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Post by MaryPea on Jun 20, 2020 21:54:22 GMT
We are getting ready to start construction on a screened-in porch and patio in our backyard. Once that is done (6-8 weeks from now), we'll be adding a hot tub, so we're starting to research that part now. We are thinking one that seats 6-8 people, above ground, but that's about all we know for certain. I'm super-excited about this and can't wait to jump in the hot tub after a long day of work!! Any of you that have BTDT & have tips for me - I would welcome them! Thank you!  |
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Post by mom on Jun 20, 2020 22:13:37 GMT
We had one then got rid of it. I kinda miss it now.
Get an automatic cover. When the foam gets out of hand, throw a dryer sheet in there and the foam will disappear.
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Post by Delta Dawn on Jun 20, 2020 22:17:24 GMT
Do you have carpenter ants? That was our problem.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Jun 20, 2020 22:28:38 GMT
I have always wanted a hot tub, but my dh refuses. He says it's too much work, and they are a PITA to keep up. So I would say get someone to service them, do upkeep. otherwise its going to be another job.
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peasquared
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Post by peasquared on Jun 20, 2020 23:52:09 GMT
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dogbyte
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Post by dogbyte on Jun 20, 2020 23:59:58 GMT
Worked in a pool and spa store for 16 years. Been gone for almost 8. But things to compare: solid foam filled spas are a super pain if they develop a leak. An ozone generator is worth the money..a cover lift is really handy, especially if one person is using the spa..famous usually from left over soap in clothing and skin\hair. If clothing is worn, even swim wear, rinse it more than once when laundered. Rinse off before you get in helps remove soap,lotions and hair products that cause issues. Maintaining the PH is super important. You can ruin a heater rapidly. Sit in them dry at the store. See if the seats for you. And don't go super small if you can help it. We had people that were larger that displaced too much water. Make sure where you buy it have a good service dept and knowledge about water chemistry.
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Post by bianca42 on Jun 21, 2020 0:03:27 GMT
We bought ours at the NY State Fair a few years ago. We live 15 minutes from the fair, but the dealer is 60+ minutes away. If I had it to do over, I would buy from a local dealer.
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Post by AussieMeg on Jun 21, 2020 4:09:39 GMT
I have always wanted a hot tub, but my dh refuses. He says it's too much work, and they are a PITA to keep up. So I would say get someone to service them, do upkeep. otherwise its going to be another job. He's lying to you haha! You literally just chuck in some chlorine or other chemicals after every use, and a water balancer once in a while, and that's pretty much it. It's not like a pool that does require a bit more work. Okay, it is a bit more than that, and we have several different types of chemicals, but honestly, it's not a lot of work. We've had our spa (hot tub) for close on 20 years now, and it gets used at least three times a week. We had to replace the heating unit last year, and we need another cover now, which will be the second time we've replaced it over the 20 years. It is not too much work. It will, however, increase your electricity bill! Elannah reminded me that we have had issues with ants a few times. We had to empty the spa, clean it out and refill it. And put ant deterrent around the spa so they don't come back. Sit in them dry at the store. See if the seats for you. And don't go super small if you can help it. We had people that were larger that displaced too much water. That's a really good tip. And also consider how many people are going to use it. My friend and I bought our spas around the same time. I wanted one that had a couple of "throne" molded seats (what would you call them?), and then a big bench seat that goes around the rest of the spa, so we could easily fit 6-8 people in it. My friend wanted one that had a couple of seats where you can lie right back in them. I didn't like hers as much as mine, because those two seats took up so much space in the spa and you could really only get another couple of people in it comfortably. The shop where I bought mine let my and my friend's 5yo daughters actually get in the spa in their bathers! When I think about it now..... blech!  |
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Post by worrywart on Jun 21, 2020 4:29:04 GMT
How exciting! I want a screened porch so bad and would love a hot tub...no advice but it would be great to come home after a long day and soak..especially in the winter!
