[Greenbuilding] A Solar Hot Tub

[dantonioli at earthlink.net]

Hi Kathy,

Heating a hot with solar is easy! If you're on a hill and position the panel
below the tub you might even be able to get a thermosyphon effect and
eliminate the pump altogether. Home Power magazine has an excellent article
on solar heating a hot tub. 

One thing you should consider is to not use a typical black plastic pool
panel because in the winter time it simply won't get hot enought to heat the
tub. A used flat panel collector would be a great way to go. 

Another option is to install a pv system for your home and size it to
include the hot tub electric heater load. I just visited a co-housing
development in Oakland and that's exactly what they did to eliminate the
extra plumbing. Their hot tub is fully solar heated and they're still
generating excess energy for the grid. It's not a bad way to go if you can
afford a grid-tied pv system.

Dan Antonioli


 

-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Kathy Cochran
Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2007 4:00 PM
To: greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
Subject: [Greenbuilding] A Solar Hot Tub

I am re-sending this out under a better Subject title  -  before it was
under "adobe mix".


> [Original Message]
> From: Kathy Cochran <kathys_old_house at onemain.com>
> To: <greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org>
> Date: 7/5/2007 10:30:50 PM
> Subject: RE: [Greenbuilding] Adobe mix
>
> Hi  All.........
>
> I live in Northern CA (Calaveras County in the Gold Country) with a
beautiful south-facing hill below where eventually I will be putting a deck
out to see the view.  I have been conjuring up building a hot tub into the
side of the hill looking south to the view, where I could put a drain into
the bottom and it would simply irrigate the pasture below.  Shoud I build it
out of native rock and then LINE it with concrete, or do I need to use rebar
to make a form?  I am open to any suggestions that any of your might have.
I would like to heat it with solar and maybe run a circulating pump
- don't know if I can do that with solar or not.  What is involved,
cost-wise, to heat a hot-tub with SOLAR?  I don't want it to be large -
enough for 2 people and a ledge for a glass of wine and maybe some built-in
speakers.  Should I hire a backhoe to dig a deeper hole, or is the side of
the hill, with quite a slope (about a 45 degree angle), all I need for the
basic form?  Maybe I should build the basic form from the External IN, with
rocks, then line with concrete, fill with water, turn on the pump and GO! 
Any and all suggestions would be most welcome.  Thanks in
advance.............Kathy in Calaveras County
>
>
> Hosted and archived by REPP / CREST http://www.crest.org


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