Heat Retention
CoreAcryl Acrylic Tubs vs Cast Iron Tubs
All Classique and Hotel Line soaking tubs produced by Baths of Distinction are made from CoreAcryl. For a full description of what CoreAcryl is, please click here.
We are often asked which tubs retain heat better and why. The table below is a comparison test for heat loss between a CoreAcryl acrylic tub and a cast iron tub from a leading manufacturer.
We filled both tubs, almost identical in size, with the same amount of hot water direct from the hot water tank at 134 degrees Fahrenheit. The table below shows the heat loss over a 25 minute period.
Time in Minutes
| Fill Water
| 0 mins | 5 mins | 10 mins | 15 mins | 20 mins |
25 mins
|
|
Temp. CoreAcryl (F)
|
134.0
|
129.2
|
122.4
|
120.1
|
117.2
|
113.8
|
109.2
|
|
Temp. Cast Iron (F) |
134.0
|
125.7
|
118.3
|
115.5 |
112.3
|
107.9
|
103.3
|
As can be seen from the test results, CoreAcryl maintains water temperature better than cast iron. Cast
iron is an excellent conductor of heat, so large amounts of heat are
transferred from the water to the cast iron as soon as the tub is
filled. During the test, the cast iron became hot to the touch,
reflecting this heat transfer. There was also a significantly smaller
drop in the water temperature of the CoreAcryl tub, which remained cool
to the touch on the outside.
Over a period of 25 minutes, the cast iron tub lost another 22.4 degrees and the CoreAcryl lost a total of 20 degrees.
Please note that these temperature drops may be less prominent in a
typical household bathroom as the temperature in the test room was only
65 degrees.
Manufacturing Cost
Contrary
to popular belief, cast iron tubs cost no more to produce than good
acrylic tubs. In fact, in most cases cast iron tubs would cost us less
to purchase than our cost to manufacture CoreAcryl. We simply choose not to carry cast iron tubs as we cannot in confidence offer a 25-year
warranty on them. They are also easily damaged during shipping and are
very difficult to handle.
Installation Cost
Building
contractors are constantly reminding us of the difficulties involved
installing cast iron tubs. Some tell us that these costs can double
between cast iron and relatively light weight acrylic or CoreAcryl.
Generally, four people will be needed to place the tub in position, but
often the highest costs are experienced with the need to reinforce the
flooring beneath the tub.
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