Is an air to water heat pump appropriate to keep a hot tub at temperature throughout the year (hot tub to run 24/7). Presumably if the efficiency is greater than 1 even at the lowest temperatures (say -5C worst case in the South of England) and the heat pump can generate 3kW at that temperature (i.e. enough to maintain 1,500 litres of water at 39C). Anything I should be wary of when contacting suppliers?
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1One key thing you're missing there is the level of insulation in your tub (presumably it has a lid when not in use?) - obviously the less heat you lose from the tub, the less energy you need to keep it at temperature. – Nick C Apr 16 '19 at 13:22
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2Hello. Welcome to Sustainable Living. Is keeping a hot tub running 24/7/365 ever going to be sustainable (before we have clean, practical, large scale fusion, I mean)? What is your sustainability goal here? – Jean-Paul Calderone Apr 16 '19 at 14:06
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Hi Nick, the assumption is that the cover is on when not in use. My 3kW estimate is based on my review of high end hot tubs (cheaper ones tend to have worse insulation). Of course the heater will do most damage in in the winter months when the tub is in use for say 30 minutes 5 days a week. – Cath Apr 16 '19 at 19:35
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Hi Jean-Paul, I was thinking that if a heat pump is used then that could address a big chunk of the energy required in the short term. Medium term, we're waiting on the new gov consultation to determine how to best use renewable energies. We just missed the boat on the solar panels as we moved into our house after they stopped the solar grants. Longer term, we're keeping an eye on the energy storage options, it seems like an expensive and not widely used option at the mo, but longer term may be a welcome addition to our house. – Cath Apr 16 '19 at 19:43
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Hi Cath. I guess I'm stuck on "appropriate" in your question. If you had asked about "technical capabilities" I'd know how to find the answer. If you'd asked about "environmentally beneficial, harmful, or neutral", I'd know how to frame an answer. What does "appropriate" mean here though? It seems like a subjective judgement call based on personal values. – Jean-Paul Calderone Apr 20 '19 at 0:09
