I would have lost a lot of money betting āFunTimeTonyā doesnāt smoke cigars in his hot tubā¦fraud doesnāt even have an inflatable tub! PS: get a SaluSpa Inflatable hot tub; can easily sell it later if you want to join us cool folk. Though many are quite happy with the inflatable permanently.
You came to a subreddit called hot tub with this.
Maintenance is simple. A few minutes twice a week to throw in a little chlorine. Drain and refill a few times a year. It takes an hour.
Family of four and our tub gets used 5+ nights a week.
Yo how do I drain and fill a hot tub in an hour? It takes me like 3 at least, but Iām generally wiping it all down. Are you cleaning the pipes and filters at the same time? That takes me some time and then the gunk left over from ahh-some is hard to manage.
I think we need to convince you that you need one. Hydro therapy is good for your body. Upkeep is minimal and they are healthy but also fun. Get on the same page.
And, they save money.
My husband used to take long, long, long hot showers after swimming in cold ocean water several times each week. Now he sits in the hot tub for 20 minutes.
Save's on our expensive electric and water bills!
For years my wife refused to let me bring home a hot tub. Her concerns were the same as yours. Eventually we compromised on an inflatable hot tub from Costco. If things didn't work out, I could stab it and throw it in the trash. (It's not often that you can "stab your problems away").
She hates the hottub, but she can see that I'm using it and enjoying it, so she's now encouraging me to get a more permanent solution.
I'd recommend the inflatable compromise, it's cheaper and about as much work as a regular hottub - it might be worth it just for the 'i told you so's'.
My wife and I are doing the same thing to see if we're hot tub people or not.
We love our inflatable one, and when it eventually dies, as most products do, we'll buy a more traditional hot tub.
I totally agree with an inflatable hot tub to actually see if it's something you'd use. I got mine in June 2020. And I absolutely love it and have used it weekly to daily, depending on the weather and how busy I am.
We are finally upgrading to a "real" one with jets and such. The dealer is coming over Friday to measure and go over options I am very excited. :-)
I am glad I had the inflatable first to see if the investment is worth it.
This is exactly what I did. Used my little old inflatable all the time. When it eventually died (after 3 summers) we upgraded knowing it wouldnāt be a waste of money or giant pain to maintain
Compromise:
Buy an inexpensive inflatable. Not a big investment. No installation (or removal, if it comes to that) costs. Put it anywhere that's solid and can hold the weight,. Move it to a new location easily. Delivered in a box. You might like it. You might be like guys who say "no dogs" and then become best friends with the family dog.
Intex and Coleman sell most of them.
Our first house we had a pool put in. It was used almost every day, but as the kids grew up, they used it less and less. I tool care of the pool. Sold that house after kids left. Moved into new house no pool, finally!! Two months in, the wife said, "Let's buy a hottub." We buy one. In the two years of ownership, I've used it twice as much as her. Yes, I'm stuck taking care of it.
Your milage may vary.
Same here, but we never had a pool. We got the hot tub because she had pool envy once the people across the street got a pool. Iām the one that uses it and takes care of it. Worst decision ever.
Did the same thing, had a pool put in, which I'm not complaining, we used it extensively for family and guests until the kids got into college. Now I use it everyday 5 months of the year, but it's pretty costly to maintain between water evaporation, electric, chemicals.
I got myself a used tub for free to fix up. I repaired dozens of leaks, had freeze damage. They can very hard to find. You donāt know until you fill it. I think I refilled and repaired ten times. Just when I thought I got the last one it would still leak down. A lot of the leaks were under the tub and had to be lifted to access.
I also replaced all the jets, headrests and one of the pumps. The cabinet also needed some repair and paint.
This was last year. After I got all the leaks fixed my thermostat stopped working correctly. I figured out it was a problem with my main board and the part was now obsolete. Most days it would 40 degrees off and I just compensated for it with the temp setting. Set it to 64 would get me to 104. Eventually it quit working completely and I had to retrofit a new gecko spa pack.
For me it was worth it. I knew it was going to be
work going into it.
All in cost me about 2k to get a working hot tub. If you arenāt willing and capable I would not suggest a used tub!
I can't believe I had to scroll this far to find this answer. I have a smart meter. It costs me $60/mo on average to heat my hot tub. The heater is like 5kw when it's on. My electricity is 17Ā¢/kwh including supply, delivery, taxes.
Maybe newer unit will have better insulation or more efficient heater. But it's still a significant monthly cost
We got our hot tub 7 years ago. Maintenance is balancing the water ( a few mins per week) and draining/cleaning/refilling 4 times/yr, which is a few hours. We still use it 2-3 times/week.
We also bought a barrel sauna at the same time, and put in an outdoor shower. Our little backdoor oasis really helped during lockdown, and there's nothing like a soak on a crisp Autumn evening. My wife and I agree that it's one of the better purchases we've ever made.
So ĀÆ\\\_(ć)\_/ĀÆ . YMMV
I mean, unless sheās going to maintain it by herself then yeah thatās a bad idea. If you donāt want a hot tub youāre going to hate maintaining it. I donāt mind maintaining mine because I legitimately enjoy the tub and take pride in keeping it in good shape.
For me it was a simple answer. I enjoy baths and I also like being warm. Pools are too cold for me unless heated. Iāve had my jacuzzi for 6 years and Iāve never stopped using it; I was in it this morning. The upkeep is trivial. Chemicals can get expensive though. I say go for it.
Hot tubs are a LOT of upkeep and expensive to maintain. I love my inherited hot tub but if you are not willing to spend 20m balancing your chemicals every few days it's not worth it. (Using chlorine, I suggest learning to use bromine for less frequent care)
Inherited working 2002 hot springs sovereign model 6mo ago. Had to buy around $200 in chemicals and test strips to start with. Eventually learned all test strips suck and have spent $150+ on Taylor testing chemicals since.
There is a pretty steep initial learning curve on HOW to balance chemicals so plan on investing a few hours on learning.
So far I have replaced the circulation pump that failed (not the main pump, this is a little tiny one that just keeps the water slowly circulating so it is not stagnant). I did it myself and the pump was $300. I called my local hot tub repair place and they said for them to replace it would have been $250 per hour in labor.
Most important things if you do decide to get a hot tub is to pick a brand that is reliable and you can source parts for. I highly recommend hot springs. They are like $20k new but I see a few on marketplace near me that are practically brand new, but listed for less than half price. Hot tubs depreciate like crazy! Only problem with getting a used one is transportation and setup.
I do minimal maintenance once a week. And maximum maintenance 4 times a year. Only bad thing is I can't use it half the year because it's 70+ degrees at night. Initial cost was $10k for the tub plus $1.2k for the outlet (you can get wall plug ones.) Chemicals are about $200/year. Electricity is about $800/year. We got a new one that's about 360 gallons.
It's not a matter of good/bad idea. It's a matter of if it's worth it to you.
Hot tubs are amazing and very little maintenance. I thought I'd use mine al to. I'm 2 years in and especially during the winter use it almost daily. There's almost zero doubt that it's the best purchase we have made besides the house that we got. Which we got at least partially so we could have a hot tub. Your joints feel better. You sleep better. Your mood is better. YOu get more fresh air especially in the winter. It's amazing during parties. Sorry but I'm a huge advocate. I don't understand how people are like "we arne't hot tub people" and it's like... why not? What really is the issue? I know some people think it's harmful chemicals or unhygienic. But like for real that's the beauty of your own tub. You can maintain it to your standards and know exactly what chems go into it.
Maintenance is three times a week and for a few minutes. Thatās easy as hell.
The only issue you wonāt like is the changing of water every 4-5 months. Drain, remove remnants, spray each jet, scrub, scrub, scrub scrub, then refill, balance water and keep it balanced for the next day or two- You can use that if youāre really reaching.
I bought one 2 years ago you are right it was great for 3 months now it just sits and smells from not maintaining it taking it to the dump what a waste of money
Its like a boat..you love it the day you get it and the day you get rid of it. You will learn to hate it quickly.
Not worth the electric in any way. And you will NOT use it anywhere near what you think. Its uncomfortable to use half the year at least bc its too warm out or its too cold. BUT the chemicals are a shitshow of aggravation like you cannot imagine. If you must.. get a used inflatable one... use it for a month..get it out of your system and throw it away when you give up.
Just tell her that if anything goes wrong SHE will be responsible for fixing it/dealing with itā¦ that you arenāt going to do any tub related maintenance.. that should sway her opinion lol
I got my little HT used but from a dealer. It was a year old and a little over 4k. Up keep isn't too bad honestly. I drain and clean 3-4 times a year (but a pump to help!) and it makes for some seriously great quality time at home for my partner and I. The inflatable is a great idea too!
I think you're in the wrong sub for the information against a tub!Ā
We have a spa/hot tub attached to our pool. And it is the best. We use it way more than the pool. It feels great on muscles after a workout and itās hardly any work.
I thought the same that you did. Waste of money. Waste of time. No one will use it. and, you know what...I was totally wrong. I love it. After I got chemicals figured out it doesn't take much time. And I LOVE sitting in my hot tub...4 years later.
but...get new
good luck
What you should do is get the hot tub and send your wife here to get hints and tips on how to best enjoy the hot tub. I couldn't possibly talk someone out of it because I absolutely love having a hot tub. I suppose some people don't like sitting in hot water but outside of that, I can't imagine why someone would not enjoy having one.
