Although exciting, buying a hot tub can be a very demanding process for someone who’s never done it before. It requires some basic knowledge that you probably won’t get in everyday life. It may, in fact, feel like you’ve stepped into another world altogether. But don’t fear! A bit of self-education can have you wheeling, dealing and conversing intelligently with even the fastest talking hot tub salesperson. To find out what to know before buying a hot tub, we’ve put together this article.
Electrical Requirements
When it comes to electrical requirements, there are generally two types of hot tubs available on the market: plug and play hot tubs and hardwired hot tubs. Plug and play hot tubs are considered more convenient because they’re powered by plugging them into a regular household electrical outlet. Hardwired hot tubs, on the other hand, draw more power which requires access to a 220 Volt 50 to 60 Amp breaker. This would need to be installed by a certified electrician as it’s not a DIY job. The electrician will also be needed to connect the hot tub to the power source. The extra power that a hardwired hot tub is able to draw allows it to run the water jets at full power while the water heater is also running. Plug and play hot tubs can only run the heater when the water jets are operating on lower power. This may result in a falling water temperature when using the hot tub continuously for long periods of time.
Portability
If you’re a renter or you plan on moving house in the near future, you may want to bring your hot tub with you. If this is the case, it’s very unlikely that you’ll want to install a permanent, inground hot tub. If you decide upon a portable or inflatable hot tub, you’ll have a much easier time taking it with you when it comes time to move on. That said, when comparing portable and inflatable hot tubs, the inflatable hot tub is moved much more easily. Despite the name, portable hot tubs are composed of a solid acrylic shell encased in a frame and can weigh 500 to 1000 pounds or more. Moving it will still require some effort and a suitable vehicle to transport it. Compared with inflatable hot tubs, portable hot tubs are much more rugged and tend to last a lot longer than the inflatable versions.
Maintenance
It’s a good idea to understand what you’re getting into before buying a hot tub. It’s not all about simply lounging in the warm water. If you don’t keep that water clean† you could end up with some serious health problems. For this reason, there’s a rotating schedule of maintenance procedures that you’ll need to undertake to keep the water safe. These procedures can be divided into weekly, monthly and quarterly jobs to make remembering what to do a simple matter of getting used to the maintenance cycle. You’ll need to test the water chemistry at least once a week – more often if the hot tub is getting a lot of use. The results of these simple tests will tell you what chemicals you need to add to the water to keep it fresh. Every month you’ll need to clean† the water filters. This is simply a matter of hosing them down and removing any built up gunk. And every three or four months you’ll need to give your hot tub a deep cleaning†. This means you’ll need to empty the hot tub of water and give it a good scrubbing. At the same time, you should also give your water filters a chemical soak to break down accumulated oils and grease.
Now that you have a better idea of what to know before buying a hot tub, download a free buyer’s guide below today, or visit us at our hot tub store.