makes and models of hot tubs

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

I'm thinking of buying a nice home model in the next year. who has what, how do you like it, ease of maintenance, features you love/hate...

I'm mostly looking for the therapeutic benefits - great jets, interchangeable, good water force from them

It'll be indoors'ish with a floor of some type probably special built for it and year round gazebo built around it. I have dreams of using it next winter, especially if Snowzapalooza happens again... sounds like a perfect day off.

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

We have owned hot tubs and spas since the 80's. The last one is a Hot Springs Solana. Its a 300 gallon tub that runs off 115 volts. The electrical cost to operate is low and cleaning is easy. It would fit in a corner as it is tri-angled shaped. It does lack music, lighting displays and waterfall but does have colored lighting option. Jets are fine and there is a rotovator on one side.
We did enjoy the tubs with our friends in years past but now we like the privacy of the small tub. Like anything, I find I don't use it as much as when we first bought it. This year from fall to now I may have used it twice. Our kids and grandkids use it more than me.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Be sure that it really truly is what you want.

Over the years almost every friend of ours who has installed one has found they use it a lot this first year, then progressively less thereafter. And within five years they have regard it as a bad investment.

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

We found a hot tub to be a lot of work and a lot of expense. We had an 8 seat Master Spa. We were constantly replacing parts. When the warranty ran out, that became expensive. We needed to drain and clean it quarterly which was a big job and not fun in the winter. The filters were also very expensive to replace. We also had to replace the cover or lid but ours was outside so maybe that is why it did not last as long as we expected. We found an online retailer that had the best deals on supplies and flat rate shipping. They are still in business but I don't know if they still have the best deals, if you get one, try spa depot dot com for cleaning supplies and filters.

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

awesome feedback, thanks all!!

I figured it could be a maintenance nightmare. we aren't looking for giant party model, just 2 of us, located off the master. Not sure we care about lights and built in stereo and all that crap - more parts to break!!

I believe we would use it a lot as boyfriend is chronic pain patient and I suffer from previous car accidents and stressful job. I'm also ex-competitive swimmer, so for me, hot tub = RELAX NOW. bathtub doesn't do it, can't stretch out and float. jetted tubs are ok but jets by and large crappy, not interchangeable, not in right place for my back, etc.

frequent draining in winter would be problematic, tho the house we're looking at buying would have convenient sewer access from tub, 20 feet or so.

I did wonder about the lid needing to be a bit ... substantial. The plan would have the thing under shelter and enclosed but full plan would take time, I would want a good topper for it, especially for frequent use, lid would be moved a lot.

thanks for the tips, more points to research!!

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

The lid was another reason we went with the solana. Its light enough that my wife or 9 year old grand daughter can handle it. Also, hot springs makes a ceramic filter that you pop into the dishwasher so you don't need to purchase 3 filters every year. If you learn how to use the spa chemicals you will rarely ever need to empty the spa. We empty ours once a year.

As far as floating in a solana it might be too small. You should go to a dealer and sit in one to see if you like it. As far as using the spa for pain it does help but a infrared sauna works better, imo. We have both and my wife has used the infrared for shoulder pain way more than the spa. Both are large enough for the two of us. Again, the kids and grandkids use the sauna more than us and occasionally a family member will use the sauna or spa.

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

The point about the chemicals could be the key to more enjoyment and less work. We used a non-chlorine method from the spa depot people. It didn't occur to me that maybe switching to chlorine could have helped. After 3 months our spa was more like a bubble bath with all of the foam that was created as soon as the jets came on.

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

Back in the day when our adult friend hoped into our party tub we would always get the foam. I changed water often back then. Foam is usually caused by soap in the clothing. Women and their body lotions and oils cause the residue. Thats one reason we went to a small tub. Ours is a two seater now and if we wear swimwear in the tub it is speedo and bikini.

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

I agree with everything that has been posted here. Hot Springs, check. Light and easy to use cover, check. We preferred Chlorine over the Bromine or alternative choices. Wish I had known about a ceramic filter. DH usually took ours out and cleaned them with the pool acid and put them back in. Energy suck and bills to complement that. (But I live in California) Heating element broke..out of warranty and it sits. I don't miss it. I'm sure DH does as he was the main user. One of the kids acquired Hot Tub folliculitis although we were meticulous about cleaning...he never went back in. I thought we were being smart (jet wise) and energy efficient by not adding it to our pool and buying a stand alone. I was a fool. (But I do have solar heating for the pool and it's currently hot tub temperature with the cover on...so maybe only half a fool. It's only May and I can swim in nearly 90 degree water)

[Tommyboy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tommyboy]

We have an @Home Dream (made by Dimension One), about 11 years old. We do not use it a lot but it really helps after those tough days. When the weather is hot (almost never here near Morro Bay), we don't use it.
The cost runs around $25 a month and a few dollars for chemicals. We use Baqua Spa stuff except that I put in hydrogen peroxide (3%) from Costco instead of the higher priced 6% from Baqua. We change the water a couple of times a year, when it gets cloudy from the lotions and soaps. The initial cost was around $4500 and I did all of the wiring and setup to keep costs down. Not a high end model, only one pump and no radio or extras. We mostly don't even fire up the jets. The Grandkids love it and would use it every time they come over if we let them.
Tom

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

A comment about chemicals - writing as someone who was trained as a public health engineer and spent the first ten years of my career in water treatment and sanitation.

With warms temperature that are close to the same temperature as the human body, spas and hot tubs (and hot springs for that matter) provide fertile ground for pathogens to thrive. Mammalian pathogens are opportunistic, and one of their evolutionary strategies is to colonize warm water locales and await their opportunity. If you have a hot tub or spa, the only thing that keeps it from being a pathogen incubator is your maintenance of the unit.

There really is no better chemical for disinfecting water than chlorine - hypochlorous acid. Anything else you use will be less effective. Yes, chlorine can be irritating and there are "gentler" alternatives. But the reason chlorine is irritiating is because it is effective; the gentler alternatives are gentler because they are not as chemically active - which is a euphemism for saying that they are not as effective. If you want something that works effectively as a microbicide, you must accept that it will be chemically active, and hence irritating. Any trade off you make for a less irritating chemical than chlorine will mean a sacrifice in germicidal strength.

And if you're using chlorine, pH control is critical. Chlorine is 100 times more effective as a disinfectant at pH 6 as compared with pH 8. If you let your pH go above 7 your wasting chemical, and if you let it go to pH 8 you would be better off using an alternate, such as bromine.

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

We're ok with maintenance, we expect it. Since it is 2 of us, very easy to enforce house rules like Shower First to prevent some of the extra gunk. I spent eons as a lifeguard and maintaining proper balance is very important. Also makes me absolutely fine with chlorine.

I do prefer water over sauna. I dig heat as therapy but the water is nice moist heat and buoyancy helps the back problems vs sauna which is really just sit and sweat. I like saunas if I'm trying to sweat out a cold or some such (in which case it's really not cool to use a hot tub) but for aches and pains, it doesn't help me much. Cheaper, less space, etc., but, would never hit the same mark as a strong jet pointed right at my trouble spot.

I have to say, I really liked having a sauna in-unit at French Lick Villas. I would definitely return in winter.