Hot Tubs anyone?

[LFBB]

School me on Hot Tubs.

Mainly want to know, how much use do they get after the first season?

We have a small back yard approx. 20'X50', way too small for a pool and I really don't want one, but thinking it's perfect for a hot tub. The price on some tubs are budget busting IMO 10-20K for a hot tub is insane. I can see me spending 4-6K my wife could talk me into 8K but I can only see that if we were going to get real use out of it. In addition I'd need it delivered and installed which will add a couple more K onto the bottom line being they'd need to run a 220 line, level the ground or make a pad.

So do I look into it or say forget and keep my membership at the town pool?

[Parker Yacht]

We were the first part. Used and forgot it. Back when I was married some eons ago.
That being said I use my brothers whenever I visit him.
I'd use one now, I like them HOT.

[Coastboater]

We had a Hot Springs Grande and it was awesome. Used it constantly.
Cut their advertised seating in half for what's a comfortable number of folks in it, i.e. if they claim seats 7, 4 is comfortable.
You want 240 VAC for heating btu's.

[Tori645]

my brother and his wife use theirs a lot, when it's working

[NO WAKE]

I’ve owned several over the years. The novelty wears off after the first season. It gets to the point that you use it because you feel obligated. My wife used them way more than I did. Our last one was only 3-4 months old when it died in a car accident! Yes! You read that correctly!!! Long story! LOL. We didn’t replace it. I will say they are very relaxing and nice to use if that’s your thing. My sister and her husband have one we can use any time we want. Only three miles away.

[duckfish]

3-4 months old when it died in a car accident! Yes! You read that correctly!!! Long story! LOL. We didn’t replace it.

You can't leave a good story like that just dangling out there Let's hear it.

[LFBB]

What is upkeep like on them, do you just cover it when not in use, empty it during winter? What is needed to winterize it, can you just pour in some wiper fluid or do you need to blow out the lines?

[KMac]

I had one. I installed it myself and ran the 150 feet of wiring. Spa panel, etc.. 240 volts is more efficient at heating and circulation that 120. More jets as well. They are EXPENSIVE to run. I am like Ole, I liked mine hot. 104 plus. Today, they are locked in at 104 as far as the hottest setting.

Then you have salt systems, or bromine or chlorine. Filters.. They do require upkeep for sure. And a GOOD lid will save you a good bit of money on heating. But, a good lid can be heavy, may need a lifting system.

One thing about us and where we live, it is too hot here to enjoy it. The mosquitoes are awful. We got about 3 months of use out of it. If we had a big porch with good ventilation, to keep it dry, that would have been nice. You know like a screened in porch. But they put off a lot of moisture so you can't have them inside without some way to keep the area dried out. Another thing we found was that rodents tried to get into the guts of the hot tub. I guess to keep warm. I was able to keep them out but you could see where they tried to gnaw into it. And I live in a residential area, not out in the "country"..

After 3 years, the pump went bad. We decided to not repair it and I sold it for a small amount. Wasn't that big of a deal. We bought it used from someone, so I felt like we got our money worth. During the coldest times, they were nice. But at a cost of about $100 a month between power and chemicals, I said nah...

[KMac]

What is upkeep like on them, do you just cover it when not in use, empty it during winter? What is needed to winterize it, can you just pour in some wiper fluid or do you need to blow out the lines?

A lot of people let them run. But, if you do drain them, they have drains on the lowest point. Some people do blow out the lines. I didn't.. Oh, and I bought a submersible pump to empty it.. It takes forever to drain them normally.

[Sailsalot]

We have one and had it for years. This year we drained it ( for the winter ) and covered it. I would go out in it in freezing temps . Things change though ,and it's not the same as sitting in it having a drink and/or smoking a joint. If the wife's little red haired friend with the basketball butt would show some interest ,I think I would get it going .

[KMac]

We have one and had it for years. This year we drained it ( for the winter ) and covered it. I would go out in it in freezing temps . Things change though ,and it's not the same as sitting in it having a drink and/or smoking a joint. If the wife's little red haired friend with the basketball butt would show some interest ,I think I would get it going .

Dang, Kemp.. LOL..

[LFBB]

A lot of people let them run. But, if you do drain them, they have drains on the lowest point. Some people do blow out the lines. I didn't.. Oh, and I bought a submersible pump to empty it.. It takes forever to drain them normally.

Just wondering, why are you worried about how long it takes to drain? Pull the plug and come back the next day, NO? I understand the pump will get it done in a matter of minutes, but a couple of lengths of garden hose on a gravity feed will pretty much empty her inside of an hour.

[KMac]

Just wondering, why are you worried about how long it takes to drain? Pull the plug and come back the next day, NO? I understand the pump will get it done in a matter of minutes, but a couple of lengths of garden hose on a gravity feed will pretty much empty her inside of an hour.

