An inflatable hot tub is a luxury everyone wishes for in their homes. However, seeing as they cannot heat up within minutes, you are probably wondering, “How long does it take to heat an inflatable hot tub?” and ”How can I speed things up?”
Inflatable hot tubs can take between 12 and 48 hours to heat up. The timeframe depends on their size, the temperature of the hose water, and the ambient temperature. Knowing how long your hot tub takes to heat up will ensure you can always enjoy it at its peak.
It is common for inflatable hot tubs to take longer to heat up. However, taking measures to speed up the process is possible, so you don’t have to wait too long. Now let’s learn more about heating an insulated hot tub and how to speed up the process.
Do Inflatable Hot Tubs Take Longer to Heat Up Than Regular Hot Tubs?
Inflatable hot tubs do take longer to heat up than regular hot tubs. The reason is that standard tubs featuring externally insulated walls ensure the heat doesn’t escape. A regular one will take between 5 and 8 hours to heat up to the right temperature.
But an inflatable hot tub can take 3 or 4 times the amount of time to heat up. And If it accommodates more than two people, you could be waiting two days to enjoy its warm relaxing goodness.
The Jets
Furthermore, a regular hot tub can run the jets and the heater simultaneously. At the same time, an inflatable hot tub can’t. Without the jets running, the water doesn’t have the chance to maintain its heat, as well as in a standard hot tub.
Power Ratings
An inflatable hot tub also has a different power rating than a regular one. A standard hot tub uses a 7kW heater, where the temperature can rise by 100 degrees Fahrenheit in approximately 4 hours.
An inflatable hot tub is typically powered by 110v with a 13amp socket and a heater with a maximum power rating of 1 to 1.2kW. This setup would require three to six times the time to heat up.
Benefits of Inflatable Hot Tubs
Nonetheless, don’t allow the waiting game put you off because inflatable hot tubs have their benefits. They are often:
- More affordable.
- Easy to maneuver around a house or garden.
- The heating time can be sped up.
How Can You Speed Up the Process?
Thankfully, there are ways to speed up the heating process of an inflatable hot tub. Yes, they do involve an extra investment. But, it will be worth it as you can save time and spend longer relaxing.
Here are some foolproof ways to speed up the process.
Use a Hot Tub Cover
Adding a hot tub cover to your inflatable friend will help to keep the heat in while it is heating up. In addition, it ensures that the heat has nowhere to escape. A cover should also be used to maintain the temperature when you get out of it for some time.
You would be surprised how much colder your tub will feel if you leave it without a cover when you are heating dinner for 45 minutes. The greater the temperature differential between the water and the outside air, the more essential.
When purchasing a hot tub cover, consider one that is waterproof to prevent any excess moisture from hindering the heating process. One like the ULTCOVER Waterproof 600D Polyester Square Hot Tub Cover (on Amazon), works to keep all weather away.
Use a Thermal Blanket
You could also use thermal blankets if you find hot tub covers challenging to put on on your own or in a rush. These sit on top of the water and act as any thermal blanket would; it prevents heat loss.
Thermal blankets float on the water and trap the heat as much as possible. Therefore, they might not be as effective as a strapped-down cover. But, it will prevent complete heat loss when the hot tub is unattended.
Insulate the Bottom of Your Tub
Insulating your inflatable hot tub from both ends will benefit the heating process. An insulated base will help speed up the process and reduce your waiting time.
An easy way to insulate the bottom of your tub is to add a rug or carpet to the floor, wherever you wish to place the hot tub. You can find affordable Hot Tub Mats (on Amazon) to help speed up your hot tub heating process. It will also help to maintain the temperature too.
If you do not wish to add a carpet layer of insulation to your inflatable tub, you can benefit from standing the tub on a wooden deck instead of concrete. Wood helps to insulate the bottom of the tub much better than harder and colder materials.
Keep Your Hot Tub Running All the Time
Your hot tub may require more time to heat up if you don’t use it for a while. For example, the outside temperature may have dropped significantly since you last used the tub. So filling it up from scratch or heating cold water would delay the process.
Therefore, keeping your hot tub running all the time will ensure minimal time to heat up. Of course, you don’t have to keep the temperature to the highest setting. But, if you keep the heater running, it will keep the water warm, and it will take less time to reach optimal temperature.
It can be costly to keep the heater running as it uses electricity. So, this might not be effective for every hot tub owner. But, if you want to minimize the heating process and can afford to use the electricity, do as it will save you a lot of time.
Different Power Sources
Instead of using electricity, you could consider using wood or gas-powered heaters. A wood burner is an expensive piece of equipment. However, it will save you money in the long run. Topping up the burner with wood can help keep your hot tub on and hot.
Likewise, a gas-powered heater can also work to keep your hot tub running and hot.
You could consider investing in solar heaters to make this more affordable. The sun can charge your heater during summer instead of using electricity. That way, you can keep your hot tub running at all times for free.
Use Hot Water to Fill it Up
You can use hot water to fill up your inflatable hot tub. But you should never use boiling water, as water that is too hot could either melt the hot tub material or exceed the maximum temperature. If the vinyl material melts away, it will ruin your purchase and might threaten anyone touching it.
If the water you are adding is hot, ensure to add it to cold water in the tub so that the heat can dissipate. It will help the water avoid hitting the sides and bottom of the tub, where the material could start to melt.
Will Jets Heat a Hot Tub Faster?
Jets do heat hot tubs faster. However, this guarantee is only for standard hard-wall tubs. An inflatable hot tub cannot use jets and a heater simultaneously, so using jets is impossible.
Jets can be used in standard 220v hot tubs. Most inflatable hot tubs are 110v with a 13 amp plug. A 13 amp plug limits the number of devices you can have on simultaneously. Hence, the inflatable option does not have the power to run a heater and a jet.
Attempting to run the heater and the jets could be highly dangerous, and it is not recommended. While you may get them both to work simultaneously, one or the other will not be able to work at maximum capacity. Therefore, using jets on an inflatable hot tub will not result in faster heating.
What is the Maximum Temperature of an Inflatable Hot Tub?
There is a law-limited inflatable hot tub temperature to abide by, which is 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It is essential to stick to this law so that the health and safety of you and your loved ones are taken care of when enjoying the relaxation of the hot tub at home.
The reason for a maximum temperature hot tub law is that water above can cause danger and harm. Whether an adult or a child uses a hot tub with water over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, it can burn the skin and cause permanent damage.
In outside temperatures of 40° F and above, a hot tub can heat up to a maximum of 104° F. However, the hot tub might struggle the maximum in colder temperatures. You might even get lucky if it reaches 95° F in temperatures below 40° F.
To Conclude
If you wish for your inflatable hot tub to reach the warmest temperature in the winter, take adequate measures to speed up the heating process. Covering the tub and using insulation will maximize its heating efficacy and maintain its temperature.
