Oil heated hot tub / spa?
Josh Kinsley
own a home with an oil fired furnace. Does anyone know how to go about using
the oil furnace to heat a hot tub?
Alternatively, has anyone ever seen a hot tub with an integral gas heater? I
do have natural gas, but am looking for alternatives to planting an ugly gas
heater in my back yard.
Bruce Birbeck
You could install a oil-fired boiler adjacent to the furnace, and pipe a
heat exchanger for the hot tub.
--
BBB
Take out the NOSPAM to reply, unless it's already gone...
Richard Wiebe
payback will be "forever". And you "still" need to pump the hot water.
Mine costs about $3 per month to operate on electric - and "I'll be
using mine!"
Getting older (and wiser) - but - it beats the alternative!
Jeff Murden
"Josh Kinsley" <jkin...@pacifier.com> wrote in message
news:8RP84.13197$su3.3...@wbnws01.ne.mediaone.net...
> I'm going to purchase a hot tub, and I don't want to heat it electrically.
I
> own a home with an oil fired furnace. Does anyone know how to go about
using
> the oil furnace to heat a hot tub?
>
> Alternatively, has anyone ever seen a hot tub with an integral gas heater?
I
> do have natural gas, but am looking for alternatives to planting an ugly
gas
> heater in my back yard.
>
gas water heater, if it can be modified for such.
My question is if you have natural gas, why are you still burning (and
maintaining) oil?
--
Jeff Murden
Cincinnati, Ohio
www.murdentech.com
"Quality is worth every dime".
Josh Kinsley
the tub. The way I envision it working is this: I install a loop of PVC pipe
between the tub's inlet and outlet and the boiler. The pump on the tub
functions as it always did, but I wire the tub's thermostat to activate the
boiler (not the electric heater) when the tub temperature is low. I'm hoping
that it would be similar to adding a new 'zone' to my heating system. Has
anyone done anything like this?
Your $3.00 per month figure surprises me. Do you keep the tub at temperature
full time? Or do you just heat it up occasionally? Here in the Boston area,
my electricity costs about $.11/kWH. Figures I've heard for a typical
electrically heated tub are closer to $30/month. How are your costs so low?
Thanks,
Josh
Richard Wiebe <web...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:21231-38...@storefull-613.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
Josh Kinsley
configured this way at the time. Oil heat, and gas just powering my oven and
range top. I use less than 1 therm of gas (= $.88 worth) per month! I'd like
to be on gas only, but so far I can't see the economy of it. I get my oil
tank filled and my boiler serviced for about $.80/gallon. I recently did the
energy per dollar calculation and right now oil is about 30% less expensive
than gas for equivalent heat output (assuming similar efficiencies). Still,
if my oil furnace ever NEEDS to be replaced, I'll probably replace with gas.
The local gas company gives you money to convert, too.
With regards to the hot tub: I'm hoping to take on this project myself. I'd
like to find a fairly nice used tub, and do the installation myself. As
such, there are no 'hot tub people' in my life.
Thanks,
Josh
allen
<jkin...@pacifier.com> wrote:
>I'm going to purchase a hot tub, and I don't want to heat it electrically. I
>own a home with an oil fired furnace. Does anyone know how to go about using
>the oil furnace to heat a hot tub?
>
>Alternatively, has anyone ever seen a hot tub with an integral gas heater? I
>do have natural gas, but am looking for alternatives to planting an ugly gas
>heater in my back yard.
There are 2 ways that I can think of doing this.
1) I would set up an indirect zone off the boiler with something like
a "super store". Basically it could be operated off a thermistat
(hot tub) that would call in the circ pump for a separate zone and
supply power to the boiler if it is below hot shut off.
The tank in the cellar is basically a coil that is hooked up to the
boiler and the water within the tank would circulate only to the hot
tub.
I would guess materials close to a grand plus whatever the tub is.
2) Another way is instant hot water heater which will not have the
btu's available o a boiler but they I would guess are 600 and up. They
come in direct vent and are gas.
Good Luck,
Allen
g_m...@my-deja.com
> Your $3.00 per month figure surprises me. Do you keep the tub at
temperature
> full time? Or do you just heat it up occasionally? Here in the Boston
area,
> my electricity costs about $.11/kWH. Figures I've heard for a typical
> electrically heated tub are closer to $30/month. How are your costs so
low?
>
> Thanks,
> Josh
They are not this low. My guess is the hot tub salesman feed
this guy a line of bullshit to make the sale and dip shit
here has bought it ever since.
