Design and equipment questions

[TDB7942]

We are in Huntington Beach, Southern California. I am in the design phase of creating an IG jacuzzi in our backyard. I am hoping to manage the project and sub it out myself and am starting from scratch with zero knowledge of pools, etc. Don't roll your eyes yet :-D. I successfully designed and managed the total, complete tear down of our 3200 sq ft home in 5 months and on budget and without a GC so I am feeling very empowered :super:. Unfortunately my husband didn't think our home needed to be torn down and rebuilt as all he has ever wanted is a jacuzzi. So, I have saved some money and am set on making this happen. Is this the right place to post my questions about recommended jacuzzi size, equipment preferences, etc. If not just let me know. If so, does anyone have strong opinions on the following:

1)I understand that keeping the equipment close to the spa can save a notable amount of money, true?? If so, what part is expensive? and is there a "cost" for having it close (noise, smell, etc.) For example, if my choices are to have a long line from the gas to the equipment or a long line from the equipment to the spa I will be have to decide which is the least invasive, expensive, etc.
2)How much space should be reserved for the footprint of the pool equipment of a approx 8x8 in ground jacuzzi? I understand there are city restrictions on property lines, etc. but am wondering just about the footprint of the equipment.
3)Is there a general size threshold for a jacuzzi at which time you might as well have a pool because the cost/time to heat it, etc no longer makes it a quick easy resource? I understand there are some quick heat equipment options but price is a factor so I would love to be able to heat the spa in <30min or less and am willing to compromise on size before spending more on equipment.

Thanks to anyone who can provide help or support.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP

Unfortunately my husband didn't think our home needed to be torn down and rebuilt

That had me laughing ... currently in a similar situation where my wife decided to rip up 1100 sqft of carpet to stain the concrete below ... only to discover a tar-like substance that can not be removed from the concrete ... guess who now gets to install laminate flooring :x

1) I don't think closer is always cheaper. Often a longer gas line costs more than longer plumbing. Plus I would prefer to not have the pump as close so it is quieter while using the spa.

2) Depends a little bit if you are only going to have a single pump and filter and heater. Or a separate pump for the jets (likely the best option). Also the size of the heater ... realize that the larger the heater, the faster the spa will heat up, but also the larger gas line you need. You will use the same amount of gas to get the same temperature rise regardless of the heater size. Kind of a guess that the pad could end up being 4' x 8' on the large side (really the heater is likely the largest object), but could be smaller.

3) Well, a spa is always going to heat faster that a pool ... an 8x8 spa is probably less than 1500 gallons, a small pool is usually at least 10,000 gallons. Get the largest heater you can afford as that will speed up the time it takes to heat the spa.

 

[davelinde]

My wife is also contracting a pool build herself with zero prior knowledge of pools. We are half way and it looks that between this forum and the subs we picked she knew enough to get it done. I'll tell you in a few more weeks.

 

[TDB7942]

Thank you both and I will be interested in your experience davelinde as your project progresses. I am also trying to determine at what point there are diminishing returns on the size of a hot tub. I might be able to figure this out if I knew all the attributes of a heater (# of BTUs, hamster watts, etc.). I have a feeling that there is an "optimal" size per "heater grade" but don't know what features makes one heater more competitive than any other or at what point it makes sense to upgrade to a particular feature. Any tips on what to look for?