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Author Topic: Hot Tub  (Read 11048 times)

kybaseball

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Hot Tub
« on: January 29, 2012, 03:12:40 PM »

Ok I have to ask. If I get a hot tube that would seat outside on my deck and use my OWB to heat it how would you control the temp. in the hot tube? If anybody is doing this I really would to know how it works. I don't want to hook it up to electric at all.
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Scott7m

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2012, 03:19:43 PM »

You would have a water to water heat exchanger designed for pools and hot tubs mounted on it.  It would be a stainless shell heat exchanger.  Temp could be controlled by a zone valve or somethingof that nature depending on your design.  It will work and work well :)
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tbone

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2012, 07:34:58 AM »

This is a subject that interests me.  I would like to know about how much more fuel consumption would result.  What do you keep your temps at?  If you lower them when not in use, how long does it take to recover?
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Scott7m

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2012, 07:40:35 AM »

I've had folks say they keep them on 102 and never see much difference in wood use as long as the insulated cover was on.
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dirtryder

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2012, 07:59:29 AM »

I keep mine at 102 to 104 at all times 24/7 12 months a year. I installed the tub in 2008 and have been heating it with my boiler since 09.  Now, my tub has a small cirulator pump that runs 24/7. I think that if my tub did not have this, it would be more difficult to hook up. I control my temp with the tub controls just like normal. You can't tell the difference between wood or electric heat for setting temp.
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tbone

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2012, 08:12:50 AM »

Dirtryder,  Do you fire your boiler year round?
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dirtryder

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #6 on: January 30, 2012, 09:38:13 AM »

Dirtryder,  Do you fire your boiler year round?
I did all last summer. I installed my 6048 last Feb and it has been burning ever since. I was curious to see how much wood I would use to keep the tub and DHW going during the summer. We also just had a pool put in and filled on Labor day last year. Was heating that also till I winterized it. In the summer i put about one wheel barrel full of wood every 36 to 48 hours. I was suprised that the boiler never went "out" due to the light load. Now, when I finally hooked the pool up.......well THAT takes some wood!
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jimr

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2012, 06:31:59 AM »

you can figure on spending around $1000 in hooking up to your hot tub. it works very well an i can't see much in the way of wood use ,might be a cord a season or less. we keep the temp at 103-104. i figure we have been saving just on the hot tub $35 a month. it will take awhile to recover the initial cost. it sure feels good in there when it's 10deg outside ;)
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Calopolus

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2012, 01:49:49 PM »

The place I moved into has a hot tub that is very dilapidated. I will be ripping it out and getting a new one. Well, new to me anyway. I just went outside to see what size heat exchanger it had, and there are just two hoses (maybe 3/4") that come from the copper supply and return on the side of the house. Someone decided to take the exchanger with them. So now I am faced with a dilemma. I am renting this house, so I want to be as cheap as possible. I am willing to buy a used hot tub, knowing I will leave it here. But the price I am seeing for tube and shell exchangers is ridiculous. How would the plate exchangers do? I am willing to use electricity to heat the tub when we have the cover off.

 Also, I saw that I can use a zone controller for temperature regulation. Is that just a valve that bypasses the exchanger? So I could adjust the valve to divert say, 40% in a loop back to the OWB instead of the exchanger?

 I don't know if they plumbed this system the best possible way.
 Mine goes OWB-> Hot Water Heater -> Furnace (Water to air) -> Hot Tub, than starts its return to the OWB to be heated and start the cycle again. There are shutoffs for the hot tub,(at the wall the pipes go through in the basement) so I could in theory control the flow of supply or return to the hot tub, but that would effect the flow on my entire system.

I see jimr said I could expect 1000 to hook up the tub, I hope to come in at the 200 or less mark, since the 1" (Maybe bigger) copper lines are already in place and snaked through the basement.
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RSI

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2012, 03:11:55 PM »

You could use a plate heat exchanger but it won't last very long compares to the proper heat exchanger. It would be worth spending the extra $40 or $50 on the pool heater and then taking it with you if you leave just like the last people did. You could resell it at that time and it would have some value but the plate would be junk.

To control it you need to use a zone valve or pump unless you want to manually control the temperature.
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Calopolus

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2012, 04:47:48 PM »

That would be a possibility. The price difference I have seen between plate and tube is quite large. Does anyone know of good sites to get exchangers from?
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RSI

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2012, 04:56:43 PM »

What kind of prices have you seen? A 20 plate is usually around $190 and a smaller pool heater is about $240.
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RSI

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2012, 05:04:09 PM »

Another option you might want to consider if you go cheap,I have a used 10 plate.
I would setup a secondary loop for it though if you use a 10 plate so it doesn't restrict your boiler flow. (both tees in the same pipe, not one in supply and one in return)
It would be about $150 with a used pump. I would think you would get a few years out of it but depends on how fast the chemicals eat the brazing.
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Calopolus

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #13 on: February 04, 2012, 05:26:42 PM »

Thanks RSI! If I was going to go with the 20 plate, I probably would just go with the tube exchanger, but from the BTU ratings I have read, a 10 plate would work. I will admit first off, I know nothing about heat exchangers other than the basic fact that they transfer heat. Would the plate exchanger last longer if it were inside? Or is it the hot tub chemicals that destroy it, or just how/what they are made of never stand the test of time?

I have also thought about using a sidearm exchanger, though I am unsure how well it would perform. I have found them right around 120 in many places.
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hddmax66

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Re: Hot Tub
« Reply #14 on: February 04, 2012, 06:56:10 PM »

check out freeheat4u.com and check out the shopping cart. Thats where i got mine. They have the best prices ive seen so far
« Last Edit: February 04, 2012, 06:58:19 PM by hddmax66 »
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