good one!

@ChrisWheatley

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks brother!

Just doing the math here. If you spend an extra $25 a month on average over a full year it would take over 2years to pay for the spray foam. And that’s being generous on the extra amount it would cost. I usually see my bill go up between 20 to 30 a month when I run my tub. Hard to believe it would double that. My tub has spray foam. But it’s minimal. And it’s a serious pain to find and repair a leak. Just a thought.

Excellent explanation of heat loss and how to prevent it. My hot tub's LED lights went out and I was looking into removing the spray insulation and how to replace it and what to replace it with. Glad i saw this video before i started. Thank you

@redneckadventures9122

3 жыл бұрын

Batt insulation is a great option for something like that

*Chris Wheatley* Would you please do a video on how to keep the underside of your cover from absorbing the moisture/chemical evaporation?

Nice vid! I enjoyed watching, so thank you for sharing!

@ChrisWheatley

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

heat loss is inversely related to the R value. So while a higher R value does help prevent heat loss, you reach a certain point where increasing the R value doesn't provide as much benefit. With a 50 degree temperature difference between the hot tub water and outside air, an R value of 10 reduces heat loss by 94% ... and an R value of 20 reduces heat loss by 97%. Is it worth spending all that money on better/more insulation to decrease heat loss by 3%? Thats why manufacturers don't stuff the inside of a tub with a bunch of insulation as its a waste of money with very little change to overall heat loss. And Icenyne's R value is 3.5 per inch, same as rigid foam. You can just stuff more Icenyne in a hot tub because its foam. But once its 3 inches thick, you are getting the same insulation performance as 3 inches of rigid foam. And any more than 3 inches thick you are wasting your money on foam, as the increased R value doesn't significantly decrease the heat loss. I respect your knowledge on hot tubs but your comments on insulation and heat loss are misleading.

@ChrisWheatley

3 жыл бұрын

You are right... and wrong... First off the point of diminishing return is right around R-18 to R-24 depending on where you live that's why every single North American cold climate state and province insists on a minimum R-20 to R-25 for a house wall or they simply don't let you build it. because the hot tub is hotter than the house it means the heat transfer rate is higher and therefore these minimums are low for the application. The heat transfer rate and thereby the effective heat loss reduction is directly related to both the R-value and the temperature difference, R-10 does not reduce heat loss by 94% the accepted average for the northern US and Canada is the first r-10 reduces heat loss by around 70% Icynenes R-value is not 3.5 per inch it actually ranges across their product lines from around R-3.1 to R-6.5 depending on the foam. If you take a cold area in North America and a basic 8-foot tub and go from your recommended insulation of 3" say averaging R-10 ish and assume a heating degree days figure of 12000 and an average cost of twelve cents per KWH and increase that to R-25 You are talking about $1200 in savings over 10 years, while you might say that's not much, personally ill take the cash especially considering that well-insualted tubs are not any more expensive than poorly insulated tubs. That's just the heat loss savings don't discount he added cost of the pump running an extra 15% off the time not only in terms of energy consumption but also pump life the real figure would likely be $1500 or more Can you imagine if you could reduce all your energy consumption needs by a similar amount? the environmental impact would be staggering and the cash in your pocket would be too... don't discount the overall effect of reducing energy consumption, we are all paying the price for that sort of thinking...

Great info.What is your feeling on Mira Platnium hot tubs.In the market now.Thank you

I purchased a Jacuzzi J-275 which has partial foam insulation on the shell and some hard foam panels and reflective blanked around the cabinet perimeter. Is a fast-rising spray foam kit the best way to add insulation to this tub?

Thank you!!!!!!

Open cell foam insulation R 3.5 a inch batt fibreglass up to R 4.3 a inch granted you can’t get every cavity but if you take a little time it’s not so bad

Is it possible to wrap the outside of your hot tub so it’s kept insulated in the winter? The way my hot tub was installed, it’s really hard to get into the back of it and remove the panels so would prefer to wrap the hot tub instead but not sure if that will work?

I have a Canadian Spa Company 6 person spa that uses open cell foam on the tank and has that reflective foil insulation on the floor and walls of the skirting. I was thinking of filling the the void between the insulated tub and the walls with batting insulation, Leaving a void around the pumps and the spa pack. Good idea or waste of money?

Hey Chris, great info in your videos! I have a 10 year old Masterspa Legend that's been a great hot tub, with the older spray foam over the shell and plumbing. Is there much benefit if I add some fiberglass batts too?

