and now my wife wants a hot tub....

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B

Bertn

0
May 14, 2015
10
Ontario Canada sw
Finally I finished my diy inground pool last year and guess what,
today my wife said she would also like to have a hot tub.
This all started by someone in our town trying to sell their used hot tub for a very reasonable price.

I'm planning to put an addition on our house in the future and planned on incorporating a sauna and steamshower in the plans, but I guess that is not enough LOL.

So here some questions;
Can anyone from SW Ontario give me an idea about monthly operating costs for running pump and heating in summer and winter?
Don't really believe the advertised cost from my local hot tub dealer.

Also, has anyone "dug in" a regular hot tub, so it became a semi inground?
I don't have a whole lot of room left in my backyard so semi inground will look a lot better in my situation.
Lot is level so no grading to take advantage off.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Bert
 
Not sure about total cost because I just dont want to know :)


I went with a commercial type (read basic) it has air buttons and 3 led's, no waterfalls, no frog, it does have ozone but when that dies its done... Mine has a 6kw titanium heater, 1/8th hp continuous pump for circuation, 2, 2 speed, 2 hp pumps that will circulate all the water in a little over a minute :) it will stay at 105 degrees at 15 below 0.... I went with this type of hot tub because if anything breaks I can fix it and for my lifetime I can get parts from them for 40% off what they sell for...

I bought a floor model in July and saved 2300 dollars :) now would be a great time to get a tub...

there are better looking and more modern hot tubs, the problem I researched is the warranty and parts, some of those mainboards/motherboards can cost 2000 dollars and you pay the whole price after the warranty runs out....

this is close to my hottub, they have changed models.... Regeneration Versatile Spa | Country Leisure

these are some kewl looking tubs, basic and would probably go in the ground or a deck like in the photo
Cedar Hot Tub Gallery | Canadian Hot Tubs Inc.

these are the type that will cost $$$$$ if they die
Barrie Hot Tub Sales | Hydropool Swimming Spas | Hot Tubs for sale in Barrie | Georgian Hot Tubs | Barrie Ontario Hot Tub Sales and Service
 
tim5055 said:
I don't know of any tubs that can be semi inground as the side panels need to be accessible for maintenance.
Click to expand...

Tim has a point, when I say it can go in ground it does not mean like a pool, you would have to be able to get to all sides... you would have to dig a hole bigger than the tub and make a retaining wall or something and set the tub in the middle...

I would be much better to build a deck around the tub that you could get under when needed...
 
Operating cost is going to depend on the brand, size and quality of the tub, cheap tubs tend to be poorly insulated so cost more to maintain temperature than better built tubs. Having said that $20 per month on average is possible with a quality 3-4 person tub with a good insulated cover, assuming reasonable electric rates where you live.

ike

p.s. remember hot tub advertised seating capacity is sort of like the sleeping capacity of tents, for real world divide by 2
 
Thanks so far,

It will be a "cheap" tub since after the pool and the planned addition there is virtually no budget :)
But if it's poorly insulated I could fix that fairly cheap by adding more pu foam.

I don't know what it is, but I just like the looks better when it is (partially) inground, that's also why my kids have a 14ft inground trampoline LOL.
If it would be only $ 20 on average than I would be fine with it, but with the cold winters here I have a hard time believing that though.

Would be nice if only one side needed to be accessible for pump heater etc. if tub is put halfway in the ground.
Why do other sides need to be accessible? (I have no experience with hot tubs)


Isaac-1 said:
Operating cost is going to depend on the brand, size and quality of the tub, cheap tubs tend to be poorly insulated so cost more to maintain temperature than better built tubs. Having said that $20 per month on average is possible with a quality 3-4 person tub with a good insulated cover, assuming reasonable electric rates where you live.

ike

p.s. remember hot tub advertised seating capacity is sort of like the sleeping capacity of tents, for real world divide by 2
Click to expand...
 
We bought a tub for about 5k without lots of jets, maybe 20. Two speed pump. It is definitely less than 50 bucks a month to operate, could be 20 or 30. It is on a covered patio which is nice for sitting in when raining or snowing. It is about 7'x7' and says it seats 7 people which means that 4 people fit nicely.
 
