A Consumer
Review of Hot Tubs
Things to
Consider When Buying a Hot Tub or Jacuzzi Tub
We recently
purchased a new Hot Tub and Gazebo from Cal Spas in Minnesota. The
purchase was not something we planned, just something that caught
our eye when visiting the Minnesota State Fair. As a result we
learned a few things that would have made our purchase smarter. In
the end we're pleased with the decision but its easy to say now
that all the work is done. In this article I'll outline the
information I wish I had considered when making this purchase. I
hope it helps you in your decision.
Hot Tub Tip! In
many townships and cities, outdoor backyard hot tubs require the
same protections as swimming pools. The regulations may require a
locked privacy fence around your garden, or at least around the hot
tub itself to prevent accidental drowning.
The Hot Tub
This isn't going to be a detailed
rundown on what to look for in a good tub or who to buy it from.
I'll leave that to the other articles out on the internet. There
are two points I'll make of things I may have changed.
We purchased the top of the line
system, the only thing it lacked was an LCD monitor and DVD player.
So what would I change? Well after using it for a season I find
that the multitude of jets is irrelevant for me. I am more of a
soaker and actually prefer that the jets aren't all blasting. Its
too much noise and I don't like the splashing. So I would look for
something at a better price point and give up some of the fancy
jets in favor of more common ones.
A friend of mine paid 1/2 of my
cost for a more basic unit and he couldn't be happier. So where
would I put this money? I would ALWAYS splurge and get the stereo
and speakers built into the tub. My wife insisted on this and it
added quite a bit to the price but I wouldn't want it any other
way. The tub uses a marine radio/CD player with water proof
speakers and a remote controller on the top side of the tub. You
can easily hear the music and I even ran a TV in through the
Auxiliary so we can hear the TV through the tub speakers. My friend
who didn't buy this feature is left with setting up elaborate
wiring and remote control extenders to get his stereo to play
outside.
Another feature I'd suggest is
fiber optic lighting. There are a bunch of small lights around the
top of the tub that change color. At first glance it looks like
this would just be to make it fancy. Try the tub at night and
you'll find they provide a great deal of light which makes the tub
much easier to use. It also helps when messing around outside the
tub with CD's Drinks Towels, Chemicals etc. My friend again, is
stringing rope lighting.
So in a nutshell on the tub,
consider the stereo and fiber optics and if necessary go with less
jets to cover the cost.
Gazebo for Hot
Tub
My wife insisted on a Gazebo
surrounding the tub and for years I put off the purchase because I
didn't want to spend another $7000.00 on a Gazebo. Once we took the
plunge I'd say that for the Minnesota winters I'd have it no other
way. I have neighbors that freeze climbing in and out and
maintaining their spa. Ours is like another room in the house and
is quite warm in the winter due to the heat from the
tub.
Hot Tub Tip! A
staple of healthy outdoor living, hot tubs provide soothing
backyard enjoyment.
Now a word of advice. My buddy
purchased an 8x8 Gazebo that basically encloses the tub with no
extra space. They climb up stairs and go through the windows of the
gazebo to get in the tub. On a showroom this looks like a fine
arrangement. Well this winter his wife climbs in, closes the
windows to keep the cold out and finds herself trapped in the
gazebo. They had to damage the windows getting it open due to the
condensation that froze the window shut.
My smart wife insisted we purchase
a larger gazebo. We went with a 12x12 that had racks and storage
for chemicals and towels. It also has built in lights which are a
bonus. The important thing to note about this decision is that I
enter the gazebo through a sliding door, not the window. If
anything freezes it will be the windows by the tub not the ones
opposite the room and the sliding door.
Additionally its just nice to have
a new room on the house and the cost relative to the benefits isn't
bad at all. Plus we have room for a bar and stools in
there.
Preparation and Additional
Costs
Here are a few things to consider
in your decision they either provided additional cost or hard work
on my part.
Electrical:
You'll most likely need a dedicated 50 amp circuit with a breaker
box in plain view of the tub. In our case this meant digging a 36
inch deep trench from the garage to the gazebo (50 feet) so the
electrician could run the conduit. The cost of the electrical work
was about $1000.00 and I had to dig the trench myself. My buddy did
his own electrical and still spent $500.00 in parts so keep that in
mind.
Cement: I also needed a new
cement slab to accommodate my tub and gazebo. We put in a 14x15
slab to accomplish this. What I did not consider was that cement
has gone way up in price since my last 10x10 slab. We spent almost
$2000.00 for the labor and materials to have this poured. What I
also did not consider was the work of removing the grass from that
area. This took three days of exhausting work cutting strips of sod
and hauling them to the disposal site.
Gazebo: What I did not
consider and was not told by the sales rep was that immediately
upon erecting the gazebo, we'd need to stain it to seal the wood
from the weather. This is a 12x12 structure I hadn't considered
staining. Let me just say it was a day of hard work which will need
to be done at least every other year.
Additional Items to
Consider
A few additional items you may
want to consider purchasing.
Hot Tub Tip! A
hot tub may look small, but even the smallest hot tubs weigh
hundreds of pounds – thousands when filled with water. You'll need
to figure in space for the plumbing and controls as well – and if
your county requires security fencing around your tub, you'll need
to take that into consideration as well when you're planning for
your garden hot tub.
Cover Helper: The covers of
these hot tubs are not easy to move around by yourself. This is
especially true in a Gazebo. They sell cover helpers which are
lever type devices that life the cover mechanically and put it
behind the tub. Unfortunately for me my wife wants the tub against
the wall so we're stuck either using 1/2 the tub or man handling
the heavy cover. This is my pet peeve about tubs. So if you have
the room or consider making the room, this will make your spa much
more enjoyable.
Portable Utility Pump: Tubs
have a gravity drain at the bottom but these can take all day to
drain a tub. My neighbor was smart and purchased a utility pump or
sump pump at the local Home Depot or Menards. This drained the tub
in about an hour and let us get to work cleaning and refilling
fairly quick. After borrowing his I went right out and picked one
up for about $70.00 For those of you who've drained a waterbed
without a pump you'll know why this is a good
investment.
Hose for adding water: Just
like with my waterbeds, I prefer to purchase a special hose for
adding water to the tub. I keep it inside so it stays clean and not
frozen. Tubs evaporate water at a surprisingly fast rate so plan on
adding water once a month or so.
In Home Jacuzzi
Tubs
When we built our house we
splurged and added one of those large two person Jacuzzi tubs with
six jets. I thought we'd be in heaven and was reminiscing of nights
spent in the Jacuzzi suites in a hotel. What I didn't consider is
the following and because it these things, it functions more as an
ornament to make the bathroom look grand.
Filling: These things take
time to fill, by the time its filled do you still need or want that
bath?
Hot Water: Filling these
will drain your water heater down unless you've planned for extra
capacity. I find that the water for my pre bath shower isn't very
warm once I've filled the tub.
Cleaning: Ok so I'm lazy
but just like a hot tub, you have to clean the tub and jets and the
larger the tub the more work it is just to keep the dust
out.
I hope my thoughts have given you
something to consider and plan when making a large purchase such as
a spa or gazebo. All things considered I'd do it again if I moved
but I'd be a little smarter and save money and effort.
About The Author
John Gall is a full time IT
Manager and IT Consultant in Minnesota. He runs several websites as
a hobby featuring content similar to that in this article.
http://www.gallconsulting.com
http://www.sandalspictures.com
http://www.napavalleypictures.com
http://www.winesilove.com
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