Do you use your hot tub, and if so, for what?

[Dennis Kalma]

We are considering getting a hot tub and wondering what everyone who has one does with theirs.

Basically we back onto a provincial park, quite private (no houses behind us), I have built a recess into my deck for a hot tub, now the question is whether we should get one.

Our thoughts are that it would be ideal to relax after a rough day at the office, or after a workout (both wife and I have gotten into regular fitness now that we are both in our twilight years...you know, late 40's)

We are worried that we would buy it, use it for a few months and then it would be a useless boat anchor that we'd regret.

So what do you use your hot tub for? How often do you use it? How is it in winter (say -20 degrees) versus summer time? Do you invite guests or is it only you and your spouse? Is it clothing optional or do you always wear a suit? Any special options or things to look out for when I buy?

Thanks to all....

Dennis

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

GONNA GET IN THA HOT TUB!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly_CGin6QS8

[Dennis Kalma]

I have put a water/water heat exchanger on to my boiler, thought is to use primarily the boiler to supply heat, with the electric system typical in most hot tubs to supplement/emergency heating.

Dennis

[Paul K]

We're considering a BullFrog. Kinda neat system where you can change the 'jet packs'.

http://bullfrogspas.com/index.html

Perfect for winter evenings and summer parties.

Cheers,

Paul.

[LeeH]

Our house had one when we moved in. It was nice for a while. Then we didn't use it so much.

After months of battling rodents who kept chewing through the wires I gave it to a friend.

[campbellcj]

FWIW we have an in-ground concrete spa and after 4 years in this house we still use it pretty frequently - once a week or more when we're not tied up with work or other crap. Clothing is optional if at night and without the 500W lights fired up...

It was also very helpful in teaching our son to swim as the "hot pool" as he calls it is not nearly as intimidating as the big "cold pool" (with jets turned off and with extreme adult supervision required at all times, of course.)

[jdm61]

hot tub........koi pond for Coney Island whitefish.

[Hugh R]

I have a really big hot tub, like 4'by 8' but it came with the house. Way too big, I use is in the summer with my solar most saturday nights for the last nine years. In the winter I calculated that it cost me about $25 per use to heat from 50 to 104 degrees so I don't use it in the winter.

[RoninLB]

my bud kinda built a serious one because his body is beat. He used high volume pumps and plenty of on/off jets. He used the specs from the so called most powerful models as a basis.

[CJFusco]

Parents have one and girlfriend's parents have one. Both have gotten constant use over the years. In the summer you can set the temp for 87 to cool off, and then in the fall/spring/winter you can crank it up to 103 to warm up. Highly recommended.

[kmhemi]

I have a 300 gal. baja
I have arthritis and they're great for that. I use it every day or 2.


There is a discussion board that may help you decide what to buy.

http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=wtb-hottub

[dhoward]

Use it year-round. Cooler in the summer months.
Clothing prohibited.

[Vipergrün]

We use ours almost every night. Electricity bill +35 bucks/month, but not a big deal. We have a double insulated unit for winter use. Just changed to the "Baqua Spa" line of products, no chlorine or bromine. Suits and other clothing not allowed

[motion]

We have one and use it perhaps twice a month... more in the winter. I'd say that if your body ever feels like its been run over by a truck then you'd get great pleasure from having one. If you're a 9-5 office type and not really subjected to hard, physical work then you might not get much use out of it.

I used to absolutely fiend on jumping into mine after 5 skydives in a day... my body was so beat up. The tub was a god-send.

[Moses]

I use mine a lot in the winter, less in the summer. Cheap spas perform badly and you'll quickly lose interest. I researched pretty extensively and got a Sundance. I love it.

http://www.sundancespas.com/

[Tim Hancock]

Ours is in our garage and I use it a few times a week, while my wife uses it pretty much daily as she has fibro. We rarely run the jets. I would rather have it outside, but my wife does not want to have to walk thru snow in the winter.

Ours is quite large and is pretty fancy, however I would rather have one of the newer plastic molded somewhat portable simpler 4 seat units that once drained, can be moved easily. Then I could put it on the deck in the summer and back in the garage in the winter. Rarely do we have more than two people in it at once, so the large size just takes up space and wastes electricity.

[MBAtarga]

I've seen quite a few either real cheap or free on the local Craigslist....I think folks buy them thinking it will be great, use them for a while, then the tubs just sit and rot.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by LeeH
After months of battling rodents who kept chewing through the wires I gave it to a friend.

That's what flexible steel conduit is made to prevent, among other things, I think the National Electric Code may either recommend it, or mandate it, not sure.

[sammyg2]

Q.) How many Californians does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A.) None. Califiornians don't screw in light bulbs, they screw in hot tubs.


very old but still good enough to crack me up.

[LeeH]

Originally posted by fastpat
That's what flexible steel conduit is made to prevent, among other things, I think the National Electric Code may either recommend it, or mandate it, not sure.

It was the internal wires. They were nesting inside and chewing the insulation. They got the wires that ran to the conrol board and the main power to the pump. I'm surprised the little critters didn't fry themselves.