your hot tub when not in use and keep the heat inside while it warms up.
Examine the cover for any holes or fractures before heating your hot tub. This allows heat to escape and slows the process.
Keep your cover clean to avoid difficulties or cracks. Consider replacing your cover when it shows signs of wear and tear.
Pick The Right Area In Your Landscaping
Where you situate your hot tub on your landscape can affect its ability to heat water ready for your hot soak. If there are trees nearby, they can produce cool shade that prevents your hot tub from heating soon as they are surrounded by cold air.
People also put decorative windshields in their yards, limiting airflow and cooling your hot tub too rapidly.
Again, expose your hot tub to the sun so it can heat correctly without taking several hours.
