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Hot tubs are an incredible addition to any home. They create a personal spa experience right on your own property. A major part of this experience, however, is maintaining the ideal hot tub temperature. This is what helps you reap all the health benefits of a hot tub, as well as stay safe while relaxing. But what is the perfect hot tub temperature? This guide holds all the answers.
Why Is Hot Tub Temperature Important?
The hot tub temperature affects more than just comfort. Here’s why this temperature truly matters.
Relaxation
A good hot tub temperature is just warm enough to relax muscles and reduce stress. The warm water achieves these incredible benefits by increasing blood circulation and loosening tight muscles. This, in turn, helps alleviate tension. At the same time, the heat promotes the release of endorphins – the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals – which calms both your body and mind.
Safety
Whenever increased temperature is involved, safety becomes a critical concern. Hot tub water that’s too hot can pose numerous risks. The most severe among them are heatstroke and burns. However, you can also go wrong by setting your hot tub temperature too low. In those cases, discomfort is the least of your worries. Hypothermia poses the biggest concern.
Health Benefits
A hot tub isn’t just a giant bathtub with some cool lights and jets. It’s your personal wellness retreat, offering both heat therapy and hydrotherapy. But to take full advantage of both of these, the hot tub temperature must be just right.
What Is the Ideal Hot Tub Temperature?
How hot are hot tubs and how hot should hot tubs be are two very different questions. Just because you can increase the temperature of your hot tub substantially doesn’t mean you should. The ideal hot tub temperature is 98 degrees Fahrenheit to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s the consensus among health experts and hot tub manufacturers.
Of course, this doesn’t mean this range will be ideal for everyone. That’s why you can always adjust it to suit your personal preferences and existing health conditions. For instance, you might prefer long soaking sessions. In this case, you’ll probably prefer a slightly lower temperature. Similarly, therapeutic use of a hot tub might sometimes call for a slightly higher temperature for short periods.
Whatever the case, the only thing that matters is to avoid extreme temperatures. Referencing expert guidelines or manufacturer instructions will help you do just that.
Minimum and Maximum Temperature Guidelines
There is no good extreme. The lowest your hot tub temperature should be is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, this cool soak should still be done in hot weather. On the opposite end, you shouldn’t exceed the 104-degree temperature – the official safe limit.
Factors Influencing Ideal Temperature
The ideal hot tub temperature is called “ideal” for a reason. Here are the health and wellness benefits that come with this temperature.
Enhances Relaxation
Warm water soothes tense muscles and promotes deep relaxation. As such, it has incredible effects on both physical and mental stress. This makes a hot tub soak the perfect stress relief after a long day.
Improves Circulation
When your body temperature rises, your blood vessels dilate to try and lower it down. This natural response increases your blood flow, which contributes to a whole range of health benefits. Most of them are related to heart health. However, the more blood flows through your body, the more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your muscles and tissues. This, in turn, helps your body recover from anything, whether it’s a workout or an injury.
Eases Muscle Pain and Stiffness
The warm water – paired with the massage effect – can soothe tight and tense muscles. This helps you feel less sore and stiff. As a result, hot tubs are perfect for athletes or people with physically demanding jobs, such as construction workers.
Supports Joint Health
When the hot tub relaxes your joints, it also reduces pressure on them. This leads to less discomfort and improved mobility. These incredible benefits also make hot tubs a powerful tool for managing arthritis or chronic pain.
Boosts Immune Function
The heat from the hot tub will naturally increase your body temperature. Your body will recognize this as a threat – something like a mild fever – and respond by activating your immune system. In the long run, this dynamic can improve your body’s natural defenses against infections.
Enhances Sleep Quality
Get the temperature in your hot tub just right, and you should also fall asleep easier. When you add the benefits of hydrotherapy into the mix, you also get a deeper, more high-quality sleep.
Promotes Detoxification
Sauna bathing has long been known to aid detoxification of the body. With hot tub bathing, you also get the benefit of heat therapy. The heat will open your pores and encourage sweating, which can help remove the toxins from your body. For a holistic wellness approach, you should pair hot tub sessions with massages and light exercise.
