The Hot Tub Guru: Free Advice for First Time Buyers

So you are thinking about buying your first Hot Tub eh?.
Yes, I'm Canadian. lol

Well, you are going to love it but speaking from experience, based on years of performing installations and repairs in some of the coldest winters on the planet and with just about every make & model on the market, there are a few things you should look at first before you make that big purchase decision.

NOTE: Before I begin, let me state very clearly that this information is for reference only. Many factors can change from the time you read this article, to the time you install a tub so please, always do your homework first before you spend any money on any big ticket item.

I'm not going to get into recommending any particular brand name either because for one thing, they all have their pros and cons but most importantly, none of them pay me. lol

There are definitely a few better made brand names out there than others so all of my suggestions are just that, suggestions.You have to make the final decision so my first piece of advice is to get informed before you buy.

Reading this entire article is your first right move. As they say. Knowledge is Power.

After all, it is usually a family decision on a big ticket item like hot tubs and will cost you even more money out of your pocket if you don't do your homework first so I'm going to make a few suggestions at things to look at before you buy and the rest is up to you.

Whether you choose to follow my advice or not is your decision but be prepared to live with the headaches, loss of money and stress that goes along with it if you make a bad choice. You want to be happy with your selection don't you?

OK, Enough introduction. Let's get to the facts. Here we go.

First, take a serious look at your finances.

What is your budget and try to stay within that limit while still getting the model and features you like to have included with your tub so shop around.

Don't be hustled by the sales reps.They are working on commission and make their money by jamming you with a ton of extras you won't need but with knowledge, you can go into any hot tub retail outlet with confidence knowing exactly what you are looking for by asking the right questions and staying right within your price range.

Also, don't be afraid to negotiate with the sales rep. There are huge mark ups on hot tubs, especially when you start adding on extra features so they always have a little room to negotiate when it comes to your final purchase price.

Remember, you don't need them. There are many players in this game that want your money so If they don't want to negotiate, within reason, then go play with someone else.

Don't get greedy here and expect an unreasonable deal but it never hurts to ask

A few years ago, one of the major wholesale discount stores, who i won't mention, came out with a nice looking but poorly made line of hot tubs for around $5,000.00 and they quickly sold a ton of them. I'm sure most of you reading this have a good idea of the chain of stores I'm talking about.

Unfortunately, as soon as the first cold weather hit, water pipes started bursting, pumps started freezing and shells started cracking. I'm glad I was not involved in that nightmare because I heard they were returning an average of 500 tubs a week back to their supplier but unfortunately now, the buying public thinks they can get a high quality, new hot tub for under $5,000.00, which they can't.

If someone is offering you a new hot tub for under $5000.00 it is probably a cheap knock-off from China that will cost you more in repairs than what you paid for it so be very careful of what you are spending your hard earned money on. As the old saying goes. You get what you paid for.

Now I do agree that the traditional retail hot tub suppliers have been gouging the public for many years but they do offer additional security for any installation or warranty work they do for you by buying local.

That factor alone might be worth the extra money and peace of mind if you have any problems with your unit down the road but you are still going to pay at least $8,000.00 to $14,000.00 for a basic, well made hot tub and if you start adding extras like stereos, extra jets or LCD screens for example, the cost will start going up again

Here are some basic questions to ask yourself before you buy.

What color shell, skirting and cover would you like?

A lot of people like to match the colors of their hot tub with the color of their home or it's surroundings.

Were are you installing it?

The closer to your home, the lower your installation costs. Those wires to your electrical panel in your home, out to your hot tub's electrical panel are expensive so the closer the better not to mention the labor involved if you have to dig a trench across or under who knows what to bury electrical cables.

Tip: Don't forget to have your electrician fill in any drilled holes in your home or hot tub skirting with electrical putty so mice won't get in there and build a nest. They love the heat but they hate that electrical putty.

If you install your tub indoors, then your biggest concern is ventilating all of the moisture given off by the tub outside and you obviously need proper drainage but if it Is going outside on the ground or on a patio deck, that's a different story.

If it's going on the ground, remember that if you live in a colder climate that every spring the ground thaws out and if you have your tub sitting on the ground or a layer of sand with concrete blocks and filled with water, once the ground starts to melt next spring, it will shift the weight of the water in your tub creating major stress on it's structure and if your shell cracks, you got major problems.

You are either going to have to dig a hole at least four feet deep down to get below the frost line and pour a concrete slab that deep and the diameter of your tub for it to sit on or if it is going on a deck then make sure the deck can support all that extra weight.

An average six person hot tub full of water will weigh at least 5ooo lbs without any of your crazy, drunken friends in there splashing around so look under your deck and see if the area you are thinking about installing your tub on the deck will take the weight.

