The most comfortable & portable hot tub available!

Believe it or not, hot tubs can be energy efficient AND economical

We came across this blog on Softub corporates page and thought we would share it with our folks. This article was written in January and William makes some excellent points. Note: we always suggest buying new so you are covered by our incredible 5-year warranty.

Believe it or not, hot tubs can be energy efficient AND economical

By William L. Seavey | Special to The Cambrian | http://www.sanluisobispo.com

We’ve covered solar power, electric vehicles and rainwater harvesting so far.

Now most of you probably think of hot tubs as essentially wasteful and hardly “green,” but I’m here to tell you that they don’t have to be.

Years ago, I actually made a hot tub out of a 300-gallon stock watering tank. Cost then: maybe $500. I set it up on concrete blocks and put a three-burner portable propane “stovetop” under it.

It heated up fairly quickly, although draining and cleaning it posed a problem because the drain hose was very narrow.

About five years ago, I started looking into Softubs, which I’d seen demoed at home shows.

The advantage of Softubs is that they are easily portable (can be rolled when the external motor/pump is removed) and they are not heavy at all, because they are mostly made of vinyl and foam.

But the new cost was $3,000 to $4,000 for units between 6 and 8 feet wide, and I couldn’t afford that. So I started looking at Craigslist for a used one and, lo and behold, I saw two available for around $1,000 to $1,300 each and bought them both. (Silly me. I later sold the extra one and got most of my money back.)

Softubs are heavily insulated (the sides are about 4-inches thick). When they get to the desired temperature (104 degrees max), the electric pump motor shuts off (there’s a thermostat).

Electric costs

Now, I’m sure you’re saying, “Well, electricity is expensive,” and it certainly is, but the company advertises that keeping a Softub hot may only cost around $25 a month. I’ve found that to be true, and mine is in the woods! [Note: It is even less!! $15/mo]

I’ve added extra insulation on the bottom of the tub and 1.5-inch foam over the cover, which can be slid off conveniently. I also have a floating plastic “solar” blanket underneath the lid. Overall, these strategies really keep the water toasty.

Recently I went away on a one-week trip, turned the tub off (which was 100 degrees), and a week later the water was still at 78 degrees (and again, it’s outside)!

I think that’s simply amazing, don’t you? [Yes, we do!]

Solar option

If you want to be ultra-efficient, you might consider powering this up with solar. I believe (but have yet to prove) that a couple of fairly large, say 200 watts or so, solar panels and a few deep-cycle batteries might keep it going indefinitely.

Remember, the motor/pump only runs when the water is being heated — and it is water running around the motor that actually heats the tub. That’s similar to a fridge in a sense — the motor only runs when the inside temperature starts to rise above the cooling settings (so there isn’t a continuous draw).

I haven’t had any maintenance issues in all the time I’ve had the tub(s).

So if electricity is not really an issue, and the water is conserved and ultimately recycled, that’s about as green as you can get, right?

Thanks for your interest in Softub!

Join our email list or opt in for text messages to stay up-to-date with everything related to Softub® hot tubs, including specials and new products!

Thanks for your interest in Softub!

Join our email list or opt in for text messages to stay up-to-date with everything related to Softub® hot tubs, including specials and new products!