Potential newbie here. Pull up a chair for some dumbest questions

[joseywales]

One door closes another opens. Wife/I spent three hours today taking down our 18' above ground pool. I'm tempted to try a hot tub.
We have a gas Raypak 200,000 BTU heater. Can't make use of that, correct?
I had a very good grasp of pool chemistry, is hot tub any more difficult, or more "finicky"?
Kids are late teens and I'm looking for less chores, not more. I feel like a hot tub is easier to maintain, since leaves, etc. aren't an issue and there's always a cover on. Naive?
What, if any, hot tub challenges replace the pool chores?
How many days, if any, can a hot tub be ignored? We like to go away for a week, or less, just curious.
It's in my signature, but I'm in SE Pennsylvania
Thanks for any insight.

 

[Mdragger88]

One door closes another opens. Wife/I spent three hours today taking down our 18' above ground pool. I'm tempted to try a hot tub.
We have a gas Raypak 200,000 BTU heater. Can't make use of that, correct?

Only if you get another pool or sell it for $$$

I had a very good grasp of pool chemistry, is hot tub any more difficult, or more "finicky"?

The chemistry basic principles are the same - the bather load differs tremendously.
2 or 3 people in a hot tub for an hour is akin to having a frat party in your pool. Same rules apply- if fc drops below minimum for your cya bad things happen. funky & dangerous stuff proliferates rapidly in the warm environment of a hot tub
The aeration is also quite different from a pool requiring that you keep a much tighter eye on ph.

Kids are late teens and I'm looking for less chores, not more. I feel like a hot tub is easier to maintain, since leaves, etc. aren't an issue and there's always a cover on.

Sorta - the manual scooping, netting, & vacuuming portion of maintenance is almost completely removed because of the cover while other things mentioned below require more attentiveness than a pool.

Naive?

Perhaps

What, if any, hot tub challenges replace the pool chores?

Keeping fc above minimum at all times by adequately accounting for bather loads & standby fc losses. Testing before & after soaking or at least daily if the tub is unused can give you a good understanding of what your fc needs are .
Keeping ph in the 7’s.

How many days, if any, can a hot tub be ignored? We like to go away for a week, or less, just curious.

A few, if fc was raised high enough before your absence. I have gotten 5 days by raising to slam level but I am not sure I would have made 6 or 7.
If you vacation regularly a swg is your answer for feeding your hot tub chlorine whether you’re home or not.
Ph still needs to be maintained as well but a week away is not a big deal there.

It's in my signature, but I'm in SE Pennsylvania
Thanks for any insight.

If it gets quite cold there you would want a 220v tub not a 110v.
Here’s the guide for hot tubs if you’re looking for homework

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa or Hot Tub?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.troublefreepool.com

Fwiw- I love my hot tub & if the pool were gone I’d still want one. There is a learning curve as the ebb & flow is different than a pool.
One thing is that if it gets unmanageable/funky you can purge, drain, & start over fairly easily.
If you decide you’re about that hot tub life- post up the ones you’re shopping for & there’s plenty of folks here to steer you towards the best options. The only dumb questions are the ones you don’t ask

 

[JoyfulNoise]

A hot tub is kind of like getting a puppy … you’re going to have some sleepless nights. Or maybe it’s like adding another teenager to your home. Either way, if you get rid of the pool and add on a hot tub, I think your chore list will be unchanged … just different chores.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

And another point - hot tubs don’t lend themselves to DIY repairs very easily. The plumbing in them is funky, everything is crammed into a small space and you often have to craft your own tools to get exactly what you need done. It’s kind of like a teenager with ADHD hyped up on RedBull and NoDoze assembled it … once you figure out the insanity that went into the thought process, it all makes sense … sort of …

@RDspaguy will be you new best friend on TFP …

 

[RDspaguy]

It’s kind of like a teenager with ADHD hyped up on RedBull and NoDoze assembled it

Hey now...

 

[joseywales]

oookay then
Well, as far as tools, I have to believe I have or can craft them. I've got micro ratchet sets, drill chuck on the end of a 2 foot flex cord, and all sorts of weird tools I've acquired over the years.

We have NG there for the pool heater, but would need 220 and that's likely going to require a new box. I'm simply out of room and actually need to upgrade anyway, to increase my garage/shop to 20AMP, especially since we want a fridge and a freezer there.

Hmm...

 

[Methuselah]

Heater elements are expendables (expensive pumps might be expendable at some point too), filter needs weekly cleaning. And when they break it will be in the dead of winter and when plumbing freezes and breaks, you get to dig through foam to find and fix.

I suggest buying used if the answers struck a nerve

Almost forgot, about $1 a day electric bill...

 

[Mdragger88]

Heater elements are expendables (expensive pumps might be expendable at some point too), filter needs weekly cleaning. And when they break it will be in the dead of winter and when plumbing freezes and breaks, you get to dig through foam to find and fix.

I suggest buying used if the answers struck a nerve

Almost forgot, about $1 a day electric bill...

I only clean my filter monthly - i just spray it with water. Unless something happens, like fabric softener, sunscreen, or hair conditioner.
It gets an Ahhsome bath at purge time.

 

[JoeSelf]

I'd look at used. I was in the dealer earlier in the month and the prices are 7k higher for my model in a year. Price went up 2k a month after we purchased. At least wait times have gotten much better.

 

[phonedave]

I'd look at used. I was in the dealer earlier in the month and the prices are 7k higher for my model in a year. Price went up 2k a month after we purchased. At least wait times have gotten much better.

I thought I paid a lot 2.5 years ago. I looked at what mine would now cost new - insane.

 

[phonedave]

A hot tub is kind of like getting a puppy … you’re going to have some sleepless nights. Or maybe it’s like adding another teenager to your home. Either way, if you get rid of the pool and add on a hot tub, I think your chore list will be unchanged … just different chores.

I find my hot tub to require frequent, but small chores (5 minutes 4 or 5 times a week). My pool is only 2 or 3 times a week, but depending on what needs doing, it can be an hour or more.

 

[The Mule]

Our hot tub requires 3 minutes a day to check the sanitizer level after we get out and add an ounce or two of bleach. Then once a week I clean and replace the filter, and wipe down all the above and below water surfaces. After that, figuring I have loosened up a bunch of crud, I give an extra dose of bleach. ( I have three filters, so I can rotate them out and always have a clean one ready to use.) Water gets changed every 2-3 months, at which time it gets purged with Aahsome.
If I have to go away for more than 2 days, I put a floater with bromine tabs in it. Total time is 3 min a day, plus 20 min once a week, and 2 hrs or so every 2-3 months doing a water change.

 

[Mdragger88]

I want to add that I do feel the ROI (for manual labor) is higher for a hot tub than a pool simply because I can & do use it year round & I feel that I definitely use it & enjoy it way more than I have to “attend” to it. Which is not always the case with a pool.