Get a hot tub - where to start is there a sticky for where to begin?

[GCS]

Thinking about getting one.

Were turning our deck into a screened porch and may add a hot tub.

What do I need to know? What kind of support would we need under the deck? Are we better off placing it on the ground etc?

TIA

 

[Texas Splash]

Below is probably the best place to start.

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?

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

 

[cranbiz]

Thinking about getting one.

Were turning our deck into a screened porch and may add a hot tub.

What do I need to know? What kind of support would we need under the deck? Are we better off placing it on the ground etc?

TIA

A fully filled, 400 Gal hot tub will easily weigh over 4000 lbs then add in the weight of the occupants. Normal deck construction is not enough for proper support. I would build up the area the tub is planned for and then some. I would sister in 2x12 joists probably in a 10'x10' area, supported with 2 new doubled up 2x8 beams with 4x4 support posts set in concrete no more than 30" apart. This might be slightly over built but I would rather over engineer the supports than deal with a deck collapse.

 

[Lisa2901]

Thinking about getting one.

Were turning our deck into a screened porch and may add a hot tub.

What do I need to know? What kind of support would we need under the deck? Are we better off placing it on the ground etc?

TIA

I think it is better to choose a hot tub and accessories for it to begin with. To do this, read a few articles to understand exactly what you need. By the way, I know a good site with tips and articles about hot tubs (link removed TFP Mod). I think he deserves your attention.

 

[phonedave]

A fully filled, 400 Gal hot tub will easily weigh over 4000 lbs then add in the weight of the occupants. Normal deck construction is not enough for proper support. I would build up the area the tub is planned for and then some. I would sister in 2x12 joists probably in a 10'x10' area, supported with 2 new doubled up 2x8 beams with 4x4 support posts set in concrete no more than 30" apart. This might be slightly over built but I would rather over engineer the supports than deal with a deck collapse.

Please listen to this ^^^

Spas are HEAVY. Couple that with the fact that many decks are way underbuilt for normal use. Putting a hot tub on a deck without properly inspecting and reinforcing the deck is a recipe for disaster.

 

[wayner]

You don't mention were you live, but one thing that I did that is useful is that my tub is under my deck (the deck is on the first floor and the tub is by the basement walkout). This protects it from snow - depending on where you live that can be a consideration. You don't want to have to walk through snow to get to your tub.

 

[phonedave]

You don't mention were you live, but one thing that I did that is useful is that my tub is under my deck (the deck is on the first floor and the tub is by the basement walkout). This protects it from snow - depending on where you live that can be a consideration. You don't want to have to walk through snow to get to your tub.

My wife an I went back and forth on this decision. The deck protects the spa, and it does help if there is rain, but then you feel enclosed under the deck and cannot see the sky. Our solution is, 55 % of the spa is under the deck, 45% sticks out.

 

[wayner]

Mine is just barely under the deck so that you can still easily see the sky.

 

[GCS]

Please listen to this ^^^

Spas are HEAVY. Couple that with the fact that many decks are way underbuilt for normal use. Putting a hot tub on a deck without properly inspecting and reinforcing the deck is a recipe for disaster.

Not an issue. As the deck is being turned into a screened porch it is being redone in the project. Once the old deck boards are removed a 10x10 area is being reinforced with new footings in concrete and double joists to support the area. We still don't know if we are going to do this or not based on many factors but now is the time to get the deck straight if we are doing at any point since it will be partially torn up.

Throughout this whole process I have asked a lot of people about hot tubs and most of them are like yeah its awesome for a few months and then it sucks and nothing but a headache, big waste of space, money time etc etc. Makes me question the entire thing.

 

[wayner]

Some people use them and some don't. I have had my spa for about 14 years. Initially it was used a lot. When our kids were younger we kept the water temp around 99 and they used to use it as a "swimming pool". Now it is used left frequently, I use it about 2-3 times per week, and one of my daughters uses it about a couple of times per month.

I particularly like using the spa after I have played golf or work out.

