Hot tubs???

[conversationalphrase]

We have made the decision to get a hot tub and have been shopping online and in person for about a month. I think we are more confused than ever. What a wide range of prices, obscure specifications, conflicting reviews etc...

So what is your experience?

We would like something that would comfortably fit four adults, extras like waterfalls, bluetooth and LED lights don't interest us, and we want a reasonable but not excessive number of jets.

We live in a moderate climate and are willing to self install including getting it from the truck to backyard, etc. Under $5K.

Recommendations or what to stay away from would be very appreciated.

TIA.

 

[RunningBum]

Watch out for the salesmen! I got oversold on a pretty high-end hot tub. I wish I'd have stuck with something more basic. I think the general experience is just as good. You seem to be in tune with that, just don't be a pushover like I was.

A better (thicker) cover will probably pay for itself in heating costs, though maybe not in a moderate climate.

I bought mine 18 years ago, so I don't know which brands are better, etc, right now. Mine is out of commission, long story, haven't taken another shot at repairs or replacement and been without for 3-4 years. The occasional friend/houseguest is disappointed, but I'm still not too motivated.

 

[BeachOrCity]

Pricing is opaque to say the least. Huge markups and NEVER pay anywhere close to what they quote at first.
Be sure to include in cost the electrical requirements. Your home may not have sufficient capacity for the circuit usually 50 amps
You also have to put in a . Concrete or similar pad for it to sit on.
If you are really a do it yourself order online and do it all but buyer beware. Lots of ways to stumble.
Lots of crap out there.....

 

[tulak]

I’d buy through Costco. If you have any problems with it, you can return it.

 

[ls99]

Have had Viking round tubs over twenty years. I find it the emost economical and simplest. Well they were until the gummint bureaucrats madated 104 F on the control panel. Mine is modified to go to 115F I like it at 110F in the winter. I keep mine outside, and yes use it year around. Do get icicles on hair if outdoor temp is 14F or less.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Make sure your Homeowners covers freezing. Happens a lot here in MN.

 

[Bamaman]

I was shopping for a hot tub a couple of years ago. After much reading, they are not all created equal. And the big name hot tubs are often built with garbage components. The best ones are built and then sprayed with foam all over the hoses, etc.

The best info and suggestions online I found at the following website. He speaks the straight truth: Spas from The Spa Guy - THE SPA GUY Hot Tubs

I just cleaned my tub today while draining for a water replacement. I had no idea that the electrics going to hot tubs require heavy wire through conduit to a special hot tub CFI breaker box--cost $1K to get installed. I had to cut 5 holes in my man-cave ceiling to snake the wiring, but I completed the installation myself.

 

[Mango1956]

Choose a good brand, as the local place can change. We are very happy with the performance of Sundance brand. Our model was on sale, and the local dealer delivered and got it up and running. I recommend you do the same if you can. And I don’t think you can get a good 4 person tub for 5K installed.

 

[JackJester]

We've owned 3 of them over the years in different houses. You'll need to put in an 8x8 ft concrete pad (we did it the hard way with 40+ bags of concrete from Home Depot mixed in a wheel barrel). For electric, most ordinances require an emergency shutoff within something like 10 ft of the hot tub. While the fiberglass shell is basically indestructible, be prepared to replace your cover every 5 years or so (they deteriorate and get water logged). And, we've gone through 2 pumps and 2 controller panels over 15 years. That's where your real expense comes from. With that said, here in the Pacific NW we use ours almost daily, and I could never live without one. Lots of times we just soak and don't even run the jets, so having lots of nozzles is not necessary. We chose a brand that was local (Clearwater) but had been around for a long time knowing that we would need to get replacement parts over the years.

 

[omni550]

About 15 years ago, after a lot of researching, I bought a 5x7 Hot Springs hot tub.

Like you, I wasn't looking for all sorts of bells and whistles (sound systems, waterfalls, colored lights). I merely wanted a solidly-built tub with a reasonable amount of jets built by a company known for their quality.

The showroom where I eventually bought it encouraged us to bring our swimsuits and towels and try out the tubs in their showroom and out on their deck. I'm glad I was able to experience a variety of tubs, as it allowed me to eliminate the styles and sizes and color schemes that were not appealing to me and to narrow the field down to the couple that I liked.

I bought one that was designed for both 110V or 220V. Initially, I used it on the 110V, but found it didn't keep the water warm enough in the dead of winter, so I had a 220 box installed on my patio which was direct-wired to the tub.

I only used it in cooler weather (late fall, winter, and early spring). The best times were on a still, snowy, moonlit night..looking at the stars and cloud formations above. It's also fun to sit out there and watch moon eclipses in cold weather...while staying toasty warm.

