Hot Tub Advice

[Kwanza P.]

I saw some old posts on here about hot tubs that may be too old to rely on so I'm asking again:

What advice do folks have for hot tubs regarding:

1. Model(s)

2. Features

3. Maintenance (do you have your cleaner tend to the tub or do you hire someone with a certification or have your cleaner get certified?)

4. Logistics/wish you would've knowns?

5. Any turnover issues or complexities to plan ahead?

6. Demand in a beach town (where I suppose it can still get cold at night and in winter)

Thank you!

[Collin Hays]

Hot tubs are not real complicated. You have a tub with jets, a heater, a pump, a control panel, and a cover. Therefore, in theory, any and every hot tub should be able to be repaired in perpetuity. 

Let's talk about each of these:

Jets - rarely do jets give trouble. Usually it's a valve that needs adjusting or replacing. Pretty cheap.

Heater - Heaters will last a decade, and then you pop another one in when yours goes kaput.

Pump - same as the heater

Control panel - These eventually quit, but it could take 15-20 years.  Pretty easy to swap out, but maybe $800-1000.  

Cover - this is a $500 item, and this is where I see many homeowners skimp when they shouldn't.  Covers last 3 years or so, and then they start shrinking up, not fitting tight, and allowing heat to escape. They become water logged and are VERY difficult to lift. Not replacing your $500 cover will end up burning up your heater while sending your electric bill through the roof. Just replace it already.

We don't "treat" the hot tub.  We simply empty it between guests with a submersible pump from Harbor Freight, re-fill, drop 2 bromine tabs in, and she's ready.

You will want to change out the filters once a year.

You will also want to keep the hot tub casing sealed good and tight. If not, mice quickly take up residence and chew up all of your insulation and possibly wiring, and then snakes will follow. Snakes like hot tubs more than about any other manmade thing.  They are warm in the winter, moist, and difficult for predators to enter. Most hot tubs in the country or in the mountains have snakes living in them.