Should a Hot Tub Run All the Time?

As a first-time hot tub owner, you undoubtedly have many questions and are not alone! While most people know how to use a hot tub, very few understand what owning one entails.

Among the questions most frequently asked by new hot tub owners is whether they should keep their hot tubs on all the time.

There are a few exceptions, of course, which I explain in the rest of the article.

Should my hot tub pump run all the time?

You certainly should leave your hot tub on all the time, as they are designed to be used that way. Most hot tubs have significant insulation, which, together with a thick cover, means that heat loss will be minimal, so electricity use is kept to a minimum to maintain the temperature.

Although your hot tub may be on all the time, it doesn’t mean it is constantly using electricity.

Hot tubs only use electricity when the temperature drops, and because they have particularly good insulation, they maintain the temperature well.

Always using a hot tub cover, particularly a good-quality cover, also helps maintain the correct temperature and ensures you do not consume more energy than necessary.

Why should you leave a hot tub on all the time?

It’s practical

The average six-person hot tub can hold anywhere from three hundred and twenty gallons of water to five hundred gallons of water. That is a lot of H2O!

The first time you heat your hot tub, the water will take around twenty hours to heat up, depending on how cold your faucet water is.

Imagine if you had to heat your hot tub every time you wanted to use it. You’d have to wait almost a whole day for the water to heat up from cold each time.

Even if the water is still warm, you will have to wait four to six hours for it to heat up to the right temperature again!

What good is a hot tub if you can’t use it on the spur of the moment when you want to?

It’s more affordable

Another reason to let your hot tub run all the time is that it’s more affordable. They actually use very little energy, just maintaining the desired temperature!

If you have to heat your hot tub from cold each time you want to soak, you will have to keep the heater running on overdrive, perhaps for 24 hours, until the water reaches the desired temperature. You can imagine how expensive the electricity usage would be.

How is keeping your hot tub running constantly more affordable?

Manufacturers build high-quality hot tubs with numerous insulating features to warm the water. These features are designed to reduce the amount of energy needed to keep the hot tub heated, keeping running costs down.

Top-quality hot tubs also have high-quality heaters that are more efficient than those in other hot tubs.

So, even when the heater does come on and the hot tub pump runs, it requires much less energy to heat your hot tub water so your hot tub energy bill will be less too!

These features mean that when you want to use it and soak in your hot tub, you will only have to turn the temperature up a few degrees—which is much more cost-efficient!

Personally, I keep the water in my hot tub running 24/7 every month of the year and set the water temperature to the level I prefer so I can hop straight in whenever I feel like it. That is how hot tubs are designed to be used.

I have left my hot tub running constantly for many years now without any problems. If you like using your hot tub in a similar way, I suggest you do the same.

It keeps the water clean

If you switch off the hot tub for days when you aren’t using it then the pump will obviously not run. This means that the hot tub’s water will not run through the filter so it will not be filtered.

This could lead to problems with the water quality, requiring more chemicals to bring the water back to normal.

Is it safe to leave your hot tub on all the time?

When most new hot tub owners find out that you should keep your hot tub running all the time, their next question is whether it is safe.

Again, the answer is yes, it is perfectly safe to keep your hot tub running all the time. My hot tub has been running constantly for 8 years now, apart from a few hours every month or two when I empty the hot tub to clean.

Manufacturers know that their hot tubs will be running constantly, so they test each product with that regular, constant use in mind.

There are also safety specifications that a hot tub must meet before it can be certified as safe.

How long can you leave a hot tub unattended?

You can leave a hot tub unattended for two weeks or so if you are going on vacation, etc.

However, to allow for safe and worry-free unattended use, you should shock the water with chlorine to ensure it stays clean while you’re away. This will help prevent bacteria build-up, which can pose health risks to users.

You should turn it on so the pump operates regularly on its filter cycle to keep the water clean.

When should you turn off your hot tub?

Just because you should not turn your hot tub off after each use does not mean that you should never turn it off completely. There are some occasions when it may make sense to do this.

Every three months for cleaning

If your hot tub is not in a rental or vacation property, plan on turning it off and draining it every three months.

Even if you use your hot tub year-round, you should drain, clean, and refill it periodically to keep it sanitary. Perhaps the correct answer to the question of whether you should leave a hot tub on all the time should be yes, except when you clean it.

You can vary this depending on its use. For example, although my hot tub is on year-round, it gets much less use in the summer than in the winter.

So, I empty and clean it less often during this period, which may just be once during the six-month summer period. Provided the water chemistry is okay, then it isn’t a problem.

When it’s not being used

You also want to be sure to turn off your hot tub if you don’t plan on using it for a while, perhaps because you are off on a long trip.

In this case, you can turn it off, drain it, clean it and leave it while you are away. Then, when you’re ready to put the tub back in use, do a quick cleaning and refill, and you’ll be ready to start heating the tub again!

Can you leave a hot tub empty in summer?

If you don’t plan to use your hot tub during the summer, then you can certainly empty it and leave it quite happily. This will save money by not using electricity, so you will not need to do any maintenance.

For safety’s sake, you should disconnect the hot tub from the power by physically disconnecting it or throwing the trip/fuse.

Can I leave my hot tub empty in winter?

If you do not want to use your hot tub during the winter, you can certainly empty it. However, if the temperatures drop below freezing, you must ensure that it has been emptied completely, including from the internal pipework; otherwise, the pipes may freeze and split.

For safety’s sake, you should disconnect the hot tub from the power by physically disconnecting it or throwing the trip/fuse.

Vacation rentals

If your hot tub is in a vacation or rental property, you will need to drain and clean it much more frequently.

It’s common practice for vacation homeowners to drain and clean their hot tub once each guest checks out. Such regular draining helps to prevent any sanitation problems for new guests on your property.

Although it’s common practice, it’s not always possible to drain and reheat your hot tub between guests, particularly if you are in peak vacation season and need a same-day turnaround.

If you find yourself in this circumstance, it is acceptable to check the water quality and do a partial drain and refill plus a chemical shock treatment if chemical levels are off.

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