Hot tub covers: taper versus flat

Hot tub covers: taper versus flat

Hot tub covers: taper versus flat

Hot tub covers that taper are as a rule made with a two-inch drop from the midsection of the spa cover, at the fold, to the edge of the lid. Hot tub covers also can be produced in varying thicknesses, but each will generally have the two inches of taper to the edge. Usual cover thicknesses are 6" tapering to 4", 5" tapering to 3" and 4" tapering to 2". The thickness of a spa cover is the overriding crucial consideration in the amount the cover will insulate and slash your heating bill.

It is also an essential determinant in the strength to bear a load such as snow, animals, tots, etc. but strength comes more from the density of the foam used in the core. Do not be baffled Adding thickness adds insulation and raises the R-value, a measure of insulation. Adding more dense foam adds strength to support weight such as snow but adds little to the R-value. During the process of replacing the cover, be careful to shop for only the components you require and keep in mind that hot tub cover warranties do not cover collapsed cores.

For indoor spa covers, or for spas that are outdoors but are safe from the elements by a gazebo, deck or roof, a non-tapering or flat cover should strongly be contemplated. Let's look at an case in point. If a cap tapers from four inches to two inches, the average thickness is three inches BUT more heat will be lost from the spa in the spots that are two inches thick than the average thickness would designate. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and the two inch thick areas of the cover will allow causeless heat loss from the spa. Comparing this with a four inch thick, flat cover, where the average thickness is four inches, it is conclusive that the flat cover will insulate much, much better. The flat lid will also supply more strength at the edge, due to it will be twice as thick as the tapering lid.

With either a flat or tapering cover, it is also quite key to have the gap separating the two panels insulated additionally. This gap is located between the cores of the two panels when the cover is in the closed position. At each end of the hinge, each cover will have "steam stopper pillows" to fill this gap, but this is solely insulating the ends of the hinge and not across the full width of the cover.

This auxiliary insulation, named either a continuous hinge seal or long steam stopper, adds R-9 insulation to the cover. Without this auxiliary insulation, there remains almost a two inch gap that enables the heat to "chimney" out of your hot tub. With hot tub covers that do not have this improvement, it is easy to literally see the heat being lost when the snow melts only across the hinge of the cover.

Spa covers are designed to act as a whole, with every point having importance. Keep in mind these principal facts in relation to the cover thickness when considering the purchase of your next replacement spa cover.

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