If your area gets very cold or snow, I'd suggest locating the tub very close to an entry point into your house. My tub is literally one step away from the sliding door to my family room. That makes a huge difference, as I can look forward to using it on the coldest of nights, knowing I don't have to worry about freezing in a bathing suit going to and from (in a wet bathing suit!) the tub.

omni

 

[ckelly78z]

We bought a HOTSPRINGS Sovereign 28 years ago, and are still using it weekly. We had it in our first house (in an enclosed, unheated back porch) for 3 years, then moved it to the farm we have owned for 25 years. We moved it in February, and the pump develop a leak from accidentally freezing. We have replaced the cover twice, other than that, the spa is always ready for a dip, and stays at 105* without using much electricity (dedicated 30 amp 110V circuit with GFCI) because the whole underside is expanding foam insulation, that really improves the structural integrity.

A weekly spoonful of chlorinating granules, and a quarterly filter cleaning keeps the water good....best purchase we have ever made without a doubt.

We have the spa on an enclosed, unheated backporch where it gets cold, but is out of the elements, which has kept the outer wood appearance looking like brand new.

Ours is simple, and old school with 1 main jet that will literally move your body away from it with the force of the water, an end lounger with a sweeping back jet, and 4 seats each with one jet, no aerator system, or dozens of small jets, or a waterfall.

 

[flintnational]

I’d buy through Costco. If you have any problems with it, you can return it.

I would also recommend Costco (mostly for price - not familiar enough with brands). We bought one about 10 years ago for a prior house. FWIW, we had to move the delivered hot tub a fairly long way. 8 foot sections of 6 inch PVC pipe worked well as rollers. Might be helpful since you are installing it yourself.

 

[MRG]

We've had two hortsprings brand and they were awesome. In below zero weather they're great. Try that in many tubs and you won't appreciate the cold bubbles being blown by your butt.

 

[Bamaman]

Service is very, very important in that hot tubs do have problems "spring up." It's the only item in my house that service is so important and frequent.

I'm sorry, but Costco and Sam's Club just don't have servicemen where you can receive personal attention. Price is not everything, but the quality of the individual components is. Delivery and setup is also important.

Buy your tub only from someone that can give service. It's not like you can just pickup a 3,500 pound hot tub with water and take it in. Mine weighs 850 lbs. not including 350 pounds of water.

 

[Bir48die]

I never thought I'd get a hot tub. When we moved to this house I lost an awesome soaker tub and a lot of bathroom space. I had wanted to redo the retaining wall on the side of the house and that's the only way we could get it into the backyard.

So, we went to a home & garden show and got one at a great price. It's considered a 3 person and sets low to the ground as we didn't want to black any view from the basement windows. Had to grind some concrete to level but it was set up quickly and we having been using it more than we ever thought. Our home has wood floors throughout the upstairs and it can get cold. So we just go downstairs and head out the back door and jump in.

We have a 110 outlet right next to it and use that. Probably adds $10/mth to our electric bill but so worth it.

 

[imoldernu]

ENVY
Maybe the best memory of our Florida over 55 community.
Hours spent in the hot tub next to the pool. An 8 person tub that was permanently set at 104. A social center. After 10 minutes in the tub, 50 minutes in the 84 degree pool... again a social circle. We called it "bobbing"...
then, back to the tub. Twice a day. Three times on a cool day.
Neighbor just got a quote of 16K, for a tub... based on current life expectancy, that would work out to about $7/min.
Sadly, will have to stick with our shower.

 

[mountainsoft]

I love soaking in a hot tub but the prices of commercial tubs put them out of reach for us. So I built my own soaking hot tub many years ago with a plastic stock tank, some pipe fittings, a water heater element, and a pond pump.

My DIY hot tub served us well for several years. I dismantled it when we moved to our new house, with plans to set it up again once we were settled in. Unfortunately, it is still sitting in pieces 14 years later. I have worked on some upgrades on and off over the last several years, but then it goes back on the shelf till I get motivated again.

We've used a variety of hot tubs from the typical fiberglass/acrylic models, to the old school wood tubs, to the round foam and vinyl tubs. They're all equally enjoyable. My wife and I prefer soakers, the jets are just noisy and the movement makes my wife nauseous.

When we have hot tub cravings we occasionally visit a place in the city that rents hot tubs by the hour. It's expensive but it's a fun treat every year or two.

When we were younger we used to make the long drive to hike in to natural hot springs. Those were the best, but unfortunately we don't have the time or motivation to do that anymore.

One of these days I need to get my DIY tub up and running again.
http://www.watsondiy.com/hot_tub.htm

 

[Svensk Anga]

I bought a second-hand tub for well under the cost of new. Former owners had it in their living room and I think were glad to get it out of the way. We had nine trouble-free years from it, but left it behind when we moved. The cover was shot by then though. It was a 110v model, which worked fine for us in Florida.

 

[pacergal]

We had a jacuzzi hot tub for years, held 6 people, jets and bubbler, lights, waterfalls, ozone (so less chemicals). Do get the thickest cover for it as it helps retain the heat. We also had to have an electrician install a higher amp plug in and redo our old electric panel .
The good: wonderful for aches and pains and just plain relaxing. I loved it late at night after the kids were in bed!
The bad: took time every week to check ph status and adjust if needed, cleaning or replacing the filters about every 6 months, ours kept having a slow leak so we had the spa repairman out almost yearly to figure out what was wrong(something different each time).
We eventually stopped using it and it sat on the deck for years before we got rid of it.

