Ask Lemmy

shoot for repairability. the ones that drown all the components in styrofoam so you cant replace any pieces are not worth having. thermospa brand have the components all repairable. also the closer it is to your house the more you will use it. if you contact the manufacturer and ask what cancelled orders they have sitting around you can get a major discount like 30%+

I used to remove them from customers homes. It was a very similar story each time. They loved it for a little while then it sat for 5 plus years used as a big outdoor table to hold other stuff on top the cover. It also is a bit pricey and a hassle to get rid of them. Most of the time I would have to cut it into 4 pieces to move the thing. I think they are a bit of a waste for most people. Mosquitos love them though.

The answer is: it depends. Before purchasing a hot tub take a water sample from the faucet you'll use to fill it. Take it to a pool/spa store and ask them what type of chemicals and maintenance you'll need to do. If your pH is aligned then you'll be in good shape. If it's not you will be fighting it forever.

Unless you're drowning in money or have a physical ailment that NEEDS a hot tub to improve your life- Dont.

I actually look after them for idiots that install them for rentals.

No1 - Use bromine because it smells less than chlorine

No2 use multi bromine as it has anti algae and anti foam in it

No3 keep the pH correct, about 7.2 to 7.4, same as pool

No4 clean the filter every week

No5 kids love hot tubs, hot tubs HATE kids

No6 FUCKIN SHOWER BEFORE YOU USE IT YOU DAFT CUNT NO WONDER IT TURNED INTO FUCKING SOUP FUCK ME

My parents owned one when I was young. I remember it working only a few times and almost never getting used. They spent thousands to repair it to only use it a few times before it broke again.

One of the highlights of their life was getting rid of it and reusing the space.

No matter how "sexy" it may look in porn and movies. Sex in a hot tub sucks. The water kills all lubrication.

If you're going to get one, highly recommend getting 240V instead of 110v/plug and play type. 240V are the only ones that can really keep up with the heat and give you that real jet feel in the tub.

If possible, keep it somewhere covered. We have it in our covered patio, which allows us to get use of it in any kind of weather and prevents mosquitos/other bugs coming around.

Chemical balancing can be pretty tough, we mostly keep a steady supply of bleach around to make sure it's staying clean. One issue we had was the test strips never seemed to say the water was hard enough so we kept adding calcium hardner, but it ended up precipitating and making a rough coating on the seats (eventually we were able to clean it off). Ended up deciding it wasn't a big deal if some values are out of range on the test strips as long as the stuff to keep people safe is balanced (ie chlorine)

I've had two over the last decade or so.1st was a cheap 110v that couldn't run the jets and the heater at the same time. It was, as another poster mentioned, very fickle about the chemicals. I started out using chlorine but later switched to bromine. Mainly I hate the chlorine smell, but bromine does better in hot water anyway. Even so, I was forever testing and fiddling with the chemicals. Hot tubs are touchier than pools. Warm water is a great environment for bacteria so if your ph and sanitizers are off, the water can turn nasty pretty quickly.

When I moved, I left that one behind and got a much higher end spa. This one is a 240v and has much stronger jets and can stay hot when I'm using them. I've also switched to something called the Frog System. Get your tub ph, alkalinity, and everything set and toss in the two part floater. The first part has a mix of minerals that slowly dissolve. The second part is the chlorine. It attaches to the first and floats underneath is. As the chlorine dissolves, the whole thing slowly rolls over. Once the chlorine cartridge is floating on top, you replace it. Every three months, you replace the mineral cartridge. It is incredibly simple to use and I've pretty much stopped testing the water because the system seems to be maintaining everything perfectly. I've had to adjust the alkalinity once in the last year and that's it. I've never had to add any other chemicals since I started using this system. As an added bonus, I rarely notice the chlorine smell. I highly recommend it.

As for the people who talk about bugs and stuff in the water... you need a cover for it. If you leave it open, of course it will get nasty. You also can have problems with vermin. If there are openings in the shell, including the bottom, mice will likely get in. Whenever it gets cold out, that hot tub is very inviting to them. If they get in, they will probably start chewing wires and die horribly while costing you a bundle in repair costs. Put the tub on some sort of pad, concrete or otherwise, to stop vermin from tunneling underneath and watch for and damage on the shell where they might try to chew their way in.

If you are like me and love a long hot soak once or twice a week it's great. If not though, you may regret getting one. They can be a lot of work

Nothing but regrets. What I imagined and what I got are two very different things. I was thinking party time and sexy date night with the wifey. Instead, it’s a big ass chemistry set that also attracts pests.

I never saw a rat outside until they set up shop inside where the pump and all the plumbing is. I have no idea how they got in there. I smelled something dead and it took a while to figure out it was in there. Unscrewed the panels on the side and found a whole nest in there and a decomposing rat. Another time, a bunch of nasty frogs got into the water even though it was covered.

Aside from that, it was a nuisance to maintain. There’s always something a little off with the water. I spent more time maintaining and cleaning that damn thing than I ever spent relaxing in it. Then the cover eventually wore out from being in the sun. That was like $500 to replace.

That hot tub was nothing but an expensive mistake.

You need the chlorine, you need to always put the cover on, and you need the net to get the bugs out.

It feels much less luxury when you come out in the morning to a green tub full of flies and spiders.

Hot tub chemical stores always tell you to use bromine instead of chlorine. They claim chlorine will destroy your tub. I have been using chlorine for 20+ years on 3 different tubs. Never had a problem. I suspect they recommend bromine only because it’s more expensive.

Don't cheap out. Buy a good one or you'll end up spending more constantly repairing the cheap one.

I got a Caldera spa in their mid range line. It is 240V, 5 person, with a salt system and a cover lifter. It cost about $12k USD all told. I love it, but DEFINITELY get the salt system for chlorinating. It would be much more of a pain in the ass without it. As it is, I still love the thing and use it regularly. I check the water chemistry about every five days and it's super simple to maintain. If I have a party and we are in for extended periods I have to add chlorine daily for a few days but that's it.

My brother has a hot tub and loves it. Had it for a few years now. The important thing is staying on top of maintenance. Putting chemicals in, draining it, etc.

If you have any specific questions, let me know and I can see what he has to say.

It made a fantastic table.

We had one indoors in a sun room for years and years. Rarely used, eventually just ignored.

But man the cover was a great surface for cutting fabric and general use.

Apparently my idea of hot tub is quite different of what people are speaking of here. I'm quessing OP meant jacuzzi.

Be sure to use some sort of insect repellent around it. My coworker got one 3-4 years ago and within a year or two, ants began building a colony in the insulation inside the shell. The colony really thrived in the heat, and it became a huge issue.

Never would have bought one myself, but it came with the house, and it's one of my favorite things. It's remarkable how physicall and mentally refreshing it is after doing a bunch of yard work or after a particularly mentally-exhausting day at work.

Ours has broken down twice, though, in 6 years, so between that and regular maintenance, it's an ongoing expense.

Ex hot tub owner here: my regrets is not using it enough

I bought a refurbished one about 5 years ago and it had been amazing for my wife and I. We run and lift weights a lot and it really seems to help with recovery. Replace the filters and add chlorine when needed. It’s actually pretty low maintenance for us.