If not, you might have to look at digging some 4 ft. deep holes to pour concrete support columns that come up just above ground level or higher and then sit 4 inch square, pressure treated wooden posts on top of them that will sit right under your deck's floor joists, under the deck, to help support the weight of your tub. Four of those located around the area of where your tub is going will work fine and you might be able to get away with just two if done properly.

Any carpenter or good handyman can do that for you if you're not familiar with the procedure but if it has to be done, do it before your tub goes in.

It would suck to have all your friends over for a hot tub party and the entire tub collapsing on your deck. Not to mention live electrical wires coming loose with water splashing everywhere and people stepping in it. Not the kind of buzz they intended on getting at your party

I smell lawsuit if someone gets hurt or worse so why take the chance? Do it right the first time

Proper insulation is a major factor in keeping your power bills down. Make sure the entire inner side of the shell is sprayed with foam insulation at least 33MM thick/2.5 inches(standard) 100MM is even better.

You can see that by unscrewing the skirting panels surrounding your tub's shell

Tip: If you take the skirting covers off the sides of the tub and look inside at the back of the shell itself and notice that it has been sprayed but all around the jet hoses connections, the foam has been cut away or tampered with, it means that there was a leak somewhere and somebody was trying to fix it. If there is still water leaking out then you obviously still got a problem which is why you always buy a tub filled with water.

Good to know if you are buying new or used. It might have been just a bad seal but now that they know that you know, it makes for a great final price negotiating tool and if you are buying from a retail store, make sure that those problems where addressed and written in the warranty if there are any problems down the road.

Another good insulating factor is a thermo blanket at least 1 inch thick, usually 18 inches wide and 30 inches long depending on the size of your tub, attached to the back of the skirting panels, inside the unit itself.

Most look like a rectangular piece of foam with thick tin foil over it screwed right to the back of your skirting on the inside of your tub. Another NASA invention filtering its way down to the retail markets

This will work to help keep the cold out while reflecting the heat coming off the pumps back into the open space surrounding the inside of your tub itself which in turn helps to control the outside water temperature in your tub so your heating system isn't working as hard to keep your water temperature exactly where you like it which equates to a lower monthly heating bill.

Simple put, when I come home and want to jump in a hot tub at the exact temperature I set the timer on, all that insulation I just talk about is working, which is exactly what I want it to do

Let's talk about features.

Stereos? A good place to start. I never liked them because they are an extremely expensive addition and when the jets are on, you can barely hear them anyway or if anything goes wrong with the stereo itself and it will, especially in colder climates, very expensive to have fixed.

I suggest a portable stereo plugged into an outside electrical outlet or a waterproof MP3/4 player that will float around with you in the tub so you can stick on the head phones and enjoy your favorite tunes while chilling out.

Most retailers actually give those electronic toys away these days as an incentive for you to buy a tub from them

LCD Screens? Another bad investment and I don't care how cool the sales rep tells you they are. Very expensive add-on and after one winter in the cold, they start having problems. The technology is just not there yet. Save your money.

If you want to watch the big game with you and your buddies while in the tub then roll your big screen out to the patio door so you can see it but it's still inside protected. I don't know if that will work for you but figure something out. Don't waste your money on LCD screens

Anything that electronically pops up from inside your hot tub, like an LCD screen or stereo speakers are never a good idea in colder climates or if you live along the coast with salt water and air getting at them, which is why no one ever offers you more than a one year warranty.

Extremely expensive repairs and guaranteed to screw up after your first winter. Don't buy them. Spend that money on more jets because the jets are what it is all about.

The shell surface? Never buy a smooth surface for several reasons. Always make sure the surface is a little rough. The main reason being is that they get very slippery. Some people like the smooth surface saying that rough surfaces collect dirt but I never had any problems like that. If the tub needs a quick wipe down occasional then do it. You clean your bath tub once in a while don't you? I hope so anyway

Never use harsh chemicals to clean the surface of your tub. Try to stay natural like lemon oil or white vinegar. Also use those for cleaning the inside of your sauna, steam shower, whirlpool bath etc. There are enough harsh chemicals in the water as it is, you don't need any more.

Hand railings? Definitely YES. Again, especially in winter, there is a lot of water pouring onto your steps as well as the walking area around your tub and freezing. Stepping in and out of your tub safely with ice build up everywhere is a common reason for serious injury so if you are going this far, buy hand railings. Great Investment. The more the better and strategically place them where ever people are going to be walking on slippery surfaces.

