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You might be able to get one from Costco for $5k. But if you need any type of extra service, a dealer will cost more like $8-10.
I recently purchased a house in Snowmass. The previous owner paid a Sundance dealer $700 to remove the old tub. Right before we closed, we got 3 feet of snow and they wanted more for the snow removal. I told them to just wait till spring.
I ended up with a Sundance Select Series Victoria. Their most energy efficient model with a lounger. Sundance and Jacuzzi brands are identical.
I paid about $10k, but I got a year of maintenance because I had a renter.
I didn’t get speakers either. I just use a UEboom Box. But you do have to crank them up, because the tubs are pretty loud.
I have had a Calspa since 2002, one of the better made brands. Hot Springs is another highly rated brand.
Plan on replacing the cover every 5 years or so. I use Nature II cartridge for water chemistry. Ozonator helps too but at some point it will need replaced also.
They are worth the $$$$ IMHO, I also do shift work and getting in the tub after a long stint makes things much better. Of course a big day on the slopes, river or trail is much soothed by tub time.
I’ve had an Artesian spa for about 7 years now; one of my better purchases in life. The biggest difference I’ve noticed in a generic tub vs a $10-12k tub is jets. Make sure you get lots and lots of jets. Mine has somewhere in the 60-70 range split between the 5 seats. Staying at rental places with the generic tubs, they will have maybe 12-15 total in the whole thing. Makes a hudge difference.
Ozonator is also key. I wouldn’t bother with the built in stereo, seems like one more thing that can potentially go wrong, and a waterproof Bluetooth is just as good and easy to replace. And yeah, it’s loud when all the jets are on.
And like ScottyB said, expect a bit of maintenance, new cover every 5-6 years, they ain’t cheap! My last one was $700, but I went for the ultra deluxe super insulated 4000 model.
Led lighting is kinda cool sometimes.
Pick a good spot where you can see the stars too.
Like almost all things in life, spend more money up front and you’ll have less problems down the road.
I miss my hot tub. Used to go out and have coffee in the morning in it before I started my day. But, alas, we built it into the deck in the old house so we couldn't take it along when we moved.
Seems like it was ~7k for a pretty full featured unit with lots of jets, led lights, and music. Be ready for the electric bill to jump a bit also. Ours cost at least an extra $75 a month to run during the winter.
I'd get another one in a heartbeat if we had a good site for it in this house.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1787cccc30.jpg
Like this? Favorite way to start the day.
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Question/Comment:
I've always found the noise of hot tub jets distracting and anything but relaxing so if an when I ever sat in one I left them off which people claim defeats the purpose - actually had a bitch of a woman go off on me at a club once for asking if we could leave the jets off while I finished soaking (I was already in the tub alone when she join me).
So am I alone in my disdain of the jet noise or was that woman right that there is no point if you don't use the jets?
You would like the traditional Japanese hot tubs. Super retro too!
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...56867d8957.jpg
Whichever hot tub you buy, make sure to get the time machine option. Totally worth it.
https://reelfreak.files.wordpress.co...e-original.jpg
We spent more on materials to build a concrete pad and 220V wiring for our tub than the tub cost (we did everything but the concrete truck ourselves)... but that is because the wife found a kickass used 5 person 330gal 26jet tub on the local FB group for $600 and the guy had a flat bed and 4 dudes deliver it for $100 more.
So in 2.5 years, we've spent $250 to have a shop replace the pump and $500 on a new fancy cover when the old one got janky and the electric bill d/t hot tub rose from ~30/mo to ~90/mo.
The pad/wiring cost more than the tub. Yearly electric + part cost as much as the tub... but only because we got a CHEAP used tub!!!
I am thinking of adding an ozonator to the hot tub before snow gets deep.
Best home improvement ever... fuck counters and bathrooms... hot tub!
I love the jets. The wife doesn't. The jets stay off half the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by KQ
Mine has a low and high power, you can still have a conversation on low, it's harder on high. Most better tubs will have air injection which increases the force from the jets with out greater noise. It will also cool the water a bit.
