Adding a spa please help need advice.

[MrSmith47]

First I want to thank everyone that helped me over the summer with my first season of pool ownership. It went very well and the kids had a blast.

My wife and I did not however get to use it as much as we had wished. We were wondering if there was a way to add an above ground spa to our in-ground pools heater/pumping system? Or if we had to install an in-ground spa. Or if an inexpensive 2person above ground all in one was a better solution.

We closed the pool for the winter back in late September when school started and the kids would not be using it on a daily basis. But the wife and I would be interested in using a spa above or below ground daily before bed or early in the mornings.

What is an inexpensive solution to this problem?

We would like to work out the solution over the winter and have a plan to put into place during the spring/summer opening of the pool.

The way I see it currently is a stand alone plug and play 2person spa at 3k.
An integrated above grown spa cost unknown,
An integrated in-ground spa cost unknown.

Thank you in advance for any light you can shed on this issue.

sincerely

Mr Smith

 

[mas985]

I think you would be better off with a standalone spa that could also be used during the winter. No good reason to integrate it at this point.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Smithy,

I take it you have never used an in-ground spa? I suggest that you go sit in one for an hour and then go sit in a standalone spa for an hour... after you do that there will be no need to ask your question again.

While in-ground spas make pools look beautiful, they really do not have the features and luxury that can be found in standalone spas.. Based on your location it makes even more sense to have the pool and spa separate so that you can close the pool in the winter and still use the spa when you want..

My pool was build without a spa, and we just bought small three person (really a two fat person) spa. It has been one of the best investments I have ever made. My wife and I love it...

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[BMK]

X2 on the stand alone spa. While the look isn't quite as integrated, it isn't too difficult to tie it in with the overall landscape so it doesn't look like an afterthought. I trust you'll also find it will be your best value compared to the other options.

We have a 'weekend getaway' property up in what passes for mountains in these parts that has a stand alone spa. I can tell you that soaking in the tub with your favorite beverage on a winter evening with the snow falling and the water steaming is truly one of life's little pleasures...all the while the pool is winterized and quiet in it's long winter's sleep.

In addition to the advantages that others have said, there's one that owners, especially in colder climates, sometimes fail to consider...location and proximity to the house. In many cases, a stand alone spa can be located closer to the house than an integrated one. When the weather starts to get chilly, you don't want to have a long, freezing, slippery walk back in when you're done. We have neighbors that get very little use of their integrated spa outside the summer months for just that reason. It was their I-wish-we-knew-then-what-we-know-now story that prompted us to change our design on our current build to a stand alone spa.