what hot tub to buy?

[McDowra]

The wife and I are looking at getting a hot tub to go on our back deck. We don't really want a huge 6-8 man tub just a nice 2-3 person model or at least that is our thinking. What are your suggestions on brands, sizes and so forth.



Thanks

Tim

 

[klenger]

There was a thread on this a month or two ago. If you can find it, it will give you something to read while waiting for replies to this one.



Found it: https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98133&highlight=spa

 

[bighammer]

The larger tubs are nice because a couple people getting in does not change the water level too much.



I don't care too much about the number of jets, motors, etc. because I just like to quietly soak.



I think the Hotspring tubs have a circulator pump that is always on. Constant filtering and silent heat cycle. My old tub only filtered when the heat was on (or set a timer to run it) and it was noisy when it kicked on.

 

[PJereb]

I was a Hot Springs Spa technician in high school, a Sundance spa tech my freshman year of college, and a Marquis spa tech for three years before I got an Apprenticeship with IBEW 1245.



Here is what I have to say.



Sundance tubs are ok, I would not suggest them. They are made in Chino, CA, and as far as my experience goes, the craftsmanship left much to be desired. We had several tubs that were leakers, all had poorly prepared glue joints in the plumbing. Beyond that, they often were the “frilly” brand offering all kinds of gizmos, and shiny fake marble acrylic shells that were prone to scratching. There are lots of things to break.



Hot Springs probably makes the best tubs.

Hot Springs is one of three brands owned by Watkins Corporation.

They sell Tiger river, Hot Springs, and Hotspot brand spas. The Hotspot brand is there economy line, and I would not recommend them, only because they are overpriced for what they are. On the other hand both Tiger River and Hot springs spas are excellent tubs.



Marquis are also great hot tubs.

They are manufactured in a small town near Salem Oregon. Primarily they are sold on Western side of the US. They are solid, well built, and I don’t really think you can go wrong with one.





The spa nitty grttty…



Do not buy a cheap spa! You get what you pay for.

Jacuzzi, Cal spa, and all others besides the ones listed above are a crapshoot!



Watkins has been in business for around thirty years. Simply put a hot springs tub is indestructible. As far as I know they are the only manufacturer that makes there shell out of an ABS backed thermoplastic. They are quite indestructible. Unlike other manufactures that make there shells out of a fiberglass backed acrylic sheet, which can blister and separate, the ABS backed thermoplastic that Watkins uses is the industry best. They are probably the most energy efficient tubs built, period. Watkins uses a constant filtration system, it is silent, which may be something to consider if the tub is going to be right outside a bedroom.



Marquis is a solid tub, they stand behind there product. As far as comfort and hydrotherapy goes, they are the best. They put a lot of thought into there designs. They also are very energy efficient, like Watkins/ Hot springs. They offer a wide range of tubs, you are sure to find one you will like.





Most problems that I encountered with any quality tub were customer abuse, incorrect wiring, or some sort of known defect, like a control board recall. Make sure you have your spa wired correctly. Have the dealership refer you to an electrician that they know will do the job right.





Spa size….

My advice is don’t go too small.

Marquis makes a little 170 gallon spa, the problem with it is that it is so tiny that it is almost impossible to keep the water chemistry correct, since there is so little water volume the chemistry can be thrown off easily by your body/s.

Get a least a 4 man spa. A 4 man spa will seat two Men.



Shop around, and don’t pay MSRP. They will buy the tub for Three grand, and sell it for Five.

 

[crabman]

PJereb,

Are there any spa's that are heated by natural gas? Pros and cons of them? Any info at all would be appreaciated.

A hot tub is on the HONEY DO list, right after the deck, fence, blah, blah, blah, blah, etc. (never ending).

crabman

 

[PJereb]

I would not bother with a natural gas tub. A good electric tub will cost you $12-20 a month in electricity. As far as I know, there are not any natural gas tubs built by any of the good manufactures. Another thing to consider is the cost of repairing the boiler (read big $$$). An electric hot tub is much more forgiving to poor water chemistry. Something else I did not mention is that both Marquis and Watkins offer many of their tubs in both 240V and 120V versions. I suggest the 240 volt versions if you live in a cold climate, or plan on using the tub for more than 15 minutes at a time. The difference between the two is the 120 volt tubs shut down the heater when you have the jets on, so when you are in the tub it is actually cooling down. The 240 volt tubs have the ability to run the jets, and the heater at the same time, so the tub will stay nice and toasty, even if you are in it for 40 minutes.



Enjoy!

Peter

 

[outlawram]

i had a hotsprings and loved it. very well built just did not use it as much as i thought i would.

 

[Deezul1]

I have a Sundance tub that I bought in 1985 and it still is running great with all original equipment except the heater rod and pressure switch. It was kept under a patio cover until 8 years ago when I moved to Texas and the sun is making it show its age finally but we still use 2-3 times a week. I recomend the 240 volt model as it is cheap to run and by keeping it always hot you will use it a lot more than a gas model that has to be heated up before use.

 

[Dane]

We bought a 10+ year old Hot Springs Classic 5 years ago and love it. Uses very little power to keep it warm 24/7



Only problem it had was a leaking seal in the big pump. Easy to remove and only cost $45 to fix at the local motor/pump shop.

 

[McDowra]

thanks for all the information.



Tim