How A Hot Tub Works

To know how a hot tub works, we need to understand it as a process. Hot tub also referred to as spa, is a large tub filled with warm water and is usually mounted outdoors. It is used as a muscle massager, relaxant and sometimes for hydrotherapy.

The body consists of two tubs, fixed together, one on top of the other. The outer tub is made of wood for better insulation and durability. The outer is cast of fiberglass. Space in the middle holds fixtures for water and air dispensing. A hot tub comes with attached seats that have water jets, meant to induce a massage effect. A vent blows air, which gets mixed with water before it gets released in the tub. Mixing of air makes the water acquire a spumy quality. 

Hot tubs have a keypad control unit, on the top of the tub wall. This controls the basic functions of a tub. Water heat, jet pump and light etcetera can be pre programmed. This controller connects with the necessary circuitry that controls operational devices. This unit is secured in a shaft present at the base of the tub.

There are a few basic steps.

1. Water being pumped in the tub and circulated.
2. Passing through a filter for purification.
3. It being fed to the heater, for reasonable heating.
4. Then supplying water mixed with air to the jets, through PVC pipes.

Surface water is most suitable for these tubs, regardless of the filter being installed; it still has to be clean. Two types of filters are being used in pumps these days, suction filters and pressure filters. As the name implies, suction filters have to be fixed before the spa pump’s inlet whereas the pressure filter is joined after the pump uptake vent.

A small pump supplies the water to a filter which after being purified is fed to a coil heater. This heater is further supplied with a resistance. This is to ensure safety, as in case of over heating, the resistance automatically melts cutting the power supply and terminating the heating action.

The water after being heated is distributed in a series of tubing, which lets it out of the jets connected in the tub. There is an air control valve adjacent to the control keyboard. It allows air to be mixed with the warm water before it spurts out. Some tubs come with ozonators attached, which draw the ozone by suction and mix it with water. The ozonators aid in better sanitization but should not be relied upon for complete hygiene.

Hot tubs have drainage vents at the base for an easier disposal of water; others have to be emptied by siphoning. A few things are considered carefully while these tubs are constructed, to make the working safer from mishaps.

• The electric circuit and water dispensing is made secure with insulating material.
• Great care is taken to keep the water hygienic, as most micro organisms thrive in a warm, humid environment.
• The tubs are cast of strong material, as it has to tolerate weight of gallons of water and people.
• Hot tubs are now manufactured to be energy preservable.