Have you ever find yourself at a crossroads of choosing whether to use a circulation pump for your hot tub? The use of a circulation pump for spas is a major question that has been asked almost every time. This article has been prepared to guide you on your decision making.
Hot tubs need circulation pumps to facilitate free flow of water into the hot tub. This makes the water fresh and very clean for a long period of time before the water in the hot tub is changed. You might have been contemplating on the use of circulation pump before but this article will help you to make the best choice.
What does circulation pump mean?
The circulation pump can be described as a low stream which typically comes with most of the hot tubs. A circulation pump prevents the water from getting dirty by aiding the free flow of water in the hot tub. It also helps to circulate the water in the hot tub all the time. It is very useful to the filter, heater, and also keeps the water well sanitized.
A circulation pump is a small pump which is majorly designed to produce an inflow of water circulation in a spa. It guarantees water care treatment for the hot tub, which doesn’t give allowance for any kind of germs to invade the water due to the filtration it offers to the water flow.
Do I need a circulation pump on my hot tub?
Circulation pumps as they are simply defined and explained have already provided a glimpse of their usefulness. It is generally used for enhancing hot tub experiences as long as the water in the hot tub is periodically changed every four months. The circulation helps in keeping the water always fresh and clean.
In a case where there is no circulation pump for the hot tub, the hot tub often uses a two-rate pump. Usually, the pumping rate of the hot tub is relatively at a very low speed when it’s circulating the water flow, and often on a high speed when the jets are running.
In a situation whereby the maintenance and replacement expenses are a worry to you, it may be very much ideal to have larger budget, and a substitute for reducing the cost of replacement and repairs down the lines. But you have nothing to worry about if you are using a high quality hot tub.
The circulation pump also supports a personal hygiene protocol that provides adequate healthy living for the users. It is very important to have a circulation pump because it provides the best hot tub experience and overall satisfaction you may desire to get from using your spa.
The need for circulation pump for a hot tub can be well analyzed by knowing its advantages and disadvantages. Human want is insatiable but by knowing the benefits of possessing a needed item, it will be very easy to choose between alternatives and also make the best choice. Below are the advantages of circulation pump and its types.
Pros of circulation pump
Many are the advantages of installing a circulation pump to a hot tub in your spa or home. You may not be considerate of all the advantages but it is evident that at least one of the advantages will give you a conviction of the need to install a circulation pump to your hot tub. The economic importance of every products are to be well considered before its acquisition.
It is convenient: It is so clear that no one would want to wait for some hours before the water in a hot tub get warm or cold. In this wise, the circulation pump makes it possible and very easy to have an indisputable access to adequate regulation of water in a hot tub.
It is economic pleasant: It is evident that one of the basic reasons a man acquires a product is primarily because of its economic friendliness. If the circulation pump is not installed, the water wastage will be high and inconvenient.
It saves money: Money loss does not really affect a man until the time of drought and insufficiency, then it will not be so cool enough to be wasting water due to the unavailability of a circulation pump in a hot tub.
It is very easy to install: The installation process of a circulation pump is relatively easy and it’s mostly predictable that you’re already in possession of the tools needed. Additionally, there is no special permission required to install a circulation pump to your hot tub.
It is easy to operate and select: Generally, the circulation pumps are very easy and direct to operate as there is no technical barrier in operating the pump. Another advantage is that it is very easy to locate.
Cons of circulation pump
In a normal world, there has not been anything in existence that has an advantage and it does not have its disadvantages. But the most important thing is the effective service provided by the product consumed. The under-listed are the disadvantages of a circulation pump to be considered.
Primary cost: There is always a price to pay for every convenience and it’s not even the price that matters at times, but the services enjoyed. The choice of a quality circulation pump will maximize your saving power along the line during maintenance.
Heat loss: in as much as the circulation pump will be heated and filled with hot water almost every time, it’s inevitable to experience a heat loss from the pipes that links to the hot tub themselves.
Consumption of power: circulation pumps may be expensive to operate if it consumes much energy.