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caangel
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Post by caangel on Jun 21, 2020 5:16:06 GMT
FWIW my friend ordered one about 3-4 weeks ago. The original install date was in Aug. Now it is Sept/Oct.
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Post by PolarGreen12 on Jun 21, 2020 6:56:34 GMT
I miss our hot tub so much. We had a fairly large one. I think it sat 8 people. Once you got the chemicals right maintenance was 5-10 minutes every other day or so. One thing that I liked tremendously for keeping the water clear was “scum balls” they were these foamy balls that you floated in it when not in use that kept the gunk from forming on the surface.
If I were to buy one again I would buy one set up for salt water vs chlorinated. Even less maintenance and keeps your skin from getting dried out.
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Post by MaryPea on Jun 21, 2020 12:45:47 GMT
thank you all so much - very helpful!!!
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Post by Restless Spirit on Jun 21, 2020 17:49:11 GMT
MaryPea , if you are still looking for tips on buying a spa/hot tub, you might find my thoughts helpful- or not. HA My biggest tip is to research, research, research. (I know, seems obvious, but seriously, you can not over research information on buying a hot tub!) Google and read every "How to Buy a Hot Tub" and "Hot Tub Buying Tips" link you can find. Most of the links will take you to specific Hot Tub/Spa manufacturers and retailers. Good information can be found, but its obviously going to be biased. I like this website for more general information: Hot Tub University. hottubuniversity.com/Lots of general buying information and reviews of specific brands. We own a Master Spas brand spa. www.masterspas.com/ We have this Twilight Series Spa: www.masterspas.com/twilight/ts-62We absolutely love it. It's our 2nd Master Spas, spa. Things to keep in mind (my personal opinion only) What is your budget? How many people will be using it? What are your space limitations? From there, you can start to prioritize the options that are "must have" vs "wants". There are things you can compromise on, other options are far more important and become "must have". Obviously, if you plan on having 5-6 people in at once - don't compromise on size unless the space it will sit in is limited. You will want space to stretch out and not have everyone feeling crowded. It's not relaxing! The number of jets and where they are located and positioned is very important. Make sure to read up about it! The number of pumps and size of the pumps is also something to consider. A lid with an "assist" is a must. A power lid would be nice, but adds to the cost. Then comes the fun part - what options do you want? While we had to go with a smaller tub, we did get a "lounge seat" that I love. My DH loves the deeper seat with the most jets. Ours has lights that change color - fun for night use. It also has a "waterfall" features - pretty - but not really a huge must have. Ours also has a built in bluetooth sound system. I can connect to my iPhone to play music or use the built in radio tuner. I use that all the time. Bottom line - research is your best friend in searching for the perfect spa for you. What's good for us, may be a dud for you! One other thing - I've not found any brand that has 100% positive reviews. They all seem to have issues spread across the years and models, plus the location and how you use and maintain your spa will greatly affect its performance and life cycle. ETA: Re: Maintenance There is some maintenance, no getting around that. However, if you do it on a regular basis, it’s easy and mostly painless. Some pointers: When you 1st fill it, your water chemistry will be dictated by your water source. Get test strips and use them regularly from day one. You’ll need pool/spa chlorine, and maybe PH minus or PH plus. Once you get your water balanced, it’s relatively easy to maintain as long as you test your water and not let it get too far out of range. Routine maintenance will include purchasing some type of water conditioner that will keep the organic matter in the water under control. This can be very damaging to the spa if you don’t. The other expense will be the spa filters. We change ours out every spring and fall, and only buy new when absolutely necessary. Instead we purchase a filter cleaning chemical so we can use the filters again and again. It should be noted that we never pay full price for any chemicals or filters. Master spas always has a spring and fall sale that is usually either buy one get one or buy one get 1/2 off. This helps keeps the price down. You certainly don’t have to buy your brand of spas after products. However, it should be noted that the different brands of chemicals may vary in their percentage of active ingredients. Keep this in mind when you are making purchases. We use our spa from early spring to well into the fall usually around October maybe into November. Because it’s not enclosed we are not able to use it in the winter. We do not drain our spa, but do reduce the temperature but keep the circulation pumps going so the water doesn’t freeze. Periodically we will throw some chlorine in so the water doesn’t get too far out of balance. In the spring we will sometimes take out part of the water and put in fresh. But other than that we just start using it again with no problems. Hope this helps.
