Many hot tub owners eventually wonder how to speed up the heating process, whether they are happy owners of a brand-new inflatable hot tub or are draining and refilling their spa as part of routine maintenance.
It can be challenging to wait for a long time just for the hot water to start kicking in, especially when you all need to get a warm relaxing bath.
But did you know there are proven and tested ways to help you speed up the process of making your hot tub heat quickly? This article is the holy grail that you need. Make sure to stick to this article until the end to learn how to heat your inflatable hot tub faster.
5 Steps To Make The Hot Tub Heat Up Faster

Considering the factors discussed above, let us now look at 5 proven and tested steps to help your hot tub heat up faster.
Step 1. Fill The Hot Tub With Warm Water Directly
Perhaps this is the easiest step that you do to heat your hot tub more quickly. A freshly filled hot tub using warm water but instead of cold water will significantly make the inflatable hot tub faster to heat. This is especially true if you have access to a warm water source outside or if you can connect a garden hose piping from inside your home to your hot tub.
Your hot tub will simply have to add a very little additional heat to the already warm water rather than heating it all completely from cold. It will work considerably less tediously and, naturally, much more quickly.
Step 2. Keep The Hot Tub Covers On
Making sure your hot tub cover is always on, securely fastened, and covering the entire surface area of your hot tub is another straightforward way to speed up the heating process.
Insulated hot tub coverings are made to keep heat in and dirt or other debris out. Without the cover, your hot tub’s heaters will have to operate more to heat the water since heat may evaporate from the water’s surface.
Therefore, resist the urge to leave the top off while the water is heating. You may prevent heat created within the hot tub from escaping and wasting energy by completely sealing the top of the tub.
Step 3. Leave The Hot Tub Jets On
Before starting step 2, ensure that you turn your jets on. It will help you accelerate the heating process.
Running the jets allows hot water to be dispersed uniformly across the hot tub. Any cold pockets or places in the hot tub that could not heat evenly if kept still will be distributed and broken up in the process.
Step 4. Add A Good Insulation
If the hot tub is not brand-new, there may be room to improve the insulation. Look around the hot tub’s service bay for any spaces that might be filled, and if possible, remove the hot tub’s sidewalls and fill any gaps with more insulation.
You have two options for filling the gaps in your inflatable hot tubs: spray-on foam insulation or domestic insulation packed into plastic garbage bags. You must proceed cautiously and not block any of the hot tub’s internal mechanisms or harm any piping or fittings. Another way to do this is by adding a thermal spa blanket that works the same in heating up the hot tub heating process.
Step 5. Put A Portable Immersible Heater
Small electric heaters, known as immersion heaters, are plugged in and submerged in hot tub water. They can substantially help accelerate the heating process when used with the hot tub’s standard heater.
Keep in mind that for the most remarkable results, you should opt for an immersible heater at a minimum of 1500W.
Factors That Affect The Heating Time
The hot tub heat is typically 100-102�F (37.8-38.9�C) for 4 to 20 hours. Depending on the water’s temperature, the heater’s strength, and the outside temperature will take longer. The hot water will typically warm up by 3-6�F (1.5-3�C) degrees every hr.
So before diving into the steps, let us first discuss the factors that affect your hot tub’s heating time.
- Outside Temperature. How hot the environment is will affect how quickly your inflatable hot tub heats up. Naturally, heating will be simpler in the spring and early summer and more difficult in the winter, given the cold air temperature. But regardless of the time of year, you may still affect the temperature in the area around your hot tub.
- Minimum Base Temperature. The baseline water temperature will influence how long it takes for your inflatable hot tub to heat. If you leave your hot tub running, the temperature will be significantly more significant when you start. However, not all hot tub users may find it comfortable. Some owners might not utilize their hot tubs frequently enough to cover operating expenses.�
- Efficiency Of The Heater. A heater is included with every hot tub. However, that does not imply that every heater performs optimally. Additionally, even if it first performs flawlessly for you, its effectiveness may decline over time.
- Size Of The Inflatable Hot Tub. It will take longer for a hot tub to heat up the larger it is. It makes sense that a 700-gallon (3,180 liters) hot tub would take more time to heat than a 500-gallon hot tub (2,270 l).
- Insulation Of The Inflatable Hot Tub. The quality of the insulation affects how efficiently it will heat a hot tub. Since heat rises, it makes evident that heat will escape from the hot tub surface. However, it can also seep through the hot tub cabinet’s flaws, fissures, and thin or inadequately insulated walls, floors, and walls. It will affect how duration it takes to warm the water in the hot tub.
Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions to guide you on accelerating the hot tub heating process.
Why Is My Hot Tub Not Getting Hot Enough?
The heater is not operating correctly if your hot tub cannot achieve its temperature. The heating element, the temperature sensor, a failed flow switch, or a few other possibilities could be to blame. Additionally, you can also pinpoint the cause of poor water chemistry. This will slow the water flow and cost you several hours to take the heat up.
Why Do Hot Tubs Only Go To 104?
Consumer Products Safety Commission, or CSPC, issued advisory #79-071 on December 31, 1979. The alert stated that a water level temperature of 106 �F or above could result in heat strokes. The CSPC advised a temperature range of 104�F for hot tubs and spas in private and public settings.
Do You Heat Hot Tub With Lid On?
As the outside temperature drops, you must wait longer for your spa to be ready. As a result, you can speed up the warming process by keeping the lid on as it heats up.
To Sum Up
Ideally, heating a hot tub takes a long time, especially if the outside and baseline water temperature is cold. Other factors affecting the heating time would be the size of the hot tub, the efficiency of the heater, as well as the quality of the insulation. Luckily, proven and tested steps can help accelerate the heating process. You can refill the hot tub directly with warm water, keep the cover and jets on, add good insulation, and use a portable immersible heater.