@ChrisWheatley

5 жыл бұрын

It depends on how much space there is, its sure cannot hurt but make sure you leave the area around the motors open so they can cool effectively

@raymarshall2995

Жыл бұрын

@@ChrisWheatley Could I use bubble wrapping to protect pipes and wires while using the sprayfoam? Then remove the bubblewrap, after the foam expands? I hate to sound ignorant, but I want to make sure that I don't mess up anything. Thank you for the video.

Chris, thanks for uploading this video, completely makes sense. Are you suggesting a closed cell spray? That is all I see for sale at Home Depot. Closed cell will be hard to remove for maintenance down the road no? Should I be looking at other retailers for an open cell or even a medium cell foam application?

@ChrisWheatley

3 жыл бұрын

No closed cell is bad because of the access to find and fix leaks, open-celled is better, it's easy to find leaks, you just find the wet foam and pull it out by hand the middle fo the wet spot is the leak, then fix and reform.

@redneckadventures9122

3 жыл бұрын

To make the open cell spray foam it takes a big rig with heated hose and proper mixing you won’t find it at home depo

@maherjj1

3 жыл бұрын

Chris Wheatley well I didn’t have many options. The frame of the tub doesn’t allow for more than an inch of foam board and I couldn’t see batten insulation working, so closed cell it is. I bought 200 board feet and lots left over. I enclosed with vapour but learned quickly that I need to vent the circulation pump. Seems to be working great but I’m not looking forward to a leak. 😬

Great video Chris, one question though. Although my Master Spa LSX700 has another 5 years on the parts/labour warranty, as an engineer who understands pumps, plumbing, control systems etc really well I might want to do DIY repairs later down the road. If I have to tear out the foam to make a repair, how easy is Icynene to come by for me the joe public ? Most of the searches I have done point more to the housing trade and pro application (though I am in the UK) and I can't just walk into a store a buy a canister of the stuff. Thanks :-)

@ChrisWheatley

5 жыл бұрын

just order a little re-foam kit, every dealer can get them or hit me up ill get you one. also you can use regular old foam in a can from home depot for small areas. its only a big issue if you foam a large area with this HD foam because then you can get access, find leaks, and repair easily but if its just a square foot or so you just pull the whole plug of foam out because its stuck to the regular foam and will come away easily, you can put a plastic bag around any jet fitting or other parts you don't want the foam to stick to.

@racey1979

5 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisWheatley thanks for taking time to answer Chris, much appreciated 😊

Hi Chris, What can I do / is it worth trying to insulate an intex inflatable used in the UK inside a conservatory?

@ChrisWheatley

5 жыл бұрын

bot likely the only thing I could think of would be to wrap it in a thermal blanket. but inside a conservatory shouldnt be that bad

All valid points; but, also consider how many years it will take to pay for the difference in insulation costs based on energy savings. My hot tub with the fiberglass bat insulation costs $6 per month to run. Assume that the better insulation cuts that cost down to $3 per month. So that's a $3 per month savings in energy. You said that the foam insulation was $700 and the fiberglass is $30. Difference in initial cost of $670 dollars. That would have a payback of 223 months or just over 18 years. I think I will stick to the fiberglass.

Mate, greetings from New Zealand! Man, you rock! Thank you! I have a foam covered shell, no harm putting some ceiling insulation in the cabinet as well? Also, can I cover the heater with fibre batts? But keep away from the pump and other electrics?

@ChrisWheatley

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah but make sure the motors can breathe, I wouldn't wrap the heater core either

Hi Chris - awesome explanation... we have a tub ordered right now and today they just asked me whether I want to stick with the completely spray foamed interior or use the 1.5" EPS board with foil backing. They said the completely sprayed will take longer because they are out of the chemical they need for it and will take an extra 2 months. The hot tub company is Sundance. I would appreciate your feedback - Thanks

@ChrisWheatley

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Bob Sundance is one of those middles of the road brands, not a nightmare for sure but heavily marketed and sold as next level but the reality is there is no crazy tech that any manufacturer has that makes them above and beyond... This is not rocket science! we need the basics done right They build a middle-of-the-road shell and use balboa heating and control systems, the clamp the plumbing lines but use an older 2 parts fitting that requires silicone and is not as reliable as the newer compression fit systems. Performance-wise again pretty middle ground with mostly the inexpensive low flow smaller jets and only a few of the 3.5" and 5" high flow therapy massage jets it is particularly weak in the neck-shoulder jetting that is all low flow jets. If you are in a cold climate definitely upgrade it to full foam.