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Post by MaryPea on Jun 21, 2020 18:22:21 GMT
Peas are the best - this has all been super helpful - thank you so much!!
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Post by Just Beth on Jun 21, 2020 19:03:34 GMT
We purposely chose one that does not have the lounger seats so we could fit more people. We are very happy with that choice!
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Post by Restless Spirit on Jun 21, 2020 20:09:58 GMT
We purposely chose one that does not have the lounger seats so we could fit more people. We are very happy with that choice! This exactly! While we love ours (there’s just the two of us), it would not work for a crowd of five or six! |
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Post by bessieb on Jun 21, 2020 21:54:39 GMT
We have had ours - a beachcomber- for 7 years. Bought an ex display model (unused)). We Just chuck a handful of chlorine granules in after we use it and that’s it. It’s used every day 365 days a year. No issues with foam. If water doesn’t seem totally fresh I swap the filter out and wash off the old one and let it dry out ready to use again. We probably get through 5 filters a year- but they aren’t expensive. We have one lie down seat in it-rest all deep seats.
We were advised to focus on the jets rather than ‘fancy stuff’ like waterfalls( dealers words)
Love it and would replace it without a second thought
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Post by iteach3rdgrade on Jun 21, 2020 21:59:55 GMT
Great information. I can't talk dh into one. Sigh. I'd use it every single day.
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Post by coaliesquirrel on Jun 22, 2020 1:22:30 GMT
We have a 2-seater and would not have anything larger (even though we are not especially small people). It's rare that DD, DH, and I would all want to get in at the same time, so it works fine. I can't really imagine having other people in it too - that just seems icky. The great thing about a smaller one, though, is that if the chemistry gets off because we haven't used it a few days or something, it just takes one dump of the hot water tank to be back in business and we don't feel so bad about using that amount of water. So, IMHO, I would not buy something bigger than it took to accommodate the number of people who will be in it 90% of the time it's being used.
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Post by catmom on Jun 22, 2020 1:39:09 GMT
A hot tub came with our house and we loved it so much we replaced it when it died. I would recommend sitting in the hot tub, ideally with water, before buying. We almost bought a hot tub that was so comfortable without water, but with water was a nightmare for me. I'm short (5'2") and some hot tubs are just not built for short people, so if you're short pay particular attention.
As others have said, the lounger is nice but 1) as above if you're short it may not be fully usable, 2) it takes a lot of space. It's just DH and I who use it 90% of the time so we got it for our preferences - he takes the lounger and I take the captain's chair and it's perfect. But if you will have more than 4 people you are probably better off not having the lounger.
We find it very easy to take care of. Our new hot tub uses bromine instead of chlorine and we use a frog, which means there's a bromine cartridge that releases the bromine automatically. We add a capful of bromine on cleaning cycle every time we use the hot tub, and get it tested every month or so. And every so often we shock the water. About 4 times per year we replace the water. Honestly, it's been no problem with maintenance. We use it more than the pool.
I especially love getting in during the rain or a light snow, or having a sunset drink in the hot tub. Can't recommend it enough.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jun 22, 2020 1:50:19 GMT
We had one in our screened porch at out old house. We had nothing but problems with it. The condensation in the porch created problems too. DH said the two best days for it was the day he got it and the day he got rid of it.
Friends of ours had a big high end one and they had repeated problems with theirs too. I can’t tell you how many times they had to have the repair guy come out to fix something on it and finally her DH gave up and drained it for good. It’s huge so it’s still in their house but it isn’t operational anymore.