It would really suck to be putting your family or firends in a position where they have to sue you to pay for medical bills because they slipped and hurt themselves on your deck. Wooden railings, grab bars, etc. etc. Small financial investment but huge stop lose investment

Towel Racks? I like them, especially heated ones. It's either that or some kind of a rack to hold your housecoat or whatever you are wearing to and from your tub in winter. All I can say from experience is that it is really nice getting out of your tub when it's 20 below and wrapping up in a warm towel or house coat

Lights? I highly recommend them. There's nothing like a little mood lighting or chroma therapy as the experts call it. Most tubs come with standard flood lights usually on the bottom of your tub but you can also get the fiber optic (Pin Hole) & LED lights with multiple colors choices along the top of your tub just along the water line or behind a waterfalls for example.

You have a lot more choices of color moods at the touch of a button on your control panel and the manufacturer's designers just keep getting more creative in the features. Very nice touch for all you romantics out there.

Loungers? Love them! Great for a full body, hydrotherapy massage. Just make sure you have enough jets for the full body massage effect, from your head to your feet and every where in between. Even if that holds no appeal to you, think about others who really might appreciate it. Full Body Water Massage!!! Now that's Hot Tubbing at it's best.

Scents and Fragrances. Although I am a big fan of pure, essential oils for aromatherapy & natural health reasons, never put them directly on any plastic or in your water unless they are diluted with some kind of a carrier oil.They are so powerful that they will compromise the integrity of the inner structure (Shell and connections).

Many new tubs today actually come with a scent defusion feature

Jets? How many jets is a personal choice or based on how many people you feel will be using the tub at the same time and what parts of your body do you want massaged.

As you start getting into 30, 40, 50, 100 or more jets, you will need and want a second, maybe third water or air pump so keep that in mind when pricing out units.You just want to make sure all the jets are working both air and water

It's also good to have a combination of jets. Water and Air. Water are the larger, (jacuzzi) jets and Air are the smaller, 1 inch jets. They work very well together for different effects on a variety of muscle areas. Some areas of your body. like your back for example, may need a deep, penetrating water jet massage and some area, like your feet may enjoy a softer air bubbles massage. It's great to have both options.

Tip: Never forget about your feet. It's a bad mistake a lot of new buyers forget about or don't bother with at the time of purchase because they want that cool stereo or LCD screen instead and then are always sorry later for not getting it. BIG MISTAKE!!!

Our feet absorb all of our body weight everyday and take a lot of punishment so don't forget to give your poor aching feet a well deserved massage too or Hydro Reiki as I call it even though I don't really know how to spell it or even know if it's a real word but I like it.. lol

Always make sure you buy stainless steel jets rings, never plastic. (PVC) or what ever they want to call them these days. Plastic wears out quickly, depending on tub usage and cracks. Real pain in the butt to change too.

Full body hydrotherapy massage is where it's at in my opinion.

Salt Water Hot Tubs? There's a lot of excitement about them but as i write this, the technology is not quite there yet but it's getting closer every day.

The problem being that salt water pools are great but as soon as you run salt water through any kind of a heating system, like your hot tub for example, it turns the salt to a sand like substance. Not good. Hard on your system and it takes a lot of work to maintain them.Too much work for me but keep your eye on them because they are coming in a big way as soon as they iron out all the wrinkles and come down in price.

I don't know about you but when I come home after a long, hard day, all I want to do is pour myself a tall, cool drink and jump into a steamy, bubbling Hot Tub to help melt away the days stress. If I have to spend a lot of my time maintaining a hot tub, that takes away all the fun for me.

A good substitute to help you get rid of a lot of chemicals is to find a manufacture that has a dual (2) water filtration system. It will cut the chemical usage down by half.

Head and Neck Cushions? Yes, but rolled up towels will work just has good and save you money.

Waterfalls? Kind of cool but extra money. Your decision. I don't mind having at least one in the unit to stick my head under for a head massage. Nice effect

Ozone system (Ozonators)? I personally don't like them. Very hard on the respiratory system especially on children or if you have asthma or any other kind of respiratory problems but some people swear by them so do your homework and you choose.
Tip: If you have one on, don't breath in while you are taking off your cover. Let all the built up steam dissipate up in the air before you jump in

Covers? If you live through cold winters, then the thicker the cover the better. Five inch thick center with 4 Inch sides will work a lot better keeping the heat inside the tub when you are not using it, where it belongs.

Most tubs come with a standard 3 inch thick cover but if cold weather hot tubbing is in your plans, than spend the extra money for a thicker cover. Great investment so if your supplier doesn't carry them then go online and order one.