@bobmaslen2970

3 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisWheatley Thank you for the info

Hi, I know nothing about insulation. I bought an inflatable tub yesterday. I was thinking of putting interlocking mats underneath & some of that foil just to bottom.. so you see that helping, even if just a little? Thank you 🙏

@jasonredepenning

4 жыл бұрын

Instead of air fill it with sand

Hey...how do you feel about Mylar?

Catching up on your video's as I am in the process of repairing roto molded 2 person hot tub. Where can I buy the right kind of foam: Icynene open Celled foam? Hi there.💯 Just subscribed to your channel 👍as I search on youtube to help me with a leak on roto molded 2 person hot tub. I took out 80% of spray foam so I could get at the jets. I had to jack it up because you can only work at it underneath, only one panel door. A few large rectangular designated area's to work in. Very tight to work. Today I finally found one leak area, the light seal area. I will start googling how to remove and reseal with silicone. Anyway, I looked at your vid on insulating, you pointed out homedepot 700$ spray foam is the better. But you used a word for a better foam called Icynene Open Celled foam. I googled to see where I could buy this because in a roto molded hot tub, a Strong Spa brand, Aruba-Evolution from Costco, it is a real pain to have to had pull all the foam out to find the leak! I was hoping to not have to spend 700 at home depot to re spray it and have the same issue if a leak happens again. I have 6 inches of rigid foam, and thin plywood, that the 2 person hot tub is sitting on. In your video on insulation replacement, you did not say where to buy the Icynene Open Celled foam. This foam is the type that would be softer for me to pull out when another leak happens as the hot tub ages. Thank you so much for all your vids! Plus you are Canadian! I live on Prince Edward Island and love the hot tub in the Winter time. Looks like the Icynene Open Celled foam is what I need but where? Cheers, MaryEllen😊

@jimnieb6719

10 ай бұрын

Too bad he never replied

@MegsCarpentry-lovedogs

10 ай бұрын

IKR....UGH! 😔🇨🇦 @@jimnieb6719

Where can I get a Icynene refoam kit. Local repair guys use homedepot closed cell foam, or fiberglass insultation. Can't find icynene.

@ChrisWheatley

4 жыл бұрын

hit up buyers' assistance on hottubuniversity.com/buyers-assistance/

There was an independent study done in Canada that took some of the top brands (some refused) and tested their insulation and energy consumption. thermal cameras and various temperature controlled environments. The findings were interesting and helped me give good solid facts to customers.

@ChrisWheatley

5 жыл бұрын

Hi thanks for the input. can you give us the source for the study and results?

@lorivezina7913

2 жыл бұрын

Link?

I just bought a hot tub I live in Wisconsin I think if I were to spray foam my new hot tub it would completely void the warranty correct?

@ChrisWheatley

Жыл бұрын

unsure.

Just got a blow up spa its an bestway Havana what should I do for it I'm going to put down a paver pad then what?please please help

@ChrisWheatley

3 жыл бұрын

i thin these can basically be dropped and pluged in, not sure they need any fancy base, i have heard they need a bit of insualtion and putting a 2" high density foam sheet under would be a good idea,

Just looked at a hot tub today with the reflective sheet. I was not impressed.

Hey, I've got a little hillbilly tub in my backyard that I'm looking to insulate. It's not a hot tub, no heating unit, I don't keep the water heated over night. It's one of those little Japanese folding tubs 😅. I'm making a little wooden shell to put it in and I need to insulate it a bit, what would you suggest? Thanks! Btw I don't have any money xD

@ChrisWheatley

2 жыл бұрын

the cheapest would be old clothes just put them in garbage bags so they dont soak up moisture and keep them loose

@HavokBWR

2 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisWheatley haha that makes sense, thank.

So what do you suggest? I want to insulate a freestanding soaking tub which is pretty small, 55" x 26" x 27" outside dimensions. Should I use spray foam, or fiberglass batts, or what?

@ChrisWheatley

3 жыл бұрын

Spray foam is too expensive on small scale, wrap loosely in batts id say then a vapor barrior,

@joeking433

3 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisWheatley Why is loosely better than packing it in? Thanks for the reply.

