Are hot tubs worth having, we've all been in someone elses at some point and thought it was awesome and would be cool to own one. Does anyone own one, are they high maintenance? Could buy an inflatable one I guess, can get them for under a grand. I have a 6 foot tub in my bathroom, looking at one for outside.
Hot Tubs?
- Thread starter wazup
- Start date
Everyone I know who has had one didn't think it was worth it in the long run unless used regularly. High cost. Pain to clean. Maintenance in winter problems.
Yes. Most of my friends who purchased tubs used them at first but now they are rarely being used.
OP I have no idea if you could rent one for the summer. May be able to buy a used one for a cheap price and see if you will get a lot of use out of it.
I have always wanted a sauna, but I imagine it would suffer the same fate as many hot tubs.
We had one at my old house. Used it quite a bit for the first summer or two, after that, we’d almost never use it. It’d get full of bugs and leaves, we’d have to clean it, the jets would get full of gunk, it’d be a pain in the ass to use. It’d also break down all the time over winter and we’d have to pay to get the system fixed. We wound up ripping it out and just putting in a patio.
You’re really better off just having a nice big jacuzzi tub in your bathroom in my opinion.
You’re really better off just having a nice big jacuzzi tub in your bathroom in my opinion.
Yes, they are cool but are high maintenance. Can cause a lot of problems if you don't keep the chemical balance properly. They are way more fun in the winter.
I flat-out disagree with what's been said so far. I've had a hot tub for several years and love/appreciate it as much today as the day I bought it. Admit I don't use it as much as I did six years ago but that's more due to the fact I went overboard when I first bought it and literally lived in it.
It's definitely not a 'plug-it-in-and-forget-about-it' piece of equipment but I'm not sure what others mean by 'high maintenance.' I clean the filter and skimmer basket once a month and check/rebalance the water weekly. Cleaning the filter takes 15 minutes and checking the water about 5 minutes. Leaves in the fall aren't an issue if you have an insulated cover (which also reduces electricity costs.) I drain and refill my tube once in the spring, winter and fall wiping down the interior at the same time. Never had to clean my jets, in fact can't see them clogging up with gunk given the force of the water going through them.
In terms of reliability, I'd go with a well-known and established brand . . . like Coast, Beachcomber or Arctic Spa and stay away from the Home Depot/corner lot weekend tent sale units. The better made spas are better insulated which saves you a lot in heating costs. Spas are like anything else . . . you get what you pay for.
I'm lucky enough to live on the shore of an awesome lake and nothing beats watching the sunrise/set over the lake from my tub with a cup of coffee/glass of wine . . . or soothing sore muscles before dinner after a day of raking leaves. I added a retractable TV to the side of my tube and love watching the Jays or Leafs while having a good soak. And, of course, few things beat hot tub sex.
All this said, there are many who think like the previous posters. In a way, that's a good thing for first-time buyers as it means you can usually find a well-made unit for a bargain price on Kijiji. In my opinion that's a good way to 'test the water' so-to-speak without breaking the bank.
It's definitely not a 'plug-it-in-and-forget-about-it' piece of equipment but I'm not sure what others mean by 'high maintenance.' I clean the filter and skimmer basket once a month and check/rebalance the water weekly. Cleaning the filter takes 15 minutes and checking the water about 5 minutes. Leaves in the fall aren't an issue if you have an insulated cover (which also reduces electricity costs.) I drain and refill my tube once in the spring, winter and fall wiping down the interior at the same time. Never had to clean my jets, in fact can't see them clogging up with gunk given the force of the water going through them.
In terms of reliability, I'd go with a well-known and established brand . . . like Coast, Beachcomber or Arctic Spa and stay away from the Home Depot/corner lot weekend tent sale units. The better made spas are better insulated which saves you a lot in heating costs. Spas are like anything else . . . you get what you pay for.
I'm lucky enough to live on the shore of an awesome lake and nothing beats watching the sunrise/set over the lake from my tub with a cup of coffee/glass of wine . . . or soothing sore muscles before dinner after a day of raking leaves. I added a retractable TV to the side of my tube and love watching the Jays or Leafs while having a good soak. And, of course, few things beat hot tub sex.
All this said, there are many who think like the previous posters. In a way, that's a good thing for first-time buyers as it means you can usually find a well-made unit for a bargain price on Kijiji. In my opinion that's a good way to 'test the water' so-to-speak without breaking the bank.
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I have to agree with Silkroad,I had a Beachcomber for 15 years and the maintenance is next to none as all you do is clean it out 2 times a year and keep up on the water balance 2-3 times a week which takes all of 5 mins.I once had the pump fail at -40 and it took 2 days to get it repaired and when I hooked it back up the water temp went from 104 down to 97 so make sure you do get a brand name that is insulated as it makes a huge difference.The cost of running 1 each month was an extra $25.00 in hydro as long as you have a good top as well.It is like everything else you buy in life,get the top brands 1st as in the long run it will save you money.
Love my hot tub. As stated in quote, not hard to keep and a buck a day for electricity not a deal breaker. And it's wonderful for all my aches and pains. Now if the SO would disappear for a week there's a bevy of lovely ladies I'd have over to really give it a work out, she doesn't ;-(
Don't know much about the new soft tubs of today but a few years ago my neighbor had one on his deck . It drove me nuts hearing that thing run and run . Couldn't open the windows on a nice summer night because of the noise . You see it didn't have a separate heater . The pump running is what heated the water so the pump ran steady to heat the water . Very happy to finally see him get rid of that thing .
A steady drone all day long and night . I have 2 neighbours who have hot tubes that are not soft and when the pump runs you can hardly hear them .
My brother has a hot tube but only uses it in the colder moths . Just too darn hot to be in it in the summer months . Drains the water , cleans it and refills it in the fall .
I had a good hot tub when I lived out in the country with neighbors over 500 yards away and it was great but also high maintenance.
Now that I live in a small town with neighbors and less property I have a soft tub that I got from Wal*Mart for under $1000 and it is worthwhile but is much noisier. Thankfully I have neighbors that are hard of hearing and don't complain.
Now that I live in a small town with neighbors and less property I have a soft tub that I got from Wal*Mart for under $1000 and it is worthwhile but is much noisier. Thankfully I have neighbors that are hard of hearing and don't complain.
I LOOOOOVE HOT TUBS!! There was a regular I had a few years back (he ended up getting married now but such a nice guy!) I'd do outcalls to him and we'd play for an hour and then spend time in his hot tub afterwards lol and it was the BEST! We would add some drops of essential oil (lavender or peppermint) and boy was it EVER relaxing!! Such a great time. I miss hot tubs. It's been a hot minute since I've been inside one.
I would love to get a hot tub in the future! Is the up keep hard to maintain? I couldn't imagine the up keep being worse than a pool?
