The Complete Homeowner’s Guide to Buying a Hot Tub

13 Feb The Complete Homeowner’s Guide to Buying a Hot Tub

by Matt Giovanisci, swimuniversity.com

In this guide I will go over every step you need to take before entering a hot tub showroom. I’ll cover space availability, cost, how to research and how to negotiate a great deal when you’re ready to get down to brass tacks.

Why Do You Want to Own a Hot Tub?

Will you be a new hot tub owner? 60% are new buyers while 40% have owned one in the past and are usually upgrading to a newer model.

According to Alice Cunningham of Olympic Hot Tub, most people decide to buy a hot tub because they’re looking for a way to slow down, relax and find balance.

People also purchase hot tubs for physical ailments, including:

Fibromyalgia

Chronic fatigue

Arthritis

Whiplash or another injury from an accident

Other reasons involve connecting with family or saving a relationship. Yes, some believe that a hot tub will save their marriage and taking the time to talk to restore intimacy.

Now that you have your reasons, let’s go through the steps of buying a hot tub.

1. Make Sure You Have Enough Room

Ideally, you should have a large enough space to fit the size hot tub you want, while allowing access to all sides for maintenance and repair.

Choose a Location

Your best bet is to have a poured concrete patio or a spa pad to place the tub. Avoid using pavers as they can be uneven and wreak havoc on your hot tub’s frame over time.

If you choose to put your hot tub on a deck, make sure the deck is reinforced and strong enough to hold the heavy tub. I recommend contacting a professional deck installer (one with hot tub experience) to inspect your deck before considering it an option.

You’ll also want a walkway leading to your hot tub. This shouldn’t be a problem if you plan on putting your hot tub indoors, but a walkway is key for outdoor tubs. You don’t want to walk through grass, dirt and other debris leading up to your hot tub – those can all end up in the water and cause major problems.

Consult an Electrician

Hot tubs can take a 120 or 240 volt electrical hook up. Be sure you have one available near the future location of your hot tub. If you are upgrading, then this shouldn’t be a problem, but new owners need to be aware of this.

I recommend consulting a licensed electrician to look at your property and make sure that proper electrical hook up can be supplied if needed. Be sure the electrician pulls a permit, because if anything goes wrong, your insurance company will not pay out if there’s no permit and you decided to install the electric yourself.

NOTE: If you live in a rural area, do not install your tub underneath any wires – low hanging or not.

Final Checklist:

Make sure there is enough room to access all sides of the tub for maintenance and repair.

Make room for drainage. Hot tubs must be drained and refilled every 3 to 4 months as a form of water care.

Make sure the correct type of electric is installed and nearby (consult a licensed electrician).

Consider a walkway to your tub. Avoid walking on grass, dirt and other debris before entering your tub.

Ensure proper ventilation for indoor tubs.

2. Create Your budget

Let’s lay out all the possible costs of owning a hot tub so you can make the best decision when creating your budget.

Cost of Operation

Hot tubs cost money to keep hot. In fact, it takes roughly 8 BTUs (British thermal unit) to raise 1 gallon of water 1 degree Fahrenheit.

For instance, if you’re starting with fresh water that’s 40 degrees in the winter, and raising it to 100 degrees, it would require about 75 kWh (kilowatt hour) of energy. A kWh costs roughly 12 cents, so it would be a little over $6 to heat your hot tub for the first time or after each refill.

According to a blog post at TheSimpleDollar.com, a hot tub owner in the southern part of the United States estimates it costs about $30 a month to keep his tub hot 24/7 – assuming he is using a standard insulated hot tub cover. This is a rough estimate as some hot tubs have different types of insulation, which can vary kWh usage.

Cash or Finance?

Do you plan on paying cash or financing your hot tub? If you want to finance, make sure you talk to your salesman to find to best option.

Here is a finance calculator provided by Olympic Hot Tub that you can use: launch calculator.

Find a price range that you are comfortable with and aim for a hot tub that fits within your budget. If you find a tub that’s a little out of your price range, there might be some rebates, offers or ways to negotiate the price of the tub to fit your budget.

3. Do Your Research

Alice Cunningham recommends you do your research before entering a showroom. It’s a good idea to pick one or two brands that have the models you like. If the manufacturer’s website allows, try to download the user manuals for the ones you are interested in. 90% of hot tub owners do their research, so don’t be left out of the majority.

Reliability Vs. Price

A hot tub is a major household appliance, and with any new appliance purchase, you want to choose the best quality. The more reliable the hot tub, the less you’ll pay in maintenance and repair when the hot tub fails.

When looking for a dealer, find ones that has been selling the brands you like for a number of years. This is a good indicator for warranty and out-of-warranty services. You want to find a dealer who will have the parts you need on-hand and a properly trained service staff that can fix your tub. These are extremely important as I’ve had heard horror stories from owners who purchased their tubs from a questionable source or a big box retailer.