The varieties of circulation pumps
Different types of circulation pumps have been manufactured for consumers to make their choice; to choose the one that serves them the most. There is no restriction to the most recommendable variety of pumps. The choice of pumps also depends on the money available to buy or make a selection. Therefore, the types are listed below:
Standard: Initially, the designated aim of installing a circulation pump is to keep the water hot and keep the process continuous. This type is majorly found in commercial buildings i.e. hotels and restaurants. But it is not pleasing to homeowners, except convenience is majorly considered. The water will circulate easily as soon as the pump is turned on but the cost of running the pump will not encourage savings at all cost.
Interval and hotness: In the case where there are specific times you will need hot water, i.e. time and temperature scheme may be the most appropriate selection for you. This type allows you to predetermine times and actual temperatures at which you want the water to become hot.
If this system is used appropriately, it is considered the most saving method that can be controlled at will. It will be more beneficial because the running cost might be reduced to encourage more saving habits. Also, the running cost will be relatively minimal because the pump isn’t subjected to run every time of the day.
How does a hot tub circulation pump work?
Generally, when the hot tub is turned on, it takes some time to get it heated and refreshed. That is evident because the water base has cooled down since the last time it was used. The amount of time formerly used is relatively the time you’ll have to wait before the water gets warmed up.
The circulation pump was primarily designed to curb all these problems in the process of sending the water into the heater in order to be effectively heated when it is needed. The circulation pump helps to regulate and circulate the water so as to maintain its normal running pressure.
How do I know if my hot tub circulation pump is working?
It would have been very good if the pump just ran incessantly and it never bumps into any problem. It will be great if all functioned that way. But there will be some times when the pump may stop working, and it will be required of you to fix it. Knowing some of the most common pump problems will help you to deal with them when they occur.
The problem of a circulation pump is not recurring as it seems. The signs listed below are a clue that the circulation pump is faulty and it needs urgent fixing to avoid some unforeseen occurrences thereafter. It is very much useful to know the exact things to look for when problems arise.
Not much pumping: In a situation whereby the circulation pump is producing a repulsive volume of water. The first thing to be done is to remove the filter to check if the flow rate will improve. If not, then pump replacement is needed.
Pump leaking: one of the most common reasons for pump leaking is a bad impeller covering O-ring, bad tube or shaft seal, bad thread sealant, and shriveled threads on the release pipe. The parts can be purchased and replaced.
How many circulation pumps can a hot tub have?
There is no recommended number of circulation pumps your hot tub can have. The question only depends on you and how you want the hot tub to be set up. Mostly, hot tubs have one core pump with a support pump built-in for additional power.
The air blowers also provide help for boosting the performance of the jets. It can be addressed that the circulation pump doesn’t have any effect on the performance of the spa than to keep the water warm and well filtrated [clean and clear] the water in the hot tub.
Choosing the right size of hot tub pump
To maintain the cleanliness and healthy state of your hot tub, the entire water in the hot tub must be filtered, at least once a day. This is also termed “turnover rate”. The mass of your pump must be enormous enough to turn over the hot tubs’ full capacity at least one time in 24 hours.
To get the accurate calculation of your pumps’ turn over, there is a need to calculate the spa’s volume. As soon as the hot tub volume is well calculated, it will be divided by 8 in order to determine the quantity of gallons per 60 minutes [hour] that needs to be propelled through the filter.
Instead of gallon per hour (GPH), majority of hot tub owners go for gallons per minute. In order to acquire that figure, you’ll have to split the GPH by 60 to determine how many gallons per minute (GPM) that is needed to be pumped into the hot tub in place of full turnover.
The formula is:
Overall Spa Volume ÷ 8 = GPH
GPH ÷ 60 = GPM
After all the calculations have been made, it will be very easy to find the size of pump that will meet the GPM expected for your hot tub and turn over the spa’s water in one-eight hour period.
Conclusion
The circulation pump has been discussed to be more economical and it also helps the financial stability of homeowners in the sense that once purchased i.e. the best quality, there will be less running cost when the pump is fixed. Another reason is that it keeps the water warm and refreshed to prevent the water from being infected.
The question “Do I need Circulation pump for my hot tub” is well answered with the qualities or benefits derived from the usage of circulation pump i.e. filtration and reheating is needed for your hot tub.
