Hot tub incorporated in to a pool design

[TCB]

Can anyone help me and give some pros and cons of putting a 3-5k hot tub out next to a pool versus putting a 10k spa attached? I would sink it a bit and build a nice stonewall on 3 sides or on all 4 sides.

Pros:
Cost 3-5k (spa 8-10k)
I will not have to get a propane 250-500 gal tank for the spa about $2,400 hot tub runs on 110v
Propane $2.50-3.50 a gal
Has 40-80 jets (spa has 4-6)
Don't need a $2,300 400,000 btu pool/spa heater plus the plumbing for it
Quicker to heat
The covers trap and maintain the heat better then the spa's
More LEDs
Waterfalls


Cons:
Chemical will have to maintain in two bodies of water
Will pay by the kW to heat it
The look next to the freeform pool design is not as sleek as the spa built in
Wife hates the idea!!!

Thanks for the help!

 

[jblizzle]

I completely understand where you are coming from. There are a lot more bells and whistles in the stand alone, but do not underestimate the annoyance of having to maintain 2 separate bodies of water.

Wife got a standalone spa and I said I was not going to maintain it. She wanted to use it over the winter ... it has now been sitting empty for over 3 months.

 

[JasonLion]

The standalone will need to be kept at temperature because it heats so slowly, and will end up costing far more for heat because of that. There are also structural and electrical issues with having it too close to the pool, will probably need to be at least 5 feet away.

 

[platipus]

@TCB

I am still in pre-planning but in the same boat as you and posed a similar question a few days ago. For me personally, I think a built-it spa is going to win because of the aesthetics. We really like the way perimeter overflows look, and there is no real way to do that with a pre-built hot tub that I have been able to find. The one thing I did come across were fiberglass tubs with a few extra jets (nothing near the high-end fiberglass stand-alones though.) With those you get a spillway you can then run to your pool, but not a full perimeter overflow which is what we are looking to do. Perhaps something like that would work for you though?

 

[grottoguy]

We were considers doing the same thing and even had a plan drawn up. THE PB said he could give us an overflow type of look as well. But we decided to get a separate hot tub and put it close to the pool but not incorporate it on that manner. I think a built in hot tub is not a hot tub- it is a gathering place for people to sit together. I prefer a stand alone hot tub that will feel so much better than a built in. If you have available budget I would suggest you do both but if you can only do one it is a question of what do you really want. Something that looks nice or something that will ease your aches.

 

[JasonLion]

built in hot tub is not a hot tub- it is a gathering place for people to sit together

Either kind can easily serve either purpose, it all depends on how it is designed and how you use it.

 

[TCB]

The standalone will need to be kept at temperature because it heats so slowly, and will end up costing far more for heat because of that. There are also structural and electrical issues with having it too close to the pool, will probably need to be at least 5 feet away.

Really everything I can find is standalone spas that are hooked up 220V will heat up approximately 6-8 degrees/hour. Spas hooked up 110V will heat up approximately 1-2 degrees/hour. My PB told me that it will take my attached spa 2-3 degrees/hour and use a couple gal of propane. Is that not the case?
Thanks for the input.

 

[JasonLion]

Your numbers for an electric stand alone spa are roughly correct. But an attached spa with an appropriate gas heater can be brought to temperature in roughly half an hour, or 60 degrees per hour.

 

[JayBauman]

Really everything I can find is standalone spas that are hooked up 220V will heat up approximately 6-8 degrees/hour. Spas hooked up 110V will heat up approximately 1-2 degrees/hour. My PB told me that it will take my attached spa 2-3 degrees/hour and use a couple gal of propane. Is that not the case?
Thanks for the input.

With a 400,000 BTU/hr heater, I can raise the temperature of my attached spa by more than 30° in less than hour.

 

[grottoguy]

Either kind can easily serve either purpose, it all depends on how it is designed and how you use it.

It is very unlikely that a PB can build a hot tub that has seventy jets and specialty massage features that you will find in many stand alone hot tubs. The question is not whether it could in fact be designed but rather whether a PB would even entertain the idea. And I tend to doubt it very much.

 

[TCB]

With a 400,000 BTU/hr heater, I can raise the temperature of my attached spa by more than 30° in less than hour.

That's a big difference....
Thanks

 

[pooldv]

We passed on the built in spa and bought a standalone hot tub for the patio. So, our hot tub is comfortable, covered and closer to the back door. All pluses when it is 20 degrees outside or raining. It is nice in the hot tub on a cold rainy night. It is also cheaper to operate, always hot and ready to go and we saved at least $10k, probably $15k, on initial cost.

But, your wife hates it is a big strike! The tub we bought was 110v convertible to 220v. We bought it Dec 2013 and I converted it to 220v in Jan because 110v could not keep the tub hot when it was 30ish outside. Heat loss was greater than heat production, so it got gradually cooler. It doesn't cost a lot more to run 220 to start with.

Since it is covered and not plaster it does not require as much maintenance as a pool. Mostly just minor ph tweaks with MA and add bleach every few days or when you use it. Plus, you already have all the stuff anyway.

Not sure what it costs per month to keep it hot 24x7 but it is not much. I didn't change my electric bill estimate in my budget spreadsheet, so maybe 20 or 30 bucks? It mostly runs for a couple of minutes every hour and 30 min every 12 hours. Plus, whatever time you are in it, I mostly just sit in it with it off, I like the peace and quiet. I think it draws less than 4000 watts. So, 4 kWh 2 hours per day at 12c is about $1 per day, 30 buck a month. 100 degrees all the time.