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Post by cakediva on Jun 22, 2020 3:25:31 GMT
MaryPea , if you are still looking for tips on buying a spa/hot tub, you might find my thoughts helpful- or not. HA My biggest tip is to research, research, research. (I know, seems obvious, but seriously, you can not over research information on buying a hot tub!) Google and read every "How to Buy a Hot Tub" and "Hot Tub Buying Tips" link you can find. Most of the links will take you to specific Hot Tub/Spa manufacturers and retailers. Good information can be found, but its obviously going to be biased. I like this website for more general information: Hot Tub University. hottubuniversity.com/Lots of general buying information and reviews of specific brands. We own a Master Spas brand spa. www.masterspas.com/ We have this Twilight Series Spa: www.masterspas.com/twilight/ts-62We absolutely love it. It's our 2nd Master Spas, spa. Things to keep in mind (my personal opinion only) What is your budget? How many people will be using it? What are your space limitations? From there, you can start to prioritize the options that are "must have" vs "wants". There are things you can compromise on, other options are far more important and become "must have". Obviously, if you plan on having 5-6 people in at once - don't compromise on size unless the space it will sit in is limited. You will want space to stretch out and not have everyone feeling crowded. It's not relaxing! The number of jets and where they are located and positioned is very important. Make sure to read up about it! The number of pumps and size of the pumps is also something to consider. A lid with an "assist" is a must. A power lid would be nice, but adds to the cost. Then comes the fun part - what options do you want? While we had to go with a smaller tub, we did get a "lounge seat" that I love. My DH loves the deeper seat with the most jets. Ours has lights that change color - fun for night use. It also has a "waterfall" features - pretty - but not really a huge must have. Ours also has a built in bluetooth sound system. I can connect to my iPhone to play music or use the built in radio tuner. I use that all the time. Bottom line - research is your best friend in searching for the perfect spa for you. What's good for us, may be a dud for you! One other thing - I've not found any brand that has 100% positive reviews. They all seem to have issues spread across the years and models, plus the location and how you use and maintain your spa will greatly affect its performance and life cycle. ETA: Re: Maintenance There is some maintenance, no getting around that. However, if you do it on a regular basis, it’s easy and mostly painless. Some pointers: When you 1st fill it, your water chemistry will be dictated by your water source. Get test strips and use them regularly from day one. You’ll need pool/spa chlorine, and maybe PH minus or PH plus. Once you get your water balanced, it’s relatively easy to maintain as long as you test your water and not let it get too far out of range. routine maintenance will include purchasing some type of water conditioner that will keep the organic matter in the water under control. This can be very damaging to the spot if you don’t. The other expense will be the spa filters. We change ours out every spring and fall, and only buy new when absolutely necessary. Instead we purchase a filter cleaning chemical so we can use the filters again and again. It should be noted that we never pay full price for any chemicals or filters. Master spas always has a spring and fall sale that is usually either buy one get one or buy one get 1/2 off. This helps keeps the price down. You certainly don’t have to buy your brand of spas after products. However, it should be noted that the different brands of chemicals may vary in their percentage of active ingredients. Keep this in mind when you are making purchases. We use our spa from early spring to well into the fall usually around October maybe into November. Because it’s not enclosed we are not able to use it in the winter. We do not drain our spa, but do reduce the temperature but keep the circulation pumps going so the water doesn’t freeze. Periodically we will throw some chlorine in so the water doesn’t get too far out of balance. In the spring we will sometimes take out part of the water and put in fresh. But other than that we just start using it again with no problems. Hope this helps. When you say not enclosed so you can’t use it in the winter - what do you mean? We used our old one year round even in the snowy months and we are in Ontario. We plan to use the one we just purchased in the winter as well - and it will not be inside anything. It will sit right outside on the new deck support we are building for it. |
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pancakes
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Post by pancakes on Jun 22, 2020 5:31:59 GMT
Just make sure you’re on top of the chemicals and cleaning. I’ve gotten hot tub folliculitis before from a friend’s hot tub that she thought was well maintained, but clearly whoever they hired did a bad job. And you do NOT want hot tub folliculitis. It is horrible — painful, itchy, and looks like you have chicken pox or bedbug bites all over. Takes weeks to totally get rid of.
