So, you’re looking to invest in a spa pool and curious about the daily running costs? The last thing you want is to be worrying about your electricity bill when you’re sitting back to relax. If you’ve just started the search for a new spa pool, you’ll find that there is quite a lot of conflicting information out there. Let’s cut through all the marketing jargon and get to the facts.
As much as we would love to tell you an exact dollar figure here, the truth is that running costs will vary for each person based on the ambient temperature at their location, the equipment installed in the spa, the spas insulation along with many other factors.
The biggest cost associated with owning a spa pool is the heating of the water. All spa pools have electric heaters built in which are generally a 3kw or 6kw option. These heaters are designed for a slow gradual heat up (around a degree an hour) but once your set temperature is reached, they are able to hold it there quite economically. You’ll find that the most energy efficient way to run and use your spa, is to keep it at your ‘jump in’ temperature all the time, as opposed to heating it from cold for each use. The larger the built-in heater, the quicker it heats the water meaning less energy is used and your running costs are marginally lower than a smaller heater unit.
Heat and cool pump
A good option to consider for your spa pool would be an air sourced external heat & cool pump, which is the most energy efficient and cost-effective method for heating spa water. By using refrigerator technology, a heat pump only requires a small amount of energy to run a fan motor and compressor and will output up to five times more energy in heat output compared to what it consumes in electricity. These units will cost you around $2,500 but have the ability to slash your spa heating costs by up to 75% for the life of the spa.
In order to keep your running costs to a minimum, we need to ensure that your heater is on for the shortest time possible each day, as it uses the most energy out of all the componentry in your spa. The best way to do this is to ensure that your spa has sufficient insulation to avoid heat loss altogether. When looking for a spa pool, don’t be afraid to ask what insulation it has and what materials are used. For example, all of our Sapphire Spas have a high density, water resistant foam insulation on the underside of the shell, industrial grade foil insulation lining the cabinet & base, as well as a hardcover on top to create a full heat seal. These materials are the highest quality available as we understand the importance that insulation has on your spa pool, as well as your electricity bill.
The next thing that impacts your running costs is your daily filtration of the spa pool. The circulation pump is responsible for this function and pushes water through your filter cartridges to remove contaminates from the water and keep it clean. Chemicals will still need to be added to the water to kill bacteria and ensure safe bathing, so you should also consider the addition of a sanitisation system. These sanitation systems assist in killing bacteria which in turn reduces the amount of chemicals you need to add to your spa pool, overall reducing the cost of chemicals each year. Although these units are an added upfront cost, you will reap the rewards for the life of the spa pool. The base sanitisation unit is called Ozone, which uses an ozone gas (a small amount that is harmless to humans) to kill bacteria and reduce your chemical dosage by up to 50%.
Efficient sanitisation
The latest top technology in spa sanitisation is clearzone. This is the ultimate in spa sanitisation which utilises the ozone technology and combines it with UV light to not only kill bacteria in water but sterilise it too. This results in a whopping 80% reduction in the amount of chemicals required, removes any chemical scent from the water and is ideal for people with sensitive skin or allergies.
As you can see from the above, there is no exact number that can tell you how much your spa will cost to run due to the number of variables, but we can tell you a very rough ‘average’ for the industry, which is $1.50 per day in colder climates or Winter months and $1 per day in warmer climates and Summer months, due to the associated heat loss. When you start to add on additional spa pool features like a sanitisation system, external heat pumps and ensuring your insulation is adequate, that’s when you will see this number drop even further.
Build quality & premium materials
Buying from an Australia manufacturer means that your spa pool has been built and designed for our tough Aussie climates. The initial investment in buying a spa needs to be focused on the build quality and ensuring premium materials are used to ensure longevity of your spa. This lets you really relax knowing your ongoing running costs will be minimal, leaving you to enjoy all the benefits that your spa has to offer.
If you’re not sure where to start, simply give us a call as we are here to help answer all your questions