Not mine it wouldn't.. My hot tub had a 1/2" drain but it would not drain properly.. I actually thought something was in the drain pipe etc.. I took it apart and it was clear. It acted as if it were vacuum locked.. So, I connected a hose on the highest jet and vented. It did not help. The tubs shell is full of foam, so replacing pipe is easier said than done. So, I bought a $35 sump pump.. It emptied it in about 10-15 minutes.

[NO WAKE]

Ok. Here goes. True story. We purchased a new 8’x 8’ hot tub in September of 2018. I had my nephew (licensed electrician) come over and run the necessary 240v wiring. Company delivered it and installed it on an existing concrete pad BEHIND one corner of our house (driveway side).

One Friday night in early February 2019 my wife and I went to bed about 10pm after enjoying a half hour in the hot tub. It had snowed that day and the ground was covered with about 2” of snow. My wife had been out of town for a business meeting and had parked her car behind the hot tub behind the house on an adjacent concrete pad so she wouldn’t have far to walk to our back door.

Around 11pm (we were sound asleep) we were both shocked awake by a loud boom and her car alarm going off. I immediately jumped up and ran out the back door just in time to see a younger guy getting out of his Mustang which is now sitting behind our house wedged between our new hot tub and my wife’s car!!!

He had left a neighbors house about 300 yards away and decided to show off a little by gunning the car! Unbeknownst to him there was black ice on the road. He lost control when he hit the ice. Slid off the road across oncoming traffic. He ended up sliding about 400’ across my yard and circle driveway. He barely missed an electric pole in my yard. He managed to get the car straightened up enough to hit the rear of our four door Wrangler spinning it 90 degrees which caused his car to change direction sending it into my wife’s car and the hot tub.

He managed to move a full 8’ hot tub over 5’ sideways on impact! The only thing that stopped it was when it hit my solid concrete back steps! He was unhurt. His car was totaled along with the hot tub. We were able to get the Wrangler and my wife’s car repaired . His insurance covered everything.

The cops estimated that he was traveling in excess of 70mph when he left the road. The snow helped him slide as far as he did.

He hadn’t been drinking. Just young and dumb! Been there. Done that. LOL

So there’s the story. Nobody believes it when I tell them a car totaled our hot tub which was behind our house! 😃

[duckfish]

LOL... yup, that's a good story.

I carried my fair share of the young & dumb back in the day. I had an Olds 442 and that thing was like an electromagnet for getting hit and hitting stuff. But damn was it tough.

[NO WAKE]

It wasn’t funny at the time but laughed about it afterwards! The kid is lucky he hit our Wrangler otherwise he would have went straight through our two car garage!!!

I was an Olds guy back in my late teens through late twenties. Had a 67 442 that I put a 425 in. 4 speed car. Kept breaking rears and driveshafts due to side stepping the clutch!

[KMac]

Ok. Here goes. True story. We purchased a new 8’x 8’ hot tub in September of 2018. I had my nephew (licensed electrician) come over and run the necessary 240v wiring. Company delivered it and installed it on an existing concrete pad BEHIND one corner of our house (driveway side).

One Friday night in early February 2019 my wife and I went to bed about 10pm after enjoying a half hour in the hot tub. It had snowed that day and the ground was covered with about 2” of snow. My wife had been out of town for a business meeting and had parked her car behind the hot tub behind the house on an adjacent concrete pad so she wouldn’t have far to walk to our back door.

Around 11pm (we were sound asleep) we were both shocked awake by a loud boom and her car alarm going off. I immediately jumped up and ran out the back door just in time to see a younger guy getting out of his Mustang which is now sitting behind our house wedged between our new hot tub and my wife’s car!!!

He had left a neighbors house about 300 yards away and decided to show off a little by gunning the car! Unbeknownst to him there was black ice on the road. He lost control when he hit the ice. Slid off the road across oncoming traffic. He ended up sliding about 400’ across my yard and circle driveway. He barely missed an electric pole in my yard. He managed to get the car straightened up enough to hit the rear of our four door Wrangler spinning it 90 degrees which caused his car to change direction sending it into my wife’s car and the hot tub.

He managed to move a full 8’ hot tub over 5’ sideways on impact! The only thing that stopped it was when it hit my solid concrete back steps! He was unhurt. His car was totaled along with the hot tub. We were able to get the Wrangler and my wife’s car repaired . His insurance covered everything.

The cops estimated that he was traveling in excess of 70mph when he left the road. The snow helped him slide as far as he did.

He hadn’t been drinking. Just young and dumb! Been there. Done that. LOL

So there’s the story. Nobody believes it when I tell them a car totaled our hot tub which was behind our house! 😃

Glad you weren’t in the tub.