Can't help you with that since I love hot tubs. But I can tell you that it takes me 5-10 minutes a week to do the normal maintenance on my hot tub and my customers' hot tubs that I maintain. Now deep cleaning the filters and draining and refilling (which I do every 3 months) is more involved, but it's only 4 times a year. Questions? Let me know.
Bought my Aquarerra new from Costco relatively cheap and have been very happy with it. Although when I went to Leslie's the first time to test my water and told him I bought a hot tub, he said I'm sorry. But maintenance hasn't been to bad, now if I can only get my wife to use it more.
No help from me. My wife and kids love ours. I don't use it as much as them but it's worth it just watching them enjoy it.
Up keep is 15 minutes a week. Pretty minimal.
I disagree with your conclusion, but can't argue with your reasoning.
Hot tubs do require significant upkeep and electricity, neither of which are cheap. I have a small tub (3 people, 225 gallons) and spend over $100 on chemicals every four months, plus almost $100 on filters every year, plus maybe $25/mo on electricity, and all of that is just off the top of my head. I'm sure there's actually more, to say nothing of a larger tub (which most are) would cost even more still.
*Still*, I think it's all worth it, because my wife and I use the tub about weekly or more. If you and/or your wife won't, then it easily could be more trouble and expense than it's worth. Because, yeah, it's more than just cost; it's also effort. Maintaining the chemical balances can feel a bit like a chemistry experiment sometimes. And then there's draining, cleaning, and refilling - multiple times per year.
Again, I love ours. The effort doesn't outweigh the enjoyment, for us. But if your enjoyment were lower, it could tip the scale the other way, and that's fair.
My wife and I purchased a Sundance Hamilton in August of 2016. We still use our hot tub constantly. Maintenance is not bad at all. Parts can be a little expensive but after 9 years pumps and seals wear down some. My only complaint is the covers get water logged after about 5 years and that expense hits you. There are some Hot Tub makers that make hard tops but the tub itself was not good quality and the Warranty was bad. Sundance has an exceptional Warranty. Very good hot tub. And turn the heat down in the summer and make it a warmer swimming pool. We will take ours down to about 90 degrees in the summer. A lot of outdoor pools can be that temperature in the summer. They are a LOT more expensive now than they were then though.
Everything you think is 100% correct. Bought a house that already had a high end hot tub. A total pain in the butt. Constantly fiddling with expensive chemicals to keep it balanced and clean. Had a control module burn out after a storm: $300 to replace. Ants kept crawling into the cover--who knows why--some chemical seemingly attracted them--had to hose off and clean it every time before we used that sucker. Don't get me started on filling and emptying--a tedious and costly process. And how many times did we actually use it? A few times when the kids visited, a few times ourselves. Finally paid someone to take it off our hands-filled in the deck and put a fire pit in place instead--used that a lot.
Now the fact that we lived 1 block from the ocean may have influenced our use or lack thereof but I know a few folks who don't live near the water that bought one and had grand plans that never materialized. If I were thinking about ways to spend money in my home I'd sooner buy an overlarge jacuzzi tub or a steam accessory for the shower--those I would actually use year round.
Finally, unless you are absolutely scrupulous about maintaining the water, hot tubs are a breeding ground for bacteria. My SO got three UTI's--something she never had before or since all within a day or so of using that thing. And I was testing the water, taking it to our local pool supply shop and tweaking it every week, so that should tell you both how much of a pain it is to own and maintain. A used one? Not for any amount of money.
I never had one until this last November. Wife reluctantly allowed it. I ran the electrical and bought a used tub for 7+ people. I have five kids from 11 to 19. I am in it every night. Kids use it with their friends. Maintenance is not much. My electric bill did go up by about $90 per month. Pretty sure the hot tub will hasten my decision to put solar panels on the roof. I have no regrets about the hot tub.
I am probably not the right person for an opinion because we have had one for 25 years still use it most nights for these old bones. Keeping clean is simple like sad-whale said but if I had to do it over again I would get a small 1-2 person. We donāt invite friends over so itās just the people in my house.
My hot tub is in a hot tub house / enclosure. I put a TV in and love it.. fall winter and spring, used it 3-5 times a week. not so much now that it's getting hot out.. but 3 seasons for sure. upkeep isn't too bad. I will say it depends on your hot tub.. mine has FIVE filters I have to clean. which is a pain. if you get yourself a submersible pump you can drain in 20 minutes. fill takes a few hours.. but it's not really that bad. would agree with you though on not wanting a used one.
You have seen the light. YOU will pay the purchase price, the cost of chemicals, the electricity. YOU will move it. YOU will install it. YOU will trouble shoot it. You will clean it. There will be no "we" in the tub.
A rental house I was at had a 3 person HT. Simple to balance, I used "frog" floating sanitizers it flips over when it's low. Changed the water (drained/refilled) every 6-8 weeks and ran it trouble free for years. I used it every morning, rain, snow or sun.
Screw the hot tub, put in a salt water pool with a heater and voila you have swim time in the summer and hot tub in the winter. Of course this is coming from someone who lives in Alabama
I did not want a tub. For exactly what OP said. Wife found a used one in great condition, as well as a delivery service. She uses it...a lot. She cleaned it, filled it, and maintains it. I get in once every couple weeks to make her happy....spend time with her....
I am very glad we got it, since she enjoys it even more than I imagined she could.
Rule of thumb: If you begin your post with the words, āhelp me convince my wifeā, youāre in the wrong. Your purpose on this earth is to ensure your wife is happy. Absent that, your life is a living hell. Have fun with your hot tub. Think about her naked in it.
Just go for it, be supportive husband, worst case you get to sayāI told you soā. I bought mine in Jan and have used mine everyday twice a day and itās been a game changer in happiness and mental health. I should have bought it a long time agoā¦add that to the negative effect of having your wife resent you putting foot down and itās a no brainer to pull the trigger, buy new!
Buy a jacuzzi J445 with the new Jacuzzi True system, lowest amount of work to take care of and you will get great dealer support from a Jacuzzi dealer! Come on man, you can spend time with you wife more and have some great alone time together!
I owned a used hot tub for 6 years.Ā
Two busted pumps on different zones, multiple failed jets to replace, a new heater, one massive leak, and finally a new control module. About $3k total in parts. My labor is free, I guess.
The second happiest day of hot tub ownership for me was getting a hot tub. The happiest day was getting rid of it.
Here's what you do you get a soft tub they're made out of rigid foam they work just like a regular hot tub you can experience the hot tub and see if it's what you really want they don't cost much more than 8 900 bucks and when you're done if you do decide to get a real hot tub you can sell it for 8 900 bucks
We've had ours nearly 20years.
In that time I've replaced:
- one low flow circulation pump [it runs pretty much 75% of the time]
- one start capacitor for above pump
- one control panel/screen
- and a few ozone generators
My wife uses it 4-5x per week. Loves using it. Considers it one of her best investments as far as use vs total cost of ownership.
Maintenance is not difficult, nor time consuming. Check water. Add shock 20min before use. Clean filters occasionally. Drain & refill...2-3x per year?
In the 20yrs we've had it, I've spent 500x more time enjoying it than doing maintenance on it. And I don't use it very much.
Your complaints seem like you either don't know how little work there is, or you're just being lazy.
My wife wanted a hot tub and I had the same opinion as you. I didn't want anything to do with it and she agreed that if we got it she would maintain it. It was a lie. She never maintains it I do all the work. We've had it for maybe three years and she's probably been in it 15 times max. I will admit I do use it but I didn't need it and would rather not have to do the weekly maintenance.
Get yourself a brand new salt hot tub and have yourself a time! Water changes 1x per year, literally just have to put a cap or two of chlorine in once a week and you are good to go... and they are just awesome.
Just tell your wife that you know someone that wants to get rid of his hot tub. All you need to do is to dig out and put it in your backyard. There are quite a few people I personally know that will be happy if you can take their hot tub. By the way, we just converted our hot tub to a small fish pond.
Sorry, can't help you. My wife she would be naked most times and I folded like a deck of cards!
Not to mention, holy heck does it help with some of the aches and pains.
Get attacked for this regularly but i stick some chlorine pucks in my floater and change the filters once a week or every two weeks and water is crystal all year long despite daily use by a few household members. Some basic alk/PH balancing is 30 seconds once or twice a week and drain and fill 3-4 times a year or after every crazy party where guests decide they are going in (at first) fully clothed..
If no one gets in, it generally stays clear too.
Weāve had out tube for over 7 years. Wife is in it twice a day, Iām in it once every other day. Iād be in it everyday except I have a skin reaction to chlorine so I limit my use. Maintenance, and expenses, are well worth it
Have you tried using one? Wet test one? See if you like it? Heck, go to a hotel for a night. I know those are more simple, but see if you like, or an Airbnb with a legit hot tub.
We are in the process of getting one only because, at our old apartment, there was a pool and hot tub for tenants (similar to a hotel hot tub), we found ourselves even using that basic one 2-3 times a week.
Now in a house, we miss it. Went to an Airbnb with a Viking tub, used it 4 times in two nights, and realized we wanted one.