Mental Health Benefits
Taking care of your mental health is just as important as keeping your body healthy. The warm water inside the hot tub has a calming effect on the mind, helping reduce anxiety and promote mindfulness. Think of it as meditation but in a more soothing – and immersive – environment. Afterward, you should feel just as refreshed and rejuvenated.
Skin Health
Increasing blood circulation through heat therapy has another benefit. Your skin will be well-fed, which means it will also glow from within. If you combine regular hot tub sessions with proper hydration, you see a noticeable improvement in your skin health.
Seasonal Adjustments to Hot Tub Temperature
As the seasons change, so should your hot tub temperature. During the winter months, a slightly higher water temperature can help combat the colder ambient temperatures. In contrast, in the summertime, a slightly cooler setting will do the trick. This temperature adjustment is especially important for outdoor hot tubs exposed to direct sunlight. During the remaining seasons – spring and fall – the temperature should always be slightly adjusted to match the outdoor conditions.
Tips for Maintaining the Right Hot Tub Temperature
Maintaining the right hot tub temperature isn’t as simple as programming the thermostat and forgetting about it.
For starters, you should ensure that the thermostat in question is truly reliable. Otherwise, you’ll get inaccurate readings and make the water either too cold or too hot.
In addition, you should purchase a hot tub with quality insulation and invest in a sturdy hot tub cover. When it comes to keeping the heat inside, insulation makes all the difference.
The same goes for your heat pump and heating system in general. These should also be high-quality and maintained regularly.
Benefits of Maintaining the Ideal Temperature
This guide has already covered all the health and wellness benefits of maintaining the ideal hot tub temperature. However, the hot tub itself will also thank you for this. When there are no extremes and fluctuations, there will also be no unnecessary wear and tear on the hot tub components. If you optimize the hot tub temperature, you’ll also notice considerable energy savings. The worst thing you can do for your electricity bill is to constantly turn the hot tub on and off.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
This guide has taught you how to maintain the ideal hot tub temperature. Now, let’s see what happens if you don’t follow these guidelines.
Setting the Temperature Too High
It’s a hot tub, not a boiling tub. In other words, you should never go over the recommended 104 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do, you can get dizzy, dehydrated, or even faint. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll experience heatstroke or burns.
Setting the Temperature Too Low
You’ll hardly experience any heat therapy benefits in a cold tub. Plus, you’ll feel uncomfortable. For the best results, you should keep the temperature above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Neglecting Seasonal Adjustments
If you stick to a single temperature year-round, chances are you’ll be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. A 4 to 6-degree adjustment can make all the difference in your enjoyment.
Not Using a Reliable Thermometer
If you don’t know what the hot tub temperature is, how can you get it right? The answer is – you can’t. You just risk hurting yourself. That’s why you must invest in a high-quality, easy-to-read thermometer.
Ignoring Maintenance of the Heating System
A faulty heating system will never be able to maintain a constant hot tub temperature. You can avoid this scenario by scheduling regular servicing. In the meantime, you should clean all the hot tub heating components.
Overlooking Insulation Needs
If your hot tub isn’t properly insulated, the temperature will constantly fluctuate. The heat loss will also increase your energy bills. In other words, you’re looking at a lose-lose situation.
Failing to Consider User Demographics
Just like seasons, the current user(s) should dictate the hot tub temperature. For instance, the temperature shouldn’t go over 98 degrees Fahrenheit if children are using the hot tub. Similarly, pregnant women shouldn’t go in the water hotter than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Adjusting the Temperature Too Quickly
When adjusting the hot tub temperature, you should never jump straight to the desired number. This sudden change can severely strain the heating system. Instead, you should do it slowly and gradually.
Hot Tub Bliss
The right hot tub temperature is a game-changer in your health and wellness journey. The best place to start is to invest in a well-insulated hot tub with advanced temperature control features. From there, you can fine-tune the temperature as needed – and as recommended. BuenoSpa has just the hot tubs you need for this, as well as everything else you might need, like parts and accessories for a hot tub.