@ChrisWheatley

3 жыл бұрын

@@joeking433 Insulation like baton-style insulation relies on the loft and the air in between the fibers for its insulation value, compression greatly reduces the effectiveness of the insulation

@joeking433

3 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisWheatley Thanks, I would have never suspected that!

@TylerTervooren

2 жыл бұрын

@@joeking433 Compressing fiberglass insulation increases the r-value per inch but reduces the overall r-value of the insulation system. So, if you compress a 6" batt (r-19 or r-3.1/inch ) to, say, 3.5", you will get about r-14 or r-4/inch. So, it's really not a problem to compress the insulation so long as you are filling the entire void space. That's how you would achieve the highest total-system r-value when you are working in a confined space like a hot tub cabinet. And the most important thing to know about insulation is that it works as a system and that small inconsistencies (like leaving gaps or compressing some areas but not others) can drastically reduce the effectiveness of the total system.

If you read these comments, Chris, I’ve been trying to figure out something about a hot tub I inherited when I bought my house.

@ChrisWheatley

4 жыл бұрын

What kind of tub is it?

@Tinyteacher1111

4 жыл бұрын

Chris Wheatley It’s a 20 year-old Lifestyle Prodigy that looks new. I did what you said before and bought Ashsome (sp?)and purged the lines about 5 times, cleaned everything each time, put filtered water in the tub, and bought new expensive filters. At first it was ok, but now there’s a thin, chalky substance in the surfaces that you could write your name in it. The former owner used a Baqua spa, and all the strip numbers are ok. But he has a thing called Calcium Hardener, and I don’t know what it’s for. I called the hot tub dealer, and they haven’t returned my call. Any thoughts? THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY!!!

@ChrisWheatley

4 жыл бұрын

@@Tinyteacher1111 could be several things best bet is to go get the water tested at a local shop

When are you going to do the review of the Watkins tub been waiting

@ChrisWheatley

6 жыл бұрын

ill get it down here and get on it man

@AB-fe1zh

6 жыл бұрын

Chris Wheatley thanks I am interested to see how bad it's made

@ChrisWheatley

6 жыл бұрын

I don't think it will be a disaster video,I think it will be an overpriced middle of the road tub, but lets see where it goes :-)

@AB-fe1zh

6 жыл бұрын

Chris Wheatley I can't wait to see has the eye candy but not the build quality

@celworthy

6 жыл бұрын

ditto for Sundance

What about rigid styrofoam?

@ChrisWheatley

4 жыл бұрын

The regular styrofoam is about R4 per inch the pink or blue high end stuff is around R5. So again to get to expanded foam range you need 4 or 5 inches. Most guys put 1" in which is just not good enough.

I dont understand your video...it was not at all clear.. so what insulation is best...

@ChrisWheatley

3 жыл бұрын

for a hot tub open-celled full foam insulation

@MegsCarpentry-lovedogs

Жыл бұрын

Good question💯🇨🇦I agree, 90% was clear then when it came to finalizing what was the idea foam it was not shown. I had to rewind it over a few times to catch this word he used, Icynene Open Celled foam. He said it only once. The homedepot box he showed wasn't clear if that was the Icynene open cell stuff. When I went of homedepot site there was no mention that the 500$ plus tax was the Icynene open cell foam spray. Where does one by this open cell foam insulation? I have googled to find if Canadian tire sells or other places in Canada. I live in Atlantic Canada on Prince Edward Island and I am in the process myself of finding and hopefully fixing a leak. I have it jacked up 24 inches off the ground and 6 bags of the full spray foam that I pulled off the hoses and area while working underneath it because it is a roto molded hot tub.If you happen to know where to find it I would appreciate knowing where to purchase it.

@MegsCarpentry-lovedogs

Жыл бұрын

@@ChrisWheatley Hi there, 👍so where does a Canadian buy this because I am in the process of finding and fixing a leak in a roto molded hot tub, jacked up 24 inches working underneath it. I found one leak, the spa light. I hope it is a silicone job only. I will find out today or tomorrow when I continue to work on it and study Youttube vids to help me understand how to take it off and the process. I took out 6 bags of the cell foam that I could remove with my hands. Not the hard stuff that youtube repair people show using chisels etc. Cheers from Atlantic Canada, Prince Edward Island😊

Way too long

@ChrisWheatley

3 жыл бұрын

Way too short...

@hi18621

2 жыл бұрын

I appreciated the detail. Thanks for the great content!