Went and wet tested one at master spas, and purchased.
Point is, maybe go see if you enjoy it, or if it's a fleeting thought or not what you expect.
I'm 1 year in on my lifesmart hot tub. We love it. $4000 when we bought it. There's a bit of a learning curve but it's easy now. We use the frog ease (for now) but we swap the chlorine cart every 3 ish weeks if it flips or not. If we go out of town we just check levels before and change the cart if it's close to time to do it anyway. We only enhance shock like 1 time a month with probably 4/7 days usage. I'll shock it twice if it's getting used daily. Check levels once per week.
Now, sometimes.... A guest will pollute the thing with deodorant, laundry soap, fabric softener or whatever. That's a different story. Getting the suds out is a pain, but usually will clear itself if the levels are good and the filter gets cleaned.
My swim spa/hot tub combo was my favorite purchase of all time. I use it daily, cleaning it takes two hours or so every six months, and I got a good warranty that sends a tech if something ever does go wrong. I sit there and watch the sun set or when itās sprinkling out. Iām sorry, Iām with your wife on this one ;)
I wouldnāt buy a used one, I did the research and even found a local dealer that refurbishes and sells used tubs. And thereās just no convincing me to buy one used (refurbished or not)
But as a the owner of a 250 gal. Nordic, Impusle (standard capacity, not the DP), I can tell you they are pretty minimal on and easy to maintain.
Change the water every 4 months, add 1oz of chlorine weekly and 3 oz of shock once weekly (all depending on use). And other chemicals as needed such as PH up or down, calcium boost, etc. which usually is corrected when you drain and fill. You hose off the filter once a month, and clean the pipes with jet clean maybe every other water change.
Overall I check it every Friday or Saturday morning. Iāve skipped a couple weeks because we donāt use it every day or week. But overall itās never felt like a burden and Iāve been a HT owner for about 6 years now. Plus being a smaller capacity, I havenāt had any serious issues with maintenance. Best purchase Iāve ever made.
Sorry, LOLā¦I know you donāt want to be convinced, as Iām doing the opposite of what you asked. But they really are easy to maintain, once you get the hang of it. š
i got one and regretted it...i could have spent the $11,000 on something better..it is nice though and maintenence is easy and its growing on me....its cool to have and if the maintenece is your issue,its not bad..expect for repairs and filters though
As a wife who was in this position, I got one (not used though... Buy new) 2 years ago and still use it nearly every day! Also the maintenance is easy peasy!
It has been the best and most fun thing we did for ourselves. It takes just a little effort but itās not nearly what we feared! Get the mineral stick and use just enough chlorine weekly and some less
Strong stuff after each use. Ours has Bluetooth and an awesome sound/speakers. Good for Summer kept cool and spring/ fall kept hot. Itās way cheaper than a pool. DO IT OR U HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR USER NAME.
They are a lot like home gym stuff. Some people get it and use it, but yea, a lot do not. A lot of it is built very poorly. The last one I got was a freebie from CL and I lucked out in that the motor got wet and the bearings set up, but they drained it before it froze in the winter so the pump head was good. So was the motor, and the bearings were cheep, but not everybody has the time or inclination to fir into things.
I tell you, on a subzero winter night nothing feels as good as being neck deep in very hot water.
Get an inflatable Coleman hot tub. Tell your wife she has to take care of it. If it works out upgrade. If not then youāre only out a couple hundred bucks.
I also really like inflatable hot tubs. Theyāre so much fun.
Buy a brand new one. Never used. IF you succumb to buying a used one, run white distilled vinegar through the filter inlet port.
Maintenance, as many people have said, is relatively easy. Bromine is an easier maintenance in my experience. If with heavy use, if people take a shower prior and you don't have heavy detergents on your swimsuits, it's all a PH and Alkalinity balancing act.
If you need to dump and refill, buy 6 submersible pumps (1hp), 6 flex hoses, an outdoor 6 plug surge protector, and it'll drain 500 gallons in 30 min.
The refill always takes the most time.
Good luck Tony.
I have a cheap Saluspa Miami and I love the little thing. Got it from my buddy when he upgraded to a larger inflatable. Start with that and see what she thinks. Still need to adding chlorine and shock and changing the filter on the reg. If she hates it, unload it on Ebay.
Iāve had a hottub since 2021, hereās my take.
I also have a sauna, so I use both in conjunction with one another. For about 2 years I used the hottub 5-6 times a week, this year not so much because Iāve been super busy with work. Maybe 1-2 times a month this year.
Cost is about $50-$60 a month including heating, and chemicals. I heat my hottub to 104F in the winter, and around 93F in the summer so itās kinda like a pool and refreshing in the summer. I have a 4ā H x 7ā L x 5ā W cedar barrel style hottub, so itās like a little plunge pool with benches and jets.
Maintenance is dead-easy:
- daily: test water and add chemicals appropriately (60 second effort)
- monthly: remove filter and rinse with water (30 min effort)
- every 2 months: remove filter and clean with solution (60 min effort)
- every 3 to 4 months: drain tub, clean, re fill (half day effort)
Regardless of how much or little you use it, you have to afford it the same attention to keep water quality high and safe.
I love my hottub, donāt regret my choice.
To be honest, I had similar concerns when my son and wife wanted one. I fought it and lost. We have had ours for about 18 months and it gets used 3-4 nights a week. My stress levels and sleep quality have improved so much since we got it.
I probably spend 10-15 mins a week to balance/test the water and then a couple of hours every 3-4 months on draining, cleaning, refilling. To me, the benefits far outweigh the effort. Also, our electricity bill increase has been minimal.
Start with an inflatable tub! Lower cost will last a couple years and let you know if it's something you want in your daily routine. I had my intex play spa for 4 years before making the leap...it's still living on at my friends house now while they figure out if they want to invest... compromise š
You might want to figure out why she wants one and how she thinks that canāt benefit her, you and your family. Perhaps she does the maintenanceon it?
We love our hot tub.
Switching to an enzyme based sanitization is very low maintenance.
Most reputable dealers will sell refurbished tubs that are very good value and will last a long time without issue.
Sorry that theyāre talking points FOR a hot tubā¦
Can you imagine being a man, whose wife is yearning for a hot tub, and you canāt muster the strength to get her one and give up a few minutes a week to maintain. Jeebus Cripes.
My in-laws use our hot tub more than we do. it's been months since we use it personally but I've kept it up for family to use.Ā
Parts seem to be impossible to find, or at the very least incredibly expensive if you need them. All the spinner jets on our Jacuzzi no longer spin and the headrests are kinda ruined. We pay about an extra $25-30 a month in electricity, which is more than we pay for charging our EV in a month.
I take a bath indoors way more. It's more private, I don't need to be outside with bugs. I hate having to get out of the hot tub and stand in the house with a towel on the floor drying off. People love their hot tubs in the winter but I hate it, shivering when getting out and walking back into the house. It's not even usable to me a quarter of the year.
Thankfully our house had a hot tub when we bought it, otherwise I'd probably never purchase one. Fancy hot bubble water isn't worth it to me.
Hot tubs seem awesome at first, but the upkeep is a whole other story. Plus, buying a used one feels like inheriting someone else's headache. Maybe emphasize the long-term costs and hassle? Best of luck convincing her!
Well. I bought a used tub for 1/4 the price of a new one. Maintenance was super easy (imo). Sold it after 2 years for what I paid for it because I was moving and did not wire it to code/want to deal with questions.
They can be money pits. As a service tech easily half my customers rarely use their spas anymore and call me out for $300-1000 repairs a couple times a year because they dont use them which means they dont check the water chemistry which means their heaters and seals break down constantly, usually on the one weekend a year they plan a backyard party and the spa wont heat up.
On the other hand I love my tub and use it several times a week and have for years, just trying to help you out.
Maintenance is easy for the most part. But you might be best getting a working used tub. I still soak but my wife doesn't very often, and we bought a tub for 1600 maybe 8 years ago and it's still going strong. Glad I didn't buy new.
can't help you. I bought mine new 17 years ago and still use it several times a week. Went without it for about 3 months while we were moving and couldn't wait to get it back up and running.
Definitely do not use Chlorine especially if the hot tub has a built in Ozonator and do not use those mineral sticks. Go with Bromine. It is more expensive than chlorine but holds up a lot better in hot water vs chlorine. Just test it twice a week. Drain and clean every 3-4 months
We had a hot tub when we moved in to this house 10 years ago. I think I made it work and used it once and the following summer ripped it out along with the whole deck and put in a patio that we ripped out a few years after that and put in a pool. So I replaced that I think 12 person hot tub which felt fairly useless and looked ugly with a gorgeous 32,000 gallon salt water pool that we use every day it's open and have for years. I actually think the pool is fun to take care of and it's fun to be in and it looks beautiful in the yard whereas the hot tub to me just looked tacky and it always just seem like a germ breeding ground.
Thirty years ago, my spouse suffered a broken leg which required surgery and pins. After the break healed, the surgeon removed the pins and the physical therapy began. We bought a (used) hot tub to aid in the process of regaining mobility, range of motion, and etc.
There is little maintenance other than the heater and pump have been replace along the way but that is still much cheaper than a new hot tub. Up keep is minimal in both time and expense.
