Do you know what’s good when hot? Steak sauce, Italian meatballs, and — you guessed it — your inflatable hot tub. Soaking in a warm tub on a cold winter day can be a magical experience. But the million-dollar question is: How do you maintain the temperature of your inflatable hot tub?
In order to maintain the heat in your inflatable hot tub, keep it tightly covered whenever it’s not in use and prevent wind from blowing across the water’s surface. You can also insulate your hot tub using a ground mat or foam sheets that will prevent heat from escaping to the ground underneath it.
Let’s take a closer look at some tips for maintaining your hot tub’s temperature and insulating your spa. We’ll also go through some of the main reasons why your hot tub might be having issues staying hot. That way, you can enjoy the perfect warm soak every time.
What Causes Heating Issues in an Inflatable Tub?
A sensor malfunction is the most common cause of heating problems in an inflatable hot tub. If its pressure switch breaks, you won’t be able to control the water’s temperature.
But that’s not the only possibility. Here are the primary reasons behind heating issues in an inflatable hot tub:
Sensor Malfunction
You can use a thermometer to check whether your hot tub sensor is fully operational. Lower the water temperature setting and check whether you notice any change.
If there’s no difference in temperature, then your sensor is likely faulty. Consider replacing it.
Wrong Temperature Settings
Your temperature setting may be wrong, and that’s why your hot tub is over- or under-heating. A software glitch could have triggered it without your knowledge. Check the setting and adjust it to your preferred temperature.
Electrical Problems
A faulty electrical system can also create heating issues with your tub. If you smell burnt cables, switch off the tub immediately, unplug it from the wall socket, and call a professional.
Electrical problems combined with water can be catastrophic, so don’t take this issue lightly.
Poor Maintenance
If you don’t maintain your hot tub well, particularly the filters, they can end up clogging and straining the pump. An inefficiently working pump may, in turn, lead to heating problems in your hot tub.
Luckily, all of these problems are fixable. Don’t hesitate to call a professional if you’re not sure how to fix your tub. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
How Do You Keep Your Inflatable Tub Hot?
Keeping your hot tub warm is essential to enjoying it, so let’s go through some of the best methods to keep the heat where it belongs.
Fill Your Tub With Hot Water
Here’s an excellent hot tub hack that will save you money. Instead of filling your tub with cold water and then heating it, how about you fill it directly with hot water from your household? This will save you 12 hours heating your tub.
When using this trick, remember to cover your spa’s floor with a thin layer of cold water first before filling it up with hot water. Also, the water you add shouldn’t be hotter than 104˚F; otherwise, you risk damaging the tub’s liner.
For first-time users, we recommend filling up the tub to the minimum fill line so that you can see how much the water rises when you get in.
Keep Your Tub Covered
Cover your inflatable hot tub whenever you’re not using it — we cannot overemphasize this. This goes even if you’re only popping out for a few minutes to use the bathroom.
Your tub comes with an insulated cover for this purpose. But you can add an inflatable bladder like this one (on Amazon) if it’s torn or worn out.
When covering your tub, fasten the cover down securely to create an airtight seal. Double-check that the cover has no cracks, holes, or damages.
If there are, use a vinyl repair kit (on Amazon) to repair it right away. You’ll be surprised at how much heat you save in 24 hours by covering your hot tub.
There are lots of crappy tub covers in the market, so make sure you invest in a quality product.
Choose a cover that will serve you efficiently for a long time. The ULTCOVER Waterproof Square Hot Tub Cover (on Amazon) is our pick for the best inflatable hot tub cover.
Keep the Wind Away
Wind blowing over your hot tub will cool and evaporate the water. It will then force you to reheat the water.
To avoid this, place your inflatable hot tub in a secure location away from the wind, probably near a wall, hedge, or fence.
You can also create windbreaks around the hot tub. Use trees, shrubs, or privacy panels (on Amazon). The goal is to eliminate the wind chill factor. Plus, you’ll get some privacy in the process.
Insulate Your Tub
Lastly, insulating the bottom of your hot tub is another incredible way to maintain its temperature. The ground beneath your tub is relatively cool and “sucks in” heat from the hot tub. The result is your hot tub water cooling rapidly.
Insulate your tub to avoid this. It will especially come in handy during the winter or fall.
The Best Way to Insulate Your Tub
As you can see, insulating your inflatable hot tub is an incredible way of maintaining its temperature, especially during the cold seasons. There are three basic ways to insulate your tub:
Using a Ground Mat
A ground mat is the easiest way to insulate your inflatable hot tub. Most hot tubs ship with their ground mats.
However, if yours doesn’t have a mat, you can always purchase one. We recommend the Beeplove Inflatable Hot Tub Floor Pad (on Amazon). It’s one of the best products out there.
Your ground mat will act as a barrier preventing heat from transferring from your hot tub into the ground.
Using Foam Sheets
You can also use foam sheets to insulate your hot tub. Like the ground mats, these will restrict heat from penetrating through the bottom of your hot tub through the ground underneath.
Foam sheets are thicker and softer than ground mats, so they act as better insulators.
In addition, they’ll also protect your hot tub from damage caused by dirt and sharp objects. Measure the base of your tub to get an idea of how many foam sheets you’ll need.
If your inflatable hot tub has a larger capacity, you may require a minimum of two foam sheets. Consider purchasing the Ucreate Foam Board (on Amazon) if you’re in the market for one.
Hot Tub Pad
Hot tub pads are great for providing your inflatable hot tub with a sturdy base. In addition, they also act as highly effective insulators. They’re helpful if you’re using your hot tub outdoors, and they act as efficient barriers between your tub’s base and the ground.
Should You Keep Your Tub Running All Day?
Yes, you should leave your inflatable hot tub motor running all day. But wouldn’t that increase the electricity bills? It might — but it may save you more money than when you turn it on only when using the hot tub.
When you turn off your tub, the water temperature will drop drastically in the next 24 hours (or until your next use).
When you get back to using the hot tub, you’ll need to start over again and reheat the water up to your target temperature. This will cost you time and money.
Maintaining a set temperature is often kinder to your energy bill than heating it from scratch. It’s generally more economical to leave your tub running if you use it frequently — say three times a week.
If you’re not a frequent user, we recommend leaving your inflatable hot tub in standby mode.
Your filtration system will run every few hours and heat the water to a certain point. All the other functions are deactivated.
If you only use your inflatable hot tub once or twice a month, you’re better off draining and deflating it and storing it properly until your next soak.
When to Use Low Temperature
These are all great tips for maintaining your hot tub’s temperature. And they’ll go a long way to save energy, time, and money.
However, there are times when you actually want to set a lower temperature for your hot tub — lower than the typical 104˚F.
A lower tub temperature is ideal when you or anyone else using the tub is pregnant, asthmatic, has sensitive skin, or suffers from heart or skin conditions. Also, it’s best to set a lower temperature if you’re soaking with young children.
A good temperature for kids is between 98 and 100˚F. Keep this in mind and set your hot tub temperature accordingly.