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever seen a hot tub with the cover on and noticed steam shooting out of the sides of the cover like a pressure cooker and thought to yourself, Hey That's cool. Well, as a hot tub owner, that's the last thing you want to see is steam shooting out of your cover because that means serious heat loss which equates to higher power bills trying to keep your water warm. Not Good

Something else about covers is that if there is a foot of new snow on the ground and a foot of new snow on top of my hot tub's cover, I am a happy hot tubber because I know I don't have heat loss going straight through the top of my cover or out the sides.

If there is a snow storm and there is no snow on your cover, that means another serious loss of heat which once again equates to higher heating bills. Also Not Good. Thick, Custom Built Covers are were it's at. It's one of your smartest investments.

TIP: In Canada, it is against the law to leave your hot tub cover unlocked if there is no one attending your tub. The reason being is that small children can easy crawl up the steps and fall in the tub, which has unfortunately happened many times here and all over the world so whether you, your family or neighbors have children, make sure you can lock your cover up when not using it.

Why take the chance for a very inexpensive fix. Most covers come with a small lock and key now as standard equipment so stash the key in a safe, close place and use it when you are not using the tub. No one wants to go through that horror story so play safe and be smart when it comes to your tub

Cover Lifters are fine if you are too lazy to fold the cover in half, slide it off and lean it up against a wall but if you are by yourself or have some physical challenges then definitely buy a cover lifter. Another fairly inexpensive but good investment. The covers do get heavy and awkward at times especially if you are tired or in some sort of pain.

Lifters come in several different designs that are totally automatic or have hydraulic pumps on them for easy maneuvering. I suggest to go to your nearest dealer and check them out for yourself whether you are buying from them or not. Everybody has different needs

Warranties? The longer the better and make sure that your supplier and their manufacturer is established long enough so you feel comfortable in the thought of them hopefully being around in the future to honor it, should something go wrong with your hot tub a few years down the road.
Tip: Read the warranty in full before you buy and don't be afraid to ask questions and get things clarified and in writing if you don't understand anything.

A lot of people just go ahead and listen to what the sales rep tells them and believes everything they say. They may be telling you the truth about everything but why take the chance with that kind of investment. Don't let anyone pressure you into a fast deal. Take your time and Read the Warranty. The pumps, the jets, the shell, the special features, etc. etc. What is the coverage of each one?

Extended Warranties are one big hustle and huge money maker for any company that offers them but really take a close look at what it offers if you are thinking about buying one. Read it very carefully. Do not listen to the sales rep. If you do not read them over and you come to find out down the road when you have a problem that even though the sales rep told you it was covered, the warranty does not, then you deserve to be screwed. Don't be stupid. Read everything.

If the extended warranty will cover pumps and other features for an extra 2 to 5 years in addition to what the standard warranty already covers, maybe it's worth the extra few hundred bucks but how long has this company been in business is always my first question. If they are new than think it through but I always feel a lot more comfortable if they are well established, especially when you are spending that kind of money.

Here is an example of what I'm talking about. Let's say that the extended warranty covers everything for 5 years, OK, sounds good, I'll buy it, but it forgot to mention that you would have to drain the tub and might have bring it into the shop for repairs at your time and expense depending on the problem. If it's just a hose or needs a new pump, no problem, maybe just a house call will work but what if the shell cracks in the middle of winter? Who covers all those expenses? Your not talking about a vacuum cleaner here. Your talking about unhooking the plumbing, electrical, labor, transportation to and from the shop etc. etc. One major pain in the ass so I'll say it one more time. Read Everything!!!

Finally: Buying a Used Hot Tub. All I can say is Never, Never, Never buy a used hot tub unless it is full of water and hooked up so you can do a complete inspection. Would you buy a used car without taking it for a test drive? No! so test drive the hot tub out before you buy.

Make sure all the jets and other features are working. Take off the skirting panels and make sure there are no leaks anywhere. It's a major problem if the shell is leaking or maybe it might just need a replacement seal or hose. Who knows until you take a look.

Tip: If the tub looks fairly new and the seller tells you the warranty is still good on it and transferable, they might be misleading you.

No hot tub supplier will honor a warranty after a hot tub has been moved to a new location. Who knows what might have happened in transport so if they are telling you this, get the name of the company they bought it from and give them a call to get the facts. They might honor the warranty if they move it and re-install it themselves but be prepared to pay a few thousand dollars for doing it.

Tip: Another good indication of what that used tub is going to cost you to operate is to ask the seller for their last couple of months electrical bills. They are selling it for a reason. Be careful.

Last but by no means least. Never let anyone drink anything from a glass container in or around your tub and I don't care what it is. No one needs to be sitting or walking on broken glass and bleeding in your hot tub water. Plastic, cans whatever but No Glass Allowed!!!!

Well, I could go on and on but I think that's enough to get you thinking.

Good Luck and may you enjoy many years of happy Hot Tubbing.