Don’t sacrifice quality for price. It may end up costing you more in the future.

The Anatomy of a Hot Tub

It’s a good idea to know everything you can about how a hot tub operates and the different parts that are involved. Above is a picture of a hot tub that’s been cut away to show the inside. If you want more information, check out the anatomy of a spa infographic by PoolSupplyWorld.com.

How to Choose The Right Size

The most popular size hot tubs are 2 person and 6 person. The singles (or couples) tub and the “go big or go home” tub – enough to comfortably fit a family of 4. “No one ever regrets buying the bigger tub,” says Alice.

When buying a hot tub for your entire family, you need to make sure you choose one with enough room. A good rule of thumb is a 100 gallons per person.

How Important are Jets?

The jets need to fit you – the number of jets don’t matter. Look for a variety of different jets rather than the total number.

Horsepower is also a factor. Sometimes more horsepower might be too powerful and it also costs more to operate.

Lounge or No lounge?

Women tend to want the lounge, but often have a hard time using it due to buoyancy. Lounges tend to work out better for men. However, you won’t know what you’ll like until you “wet test” a hot tub in the showroom.

Look for Incentives and Rebates

Browse the manufacturer’s websites and look for deals that you can take with you to the showroom. It’s also a good idea to call the retailer ahead of time and ask if there are any specials going on that you might be able to take advantage of.

Rebates or specials can put a hot tub in your price range. Not all manufacturers and dealers offer incentive programs, so keep your options open when doing your research.

Must-Have Accessories

There are 3 accessories you must have with your hot tub:

Cover

Cover lifter

Steps with optional handrail

When shopping, make sure these accessories are included with your hot tub. You can also add lighting, media and chemical packages, but these are not must-haves. Feel free to upgrade your tub as much as your budget allows.

Ozonator

Find out if your hot tub has an ozonator. Ozonators are a water care feature that uses ultraviolet light to kill bacteria. Ozonators are located inside the front panel of the unit and come standard on most hot tubs. Some tubs, however, may not have one installed. Ask your dealer, or research the manufacturer’s website, to see if an ozonator comes standard. They are good to have installed to help keep the water clean, but do not replace the use of chemicals.

Warranty

Find the manufacturer’s warranty on their website, download it and study it. Is it pro-rated? Does it cover on-site service? These are questions to ask yourself when reading the warranty. You will also want to find out if these services will be performed by the dealer or a third party.

4. Schedule an Appointment for a Wet Test

Always “wet test” your hot tub before you buy. Wet testing is the act of actually soaking in a filled hot tub before you make your purchase.

Test the tub with everyone in your family who will be using it the most. Test the different seats with different jet pressures. If you want a lounge, make sure it’ll work for you.

Just think, you would never buy a car without test driving it, so the same should go for a hot tub.

After the wet test, you should leave the showroom. You may need to wet test other tubs at other dealers. Pick one day and try to accomplish all your wet tests. Testing the all the tubs one after another will allow you see and feel the differences that will help you make your decision.

If the dealer doesn’t allow you to wet test, take it as a sign that this may not be the right dealer for you.

5. Sleep On It

Don’t let the salesman pressure you to make a decision on the spot. I recommend you go home and sleep on it. I personally have avoided many bad decisions by employing this tactic.

Here is a list of everything you should know before you make your decision:

How long has the dealer been in business?

How long have they been carrying the brand?

What type of water care options (i.e. chemicals and ozonator) are available?

Who will deliver and install the tub. Do they just drop it off in the driveway or install it in the chosen location?

What does the warranty cover and for how long?

Does the tub include a cover, lifter and step?

What type of financing is offered? What is interest rate?

If you need to know any additional information, use your salesman as a resource. They should be happy to help you.

You’re Now Ready To Buy

Now that you have all your information, you’ve wet tested the tub and slept on it, you will have a fresh and relaxed mind to enter the dealer and negotiate.

Buying a hot tub should be a pleasurable experience. Make sure you are comfortable with the salesman. If you’re not, choose another one.

Once you’ve signed the papers, you can celebrate becoming the owner of a new hot tub.

When the hot tub arrives, inspect it for any damages and make sure everything works before the delivery team leaves your property. A good team will install, fill and walk you through the process of operating your new hot tub.

Thanks For Reading and Share With Your Friends

Thanks for reading and I hope it helped you to make a good decision when purchasing a hot tub. Be sure to stop back once your hot tub is up and running, as this site will be your online guide to taking care of it. I would also like to thank Marquis Spas and Cal Spas for providing the photos.

click here to view the original article from swimuniversity.com