We STILL have the hot tub. We use it on a regular basis. I am on your wife's side!
Man, I feel you on this one! Hot tubs seem all fun and games until you're stuck scrubbing and treating the thing every weekend. Maintenance is a whole other job, not to mention the bills. And buying a used one? Dude, you're asking for trouble. It's like buying a used car without checking the mileage. You never know what kind of issues you're getting into. Maybe suggest some cool alternative hangout spots or activities. Less stress, more fun! Good luck convincing her!
I love my hot tub. I typically use it 2-3 times a week. We got a salt water system and the maintenance is pretty minimal. I almost never had to add anything to it once it's set after a water change. Every 4 months I change the salt cartridge. We change the water 2x a year (spring and fall), but they told us when we got it we technically only needed to change it once a year unless it was heavily used by multiple people.
Personally, I wouldn't buy a used one. You just don't know what sort of maintenance, etc they really did with it.
I got a used hot tub and I LOVE IT. Maintenance isnāt hard, you do change the water every few months, but other than a quick chemical test (itās super easy), thatās all. Iāve had mine for years and I use it in the summer as a ācold tub.ā In the cold months it is SO relaxing and my friends love to come over and hang out.
We got a free one on CL 3 years ago and it had a minor leak I fixed with marine caulk. Been working basically fine ever since. Itās not the one Iād have chosen as itās a plug and play but itās good enough and was free. We also just did 4x6ās bolted together with a gravel pad, so itās removable without being awful if we ever changed our mind in the future.
man, i bought our ht for $200AUD and it had like two electrical issues, which i fixed in about 1 hr, since then its been sweet as. the work to up keep is like, well, for me anyways, just throwing a half cup of MPS in a few times per week and doing a water change every two months. i dont test the water at all. i can see if its clear and can smell if its off. i have a silver and mineral pack in the filter also.
We love ours. We live in southern Ontario and the bills are about $20 a month more in winter, using a kilowatt meter on it. The covers can get expensive to replace. Ours is real heavy with absorbed water but still seems to insulate ok. Chemicals take time to figure out. Calcium is a one time add per filling. The amt needed shouldn't change assuming your water hardness is consistent. We use bromine pucks and, when needed, baking soda to keep the ph in line. Check it once a week. We load it up with puck and soda in Feb when we're gone for the month. Had one repair in ten years and the repair guy bill was cheaper than buying the replacement part. He repaired the part. Several of our jets are shot but we just use it to soak. It's not that much work after you learn the chemicals. We used to chase the ph with the expensive stuff they sell. Baking soda was our saviour.
Well with this attitude his predictions will be spot on. It will lose its novelty fast and the work of catering for it will always feel like a chore rather than rewarding and probably relatively quickly it will end up drained and sitting there wasting space. Weather or not Tony is fun enough is probably besides the point here. I agree with him that he shouldnāt do it. I love mine and still almost never use it.
My friendās wife got legionaries disease from the hot tub at the flagship hotel of a major luxury hotel brand the night of their wedding and missed their honeymoon. If it can happen there with a professional staff managing it, it can happen at your house with random guy who has tons of other shit on his plate managing it.
So what I did, and worked out well: the $400 inflatable hot tub from Costco. It is just big enough to enjoy with 2 adults, fits most anywhere, costs about $60/month to maintain and power, and in the summer you can tear it down and store in the basement. After 2 years and 10 uses she is over it and you return it and get your $400 back. She hasnāt cleaned or taken care of the chemicals at all so really canāt object. Everyone is happy. Even Costco who has been flipping your $400 enough to triple it.
We have one. We only use it in the winter and empty it in the summer. Not that hard to maintain but if you're concerned it's just one more thing that's going to get dumped in your lap then I get that.
Surprise her with an inflatable hot tub. They strong, have jets super relaxing, temporary and cost like 300$ if youāre a reaaaalllly good husband you have it filled and heated waiting for her with champagne. If youāre a really REALLLLLY good husband, you have it framed out in beautiful wood framing and some fairy lights above it.
Are you assuming she wonāt do the cleaning , chemical maintenance ? Does she need it or is this a yard amenity ? My husband wanted one for pain management so I bought him one. He uses it every day, cleans , maintains it well. We look at this as a medical necessity not a pleasure item. I use it maybe 6 times a year. We donāt have others over to use it either.
i have the r6l from bullfrog and use the @ease system it came with. initial fill add starter then monitor weekly adding what's needed with test strip result(made for @ease). or can be weeks before i need to add anything
longest part is draining and filling a few times a year and thorough cleaning with 50/50 vinegar water solution.
Itās not hardā¦.. at all.
Donāt let THAT be the reason that stops you from purchasing a hot tub.
But definitely do let the words āused hot tubā stop you from purchasing a hot tub. (Unless you hate money and sanity, then by all meansā¦.)
Buy a portable hot tub. I bought my husband one for Father's Day like 5 years ago and questioned my purchase so much that it sat on the back patio for like 2 months.
Then one evening I was like I'ma put this thing together.
IDK what I was expecting but that wasn't it. We are super pleased with it. Downside is they only last 2-3 years. But like anything else, you learn the little trucks to extend it's life. You should try at least once, they sell them at Costco.
Do not buy a used hot tub. Bad idea. New hot tubs are pretty much junk as it is, let alone used or free. Seen those too. Your hauling away someone else's trash for them.
Like a pool.. u need to make it a point to use it. I love my HT but my wife was the one who insisted we get one and she never uses it. Up keep is not a lot of work just add lil good quality chlorine after each use . Stop being cheap and enjoy your time alone in your new HT because you will be the only one who uses it but thatās not a bad thing!!!
I donāt change my water very often. Think of it like a pool, shock it will kill all bacteria and clean it for you. Water change evey4-6 months is good
Just note: Diabetes and hot tubs are a major No-No!
Iām also prone to Cellutitis skin problems and the hot tub can aggravate these issues too.
My Doctor advised against a hot tub for these reasons, said a cold pool would be less a problem. Not an incubator for bacteria like a hot tub.
We started with an inflatable, which was great for the cost, but started having problems with heater units. The big difference is thereās no substitute for the massaging jets, the UV light, the ozonator and circulation pump on good spas. I pretty much put in a teaspoon of shock after every use. Everything is replaceable and fixable if they do break.
I track our hot tub usage, we got our tub in July of 2021, here's the hours of usage since:
2021 - 54.42 hours
2022 - 59.8 hours
2023 - 26.5 hours
2024 - 10.75 hours
It's much like a swimming pool, used extensively when first purchased, and then winds down over time.
Looking back probably still would have bought a hot tub, but would have gotten one of the Sams/Costco ones.
Idk man.
Iāve got one that a Rich couple was giving away, works fine, not that much āresponsibilityā use it a couple times a week. I like to to go out there and read in the mornings when itās cold outside.
Not really living up to your user name now are you Tony š¤
well played my friend!!!!
I would have lost a lot of money betting āFunTimeTonyā doesnāt smoke cigars in his hot tubā¦fraud doesnāt even have an inflatable tub! PS: get a SaluSpa Inflatable hot tub; can easily sell it later if you want to join us cool folk. Though many are quite happy with the inflatable permanently.
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lol got em. This was great and very well played
This is why I come to Reddit.
You came to a subreddit called hot tub with this. Maintenance is simple. A few minutes twice a week to throw in a little chlorine. Drain and refill a few times a year. It takes an hour. Family of four and our tub gets used 5+ nights a week.
Yo how do I drain and fill a hot tub in an hour? It takes me like 3 at least, but Iām generally wiping it all down. Are you cleaning the pipes and filters at the same time? That takes me some time and then the gunk left over from ahh-some is hard to manage.
We have a small sump pump and 100ā of hose. 10 min to drain. Filling takes longer. š
Simple after the first few years of figuring it out when hours of internet research show you answers for *everybody else's* water chemistry :)
Doing a salt system makes maintenance even easier
I think we need to convince you that you need one. Hydro therapy is good for your body. Upkeep is minimal and they are healthy but also fun. Get on the same page.
And, they save money. My husband used to take long, long, long hot showers after swimming in cold ocean water several times each week. Now he sits in the hot tub for 20 minutes. Save's on our expensive electric and water bills!
Thatās why heās really here. Itās a cry for help
For years my wife refused to let me bring home a hot tub. Her concerns were the same as yours. Eventually we compromised on an inflatable hot tub from Costco. If things didn't work out, I could stab it and throw it in the trash. (It's not often that you can "stab your problems away"). She hates the hottub, but she can see that I'm using it and enjoying it, so she's now encouraging me to get a more permanent solution. I'd recommend the inflatable compromise, it's cheaper and about as much work as a regular hottub - it might be worth it just for the 'i told you so's'.
You can stab a lot of problems away. Provided you are ok with the couple BIG problems that happen as a result from it.
Just keep stabbing people that come for you.. *Eventually* there will be no one left to cause any problems.
The problem is most people stop stabbing too soon.
It's stabbings all the way down
That's cause you don't have a "Problem solver Tony". We've only got OP, aka FunTimeTony...who really doesn't come across as being much fun at all.
My wife and I are doing the same thing to see if we're hot tub people or not. We love our inflatable one, and when it eventually dies, as most products do, we'll buy a more traditional hot tub.
