Heating Your Hot Tub with Solar Power

Heating Your Hot Tub with Solar Power

by Mark Zalewski


If you have been hesitant to purchase a hot tub due to the expected increase in your power bill, you’ll want to check into the option of solar power. This provides you all the amenities of a hot tub but the power source isn’t from a plug but the sun.

Obviously, the location is something you will need to take into consideration. A solar-powered unit will need to be outdoors where there is sunlight. If you plan to install your hot tub into a favorite room in your home, then powering it from sunlight would not work. Another factor to keep in mind is the location of your home. If you live in a region where sunlight is scarce then solar heating would not work.


If you have determined that your area location would support a solar-heated hot tub and you are comfortable with the hot tub being located outside of your house, what’s next? Do you just fill up the hot tub and wait for the sun to heat it up? What about after the sun goes down, what happens to the heat that has collected during the daylight hours?

Rather than having to wait for the sun to appear and heat up your water, there is solar equipment that allows you to store the heat that is solar-generated, in order to be used later when you want to enjoy the hot tub. Although this would be an upfront expense, the pay off is never having to plug your tub in and further add to your expenses. The overall cost savings that a solar-heated hot tub provides, far outweigh the need for propane gas or electrical energy.

Solar-heated hot tubs are similar to both propane and electric powered hot tubs, in the way they benefit from safety covers. These covers are designed to contain the heat that is generated throughout the day, rather than wasting both money and time waiting for the water to heat itself up. See our previous post, Why You Should Use a Pool Cover, for more information on safety covers.

If eco-friendliness is important to you then solar-heating is a smart option. Remember to keep in mind that an outdoor location in a sunny region is a must. If those criteria are met and you’re aware of the cost for the solar heater, by all means, go solar. Know that you’ll be able to not only reap all the benefits of using a hot tub but you will be doing your part in making efforts to protect the environment. For information on how to convert your hot tub to solar power see Home Guides article.