I think your winters are a lot warmer than ours here in south western Ontario. Our winters are (too) long and cold..
That is mainly my concern.
Also a bit afraid that the novelty is going to wear off quickly and that the heated tub gets used once a month.

pooldv said:
We bought a tub for about 5k without lots of jets, maybe 20. Two speed pump. It is definitely less than 50 bucks a month to operate, could be 20 or 30. It is on a covered patio which is nice for sitting in when raining or snowing. It is about 7'x7' and says it seats 7 people which means that 4 people fit nicely.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, I'm sure your winters are a lot worse. But, last winter was cold for us, quite a bit of teens and even 10*f. The tub wasn't noticeably more expensive. We like getting in the tub when it is really cold out. We use the tub 4-5 days per week and often 7 days for a year and a half. Maybe in July or August we'll get in the pool in the morning instead of the tub. We have a tv in the patio and we'll sit in there watching tv for hours on the weekend.

I hate winter and want to move to the Keys and sell all my coats and pants! The hot tub actually makes winter much better for me. Hanging out in a 100* tub for an hour or so will make you warm for hours!
 
I'm in Burlington. We have a 7' square tub. I figure it runs about $40 per month or so in winter. If you aren't using it, you can set it to sleep mode and it will let the temp drop 20 degrees. We did this in February when it was really cold.

Ours is sunken into a deck so only about 10" sticks up. It is accessible from under the deck and from one side (where most mechanicals are).
 

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While most of the mechanicals are on one side of most modern tubs, having worked on several I can tell you it is many times easier to open the two adjacent sides rather than totally disassemble things to get to something in the back. I would not recommend burying it.
 
Thanks! that is helpful since you know the winters I'm talking about.
If you have the temp dropped and decide you like to get in the tub, how long does it roughly take to heat up to hot/normal?

carveitup said:
I'm in Burlington. We have a 7' square tub. I figure it runs about $40 per month or so in winter. If you aren't using it, you can set it to sleep mode and it will let the temp drop 20 degrees. We did this in February when it was really cold.

Ours is sunken into a deck so only about 10" sticks up. It is accessible from under the deck and from one side (where most mechanicals are).
Click to expand...
 
As a wife, and I'm not taking sides, but just saying - you mentioned earlier about the novelty wearing off. Well - I was the one that wanted the hot tub and it did. It's been drained for a year now and I don't even miss it. If you are installing a sauna and steamroom, which I think is totally cool, I would say live with that for a while and see if you really need the Jacuzzi. If you want a free used spa, I live in the PNW, maybe could drive it over to you and dump it off on the next visit to the relatives out east, lol. :)
 
Bertn, I'm originally from Ont. and now live in Grand Rapids. We get a LOT of snow. Probably more than you do! Electric bills not bad at all -- maybe 30/mo an I leave mine set at 104 year round.

Mine is a very old jacuzzi sport that runs like a champ and i use the hot tub every single day, winter or summer (have an arthritic condition and it helps.) I feel hot tubs are most easily maintained by people who will REALLY use em ;) I also think in some cases, simpler is better in terms of model.

I upgraded to a snow-load, heavily insulated custom fab cover, which helps.
I also have nearby access to an indoor faucet so topping up isn't really a challenge in winter...but it was more difficult at my old house. I don't lose tat much water now since finding and fixing a leak, but winter is long here and water evaporates, so its a consideration.

So with all of that said, is wife-who-wants-hot-tub the type to go out on a winter morn in a big ole robe with snow blowing to push broom snow off the cover, check the CHEMS, and have a soak?

Ask her, and ask her to maintain it...because nothng goes bad faster that hot tub water at high temps...ergo the USER needs to be the one to test and dose.

With these caveats, I will say there is nothing more beautiful than watching the sunrise from the tub while having a morning coffee or stargazing in both winter and summer late at night with a glass of wine ;) Its also great to come out of the (heated) pool on a cooler sumer night and hop into the hot tub to warm up more, then sit by the fire ;)

So maybe YOU would like it too!
Best wishes in your decision.
 
I live in Ottawa ON. My tub is Vortex brand (Austrailian company). The insulation consists of light coating on the shell and insulation and reflective foil along the inside of the cabinet. We use the tub almost daily. Costs are much higher than advertised. It costs about 30 per month in the summer and up to 90 per month in the winter. We keep the tub around 100 in the summer and 101/102 in the winter.

We definitely have a perfect storm of cold weather and high hydro rates!
 
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