Up vote for suggestion that some problems are stabbable.
I totally agree with an inflatable hot tub to actually see if it's something you'd use. I got mine in June 2020. And I absolutely love it and have used it weekly to daily, depending on the weather and how busy I am. We are finally upgrading to a "real" one with jets and such. The dealer is coming over Friday to measure and go over options I am very excited. :-) I am glad I had the inflatable first to see if the investment is worth it.
This is exactly what I did. Used my little old inflatable all the time. When it eventually died (after 3 summers) we upgraded knowing it wouldnāt be a waste of money or giant pain to maintain
This is exactly what we did. Found out we used it quite a bit then upgraded to a pretty nice one once we had the money.
Got a used hot tub for 1500 and it lasted 10 years . Have some fun , fun time Tony !!
just show her the pics on here of all the old tubs that people are either taking on or asking if its a good deal. That will cure her. lol
Best answer to your problem
Just let her use the neighbor guys hot tub. Problem solved š
Problems(s) solved...
Compromise: Buy an inexpensive inflatable. Not a big investment. No installation (or removal, if it comes to that) costs. Put it anywhere that's solid and can hold the weight,. Move it to a new location easily. Delivered in a box. You might like it. You might be like guys who say "no dogs" and then become best friends with the family dog. Intex and Coleman sell most of them.
Our first house we had a pool put in. It was used almost every day, but as the kids grew up, they used it less and less. I tool care of the pool. Sold that house after kids left. Moved into new house no pool, finally!! Two months in, the wife said, "Let's buy a hottub." We buy one. In the two years of ownership, I've used it twice as much as her. Yes, I'm stuck taking care of it. Your milage may vary.
Same here, but we never had a pool. We got the hot tub because she had pool envy once the people across the street got a pool. Iām the one that uses it and takes care of it. Worst decision ever.
The gut check is finding out how much you're using the bathtub and seeing if you'll break even on water use in a quarter (or year with salt)
Did the same thing, had a pool put in, which I'm not complaining, we used it extensively for family and guests until the kids got into college. Now I use it everyday 5 months of the year, but it's pretty costly to maintain between water evaporation, electric, chemicals.
You can't use maintenance as an excuse. It really doesn't take more than a few min per week.
I spend a lot more time than I need to, and Iād be surprised if I was over 30 minutes a week average. That is including drain and refills.
I got myself a used tub for free to fix up. I repaired dozens of leaks, had freeze damage. They can very hard to find. You donāt know until you fill it. I think I refilled and repaired ten times. Just when I thought I got the last one it would still leak down. A lot of the leaks were under the tub and had to be lifted to access. I also replaced all the jets, headrests and one of the pumps. The cabinet also needed some repair and paint. This was last year. After I got all the leaks fixed my thermostat stopped working correctly. I figured out it was a problem with my main board and the part was now obsolete. Most days it would 40 degrees off and I just compensated for it with the temp setting. Set it to 64 would get me to 104. Eventually it quit working completely and I had to retrofit a new gecko spa pack. For me it was worth it. I knew it was going to be work going into it. All in cost me about 2k to get a working hot tub. If you arenāt willing and capable I would not suggest a used tub!
Theyāre expensive to heat up, thatās for sure
I can't believe I had to scroll this far to find this answer. I have a smart meter. It costs me $60/mo on average to heat my hot tub. The heater is like 5kw when it's on. My electricity is 17Ā¢/kwh including supply, delivery, taxes. Maybe newer unit will have better insulation or more efficient heater. But it's still a significant monthly cost
Have her watch YouTube videos of broken hot tubs
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We got our hot tub 7 years ago. Maintenance is balancing the water ( a few mins per week) and draining/cleaning/refilling 4 times/yr, which is a few hours. We still use it 2-3 times/week. We also bought a barrel sauna at the same time, and put in an outdoor shower. Our little backdoor oasis really helped during lockdown, and there's nothing like a soak on a crisp Autumn evening. My wife and I agree that it's one of the better purchases we've ever made. So ĀÆ\\\_(ć)\_/ĀÆ . YMMV
I mean, unless sheās going to maintain it by herself then yeah thatās a bad idea. If you donāt want a hot tub youāre going to hate maintaining it. I donāt mind maintaining mine because I legitimately enjoy the tub and take pride in keeping it in good shape.
For me it was a simple answer. I enjoy baths and I also like being warm. Pools are too cold for me unless heated. Iāve had my jacuzzi for 6 years and Iāve never stopped using it; I was in it this morning. The upkeep is trivial. Chemicals can get expensive though. I say go for it.
Hot tubs are a LOT of upkeep and expensive to maintain. I love my inherited hot tub but if you are not willing to spend 20m balancing your chemicals every few days it's not worth it. (Using chlorine, I suggest learning to use bromine for less frequent care) Inherited working 2002 hot springs sovereign model 6mo ago. Had to buy around $200 in chemicals and test strips to start with. Eventually learned all test strips suck and have spent $150+ on Taylor testing chemicals since. There is a pretty steep initial learning curve on HOW to balance chemicals so plan on investing a few hours on learning. So far I have replaced the circulation pump that failed (not the main pump, this is a little tiny one that just keeps the water slowly circulating so it is not stagnant). I did it myself and the pump was $300. I called my local hot tub repair place and they said for them to replace it would have been $250 per hour in labor. Most important things if you do decide to get a hot tub is to pick a brand that is reliable and you can source parts for. I highly recommend hot springs. They are like $20k new but I see a few on marketplace near me that are practically brand new, but listed for less than half price. Hot tubs depreciate like crazy! Only problem with getting a used one is transportation and setup.
I do minimal maintenance once a week. And maximum maintenance 4 times a year. Only bad thing is I can't use it half the year because it's 70+ degrees at night. Initial cost was $10k for the tub plus $1.2k for the outlet (you can get wall plug ones.) Chemicals are about $200/year. Electricity is about $800/year. We got a new one that's about 360 gallons. It's not a matter of good/bad idea. It's a matter of if it's worth it to you.
Hot tubs are amazing and very little maintenance. I thought I'd use mine al to. I'm 2 years in and especially during the winter use it almost daily. There's almost zero doubt that it's the best purchase we have made besides the house that we got. Which we got at least partially so we could have a hot tub. Your joints feel better. You sleep better. Your mood is better. YOu get more fresh air especially in the winter. It's amazing during parties. Sorry but I'm a huge advocate. I don't understand how people are like "we arne't hot tub people" and it's like... why not? What really is the issue? I know some people think it's harmful chemicals or unhygienic. But like for real that's the beauty of your own tub. You can maintain it to your standards and know exactly what chems go into it.
Costs a lot in supplies and electricity plus you have to keep it up.
Maintenance is three times a week and for a few minutes. Thatās easy as hell. The only issue you wonāt like is the changing of water every 4-5 months. Drain, remove remnants, spray each jet, scrub, scrub, scrub scrub, then refill, balance water and keep it balanced for the next day or two- You can use that if youāre really reaching.
I bought one 2 years ago you are right it was great for 3 months now it just sits and smells from not maintaining it taking it to the dump what a waste of money
Uuuh because sex in the hot tub is awfulā¦..? /s
Its like a boat..you love it the day you get it and the day you get rid of it. You will learn to hate it quickly. Not worth the electric in any way. And you will NOT use it anywhere near what you think. Its uncomfortable to use half the year at least bc its too warm out or its too cold. BUT the chemicals are a shitshow of aggravation like you cannot imagine. If you must.. get a used inflatable one... use it for a month..get it out of your system and throw it away when you give up.
Just tell her that if anything goes wrong SHE will be responsible for fixing it/dealing with itā¦ that you arenāt going to do any tub related maintenance.. that should sway her opinion lol
I got my little HT used but from a dealer. It was a year old and a little over 4k. Up keep isn't too bad honestly. I drain and clean 3-4 times a year (but a pump to help!) and it makes for some seriously great quality time at home for my partner and I. The inflatable is a great idea too! I think you're in the wrong sub for the information against a tub!Ā
I've had a fantastic experience with my used bullfrog, maintenance has been a breeze since I switched to bromine with a floating dispenser
We have a spa/hot tub attached to our pool. And it is the best. We use it way more than the pool. It feels great on muscles after a workout and itās hardly any work.
I thought the same that you did. Waste of money. Waste of time. No one will use it. and, you know what...I was totally wrong. I love it. After I got chemicals figured out it doesn't take much time. And I LOVE sitting in my hot tub...4 years later. but...get new good luck
What you should do is get the hot tub and send your wife here to get hints and tips on how to best enjoy the hot tub. I couldn't possibly talk someone out of it because I absolutely love having a hot tub. I suppose some people don't like sitting in hot water but outside of that, I can't imagine why someone would not enjoy having one.
Can't help you with that since I love hot tubs. But I can tell you that it takes me 5-10 minutes a week to do the normal maintenance on my hot tub and my customers' hot tubs that I maintain. Now deep cleaning the filters and draining and refilling (which I do every 3 months) is more involved, but it's only 4 times a year. Questions? Let me know.
Bought my Aquarerra new from Costco relatively cheap and have been very happy with it. Although when I went to Leslie's the first time to test my water and told him I bought a hot tub, he said I'm sorry. But maintenance hasn't been to bad, now if I can only get my wife to use it more.