The jets are really the heart of a hot tub, no jets and you might as well just be in a bath tub.
Another pro tip is look for a tub with a therapeutic rating, ie more jets arranged in ways to stimulate various muscles.
My tub has a lounger and 5 additional seats all of which are different in jet layout.
I'm going to get all the jets.
$5-6k will put the top end brands and models out of reach (except on a screaming sale). But it puts you right in upper end of the midrange, a sweet spot for almost any product. I've owned CalSpas and been really happy with them, and your budget will put you in one of those. Salespeople will focus on all the wrong shit, no surprise there. What you want to focus on is just a few things:
(1) number of jets matters, though the difference between 60 and 70 is irrelevant; the deployment/arrangement of those jets is what the salespeople try to pitch, but until you know what you really love in a hot tub, it's irrelevant;
(2) motors, you want two (or more); spa motors cost a few hundred dollars and they WILL wear out, rebuilding and eventually replacing them is a maintenance item, but having two of them greatly extends their life (and the second one will probably not wear out for a good decade or more), and also gives you two zones for jets; size also matters, moving water is hard work, more hp is better; unfortunately, quality is more important than power, but there is almost no way to evaluate motor quality because everyone rebrands the motors as their own;
(3) ozonator is good;
(4) ease of filter removal/replacement matters but most of them are pretty easy; more filters is better than fewer but my last spa used only one and it wasn't a big deal, just needed cleaned slightly more frequently;
Some other random advice:
(5) when buying at a spa dealer (which I recommend) there is always room to negotiate, if not on price then on accessories, chemicals, delivery fees, filters, etc.; for accessories the ones you really need (unless you want to make your own) are steps, cover, and some version of a spa-lift (most of these are simply a bar that make it much easier to raise and lower the lid);
(6) speaking of chemicals you don't need any of that extra crap they'll try to sell you. You need chlorine or bromine, some kind of "shock" treatment; and baking soda to adjust ph. A cheap test kit is fun, but eventually you learn to evaluate water quality on your own. And if you use chlorine and find yourself out of it on a weekend (which is pretty much the only time you run out), clorox works great in the short term.
Have fun.
https://www.arcticspas.com/arctic-spas/frontier/
# of pumps, jets, onzon (salt) and insulation are key. A 6 person frontier will run about $12K
Quote:
Originally Posted by KQ
My wife is the same way, She likes the jets on, but enjoys the quiet as well; so yeah, jets about half the time when the wife is in the tub.Quote:
Originally Posted by Summit
I do enjoy the quiet of sitting out there in a snowstorm though.
What do I need to do to get 220V to the tub area? I have a household electrical panel inside, on a wall near where I would put a tub outside. How do I determine whether it can be wired in through that panel or if something more involved is needed?
Been thinking about getting a hot tub for a while. Just haven't done anything about it yet.
50-60 amp load center (depends upon # of pumps) w/in 25' of tub.
Attachment 214803
Like jets, but hot tubs can be good without them.
Why do you think they're called a "Soak n Poke"?
I just want to move somewhere really close to some hot springs.
I think the easiest way to tell if someone has not tried to have sex in a hot tub is if they joke about it like it is a good idea.
If you have 200 amps to the house, and your house is neither a 5000sqft mcmansion with electric baseboard nor running an industrial operation of some kind that draws lots of juice, you can start with that panel, as long as it has room for another double breaker. If yo'ure not sure, ask in the PR, quite a few sparkys in here.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Chupacabra
A subpanel is required to comply with code in most places. Size the cable for the subpanel breaker you'll need (which depends on the spa, but if you believe in building for eventualities, wire for 60amp , copper is cheaper than redoing the job later).
Maybe pour a bottle of baby oil in first? And make sure it is not your tub.Quote:
Originally Posted by Summit
GFI panel, usually 50amp. I had to replace this on my setup a few years ago due to the GFI wearing out.
