If swim spas can run all year, how are they heated?
If you compare swim spas with pools, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised when comparing heating options.
Most pools require an external heat source like natural gas, propane or an electric heat pump (which costs thousands to buy and hundreds of dollars to run even in our short pool season).
Swim spas are heated using the same heaters as hot tubs, but upgraded models meant for use in the winter will use two of them.
Here’s how it works – a circulation pump responsible for filtering and heating will pull water from the swim spa (If you have a Hydropool, the Self-Clean system will efficiently do this for you) and circulate that water over the heating elements.
Once your set point is reached, the swim spa will continue filtering but shut off the heaters. If the temp dips below your desired temp (which you set on the touch screen), it will automatically kick the heaters back on and get back to your perfect swim temperature.
It can take a day or two for the swim spa to initially get up to your set temperature, but once it does, it retains heat optimally so the heater only runs when it needs to in order to maintain temperature.
The insulation, shell design and cover are all designed to trap heat, meaning your heating cost will be next to nothing in the summer months, versus a pool which will costs hundreds per month.
In fact, you can run a swim spa for 12 months for about 20% of the cost of running a pool for only three (and those are in the warmest months of the year!)
While it is possible to get a special hookup to attach a natural gas or propane heater source to a swim spa, most people just use the standard heaters they come with to use them for four season use in our Manitoba climate.
Because it’s a big body of water, it can retain heat very well in all seasons, making it a consistent swimming experience year round.
Here are some other helpful articles you might be interested in
How hot do swim spas get? http://www.myurbanlife.ca/2021/04/28/how-hot-do-swim-spas-get/
Can a swim spa really run all year? http://www.myurbanlife.ca/2022/12/20/can-a-swim-spa-really-run-all-year-long-in-cold-climates/
To see what swim spa might be right for you, try our 30-second quiz to get personalized recommendations: http://www.myurbanlife.ca/all-season-pool-quiz/ http://www.myurbanlife.ca/all-season-pool-quiz/