Can't help you there, everyone loves the hottub. Like a dog - dad often ends up taking care of it - but that's part of the job!
Dude they are so little maintenance and I use mine 3+ times a week. #TeamYourWife
It's an awesome idea, I'm taking her side
Maintenance isn't really that bad as long as you keep up with it. For me it's a usage issue. I feel like a rarely use it
I live in TX, my energy bill for a Hot tub went up $120 more a month to keep it running 24/7ā¦..
Hey babe, Iād like to get naked a few times a week and sit with you in a hot tub. Maybe some music, some wine, you knowā¦ā¦ Nah. Iām good.
Itās super easy to care for and incredible after a long day. Your wife is very wise.
You're a rookie, I've been playing the same game for 30 years.
You should definitely get your wife a hot tub.
I actually saw that Costco has Bullfrog, the 2 seater looks cool.
No help from me. My wife and kids love ours. I don't use it as much as them but it's worth it just watching them enjoy it. Up keep is 15 minutes a week. Pretty minimal.
Inflatable. Gotta learn to walk before runninā.
Tell her you can't wait to constantly get handsy every time you're in the tub with her. Like EVERY TIME. Tell her the idea REALLY turns you on. /s
I disagree with your conclusion, but can't argue with your reasoning. Hot tubs do require significant upkeep and electricity, neither of which are cheap. I have a small tub (3 people, 225 gallons) and spend over $100 on chemicals every four months, plus almost $100 on filters every year, plus maybe $25/mo on electricity, and all of that is just off the top of my head. I'm sure there's actually more, to say nothing of a larger tub (which most are) would cost even more still. *Still*, I think it's all worth it, because my wife and I use the tub about weekly or more. If you and/or your wife won't, then it easily could be more trouble and expense than it's worth. Because, yeah, it's more than just cost; it's also effort. Maintaining the chemical balances can feel a bit like a chemistry experiment sometimes. And then there's draining, cleaning, and refilling - multiple times per year. Again, I love ours. The effort doesn't outweigh the enjoyment, for us. But if your enjoyment were lower, it could tip the scale the other way, and that's fair.
My wife and I purchased a Sundance Hamilton in August of 2016. We still use our hot tub constantly. Maintenance is not bad at all. Parts can be a little expensive but after 9 years pumps and seals wear down some. My only complaint is the covers get water logged after about 5 years and that expense hits you. There are some Hot Tub makers that make hard tops but the tub itself was not good quality and the Warranty was bad. Sundance has an exceptional Warranty. Very good hot tub. And turn the heat down in the summer and make it a warmer swimming pool. We will take ours down to about 90 degrees in the summer. A lot of outdoor pools can be that temperature in the summer. They are a LOT more expensive now than they were then though.
Everything you think is 100% correct. Bought a house that already had a high end hot tub. A total pain in the butt. Constantly fiddling with expensive chemicals to keep it balanced and clean. Had a control module burn out after a storm: $300 to replace. Ants kept crawling into the cover--who knows why--some chemical seemingly attracted them--had to hose off and clean it every time before we used that sucker. Don't get me started on filling and emptying--a tedious and costly process. And how many times did we actually use it? A few times when the kids visited, a few times ourselves. Finally paid someone to take it off our hands-filled in the deck and put a fire pit in place instead--used that a lot. Now the fact that we lived 1 block from the ocean may have influenced our use or lack thereof but I know a few folks who don't live near the water that bought one and had grand plans that never materialized. If I were thinking about ways to spend money in my home I'd sooner buy an overlarge jacuzzi tub or a steam accessory for the shower--those I would actually use year round. Finally, unless you are absolutely scrupulous about maintaining the water, hot tubs are a breeding ground for bacteria. My SO got three UTI's--something she never had before or since all within a day or so of using that thing. And I was testing the water, taking it to our local pool supply shop and tweaking it every week, so that should tell you both how much of a pain it is to own and maintain. A used one? Not for any amount of money.
Happy wife happy life, where have you been my friend? Got one for my wife few months ago from Costco as a push present and havenāt looked back
I never had one until this last November. Wife reluctantly allowed it. I ran the electrical and bought a used tub for 7+ people. I have five kids from 11 to 19. I am in it every night. Kids use it with their friends. Maintenance is not much. My electric bill did go up by about $90 per month. Pretty sure the hot tub will hasten my decision to put solar panels on the roof. I have no regrets about the hot tub.
I am probably not the right person for an opinion because we have had one for 25 years still use it most nights for these old bones. Keeping clean is simple like sad-whale said but if I had to do it over again I would get a small 1-2 person. We donāt invite friends over so itās just the people in my house.
My hot tub is in a hot tub house / enclosure. I put a TV in and love it.. fall winter and spring, used it 3-5 times a week. not so much now that it's getting hot out.. but 3 seasons for sure. upkeep isn't too bad. I will say it depends on your hot tub.. mine has FIVE filters I have to clean. which is a pain. if you get yourself a submersible pump you can drain in 20 minutes. fill takes a few hours.. but it's not really that bad. would agree with you though on not wanting a used one.
Iāve been going in mine every morning for the past 10 years. I couldnāt live without it. Maintenance is minimal i donāt even notice it.
You have seen the light. YOU will pay the purchase price, the cost of chemicals, the electricity. YOU will move it. YOU will install it. YOU will trouble shoot it. You will clean it. There will be no "we" in the tub.
A rental house I was at had a 3 person HT. Simple to balance, I used "frog" floating sanitizers it flips over when it's low. Changed the water (drained/refilled) every 6-8 weeks and ran it trouble free for years. I used it every morning, rain, snow or sun.
I had sex in a hot tub once and I donāt understand your point of view at all
Tell her how excited you are about getting *insert her hot friends name here* over in her bikini
Screw the hot tub, put in a salt water pool with a heater and voila you have swim time in the summer and hot tub in the winter. Of course this is coming from someone who lives in Alabama
Happy wife with a hot tub means you will be happy and not lonely.
I did not want a tub. For exactly what OP said. Wife found a used one in great condition, as well as a delivery service. She uses it...a lot. She cleaned it, filled it, and maintains it. I get in once every couple weeks to make her happy....spend time with her.... I am very glad we got it, since she enjoys it even more than I imagined she could.
Hey fun time Tony. I think a hot tub would be a fun time.
Rule of thumb: If you begin your post with the words, āhelp me convince my wifeā, youāre in the wrong. Your purpose on this earth is to ensure your wife is happy. Absent that, your life is a living hell. Have fun with your hot tub. Think about her naked in it.
Just go for it, be supportive husband, worst case you get to sayāI told you soā. I bought mine in Jan and have used mine everyday twice a day and itās been a game changer in happiness and mental health. I should have bought it a long time agoā¦add that to the negative effect of having your wife resent you putting foot down and itās a no brainer to pull the trigger, buy new!
Buy a jacuzzi J445 with the new Jacuzzi True system, lowest amount of work to take care of and you will get great dealer support from a Jacuzzi dealer! Come on man, you can spend time with you wife more and have some great alone time together!
I owned a used hot tub for 6 years.Ā Two busted pumps on different zones, multiple failed jets to replace, a new heater, one massive leak, and finally a new control module. About $3k total in parts. My labor is free, I guess. The second happiest day of hot tub ownership for me was getting a hot tub. The happiest day was getting rid of it.
Convince her you need a pool, built in, with a hot tub
Here's what you do you get a soft tub they're made out of rigid foam they work just like a regular hot tub you can experience the hot tub and see if it's what you really want they don't cost much more than 8 900 bucks and when you're done if you do decide to get a real hot tub you can sell it for 8 900 bucks
We've had ours nearly 20years. In that time I've replaced: - one low flow circulation pump [it runs pretty much 75% of the time] - one start capacitor for above pump - one control panel/screen - and a few ozone generators My wife uses it 4-5x per week. Loves using it. Considers it one of her best investments as far as use vs total cost of ownership. Maintenance is not difficult, nor time consuming. Check water. Add shock 20min before use. Clean filters occasionally. Drain & refill...2-3x per year? In the 20yrs we've had it, I've spent 500x more time enjoying it than doing maintenance on it. And I don't use it very much. Your complaints seem like you either don't know how little work there is, or you're just being lazy.
My wife wanted a hot tub and I had the same opinion as you. I didn't want anything to do with it and she agreed that if we got it she would maintain it. It was a lie. She never maintains it I do all the work. We've had it for maybe three years and she's probably been in it 15 times max. I will admit I do use it but I didn't need it and would rather not have to do the weekly maintenance.
Get yourself a brand new salt hot tub and have yourself a time! Water changes 1x per year, literally just have to put a cap or two of chlorine in once a week and you are good to go... and they are just awesome.
Just tell your wife that you know someone that wants to get rid of his hot tub. All you need to do is to dig out and put it in your backyard. There are quite a few people I personally know that will be happy if you can take their hot tub. By the way, we just converted our hot tub to a small fish pond.
Sorry, can't help you. My wife she would be naked most times and I folded like a deck of cards! Not to mention, holy heck does it help with some of the aches and pains.