> > Mine costs about $3 per month to operate on electric - and "I'll be
> > using mine!"
> >
> > Getting older (and wiser) - but - it beats the alternative!
> >
>
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
g_m...@my-deja.com
"Josh Kinsley" <jkin...@pacifier.com> wrote:
> Good question. I purchased the home about 18 months ago, and it was
> configured this way at the time. Oil heat, and gas just powering my
oven and
> range top.
Oil vapors will not explode, but since you have a gas stove
this is a moot point.
One reasons to have fuel oil heat even if NG is avaliable -
Do you have a diesel vechical? You can run on fuel oil for
about half as much as diesel(no highway taxes with FO).
I'd like
> to be on gas only, but so far I can't see the economy of it. I get my
oil
> tank filled and my boiler serviced for about $.80/gallon. I recently
did the
> energy per dollar calculation and right now oil is about 30% less
expensive
> than gas for equivalent heat output (assuming similar efficiencies).
Oil was really cheap last year but I believe it is a lot more expensive
this year. Remember fuel oil is a commidity and natural gas is a
utility. Fuel oil prices will change based on supply and demand
were as natural gas price changes will have to be made by some
gov. entity.
Still,
> if my oil furnace ever NEEDS to be replaced, I'll probably replace
with gas.
> The local gas company gives you money to convert, too.
>
> With regards to the hot tub: I'm hoping to take on this project
myself. I'd
> like to find a fairly nice used tub, and do the installation myself.
As
> such, there are no 'hot tub people' in my life.
>
> Thanks,
> Josh
Do a web search on "gas hot tub heaters".
They exist but cost like about 2X more than electric heaters.
If you find a used hot tub expect to pay between $500 and $800
for a gas heater.
Gino
Bruce Birbeck
>
> Oil vapors will not explode, but since you have a gas stove
> this is a moot point.
> One reasons to have fuel oil heat even if NG is avaliable -
> Do you have a diesel vechical? You can run on fuel oil for
> about half as much as diesel(no highway taxes with FO).
>
> Gino
>
Are you factoring in the cost of the fine, or a lawyer for when you go
on trial? Or are you going to rely on your own representation, which may
be of the same quality and value as your advice here?
g_m...@my-deja.com
Shit for brains, the guy was scratching his head wondering
why someone would have oil heat when NG is avaliable.
I offered two reasons why the previous owner may have installed
oil heat. By the way asshole it is not a crime run a vechicle
off road on FO. Example, tractor or dozer or farm use truck.
Josh Kinsley
Could you please elaborate on what a "super store" is? And what do you mean
by an indirect zone? I think I understand the basics of using the tub
controller's thermostat and the tub's circ pump for this, but am very
unclear on how to do the plumbing at the boiler. Especially confusing to me
is how to plumb it so that the tub water is always isolated from the heating
system water (radiator water).
All help is appreciated!
Josh
allen <all...@bellatlantic.net> wrote in message
news:386e8429...@news5.bellatlantic.net...
allen
Let;s assume that there is one zone on the boiler. What one does is
cut into the output of the boiler and add a second zone. Install
check valves on both zones. So the first zone will work fine once
bled down for air.
The new zone will take boiler water (same as radiator water) and
circulate if to a tank called "super store" @ plumbing supply houses /
or there is one that Home Depot sells for maybe 700 bucks it is blue
in color - can't remember the name.. If you were to see a cross
section of the tank you would see a coil within the tank. This coil
has boiler water in it. Then the tank has an input of street water
(you would have cold hot tub water) and hot output at top to the hot
tub. No boiler water would be mixed. The only thing is you never want
to let the hot tub run dry.
These are also used when people have heated driveways. They are filled
with antifreeze then. And I have heard of people using big ones to
heat pools. This is the method of how motels can get suffient hot
water in mornings when everyone is in the shower.
I am currently using one of these 40 gallon super stores for a 4
family for domestic hot water in Massachusetts. Basically the btu's
from the boiler are much higher than a flame (maybe 30k btus vs a
boiler output) and I am able to run 2 baths at once. I prefer them
because the boiler cycles in the summer, there isn't a huge
temperature transition (only 200 degree boiler water instead of the
flame under the hot water heater), and this has a stainless steel
tank. You have the ability to give preferential zoning to the hot
water - no on will notice no heat for 5 or 10 minutes.
Hope I made it a little clearer...
Allen