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Do you own a back yard hot tub?

#21
When I worked for a trade show production company, we did some home and garden shows and always had to limit the number of hot tub dealers to avoid it becoming a hot tub and other stuff show and they always did tons of business at the shows, because they sold their tubs at ridiculously low fire sale prices. The point of this ramble is IME there is an obscene markup on hot tubs at the retail level. If you decide to buy, look for a hot tub industry trade show or home builders show open to the public, or hold a dealers feet to the fire if you can’t find a show special.
Also, be aware a lot of hot tub dealers are in the business of writing second mortgages on homes using hot tubs and other “home improvement” scams as an excuse to do so. Those types will sell you the junkiest crap known because once they write the second, they don’t care what happens. It’s a safe bet you will get sub par products, shoddy workmanship on the install, and completely ignored post sale.
 
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#22
I've owned a hot tub, it came with the house I bought. I enjoyed it. Then, one day, I turned on the thing and went to look at the electricity meter. It was spinning so fast the numbers were blurry. I ended up getting rid of it. I had spinning dials flying around in my nightmares like clocks.
 
#23
I've got most of one I picked up cheap on craigslist. I either need to reduce the diameter or buy/make some new staves for the ones that got burnt. That is a snorkel hot tub, named for the wood-burning snorkel stove that heats it, which was destroyed along with a number of staves when the previous owner lit a fire in a block of ice and let the water in the ice pocket around the stove boil off, at which point the staves next to the stove caught fire. Normally (with the whole tub of water as liquid ) that's not a problem. I obviously haven't set it up yet.

Wood for heat would solve one of my general issues with hot tubs - Heating can be a huge expense of owning one -- fussing with water chemistry is more of a hassle than a large expense. For me, wood is the price of picking it up (and, i suppose, paying the taxes I'd pay anyway on the land I pick it up from.)

The "simple wooden tank" approach to being a hot tub removes many of the issues of "the usual plastic things" - no external plumbing, no jets with holes in the shell to leak. There's a drain plug, and there's joints between boards that swell shut in a manner understood for hundreds or thousands of years.

Depending on your intent of use, putting a deep soaking tub inside the house may be more practical and cost less, or get used more - or not. I ran some PEX heat tubing under/around my deep tub inside the house with an eye to being able to keep it hot without constantly adding hot water, and I also insulated around it very well, but that's incomplete as yet, too.
 
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#25
I've had mine for about 6 years and it sits on my deck 15 ft from my bedroom door, which is nice this time of year. I use it nearly everyday and wouldn't be able to function without it. I got mine for less than half off because the company needed it out of their building to make room for next year's models. As a matter of fact, I'm getting in it within the hour.
 
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#26
We have a hot tub on our back porch in the poconos.

My girlfriend loves getting tanked in it (alcohol hits you much harder) and when kids come over they like playing it and taking craps in it.

Personally I think its just hot dirty bathwater no matter how much you clean it, and the maintenance is not something I'm a fan of.
 
#27
There are significant differences between a hot tub installed 15 years ago and a new one today. They are built better, use far less energy, and have far more features that make them easier to use and maintain today.

We have an Artesian hot tub. It was installed by a company called Backyard Masters during the summer, who have been around for 40 years. It is the top of the line model and requires 220v - 60a service. We have a Tesla solar system and power wall. The hot tub has no effect on our electric bill. It is smart enabled so it will drop the water temp when not in use. All we need to is say "Hey google, warm up the hot tub" and by the time we are ready it's ready. It replaced a tub that was 12 years old. The difference is remarkable.

We also have heated mats from the patio door to the tub for the winter. The deck is covered but the tub is in the open. It has it's own lighting and I have a camera that watches it 24/7. When not in use it has a built-in hard cover that retracts electrically.

It gets used several times a week, sometimes more. Between family, friends, and parties, someone is in it all the time.
 
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#28
GeneralElectric said:
We have a hot tub on our back porch in the poconos.

My girlfriend loves getting tanked in it (alcohol hits you much harder) and when kids come over they like playing it and taking craps in it.

Personally I think its just hot dirty bathwater no matter how much you clean it, and the maintenance is not something I'm a fan of.
Click to expand...
TMI ;)
 
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#29
yep, I have one, 4 person, 120v model. Takes a day to heat to 100. I dont keep mine hotter than that. Worth it ?? not really. Easy to maintain, I use frog products. I had to replace the control board this year $259.00 Isolated line, surge protector, etc. Granddaughter stood on the cover and broke the foam. $359 to replace. How often do I use it? Since June we (me & wife) have been it 3 times. She dont want to get her hair wet,,,,Ever had a above ground pool ? You see them in back yards unused all the time, Same for hot tub. Since june I have spent $450.00 on filter, chemicals, circuit board, about to need another chemical kit, $50.00, Plus eventually another cover $350.00. SO, $500.00 in repairs/maintenance since June, used 3 times. I would say not worth it.
 
#34
I really like my Master Spa hot tub, reliable, efficient and easy to maintain. I'm the only person who uses it and never get in it if I'm funky, so easy to keep it clean. Especially after 3 hour band practice. I don't use it as much during the Summer
 
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#35
We've had tubs since the mid 80's. I have done a fair amount of mechanical maintenance over the years but... we ran a Hot Springs Classic for 20 years. I had to replace the heater, pump, pump motor, ozonator... some of them more than once. But hey, 20 years ... overall not a maintenance issue as far as I'm concerned.

Water maintenance is easy IF you add just a little oxidizer after you soak, every time and change your water out very 3-4 months.

We soak almost nightly, wine is optional but infrequent on weeknights. I do not like waking up dehydrated...

Sundance are good. IMO Watkins is very good. They are awesome with parts and the stuff is built well. They are not cheap but... you can find a good tub used on CL. If the used tub is not filled and running... no way Jose. If there are leaks, some are easy some are beastly. Pump motors, pumps, heaters, controller boards are easy if you are mildly mechanical. I am no plumber and no electrician...

We gave our last Hot Spings Classic away a couple of years back. It had become too maintenance prone and I felt we'd got it's useful life... I bought a cheapie replacement. 5 grand instead of 20... It works. I don't love it. (That said there is nothing wrong about soaking in it...) This house is maybe a 5 year stay now. Been here 22 years... and downsizing is on the horizon. If that wasn't lt the case I would have bit the bullet for another Watkins.
 
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#38
We have a 17' swim spa that we bought used on kijiji. Luckily, a good friend of mine owns the shop that sells and services them. He had sold that tub originally and came out to look at it with me before we bought it. He tends to give me deals on chemicals and maintenance stuff, even though I insist that he not do that. Anyway, it burns a lot of electricity, especially this time of year, and keeping the snow off it is a pain but it's really nice to get in on a cold winter night. We get a lot of use out of ours and while there is maintenance, it's generally not overbearing unless you lose the water. We get enough rain that I have to drain water out of it every few weeks in the spring and fall, but that also helps keep the water fresh and the saturation index low.
 
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#40
I have a Sundance and my wife uses it 4-6 days a week. Well worth the investment.
My suggestions:
  • Get a least of 4 person tub
  • You need a 220volt. The 120's just take too long to do anything
  • Know you'll need a level platform of some sort to put it on. I have an easy pad. Doing it again I'd do concrete.
  • Buy the tub with the lowest amount of features you can. No stereo, no extra lights... that's just stuff to break.
  • Plan to clean the filter weekly - not a big deal but takes a few min.
  • If you're going new. It's gonna cost around $10K with electrical... that's the number accept it
 
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