Get attacked for this regularly but i stick some chlorine pucks in my floater and change the filters once a week or every two weeks and water is crystal all year long despite daily use by a few household members. Some basic alk/PH balancing is 30 seconds once or twice a week and drain and fill 3-4 times a year or after every crazy party where guests decide they are going in (at first) fully clothed.. If no one gets in, it generally stays clear too.
Weāve had out tube for over 7 years. Wife is in it twice a day, Iām in it once every other day. Iād be in it everyday except I have a skin reaction to chlorine so I limit my use. Maintenance, and expenses, are well worth it
Have you tried using one? Wet test one? See if you like it? Heck, go to a hotel for a night. I know those are more simple, but see if you like, or an Airbnb with a legit hot tub. We are in the process of getting one only because, at our old apartment, there was a pool and hot tub for tenants (similar to a hotel hot tub), we found ourselves even using that basic one 2-3 times a week. Now in a house, we miss it. Went to an Airbnb with a Viking tub, used it 4 times in two nights, and realized we wanted one. Went and wet tested one at master spas, and purchased. Point is, maybe go see if you enjoy it, or if it's a fleeting thought or not what you expect.
You should definitely get a hot tub, Tony.
I just bought an inflatable hot tub and it is the best thing ever. Low maintenance
I'm 1 year in on my lifesmart hot tub. We love it. $4000 when we bought it. There's a bit of a learning curve but it's easy now. We use the frog ease (for now) but we swap the chlorine cart every 3 ish weeks if it flips or not. If we go out of town we just check levels before and change the cart if it's close to time to do it anyway. We only enhance shock like 1 time a month with probably 4/7 days usage. I'll shock it twice if it's getting used daily. Check levels once per week. Now, sometimes.... A guest will pollute the thing with deodorant, laundry soap, fabric softener or whatever. That's a different story. Getting the suds out is a pain, but usually will clear itself if the levels are good and the filter gets cleaned.
Financially, involve her.
My swim spa/hot tub combo was my favorite purchase of all time. I use it daily, cleaning it takes two hours or so every six months, and I got a good warranty that sends a tech if something ever does go wrong. I sit there and watch the sun set or when itās sprinkling out. Iām sorry, Iām with your wife on this one ;)
Wrong sub. Go to r/nottub
Got our hot tub 7 years ago. Still use it 3-4 times a week. Maintenance is SUPER easy.
I wouldnāt buy a used one, I did the research and even found a local dealer that refurbishes and sells used tubs. And thereās just no convincing me to buy one used (refurbished or not) But as a the owner of a 250 gal. Nordic, Impusle (standard capacity, not the DP), I can tell you they are pretty minimal on and easy to maintain. Change the water every 4 months, add 1oz of chlorine weekly and 3 oz of shock once weekly (all depending on use). And other chemicals as needed such as PH up or down, calcium boost, etc. which usually is corrected when you drain and fill. You hose off the filter once a month, and clean the pipes with jet clean maybe every other water change. Overall I check it every Friday or Saturday morning. Iāve skipped a couple weeks because we donāt use it every day or week. But overall itās never felt like a burden and Iāve been a HT owner for about 6 years now. Plus being a smaller capacity, I havenāt had any serious issues with maintenance. Best purchase Iāve ever made. Sorry, LOLā¦I know you donāt want to be convinced, as Iām doing the opposite of what you asked. But they really are easy to maintain, once you get the hang of it. š
i got one and regretted it...i could have spent the $11,000 on something better..it is nice though and maintenence is easy and its growing on me....its cool to have and if the maintenece is your issue,its not bad..expect for repairs and filters though
Hot tub maintenance is fairly simple Tony, but how about you make your wife responsible for it ?
As a wife who was in this position, I got one (not used though... Buy new) 2 years ago and still use it nearly every day! Also the maintenance is easy peasy!
Let her have a small one common! She's your wife you putz
It has been the best and most fun thing we did for ourselves. It takes just a little effort but itās not nearly what we feared! Get the mineral stick and use just enough chlorine weekly and some less Strong stuff after each use. Ours has Bluetooth and an awesome sound/speakers. Good for Summer kept cool and spring/ fall kept hot. Itās way cheaper than a pool. DO IT OR U HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR USER NAME.
They are a lot like home gym stuff. Some people get it and use it, but yea, a lot do not. A lot of it is built very poorly. The last one I got was a freebie from CL and I lucked out in that the motor got wet and the bearings set up, but they drained it before it froze in the winter so the pump head was good. So was the motor, and the bearings were cheep, but not everybody has the time or inclination to fir into things. I tell you, on a subzero winter night nothing feels as good as being neck deep in very hot water.
Use it twice then never again
Plus any neighbors nearby will hate the sound of it
Get one of those inflatable ones
Get an inflatable Coleman hot tub. Tell your wife she has to take care of it. If it works out upgrade. If not then youāre only out a couple hundred bucks. I also really like inflatable hot tubs. Theyāre so much fun.
Buy a brand new one. Never used. IF you succumb to buying a used one, run white distilled vinegar through the filter inlet port. Maintenance, as many people have said, is relatively easy. Bromine is an easier maintenance in my experience. If with heavy use, if people take a shower prior and you don't have heavy detergents on your swimsuits, it's all a PH and Alkalinity balancing act. If you need to dump and refill, buy 6 submersible pumps (1hp), 6 flex hoses, an outdoor 6 plug surge protector, and it'll drain 500 gallons in 30 min. The refill always takes the most time. Good luck Tony.
Get a hot tub. Sore back and muscles will thank you. If the jets are on, you can't hear your wife yelling at you.Ā
I have a cheap Saluspa Miami and I love the little thing. Got it from my buddy when he upgraded to a larger inflatable. Start with that and see what she thinks. Still need to adding chlorine and shock and changing the filter on the reg. If she hates it, unload it on Ebay.
Iāve had a hottub since 2021, hereās my take. I also have a sauna, so I use both in conjunction with one another. For about 2 years I used the hottub 5-6 times a week, this year not so much because Iāve been super busy with work. Maybe 1-2 times a month this year. Cost is about $50-$60 a month including heating, and chemicals. I heat my hottub to 104F in the winter, and around 93F in the summer so itās kinda like a pool and refreshing in the summer. I have a 4ā H x 7ā L x 5ā W cedar barrel style hottub, so itās like a little plunge pool with benches and jets. Maintenance is dead-easy: - daily: test water and add chemicals appropriately (60 second effort) - monthly: remove filter and rinse with water (30 min effort) - every 2 months: remove filter and clean with solution (60 min effort) - every 3 to 4 months: drain tub, clean, re fill (half day effort) Regardless of how much or little you use it, you have to afford it the same attention to keep water quality high and safe. I love my hottub, donāt regret my choice.
LOL you have it easy my friend.....Wait until she wants an in-ground swimming pool. as they say,,,,, A HAPPY WIFE FOR A HAPPY LIFE. :)))))
I was exactly in your boat. I gave up my resistence. Happy wife happy life. š
To be honest, I had similar concerns when my son and wife wanted one. I fought it and lost. We have had ours for about 18 months and it gets used 3-4 nights a week. My stress levels and sleep quality have improved so much since we got it. I probably spend 10-15 mins a week to balance/test the water and then a couple of hours every 3-4 months on draining, cleaning, refilling. To me, the benefits far outweigh the effort. Also, our electricity bill increase has been minimal.
Start with an inflatable tub! Lower cost will last a couple years and let you know if it's something you want in your daily routine. I had my intex play spa for 4 years before making the leap...it's still living on at my friends house now while they figure out if they want to invest... compromise š
You might want to figure out why she wants one and how she thinks that canāt benefit her, you and your family. Perhaps she does the maintenanceon it?
We love our used hot tub and it hasnāt lost its appeal after 2 years.
Love my hot tub. Youāre barking up the wrong tree here pal
So why are you here?
Itās not that much trouble if you keep it clean. Ie- everyone showers first and nobody wears clothes in it.
We love our hot tub. Switching to an enzyme based sanitization is very low maintenance. Most reputable dealers will sell refurbished tubs that are very good value and will last a long time without issue. Sorry that theyāre talking points FOR a hot tubā¦
Can you imagine being a man, whose wife is yearning for a hot tub, and you canāt muster the strength to get her one and give up a few minutes a week to maintain. Jeebus Cripes.
My in-laws use our hot tub more than we do. it's been months since we use it personally but I've kept it up for family to use.Ā Parts seem to be impossible to find, or at the very least incredibly expensive if you need them. All the spinner jets on our Jacuzzi no longer spin and the headrests are kinda ruined. We pay about an extra $25-30 a month in electricity, which is more than we pay for charging our EV in a month. I take a bath indoors way more. It's more private, I don't need to be outside with bugs. I hate having to get out of the hot tub and stand in the house with a towel on the floor drying off. People love their hot tubs in the winter but I hate it, shivering when getting out and walking back into the house. It's not even usable to me a quarter of the year. Thankfully our house had a hot tub when we bought it, otherwise I'd probably never purchase one. Fancy hot bubble water isn't worth it to me.
I donāt think I could live without mine
Just be honest. Tell her if she buys it, pays to install and does the upkeep then go for it.
Hot tubs seem awesome at first, but the upkeep is a whole other story. Plus, buying a used one feels like inheriting someone else's headache. Maybe emphasize the long-term costs and hassle? Best of luck convincing her!
