Anyone have a hottub?

[Logical]

Like it?
Use it a lot?
Hard to maintain?
Costly to heat every month, especially in the winter?

[orleans]

1. read this post. thought it over. don't have a hot tub. not sure if i'd want one.

i'd certainly like to be able to afford one, especially heating it in winter.
good luck

[Marie Marie]

2. Yes - have one.

well sort of... We have one but are currently using it to store all kinds of stuff. There is everything in it but water - LOL.

Like it? - yes it feels great but wipes you out. Between the hot water and the relaxing jets, you are a dish rag when you get out. This could be good or bad depending on how relaxed you WANT to be or what you need to do when you get out.
Use it a lot? yes, in the beginning. But just like most outdoor pools, they usually sit empty. We emptied it when the thermostat went and just never fixed it - hence - the expensive storage cabinet it became.
Hard to maintain? - yes if you go the chemical route. You must constantly check the bromine and ph levels and adjust the chemicals. Not too much work but a pain in the butt to do. If you don't, you end up with a "bathtub ring" around the water level. We bought an Ozonator to purify the water. Seemed like the easiest way to keep water sanitary but they are expensive and I'm now not sure of the safety of the ozone emitted from it. Ours in in our basement and we could usually smell the ozone. We thought that smelling it meant it was working and doing its job but years later, I'm not sure how safe that was to breathe in. (??)
Costly? Well, as I said, ours was in our basement - not outdoors and we did not buy a large unit. Ours seated two and was one of the smaller models but even that contained a lot of water to heat. We also bought ours years ago so I'm sure that they have become more energy efficient. I can't even really tell you how much ours cost. It would depend on how often you use it and the temp outside the unit.

Don't know if this was helpful - they do feel great but I think most people will tell you that unless you have chronic pain that is alleviated by the jets, the thrill wears off, you get lax about checking the water purity and it becomes just another unused expensive toy. And yet, there are times when I wish ours was filled with water and ready to go...

[NV Whino]

3. I had one and my clients have had tubs, which I've maintained

The one I had was great. It had an inline bromine feeder and an on demand, inline heater. That meant we turned heater on an hour before we wanted to use it. Pretty cost effective.

Other tubs that rely on external heaters never really go off. There is always some heat, which makes them expensive. Maintenance can be a pain, but you can usually sign up for a monthly or quarterly service.

Don't ever let your tub sit empty if you intend to use it again. To start up again, you have to totally sanitize all the plumbing or you can get a horrible skin condition.

I would recommend a bathtub with jets rather than a hot tub.

[mainer]

4. Yes. Use it almost every night during the cold months.

There's nothing like ducking outside in 10 degree weather and sinking into hot water and watching the stars. It relaxes you, soothes muscles, and helps with sleep.

Hardly ever use it in the summer months because it's just not the same on a warm night.

[ismnotwasm]

5. Yes

I love it, it use it everyday unless there's a windy storm. It's outside, but we have this huge umbrella thing that protects from the rain-- very satisfing. I keep the temp around 98f to 100, as hotter than that makes me a little nauseous. Ours is also very old, so it runs on a 220v you can get newer ones where you can run then on 120. You will see arise in your electric bill, depending how much you use it. Our isn't too bad.

I understand a lot of people lose interest in their hottubs. I work as a nurse, so it's just therapeutic after a 12 hour day for my feet and legs, with jets and induction bubbles. So consider what you want it for. Also, it's mostly just my husband and I in it and it's such a big old thing (400 gallons) we have a lot of room. Ours after the initial eletrical, (we ended up having quite a bit rewired but this is 30 years old--actually says "jacuzzi" as a name brand) runs just fine--but you do need to check the PH, and there is a product that "shocks" the bacteria out of it that's pretty expensive.

It will never be bacteria free, so don't expect that, but keeping it clean works very well for us.

Oh-- and I got a water proof cover for my iPad so I can relax out there online if I want to. Which I'm going to do soon.