We are getting ready to add a hot tub to our newly remodeled house in the woods in the Santa Cruz, CA mountains. Our original intent was to put in an old fashioned redwood tub, but after looking at all of the therapeutic progress in the newer technology tubs, that decision is up for grabs. I have a congenitally bad back, arthritis and fibromyalgia, so the therapeutic value is of great interest to me.
Neither of us have any previous hot tub ownership experience, so opinions and helpful info from all of you Dopers that do have, would be VERY much appreciated.
Some background info…I’m 5’1" (almost) and my SO is 5’10". Generally there will only be the two of us, occasionally four, so the tub doesn’t neet to be large.
It will most likely be mounted at ground level, rising about a foot through the deck. Water is a concern, as we are on a spring so amount is variable and limited. We had originally planned to spend about $5,000, but after looking at Jacuzzi Premium and CalSpa we realize we may not be able to stay at that price point.
Okay, let’s hear what you all have to say. Please!
I’m not a ‘hot tub guy’. Dad had a ‘four person’ hot tub, but it was really more comfortable with only two people in it. I and my then-g/f used it a few times, but I got kind of bored just sitting there.
My house has a hot tub on the deck. My friend I bought the house from never used it, but said it worked. I’ve been living here more than a year, and I’ve never used it. A couple of friends came over last Sunday, and one was very impressed that it’s a five-seat CalSpa. I told him that I offered to give it away to a couple of friends, and he looked at me as if I was crazy. ‘Do you know how much these things cost?’ Uh… no. Anyway, we filled it up and it worked. Monday I got the temperature up to 103°F before I shut it down. Still haven’t used it, but it appears it’s going to be Party Time At The Johnny Cave this summer.
I don’t know how much they cost, but apparently CalSpas are considered to be pretty good.
We’ve had a Sundance Spa for two years. We love it. One thing to watch out for is the angle the seats make to the back rests. One of our seats leans back a little more than the others and it makes it hard to not float up a little. People with less body fat may not have this problem. The seats should feel a little too upright for the least float up. Make sure the filter is easy to remove. We wanted a plastic surround but it came with redwood. Now I’m glad because it sits in the sun all day and I think the plastic might have faded. If you think four people will be in it often try to get the filter on a side instead of in a corner, The corner seats usually have the best jets and are the most comfortable.
I highly recommend using a Nature2 silver cartridge, the spa dealer should know about them. We have the ozonator and we use the Nature2 and use very few chemicals, the water is always clear. We also use Dichlor (the Nature2 won’t work with bromine), non chlorine shock and a liquid called Spa Perfect, a natural enzyme product. We never use the defoaming chemical, the directions say using it makes more water changes neccessary. The couple of times we’ve had a little foaming we run all the jets, the foam builds up in the corners and we scoop it out.
If you’re worried about water usage we only change the water 2 or three times each year. The directions say 4-6 months, we live in Wisconsin so it ends up being 6 months. Keep it covered and there won’t be much evaporation. We top it off occasionally from splash out, not even once each month.
We have a Sundance spa, which has been pretty good. You need to check various levels a couple of times a week, to adjust the pH and bromine. We almost never use the defoamer either. We’ve had it over 7 years, and it has been pretty reliable. I forget what it cost - I don’t think $5k then - since I would have remembered it being that expensive! Installation costs also, and we had to get a permit from the city, and prove that our yard was gated and that the spa cover locked.
Whatever spa you look at - sit in it. The best part about ours is that one side is a bench that you can lay on. When I’m using it, I’m often reading, and reclining is more comfortable than sitting. Make sure there are enough jets near that part. Also, make sure you have enough lights to see if you read. We mounted a flood that works nicely.
Second thing, in Californis, is that spas take a lot of electricity. They can increase your bill by 50%. (I’m in California too.) Since the increase in electricity prices since the energy crisis, we don’t have ours on except in times we are going to use it heavily. This is probably not a good thing, but we didn’t choose to pay through the nose for using it once a week.
Oh, and think about where you are going to drain it. It is not recommended to drain into sewers. We drain on patches of our yard - it has never hurt the weeds :(. Ours is fairly big, so we have to move the hose a couple of times, but during the summer the ground can handle a surprising amount of water without getting muddy.
If there are trees around, you might think about a wet/dry vac. We got one at a surplus sale, and it really helps when you clean up after draining. Ours is under a tree, which is great, but dirty when you use it a lot and leaves fall into the spa. A wet vac is also good for draining that last bit of water from the bottom.
I have a 5 person Sierra spa right outside my bedroom door on the deck. We use it all the time (great to get a drink, go outside when its cold, lay back and count stars). Getting it 10 feet up off the ground and onto the deck is another story…
We use Baqua Spa chemicals, and we’ve never had any trouble keeping the chemistry right. Draining and filling aren’t much of an issue.
Like I said, we use ours alot and enjoy it. So do our friends.
I’m a hot tub addict…I refer to the soothing & relaxation as western yoga. I have 2 Colemans - An indoor 2 seater that’s used in the cold months and a big one that’s used in summer. I recommend Coleman because of their superior filtering and heating systems.
We love our Softub. Had it nearly 9 years now, easy maintenance, we use it all year round, needs care once a week (five minutes with chemicals), change the water once a year or as needed (the new enzyme systems keep that water clean!!).
Just set it up, fill it up with a hose, plug it in! No deck to build, no plumbing to install. Our model holds 6. We keep it outdoors, and tubbing in the winter is best.