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Post by zuke on Jun 22, 2020 10:46:34 GMT
We find it very easy to take care of. Our new hot tub uses bromine instead of chlorine and we use a frog, which means there's a bromine cartridge that releases the bromine automatically. We add a capful of bromine on cleaning cycle every time we use the hot tub, and get it tested every month or so. And every so often we shock the water. About 4 times per year we replace the water. Honestly, it's been no problem with maintenance. We find ours very easy to take care of. We don't use chlorine. We use bromine. Ours came with our house so we didn't have a choice in style. Ours is for 6 people. It has all the molded seats. I'm not a fan. I find that I can't get comfortable in those seats. I would rather have a bench seat. |
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Post by Restless Spirit on Jun 22, 2020 12:16:26 GMT
I should have said “We are wimps”. LOL. Some years we use it until mid-November. By December the lower temperatures into the teens and below, plus negative temps with wind gusts and snow is just too much me. I’m old. Ha. Early in the fall/winter season when it’s just cold enough and there is a gently falling snow is one of my favorite times to use it. So peaceful.
I still haven’t figured out how to keep a hot towel or robe nearby. That would be ideal!
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Deleted
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Oct 31, 2024 23:02:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2020 12:21:12 GMT
We bought ours at the NY State Fair a few years ago. We live 15 minutes from the fair, but the dealer is 60+ minutes away. If I had it to do over, I would buy from a local dealer. We almost did that last year! I'm glad now that we didn't since DH got sick a few days afterwards.
Now we're back in the market and I'm so excited!
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Post by cakediva on Jun 22, 2020 12:26:37 GMT
I should have said “We are wimps”. LOL. Some years we use it until mid-November. By December the lower temperatures into the teens and below, plus negative temps with wind gusts and snow is just too much me. I’m old. Ha. Early in the fall/winter season when it’s just cold enough and there is a gently falling snow is one of my favorite times to use it. So peaceful. I still haven’t figured out how to keep a hot towel or robe nearby. That would be ideal! Ha ha! I'm SO wimpy - DH usuallly has to shovel the path to the tub for me and lays down a sheet on top of the snow. But this one will be a wee bit further out (our last one was two steps outside the back door, this one will be about 10 feet) so I'm VERY tempted to get a propane heater. I found it was just the getting IN that was hard. Once you are all warm from the tub the trip back to the house wasn't bad. While shopping this time I did see some accessories for towels & robes - not heated, but nice bars that you attached to the exterior of the tub. We ordered a MasterSpa as well - the Twilight 8.2 model. SO excited!! |
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Post by Restless Spirit on Jun 22, 2020 13:39:21 GMT
If you are short like me, invest in a “Spa Booster Seat”. Yeah, that’s a real thing. Ha. It allows shorter adults and kids to use those deeper seats and lounger seats and keep their heads above water. Very handy.
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Post by Jockscrap on Jun 22, 2020 22:38:07 GMT
For those of you who can’t persuade their SO to go for a spa, see if you can talk them into an inflatable one so you can see how much you’ll love a spa and use one.
We are now on year three of having an Intex spa and we absolute love it. It has far exceeded our expectations of how good it would be.
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Post by MaryPea on Jul 3, 2020 16:14:00 GMT
thank you all so much for the thoughts and tips! we order a Marquis spa today. It will take 4-5 months to come in (!!!) and the tips y'all shred were super helpful. * we sat in them at the store * hubby asked tons of questions about maintenance and how long they last * The salesman had one of those automatic covers and while is super nifty, it's also pricey! so we didn't get one because our budget is not unlimited  * we didn't get any loungers - the salesman was also not a fan, and we agreed 100% based on your input I"m going to start my own little countdown until the day it comes in. So excited! |
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