Anyone know much about Hot Tubs?

[1stdeadeye]

I spent this weekend car shopping for Mustangs and Hot Tubs. I still have not found the Mustang I want, but my wife found her Hot Tub. She just ordered 2004 Reflections Elegante with the Vista Package. It will be here in 2 and 1/2 weeks.

Anyone know much about them. My wife says they require little maintainence. Is that true?

[swanster]

they don't need much matenance at all. change the water every 4 - 6 weeks, test the water every day ( 30 seconds ) and add chemicals until the correct amount is reached

the chemicals needed are

ph plus
ph minus
granulated chlorene
spa clarifier
spa no -foam
and a cleaning product for the filters when you change the water. ( I can't remember which one we use )


thats basically it. There are a few other things but they are in the manual.

p.s: you WILL NOT regret buying it i promise

[1stdeadeye]

Change the water? It holds 400 gallons for pete's sake. That can not be right.

[swanster]

we couldn't believe it either. We have to change the water every 4 weeks ( well we choose to anyway ) so it stays fresh. It takes around 2 hours to fill and about 1/2 an hour to empty ( we have a pump and have never tried it with just a hose ) it will also take around 12 hours to heat to 40 degrees celcius. The nicest temperature is 37.5 degrees.

you can basically say that it is going to take around 39 - 40 hours to sort it out each time you empty it

2 hours to drain with hose ( guess )
24 hours to clean filters
30 mins to clean it and put the filters back in
12 hours to re heat
5 mins to put in chemichals

[insanity415]

my dad has a pool shop near his house where he just takes a sample of water every week or so and they will analyze it and tell him exactly what he needs to put in it. he checks it himself every day too.

also you can try calling your water company and tell them you are filling a pool/hot tub and sometimes will not charge as much.

[Tunaman]

Hot tubs cause/spread Legionaires(sp) disease. Wouldn't catch me in one...

[i_baked_cookies]

tuna, with that attitude, id be suprised if you left your house!

[Bad_Dog]

My wife says they require little maintainence. Is that true?

ha!

changing water, scrubbing calcium off the sides, adding/testing chemicals...

we spend more time cleaning ours then we do useing it. I think the last time I went in it was last christmas...

They're cool for a little while like 2 months... but then they just get old and become a pain.

And if you have an outdoor one like us, theres always the cover; which the life expectancy is only 3 years... nice to drop $500+ on a new cover that often... eh? were on our 2nd getting ready to buy the 3rd.

And if its an outdoor tub you get the fun of keeping wildlife out. Not ducks and gees though, more like mice and gophers and chipmunks which chew through the base and nest in the lining creating that lovely animal smell (from the dead ones that we cant get out).

well thats what I can think of... have fun!

[BobTheCow]

So what's the technical difference between that and a jacuzzi? Is a jacuzzi just more like a fancy bathtub or something? Seems to me it'd be less work for the same result... Anyway, enjoy it, take advantage of the relaxation, and make sure to use it as plenty of leverage for that stang!!

[cphilip]

So what's the technical difference between that and a jacuzzi? Is a jacuzzi just more like a fancy bathtub or something? Seems to me it'd be less work for the same result... Anyway, enjoy it, take advantage of the relaxation, and make sure to use it as plenty of leverage for that stang!!

A Jacuzzi used to have jets and a hot tub not. They about all the same now. Hot tubs now all seem to have Jacuzzi jets in them.

You do not have to change the water that often at all.

You do need to add some algecide to that list. Contrary to popular thought Chlorine does NOT kill algea. It kills bacterial. Algea needs to be kept down so you do not have to change the water. And depending on the scource of water you will need either PH raiser or lowerer. Not both. If your water is Acidic you will need to raise the pH with a basic material like soda ash. If its basic. lower it with acidic material

pH is the potential of Hydronium Ions. Acid is 0 - 6.9 and Basic is 7.1 - 14 and 7.0 is neutral. You actually want about 7.2 - 7.8 (slightly basic) because Chlorine stays in solution best at that pH. If its too acidic or basic it will gas off and be wasted.

You really just need three things chemical wise. Chlorine tablets or sticks, pH adjuster (depending on which way your water tends to go) and Algicide. Its just like maintaining a pool pretty much.

And a simple pool test kit will have all the stuff you need to test this and you can find those and all the chemicals at Walmart, Lowes, Home depot etc...

Around this area our water tends to be Acidic. So we keep Soda ash for adjusting it up. And we add chlorine tabs as they dissapear. And its not much in a hot tub spa. Maybe a tablet a week. And adjust pH as needed checking weekly. And add algicide once a month or so.

[xmetal2001]

pH is the potential of Hydronium Ions. Acid is 0 - 6.9 and Basic is 7.1 - 14 and 7.0 is neutral. You actually want about 7.2 - 7.8 (slightly basic) because Chlorine stays in solution best at that pH. If its too acidic or basic it will gas off and be wasted.

Hydronium Ion would be H30+ , pH is power of hydrogen

Not that it really matters when you are messing with your hottub water

[cphilip]

Hydronium Ion would be H30+ , pH is power of hydrogen

Not that it really matters when you are messing with your hottub water

Well it don't matter because its the same thing doofie!

But in actuality...p(otential of) H(ydrogen is what it is....

[1stdeadeye]

Thanks! The concrete Pad goes in this week and the hot tub comes in the week of the 7th!

[ShooterJM]

Nice! FYI we only emptied out hot tub out quarterly, it all depends on how much you use it and how it tests out. Just get a very good top for it, one of the nice thick ones. Make sure to wipe down the top of the cover like once a week with armorall. It'll preserve the top for years. Did you get a salt water tub or a normal one?


Also, a quick rule of thumb. (gallons/3)/number of people per day = number of days before you have to change the water.

example: 600 gallon tub and an average of 2 people per day. (600/3)/2= 100 so you'd change the water every 100 days.

[swanster]

[QUOTE=cphilip] ou do need to add some algecide to that list[QUOTE]

thanks cphillip. I will have to try some of that stuff out. We may be able to keep the same water in it for loger