 

[phonedave]

Not an issue. As the deck is being turned into a screened porch it is being redone in the project. Once the old deck boards are removed a 10x10 area is being reinforced with new footings in concrete and double joists to support the area. We still don't know if we are going to do this or not based on many factors but now is the time to get the deck straight if we are doing at any point since it will be partially torn up.

Throughout this whole process I have asked a lot of people about hot tubs and most of them are like yeah its awesome for a few months and then it sucks and nothing but a headache, big waste of space, money time etc etc. Makes me question the entire thing.

That is a good plan. I suggest that you run electric - or at least conduit - for power at that location for if you do eventually get a tub. Much easier to do now when everything is apart.

My brother and sister in law have had a hot tub for 10+ years - they use it 3-4 times a week (they also have a lake house so they are up there like 35 weekends out of the year, so clearly that cuts into hot tub time)

My mother and father in law have had a hot tub for over 12 years now (they are on their second). My mother in law uses it maybe once a month. My father in law is in it every single day

We have had ours for about 4 months now. We were using it 6 or 7 days a week, but now that it is 90+ degrees out, we use it 3 or 4 times a week and use the pool other times.

As far as time, money, etc. I spend about 5 minutes a day on hot tub maintenance. Chemical costs are negligible. Our electric bill has gone up, but it is hard to say how much. As I said it is now hot here, so the A/C has been running, but I replaced my central air this spring, so I have no idea how much energy that is using either. If I was really ambitious I would put a clamp meter on the hot tub (and A/C) but I am not that ambitious.

 

[cranbiz]

I'm on my second tub. The first one was used 4-5 days a week for several years. It went with the house. This one I have only had in place for a bit over a month and it's used 6 days a week. Will it still get this use in a year or two? I don't know but I can tell you that I'm not getting any younger and a 20 minute soak does wonders for arthritis and other aches and pains of being 62.

Normal maintenance is really easy. My tub runs the Frog@ease system right now (I will probably switch to the dichlor-chlorine method once my included supply of frog cartridges are gone, the frog system is really easy but it's not cheap runs about $74 over 3 months) and it's check the ph and chlorine daily (takes 2-3 minutes), shock it after heavy use right after getting out ( 2-3 minutes) and maybe 30-45 minutes on Saturday to do all the weekly recommended water tests and clean the filters.

 

[Mdragger88]

Here’s a good informational thread about what to look for in a new or used spa & the reasons why to consider used for your first spa from our resident spa pro @RDspaguy
See post #3

New or used Hot Tub / Spa research in a post lockdown world

I've been a TFP member for about a decade now when my family first dived in literally that long ago. We are now looking into a Hot Tub which I was happy to see there are plenty of forum posts. With the events that have happened in the last year plus, I have some questions to ensure the...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[GCS]

Thanks everyone its a lot to consider.

Electrical is not a problem as we are lucky that we have a crawl space and our deck is up off the ground enough to run wiring etc in the future but still a good idea.

In truth the wife and I would like to do it. The water testing, treating etc is not a big deal as we did it with our pool for years and this is on a much smaller scale obviously. I guess I am just being influenced by all the negativity from others about having one and it seems like no matter what everyone's tub has issues.

In truth we don't have 10k+ to drop on a big name tub right now so we would have to go cheaper and or used which worries me even more. I guess all of this just makes my brain hurt ya know.

And oh btw I feel fairly confident I would use it more than my wife. I have plenty of aches and pains at just 50 years old from multiple knee surgeries, back injuries etc from sports. And after a round of golf well lets just say I am useless the rest of that day and normally so sore the next that I wish I had not gone (well that and how poor I play too but I still play nonetheless, lol).

 

[cranbiz]

A hot tub is a long term investment. Pay $5K for a cheap one and replace it in 5 years or pay $10K for a good one and have it for 10-20 years. You can find a good used tub if you are very diligent but you could be buying someone else's nightmare. Most I saw in my local market were in poor shape, non functional and really old. You really need to see a used tub filled, heated and fully functioning. Also remember, no warranties on used even if still within the manufacturers original warranty period as warranties are only for the original purchaser.