 

[SumDay]

Choose a good brand, as the local place can change. We are very happy with the performance of Sundance brand. Our model was on sale, and the local dealer delivered and got it up and running. I recommend you do the same if you can. And I don’t think you can get a good 4 person tub for 5K installed.

What Mango 1956 said, especially about the cost.

We've had three in 20+ years. First one (Artic Spa) was a maintenance nightmare, and the dealer moved their office to 50+ miles away which generated a "travel service charge" even though it was still under warranty. Sold it to a do-it-yourselfer for $500.

#2 and #3 were both Bullfrog, and we've been VERY happy with them. #2 became a bargaining chip when we were selling our megahouse, as the buyers' kids wanted it desperately, so we let it go with the house. We bought the same model a few months later after we had the pad poured and the electrician wire for it at our forever/retirement home.

DH is just about immobilized if he doesn't get his twice a day soaks, and the dog looks forward to being splashed in the face while he watches dad, sitting on the steps. I rarely get in as my internal heater is always on high, and that hot water makes me sick, and the chemicals are hard on my old lady skin.

SUGGESTION: If you're on Facebook, or use Nextdoor, ask people in your area who they recommend. Good service is absolutely essential. Good luck & happy soaking.

 

[vince]

I have never owned anything that required more maintenance than a hot tub...

 

[Cobra9777]

We bought a HOTSPRINGS Sovereign 28 years ago, and are still using it weekly. We had it in our first house (in an enclosed, unheated back porch) for 3 years, then moved it to the farm we have owned for 25 years. We moved it in February, and the pump develop a leak from accidentally freezing. We have replaced the cover twice, other than that, the spa is always ready for a dip, and stays at 105* without using much electricity (dedicated 30 amp 110V circuit with GFCI) because the whole underside is expanding foam insulation, that really improves the structural integrity.

A weekly spoonful of chlorinating granules, and a quarterly filter cleaning keeps the water good....best purchase we have ever made without a doubt.

We have the spa on an enclosed, unheated backporch where it gets cold, but is out of the elements, which has kept the outer wood appearance looking like brand new.

Ours is simple, and old school with 1 main jet that will literally move your body away from it with the force of the water, an end lounger with a sweeping back jet, and 4 seats each with one jet, no aerator system, or dozens of small jets, or a waterfall.

We have the exact same model. It came with the house when we bought it in 2004. Prior owners said it was only 2 years old and they did not want to move it. It's now 17 years old and still going strong.

We've had our share of repairs, but so far nothing that I couldn't handle myself. We've never had to call for service.

We bought a new cover about 2 years ago, which made a huge difference in electric consumption. The old one was in very bad shape. Ours is on a deck and fully exposed to the weather. I replaced the heater relay board around the same time when it stopped heating.

There's a check valve in the ozonator line that has failed at least 3 times (no bubbles from ozonator). It's a cheap part and very easy to replace. I also replaced the ozonator tubing once when it seemed to be discolored and corroded. I suspect the ozonator will need to be replaced soon. It's running but I have idea if it's actually producing ozone.

Every couple years, I oil the wood, which really makes it pop. I also use a vinyl protectant on the cover twice a year, which looks good and should help prolong it's life.

It needs some other work, like the sweeping back jet no longer sweeps. That part is $100. One of the two "pillows" no longer stays in place. I need to replace both. The LED display is so dim, it's very hard to read if the sun is out. And the switch for the jets on the main panel no longer works. To turn on the jets, you have to use the switch in the tub.

I add chlorine once a week, clean the filters twice a year, and replace the water once a year. Once a month or so, I wipe down the shell with a rag and remove any dirt or debris. I rarely have to adjust pH or anything else.

We use it about 2-3 times per week from Sept through May. Very relaxing and well worth the cost and maintenance effort.

 

[Bamaman]

An ozonator pretty much offsets the chemicals going into the hot tub. My installer suggested just using the Starter crystals--1 1/2 capfuls a week--for most of my chemical use. I do put bromine tablets in an applicator--for good measure. I change the water about 3x per year. And when I'm not going to use it for a few days, I cut the temperature down to 94 degrees or so to save on electricity.

 

[ckelly78z]

I have never owned anything that required more maintenance than a hot tub...

You obviously don't live on a farm, and possibly bought the wrong hot tub ?

 

[calmloki]

We had a 110v hot tub big enough for us both on our upper deck. Fun getting it up there. It was - ok, but we didn't care for the noise close to our bedroom. Also noticed the bump in electric use and it was something else to maintain. Didn't use it much. Eventually gave it to someone who wanted a hot tub and had cancer. They enlisted friends and family and got it moved. Don't miss it at all. I'm a shower person and she likes a certain shape clawfoot tub. Kind of like our pool down south - the use doesn't really justify the expense for us.

edit: Now my Mom had a round wooden tank with a woodfired snorkle stove. It got up to temperature really fast and was very cool as a toy that SOMEONE ELSE owned.
https://snorkel.com/hot-tub-info/snorkel-and-scuba-stoves.php