I am confused by this whole thread. First off, I assume that water in Florida does not come out of the stub at 96 degrees. Maybe not 52 degrees like here but it is still a bad thermal mass that needs to be heated many degrees to get to operating temps.

Secondly, if set at 96 and ambient air temp is considerably less -- maybe not the 5 degrees we have here today but let's say its 75 -- the tub is still going to give something back and will require heating to keep it at 96.

Then, when the user demands, it needs to heat 96 degree water up 8 degrees to 104. The heater is running, then the pumps are running, then no heater is running and the tub gives back 8 degrees and the cycle repeats.

Is this common practice in the tubing community? I have been leaving mine at 102 (and have not used it in over 10 days because we all just want to kill ourselves up here due to unbelievable weather but that's another issue) and with 480 gallons, yeah, I am paying dearly at around $.125 per KwH. What is the cost of electricity in FLA? I estimate mine at around $38 per month.

Oh, by the way, a few things about Health Clubs. Their spas often suck badly. The jets are never adequate, never positioned correctly, and usually you are lucky to have one per body. By law, the tub may not be higher than 100 - 102 degrees. They are often over chlorinated for obvious reasons and are a health risk. You have to share it with people you probably don't like, they frown upon you wearing only your birthday suit, and you will find that it probably won't cost less than $50 per month. Finally, the last time I brought a cold one into my health club's hot tub, I was arrested for public consumption. Being handcuffed naked and dragged through the lobby was quite embarrassing for the other guests. Me, well, I've gotten used to it.

I did the same thing -- weighed the difference between a health club and it's services vs. what I have slowly built at home -- I have a large steam shower in my master (marvelous!), a good treadmill, free weights, my pre-owned Sundance Optima, and other trappings. In the end, I am willing to pay for the convenience of using it when I want to without driving at $.65 per mile and it's opened 24x7x365. Try setting it to 102 and keeping it there and see what happens. You need to do the math. Turn off and drain your tub for a month and see what happens before the A/C season kicks in. In the end, the total utility (that's an economics term) may be that you keep on saying that you enjoy it. As long as that's the case, it is worth cost if there is nothing wrong with it and the cost to purchase justifies it. Life is very short.

AGE

What is there to be confused about? I'm both complaining about my high electric bill and asking others if their bills are also high. Maybe I didn't have my SPA setup correctly??? I don't know. I do know that plugging this thing in has increased my monthly electric costs by 20%.

After two months of high electric bills, I've powered down my SPA and it now sits in limbo while I decide what to do with it.

Billy

Here is what I am confused about... It's quite simple.

First and foremost, when you filled your spa, it takes energy to heat the water from its ambient temperature out of the spigot to your "normal" operating temperature. Thereafter, it will cost a certain amount of money and energy to maintain that set-point temperature. The first month after a fill is slightly skewed because of what I first mentioned - needing to heat your water from X degrees to Y degrees. The following two or three months will be what is considered "normal" usage. I don't believe that it is going to be a panacea but I don't think that you have given it enough time. Are the power rates in FLA consistent across the entire year or is it more expensive in the winter months vs summer?

But then you dropped your temp to 96 and reheat it a full 8 degrees in ECO mode for every use. Understand that with every use, you are reheating your water. What happens if you set it for 102 and just leave it there?

Again, you state that your bill is high. I don't doubt that. My bill is high too and I hope to figure out whether it is a function of a faulty spa or the normal course of action of my preowned full foam Sundance Optima. I expected a $1 per day and it is closer to $1.45 per day at $.105 per KwH. I too am disappointed but I am a cost-average kind of guy. It will take a year for me to determine whether this is worth it or not. In the end, you may have the wrong spa but the right idea. Maybe full foam insulation is what you really need. What do other spa owners say. Swine says $30 in FLA. Let's see what others say who have more modern spas...

AGE

My SPA costs between $35 to $45/month to operate. That's really high to me. If this is normal costs in Florida, then it will see little use as the cost of operation is unacceptable.

I assumed it would cost me between $10 and $20 per month, not what it is presently costing me. I love the SPA experience but these costs make it a foolish pursuit. I'm thinking of shutting it down and putting it up for sale.

I have a Liesure Bay S3, 220v on it's on 50amp circuit.

Billy

Billy -

I understand your frustration. As others have stated, the marketing hype is just that, hype. What it does is it leaves a bad taste in your mouth and in the end, you pockets empty.

I am a scientist by education and therefore, the facts that present themselves initially always make me skeptical. I am a new spa owner and brought my 2002 Pre-owned Optima in service around 6 Nov 07. I expected a $30/month hit and hoped for $25/month. I have been around $43/month and I am not happy about it but I also know that three months of usage does not provide the big picture. I plan on running and using my spa for an entire year before I can determine what it truly costs.

I expect that my power bill will fall greatly through the spring and into summer. When I receive my Nov 08 power bill, I will take all the data I collected and determine how much it will cost me on average, per month, to run it. Only then will I have good data.

On another note, I too thought about a Spa vs. Health Club. A decent club "near" me costs no less than $58 per month. If I can parlay that into my commute to/from work, then it costs me $58 per month. If I want to go on a weekend or a different time of day, then it costs more. Per weekend, it adds $25 per trip. During lunch, it adds $6 per trip. In the end, if you go to a health club just to use the spa or steam room, you will find that the spa will not feel like your spa, it will not be as warm, there will be a jet or two for your entire body, it will be filled with people, and it will cost you $.68 per mile (the real cost of driving a car) round trip every time you go if it is your destination.

I personally like the idea of my spa being in my backyard and will pay the price. If it truly costs me $40+ per month to operate, I believe I will be shutting it down from Dec - Mar to save me $ during the coldest months (which is somewhat counter productive of why I have one so that I can use it when my body aches)...

AGE

I think the scientest is saying it may cost you more to use eco mode or turn it down then up, than it would to keep it at a temp you like. I keep my hottub at 106 here at the Playboy Mansion but dont know my exact bill, The ladies and I have a well insulated hotsprings Sovereign with a leak and a lot of use and a new cover, bet U spend 50-60 a mo. worth it to me. I dont use the jets much, pent of massage, you know, wonder if that creates much impact.

Hef