I've stayed in this chalet in Fernie. I tried to dig up a photo, but can find the drive that its on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by reckless toboggan
If you have a means to move it and the technical ability to replace a pump or heater, consider buying used...
It's pretty common to see them cheap on CL... maybe the pump to died, homeowners sold the house, new owner wants nothing to do with a dead tub, wants it gone cheap.
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This. Used tubs are so cheap that if you're at all handy, you can end up with a nice tub for well under a grand.Quote:
Originally Posted by nickwm21
If going new, go for space versus features. Ive always gotten great deals on hot tubs. Skip the built in stereo and tv stuff since that crap always seems to break on people. A basic hot tub can be had for cheap if you go light on features. Want the sparkly waterfall with a flat screen tv, built-in bar, snack dispenser and special bj nozzle, then be prepared to pay out the nose. I got my last hot tub for free in exchange for a computer repair. Just needed to refinish the siding and swap the pillows. Easy peasy! Been working great for years. (They are super easy to repair for what it's worth)
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Hotsprings tub. Not cheap but was worth it for us. Well above 6k though... try around 10k ish size dependent. Go bigger than you think.
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Mine is a Tiger River Spas. Same factory/materials/quality as Hotsprings just minus some features to save $. Super high quality build... why my used one is gtg!Quote:
Originally Posted by skinipenem
Quite true! Way too many people get dinky hot tubs. When a hot tub description states it's for 5-6, it's more like 4 realistically. Kind of like how tents say they're an "4-man" tent when you're looking at a tiny dome tent.Quote:
Originally Posted by skinipenem
Also screw getting it online or at Costco. Support your local retailer since they'll let you try it out, help you, and you can really see what you're getting beforehand. They'll often treat you well on price if you give them the opportunity.
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Size... I mean... yea its like a tent... a 3 person tent is what you want if you don't want to spoon with the other person, but a 2 person is fine with your intimate partner.
It's not like a public hot tub. Who are you and your SO getting in the 6 person hot tub with? 4 fatass strangers where grazing elbows is icky? Or 2 drunk couples who you are very close friends with?
I am with KQ on this. I find the jets to be a distraction. I bought one for my house in Missoula, had it built into my deck. I deliberately bought one with minimal jets, plus no fancy seats. Just a big round tub similar to that Japenese one posted above, just made of rubbery plastic, not wood. Soooooo relaxing just sitting in there with steaming hot water up to my chin and watching the stars.Quote:
Originally Posted by KQ
Edit to add: added almost 100 bucks a month to my electric bill. (Montana has expensive electricity)
We have a Jacuzzi J335 and have been very happy with.
- Avoid no name brands.
- As they say there is not much more expensive than a free (or cheap) hot tub.
- Cot to fill it is about $25.00 in our water bill, 3-4 times a year.
- Electric cost is about $20/mo.
- The more you use it, the better the water stays
- Avoid all body oils and and detergents in clothing...avoid all clothing
- Helpful site: https://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/forum/
thisQuote:
Originally Posted by Summit
I'm thinking more the wife and her girlfriend after too many drinks, and then limited space is a good thing!Quote:
Originally Posted by scottyb
Plus I am sinking it into a deck, and don't want to eat up too much deck space.
XactlyQuote:
Originally Posted by scottyb
I've had 7ppl in our 5 person tub and it was fine. Just had to add water the next day
A lot of water can get "splashed" out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Summit
Holy crap. Mine is on the larger size at 500 gallons, I’m no mathematician, or dentist, but that sounds really expensive. And I try and do every 2 months. Oh so good and fresh [emoji51]Quote:
Originally Posted by Flexon Phil
Water chemistry is paramount in a spa. This is very similar to the BBB method in swimming pools.
https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/i...in-a-nutshell/
If your careful with your chemistry, you really shouldn’t have to change your water more than twice a year.
Yes, you need a Taylor K-2006 test kit.
https://m.ebay.com/itm/K-2006-TAYLOR...%257Ciid%253A2