Things to Know Before You Buy a Portable Spa/Hot Tub
Where will the Hot Tub/Spa be placed?
Is it going indoors or out, and if outdoors, on a deck, concrete slab, etc?
If the tub is going indoors, how big is the opening through which it must pass and how much room will the unit take up inside? There is splash out whenever a tub is used in some cases and almost always water is lost from exiting bathers. Splash Guard Coping is an essential for ease of maintenance for any spa, but especially beneficial for an indoor unit. An indoor tub may produce some moisture when in use, particularly if the ambient room temperature is much less than the water inside the vessel (hot tub water temperatures range from 100-104 degrees F). Regardless where the tub goes, a good insulating cover is essential for when the tub is NOT in use. The insulating cover prevents energy and water loss due to evaporation.
Outdoors is my favorite place for the hot tub. I like outdoors for a lot of reasons and probably most folks with outdoor tubs will comment they like using the tub in the snow (a rare occurrence in Virginia) or on moonlit nights. Hot tubs/spas are quite relaxing and if one has their unit in a scenic, peaceful environment, so much the better. Special consideration must be given to placing a portable spa on a deck elevated off the ground. Obviously the deck must support the weight/load of the unit full of water and people. I also recommend full-foam (low density) insulation for outdoor units, and in particular, those on a deck. You often hear concerns about finding or fixing leaks in a hot tub with foam insulation, but for a competent service tech, that is not a problem. In fact, foam insulation actually supports the plumbing and helps prevent leaks (check the tub manufacturer’s leak warranty performance) unlike uninsulated hot tubs.
Who’s going to use the spa and what are their needs?
Everyone has their personal needs for a spa. Is the spa for therapy, family time, alone time for a couple/mom and dad, or fun and relaxation. I’ve had at least 8 orthopedic surgeries and my primary reason for having a spa is for hydrotherapy. I really like the feel of the powerful streams of water hitting my spine, neck, and shoulders in particular. My wife on the other hand says she likes the relaxing warm water and really doesn’t need the powerful jets. Its great to deal with a professional when making a decision on a hot tub because someone with years of experience in tubs should be able to guide you to the tub that’s just right for your particular needs.
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How many do you want the spa to seat?
I always recommend buying the largest spa you can budget for the space available. Some folks use the spa as a focal point for entertainment while others are not so extroverted. A spa can be a great place to spend time with your kids, particularly as they get into their teen years. Sometimes that’s the time you can have your best conversations with them. Folks with teenagers in the house are probably anticipating their home becoming the hangout for their kids and they’re right! My kids have a lot of fun with their friends when they have them over and its nice to know where they are. Why are you buying the spa? Is it for therapy, relaxation, family time, or just plain fun with family and friends?
Care of the portable spa
A hot tub with a good circulation system is very simple to maintain. Portable spas are great since they only need electricity. We always say “Fill it with a hose and drain it with a hose”. The most basic tubs should be drained an refilled every 90 days. On the other hand, a spa with a better circulation/filtration system I can go much longer between changes. There are optional sanitizing systems also, and for me, the best system is a UV (Ultraviolet) ozonater and Bromine. Of course everybody’s different, but in my years of hot tub ownership (since 1985) I wouldn’t own a spa without an ozonater. In addition to ozone, I like combining Bromine concentrate with a new product called Aqua Finesse. Ozone is the most powerful oxidizer available for use in a portable spa and not only kills bacteria (and viruses) on contact, it oxidizes organic contaminant. I’ve never thought hot tub chemicals are costly for a year, I think more in terms of ease of maintenance. Ozone also activates Bromide Salts in the vessel on contact and that’s a nice plus. A real good program is to have an inline sanitation system that incorporates Bromine and Minerals along with a unique ozone delivery system called a “contact chamber”. The contact chamber is a longer section of Kynar lined tubing in which the ozone is circulated back to the vessel in contact with the water and what’s in it (bacteria, organics, etc), destroying along the way. The water is like purified water as it is returned into the vessel in the footwell. This method of ozonation prevents harmful off gassing of the ozone, and it prevents the bathers from being in contact with the ozone.
Chlorine is not my favorite sanitizer for a spa since it tends to have more issues with organics than Bromine. Bromine also performs a little better in hot water of a spa.
There are halogen free sanitizers for folks that have allergies to Chlorine and Bromine. An excellent choice in the halogen free product line is Soft Soak from BioGuard.
