As you may recall (if your memory goes back far enough; this has been a long, drawn-out quest), I decided to try to buy a house awhile ago. I've found one I think is "it" and, of all things, it comes with a hot tub

I've never had a hot tub, so would like some advice. First of all, what should I look for to determine whether this tub is still in good enough shape to be used? I mean, besides the obvious "no cracks or holes."

Also, how hard is it to maintain a hot tub? I'm sure it must need pool chemicals, etc. Can you hire "hot tub guys" like pool guys? Is it worth paying for maintenance, or is it easy enough to just deal with yourself? Do you use your hot tub enough to justify the hassle of maintaining it?

And finally, is it really expensive to maintain and heat it?

Thanks in advance!

Aderyn

i got a used one as a gift from my kids... honeymoon is a MECHANIC.. he can fix just about ANYTHING... so far.. he needed to repair the heater thingy (highly technical description)... and daughter got us chemicals when she bought it..(back in november) and we havent had to buy more yet..

we have a HARD COVER (which are more expensive i guess but keep the electricity down ) but we live in northern idaho (read: freeze yer butt off winters) so we also cut bubblewrap to fit the size of the opening and we just toss it on the lid when using... put it on the water and then the lid on when we are not using it..
i am sure you can hire a HOT TUB GUY.. heck... if ya pay enough my MOON will come there. *L*

i am not good with these kinds of things.. but i would check the FILTER.. the HEATER... the JETS (one of ours didnt work and he had to clean it out)

so far it is easy to maintain (we emptied it recently... gonna refill and get new filter) but then.. I dont do the maintaining *L*.. i do the LET ME GET IN FIRST!! ;-)

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We bought one last year and love it! We use it a LOT more than DH thought we would - he was always under the impression he didn't LIKE hot tubs.

I'd hire a spa person to come do an evaluation, if it's gonna be a deal-breaker on the house. If not, I'd hire one anyway, to come let you know what it is and how best to maintain it. If it has an ozonator, you use chlorine-based products and if not, usually they recommend bromine because it's less odiferious and easier on the skin. OTOH, the ozonator requires less chemicals to start with which is why you can go with the chlorine.

You'll want test strips to evaluate the chemical levels every other day or so. It's very easy - just like testing for ketosis! LOL! You dip a strip into the water, wait 15 seconds, then compare it to the legend on the bottle to determine what, if anything, needs to be added.

We use bromine, I add a capful every 3rd day or so. I also use weekly a descaling agent. I add pH up or down and alkalizer as needed, which is infrequent. You can plan on changing the water every 3 months, more or less depending on how often you use it, how many people use it, and whether or not you use it with bathing suits - they contribute to the water breaking down faster, believe it or not, usually due to residual detergents and stuff in the fabric. We use ours "au naturel" so no problems there!

We do not like ours overly hot. We keep it set at 98* and then turn it up one degree upon entering it. We like to soak in it for 45 minutes to an hour at a time. Some people prefer to crank the heat up to 104* or so and only stay in a short while. Whatever works!

We opted for the 220v version rather than 110v, as we were told the 220 would be less expensive to run in the long haul, although we had to pay $500 to have the 220v run out to where we installed the tub. Still, with the 220v both the heater AND the jet pumps can run simultaneously, which they couldn't with the 110v.

You can look online for "spa maintenance" or "hot tub maintenance" to get some more info, but the best thing I got was a pamphlet from OSH in their pool and tub supplies section - also found them the best price on chemicals and test strips.

If it's been well-maintained, you should get years of enjoyment out of it!

HTH!

Char

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Thank you both for all the info! It's definitely not a deal-breaker, more of a "what am I gonna do with this thing?" I think I would like having it; I've always enjoyed hot tubs at resorts. They have done a nice job of installing it by converting a side porch into a 3-season room (Char, you probably can't relate to that concept where you live, LOL!) with a gas fireplace for heat. The 3-season room opens out onto a big deck, so very nice setup to have friends over for BBQ and hot tub party

Aderyn

Oooo, sounds good, Aderyn! So when is the housewarming/hot tub party?!

I hope it all works out and soon you'll be lollygagging in your own hot water!

Char

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Veni, vidi, velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.

Save the Earth - it's the only planet with CHOCOLATE!

we have one, but my husband takes care of it... I would drop in at a place that sells the tubs, and the chemicals and discuss it.. after all, you're gona need to buy chemicals anyhow... The place we bought ours from analyzises our water samples for free, since we buy our supplies there.

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Actually, it looks like I might not have to buy chemicals. While at the house for inspection yesterday, we opened a cupboard and found all of the chemicals and test strips to maintain it. Assuming they don't deteriorate, I guess I can use them. I'm definitely calling a spa shop and having the whole thing inspected, though, and finding out how to use it. I also noticed it was hooked up to a separate heat source, a propane tank in the side yard. Propane isn't cheap, but definitely better than electricity.

Aderyn

if you find out where those supplies came from, you could just tell them the situation, and I bet they would answer any and all questions.

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