I have been through this. My first tub was a 4 person (really 2 usable at a time), 110V at about $1.5K about 20 years ago. I was uneducated and bought strictly on price and it was really an impulse buy from a low end manufacturer. While we used it, it had a lot of shortcomings. We left it when we sold the house. This time, I originally thought I could do it for $5K and though research found the only $5k 5-6 person tub in my size constraints was again a low end tub from a less than stellar manufacturer, had poor dealer support and contracted out to any spa tech that would handle warranty claims. I did a lot of dealer visits ( which was difficult during covid), lots of reading and chose my new tub based on manufacturer quality, dealer support, customer feedback on the manufacturer, my feelings on how the dealer visit went and dealer in house service. I ended up choosing an Artesian Island series spa and couldn't be happier. I ended up at $9.5K with steps, cover, lifter, hand rail, startup chemicals and a years worth of Frog cartridges. So far, the dealer has been extremely responsive to questions and the service tech called me back within minutes when I called with a potential issue that was easily remedied with a 5 minute walk thru on bleeding an air bound pump. At my age, I really don't want to buy a replacement in 5 years.

Buy once, cry once.

 

[GCS]

Well I am kinda leaning towards a Bullfrog spa. Have a dealer in town and spent Dang near 45 mins on the phone with them and they were very nice and easy to talk to. Pretty said what you said i.e. we have a cheaper line (Dream something) that you can spend less on but it is entry level spa that you may or may not be happy with to start. I asked about BF since I had been researching here and other sites and he said they sell a lot of them and customers are very happy with them as well.

He took the time to explain the difference between the A and R series. R series is probably more our potential budget but A series does sound a lot nicer.

Will be visiting this dealer for sure as he was kind enough to take the time to answer my questions. Like everyone else they have no spas to sell (much less test) which kinda sucks. This is the case with other vendors in town as well.

 

[cranbiz]

Well I am kinda leaning towards a Bullfrog spa. Have a dealer in town and spent Dang near 45 mins on the phone with them and they were very nice and easy to talk to. Pretty said what you said i.e. we have a cheaper line (Dream something) that you can spend less on but it is entry level spa that you may or may not be happy with to start. I asked about BF since I had been researching here and other sites and he said they sell a lot of them and customers are very happy with them as well.

He took the time to explain the difference between the A and R series. R series is probably more our potential budget but A series does sound a lot nicer.

Will be visiting this dealer for sure as he was kind enough to take the time to answer my questions. Like everyone else they have no spas to sell (much less test) which kinda sucks. This is the case with other vendors in town as well.

Nothing wrong with a Bullfrog. Good quality spa. The reason Bullfrog wasn't on my short list was 2 fold. First was they simply didn't have a spa in my size constraints and that was a deal breaker. Second reason was the salesman at the dealer didn't know the products and was working from 2017 printed material. If the sales personnel can't give you accurate info and can't be bothered to have the latest info, I can't be bothered to spend my money there. It doesn't give my the warm fuzzies that the service department is any better either.

 

[Cousinvinny]

We went with a Bullfrog RL6 and so far we really like it. For us it was the removable jet packs, good warranty and reputation along with a good dealer that sold us on the brand. We got to test drive it before buying in the showroom after they closed. I had no idea how much they cost as it was the first time I shopped for a hot tub. I thought max 4-5k TOPS. Well, 5 months and 8k later and here we are, lol. I'm still sticker shocked but we really enjoy it. Like cranbiz said earlier, buy once cry once. Oh and I ditched the Frogease system and went the dichlor/bleach TFP method after the 1st drain/refill.

 

[phonedave]

I have an A6 with some upgrades (Ozone, second jet pump, etc)

It was not cheap, but after lots of looking and research I was confident in my choice. I have been very happy with it.

They gave me Frogease too, and when used up I am going to bleach di-cholr as well

 

[Smalone]

I bought a used Hot Springs and it was a great spa. I was told the avg monthly utilities cost is around $10. I would say that's probably about right. Definitely don't waste money on a cheap one.