There are more options to consider, but for the sake of brevity, we’ll stop here.
Hydrotherapy Jets
So many equate jet count with quality or performance of a hot tub/spa and in fact, that’s the way many hot tub retailers/manufacturers advertise. If you see a portable spa boasting 100 or more jets, that’s usually a fictitious number (of hydrotherapy jets). The manufacturers in the majority of those tubs are using an air blower which simply blows air into an air channel, or air orifices placed in the seats of the spa, and really add nothing to the tub’s therapeutic benefit. Hydrotherapy is created by forcing water through jets designed to mix air with the water and increase velocity and pressure as it exits the jet. Today there are numerous jets that deliver different pressure and flow rates that create hydrotherapy for different parts of our bodies. Truth is, the type of jets and how they’re placed in the hot tub make for comfort and therapy.,
Pump(s) and Horsepower
Prior to this, we mentioned that there are different hydrotherapy jets. We also want to distinguish between a pump and an air blower (sometimes referred to as “an air pump”). Hydrotherapy jets are designed to operate at optimal flow rates, or gallons per minute (GPM). A hydraulically balanced system is what you’re looking for in a portable spa. Jet count and type, pipe type, pipe diameter, length of pipe, and flow rates are critical points of consideration when building the quality product you’re looking for. Don’t be fooled by misleading horsepower claims. Those manufacturers that boast the most H.P. are almost always the lowest quality product, so be careful on this. So many dealers and manufacturers give fictitious horsepower claims just to make a sale. I’ve been in the hot tub business continuously since 1985, and I’ve never boasted about H.P.. Flow rates are more important for discussion. If you really want to know how well a spa will perform have the dealer demo the unit. Don’t be fooled by some ad claiming to have something still in the crate and at a sacrificial price, out of some dingy warehouse. Chances are if a tub is priced at an incredibly low price with a lot of awesome features, it probably is too good to be true.
Insulation
The right type of insulation can only add to the energy efficiency of a portable hot tub/spa. I hear all the time that “If a hot tub gets a leak, it can’t be fixed in a fully foamed spa”. That’s just plain baloney. Our spas are completely filled with low density foam and in my years in this business, we’ve had some leak right out of the gate, but we’ve always been able to find and fix them. Leaks happen. The truth is, foam insulation helps prevent leaks. There is a tremendous amount of weight on the water filled plumbing in a portable spa, and every time the pump(s) kick on high, there’s a high level of torque on the jets. Foam actually supports piping and jets. Our Marquis Spas use low density foam which has the highest R-Value and provides maximum energy efficiency. Low density foam is easy to get out of the way when you need to, so the tub is serviceable.
Some hot tub shells actually rely on high density foam for structural support, and they’ll promote it as energy efficient. A lack of air entrained into this type of foam gives the product little R-Value and in addition, high density foam IS difficult for leak repair as water travels in funny patterns through it and its also a bear to dig it out in the event of a leak.
Warranty
There’s really only 4 things to know when investing in a hot tub: Inside, Outside, Operating System, and Ownership Cost. A significant part of your ownership COULD be repairs. Make the dealer show their warranty, or OWNER PROTECTION PLAN. A hot tub warranty should be short and to the point and readily available online. The best hot tub manufacturers post their warranties online for easy visibility.
Shell Structure
To date, the most tried and proven form of reinforcement for an acrylic hot tub is hand rolled fiberglass and resin. Done properly, hand laid fiberglass reinforcement offers the most strength and durability, without the necessity of any other material for support to the acrylic shell. Some hot tub shells use ABS backed acrylic( ABS with bonded Plastic on its backing). ABS Plastic is not strong enough for this job, so you’ll sometimes see fiberglass reinforcement and or high density foam as mentioned above. This is a poor choice in my years of experience.
Since hot tubs have been around for years, and the first fiberglass, vacuformed acrylic spas were made in 1982, look for a hot tub dealer that’s been in the business for a long time, and you probably can’t go wrong.
Don’t fall for those classified ads touting “New hot tub, still in crate. Thousands less than retail.” In most cases, that “deal” will be a bad deal, and they won’t be there when you need service. Do your research carefully and you should get what you expect and hope for.
Aqua Pros has been serving Central Va’s hot tub/spa needs since 1985 and is perhaps, the Mid-Atlantic’s longest running spa dealer.
For more info contact us at info@aquapros.com