Are you looking to invest in a spa pool? 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, the truth is that running costs will vary for each person. What we can tell you is a very rough ‘average’ for the industry. From the cost of a coffee per day in colder climates or winter months and even less in warmer climates and summer months.
The costs will vary depending on a variety of factors such as:
The primary cost associated with owning a spa pool is heating the water. The methods used to maintain that heat can also have an effect on your running costs. Let's dive into the ways you can run your spa most efficiently.
All spa pools have electric heaters built in to heat the water. These are generally a 3kw or 5.25kw option. These heaters are designed for a slow gradual heat up of about one degree per hour. Once your set temperature is reached, these heaters are able to maintain that temperature quite economically. The most energy efficient way to run your spa is to keep it at your preferred 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. This means less energy is used, and your running costs become slightly lower than they would be with a smaller heater unit.
A good option to consider for your spa pool would be an external air source heat & cool pump. This 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. They can output up to five times more heat energy compared to what it consumes in electricity. These units can cost around $2,500 but have the ability to slash your spa heating costs by up to 75% for the lifetime of your spa.
Your heater uses the most energy out of all the components in your spa. In order to keep spa running costs to a minimum, we need to ensure the heater is on for as little time as possible. The best way to do this is to ensure that your spa has sufficient insulation to avoid heat loss altogether. This will decrease the number of times the heater kicks in to return the spa to your preferred temperature. When looking for a spa pool, don’t be afraid to ask what insulation it has and what materials are used.
All of our Sapphire Spas have the highest quality insulation materials including:
These materials are of 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 pushing water through your filter cartridges to remove contaminants from the water. 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 sanitization system. These sanitation systems assist in killing bacteria reduces the number of chemicals you need to add to your spa pool. In turn, this reduces 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 ozone gas (a small amount, harmless to humans) to kill bacteria and reduce your chemical dosage by up to 50%.
The latest technology in spa sanitisation is Clearzone. Clearzone utilises the same ozone technology but combines it with UV light to kill bacteria in the water and completely sterilise it too. This results in a whopping 80% reduction in the number of chemicals required, removes any chemical scent from the water, and is ideal for people with sensitive skin or allergies.
There is no exact way of telling how much your spa will cost to run, due to the variables explained above. When you start to add on additional spa pool features like a sanitisation system, external heat pumps, and extra insulation, that’s when you will see this number drop even further. Of course these features require more up-front cost, but they can pay themselves off over time.
The initial investment in buying a spa needs to be focussed 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.
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 the mySpa experts a call on 1300 069 772 or contact us. We are here to help answer all your questions and recommend the perfect spa to suit your requirements.