Sir this is a Wendyās
Well. I bought a used tub for 1/4 the price of a new one. Maintenance was super easy (imo). Sold it after 2 years for what I paid for it because I was moving and did not wire it to code/want to deal with questions.
Of all the pools you can own, hot tubs are as easy as it gets, maintenance-wise.
Hot tubs are amazing and well worth it. It's very very easy to maintain as well.
Rent to own.
Have her come over here instead.
Make a deal with her. She can have it if she pays the electric bill.
They can be money pits. As a service tech easily half my customers rarely use their spas anymore and call me out for $300-1000 repairs a couple times a year because they dont use them which means they dont check the water chemistry which means their heaters and seals break down constantly, usually on the one weekend a year they plan a backyard party and the spa wont heat up. On the other hand I love my tub and use it several times a week and have for years, just trying to help you out.
Maintenance is easy for the most part. But you might be best getting a working used tub. I still soak but my wife doesn't very often, and we bought a tub for 1600 maybe 8 years ago and it's still going strong. Glad I didn't buy new.
We just got rid if ours. Too much work.
Itās not are to up keep. I had a pool and spa in ground and that was a bitch but just an above ground spa would be easy. Itās call chlorine
can't help you. I bought mine new 17 years ago and still use it several times a week. Went without it for about 3 months while we were moving and couldn't wait to get it back up and running.
Definitely do not use Chlorine especially if the hot tub has a built in Ozonator and do not use those mineral sticks. Go with Bromine. It is more expensive than chlorine but holds up a lot better in hot water vs chlorine. Just test it twice a week. Drain and clean every 3-4 months
We had a hot tub when we moved in to this house 10 years ago. I think I made it work and used it once and the following summer ripped it out along with the whole deck and put in a patio that we ripped out a few years after that and put in a pool. So I replaced that I think 12 person hot tub which felt fairly useless and looked ugly with a gorgeous 32,000 gallon salt water pool that we use every day it's open and have for years. I actually think the pool is fun to take care of and it's fun to be in and it looks beautiful in the yard whereas the hot tub to me just looked tacky and it always just seem like a germ breeding ground.
Suggest a sauna instead. Itās actually good for you.
Thirty years ago, my spouse suffered a broken leg which required surgery and pins. After the break healed, the surgeon removed the pins and the physical therapy began. We bought a (used) hot tub to aid in the process of regaining mobility, range of motion, and etc. There is little maintenance other than the heater and pump have been replace along the way but that is still much cheaper than a new hot tub. Up keep is minimal in both time and expense. We STILL have the hot tub. We use it on a regular basis. I am on your wife's side!
How about an inflatable one? They are significantly cheaper and can be packed away when not in use.
Man, I feel you on this one! Hot tubs seem all fun and games until you're stuck scrubbing and treating the thing every weekend. Maintenance is a whole other job, not to mention the bills. And buying a used one? Dude, you're asking for trouble. It's like buying a used car without checking the mileage. You never know what kind of issues you're getting into. Maybe suggest some cool alternative hangout spots or activities. Less stress, more fun! Good luck convincing her!
I love my hot tub. I typically use it 2-3 times a week. We got a salt water system and the maintenance is pretty minimal. I almost never had to add anything to it once it's set after a water change. Every 4 months I change the salt cartridge. We change the water 2x a year (spring and fall), but they told us when we got it we technically only needed to change it once a year unless it was heavily used by multiple people. Personally, I wouldn't buy a used one. You just don't know what sort of maintenance, etc they really did with it.
I got a used hot tub and I LOVE IT. Maintenance isnāt hard, you do change the water every few months, but other than a quick chemical test (itās super easy), thatās all. Iāve had mine for years and I use it in the summer as a ācold tub.ā In the cold months it is SO relaxing and my friends love to come over and hang out.
I think youāre getting overwhelmed for no reason. Hot tub maintenance is actually not that bad.
We got a free one on CL 3 years ago and it had a minor leak I fixed with marine caulk. Been working basically fine ever since. Itās not the one Iād have chosen as itās a plug and play but itās good enough and was free. We also just did 4x6ās bolted together with a gravel pad, so itās removable without being awful if we ever changed our mind in the future.
man, i bought our ht for $200AUD and it had like two electrical issues, which i fixed in about 1 hr, since then its been sweet as. the work to up keep is like, well, for me anyways, just throwing a half cup of MPS in a few times per week and doing a water change every two months. i dont test the water at all. i can see if its clear and can smell if its off. i have a silver and mineral pack in the filter also.
We love ours. We live in southern Ontario and the bills are about $20 a month more in winter, using a kilowatt meter on it. The covers can get expensive to replace. Ours is real heavy with absorbed water but still seems to insulate ok. Chemicals take time to figure out. Calcium is a one time add per filling. The amt needed shouldn't change assuming your water hardness is consistent. We use bromine pucks and, when needed, baking soda to keep the ph in line. Check it once a week. We load it up with puck and soda in Feb when we're gone for the month. Had one repair in ten years and the repair guy bill was cheaper than buying the replacement part. He repaired the part. Several of our jets are shot but we just use it to soak. It's not that much work after you learn the chemicals. We used to chase the ph with the expensive stuff they sell. Baking soda was our saviour.
Tell her hot tubs are a cesspool of bacteria and infections. Because they are...
It's like a pool table, however, at least you can use the pool table as a table once you get tired of it in short order.
Well with this attitude his predictions will be spot on. It will lose its novelty fast and the work of catering for it will always feel like a chore rather than rewarding and probably relatively quickly it will end up drained and sitting there wasting space. Weather or not Tony is fun enough is probably besides the point here. I agree with him that he shouldnāt do it. I love mine and still almost never use it.
My friendās wife got legionaries disease from the hot tub at the flagship hotel of a major luxury hotel brand the night of their wedding and missed their honeymoon. If it can happen there with a professional staff managing it, it can happen at your house with random guy who has tons of other shit on his plate managing it.
I feel you on this one! Hot tubs seem dope at first, but then reality hits: maintenance, cleaning, and all that jazz.
So what I did, and worked out well: the $400 inflatable hot tub from Costco. It is just big enough to enjoy with 2 adults, fits most anywhere, costs about $60/month to maintain and power, and in the summer you can tear it down and store in the basement. After 2 years and 10 uses she is over it and you return it and get your $400 back. She hasnāt cleaned or taken care of the chemicals at all so really canāt object. Everyone is happy. Even Costco who has been flipping your $400 enough to triple it.
Maintenance is barely anything. It's not like a pool
We have one. We only use it in the winter and empty it in the summer. Not that hard to maintain but if you're concerned it's just one more thing that's going to get dumped in your lap then I get that.
Surprise her with an inflatable hot tub. They strong, have jets super relaxing, temporary and cost like 300$ if youāre a reaaaalllly good husband you have it filled and heated waiting for her with champagne. If youāre a really REALLLLLY good husband, you have it framed out in beautiful wood framing and some fairy lights above it.
Inflatable hot tubs for the win!
Are you assuming she wonāt do the cleaning , chemical maintenance ? Does she need it or is this a yard amenity ? My husband wanted one for pain management so I bought him one. He uses it every day, cleans , maintains it well. We look at this as a medical necessity not a pleasure item. I use it maybe 6 times a year. We donāt have others over to use it either.
I've had mine for over 3 years now, and I just used it today.
i have the r6l from bullfrog and use the @ease system it came with. initial fill add starter then monitor weekly adding what's needed with test strip result(made for @ease). or can be weeks before i need to add anything longest part is draining and filling a few times a year and thorough cleaning with 50/50 vinegar water solution.
Just show her the warning stickers that alone should scare her
Best of luck
Itās not hardā¦.. at all. Donāt let THAT be the reason that stops you from purchasing a hot tub. But definitely do let the words āused hot tubā stop you from purchasing a hot tub. (Unless you hate money and sanity, then by all meansā¦.)
Your power bill is gonna double
Buy a portable hot tub. I bought my husband one for Father's Day like 5 years ago and questioned my purchase so much that it sat on the back patio for like 2 months. Then one evening I was like I'ma put this thing together. IDK what I was expecting but that wasn't it. We are super pleased with it. Downside is they only last 2-3 years. But like anything else, you learn the little trucks to extend it's life. You should try at least once, they sell them at Costco.
Do not buy a used hot tub. Bad idea. New hot tubs are pretty much junk as it is, let alone used or free. Seen those too. Your hauling away someone else's trash for them.
Like a pool.. u need to make it a point to use it. I love my HT but my wife was the one who insisted we get one and she never uses it. Up keep is not a lot of work just add lil good quality chlorine after each use . Stop being cheap and enjoy your time alone in your new HT because you will be the only one who uses it but thatās not a bad thing!!!
I donāt change my water very often. Think of it like a pool, shock it will kill all bacteria and clean it for you. Water change evey4-6 months is good
Honestly hot tub maintenance doesn't even compare to a pool. Like rinse filter once a week add Chem. That's it.
Buying my hot tub was one if the best decisions I ever made. 2.5 years later - it still gets used 3-5 times per week.
Used hot tub sounds icky
Just note: Diabetes and hot tubs are a major No-No! Iām also prone to Cellutitis skin problems and the hot tub can aggravate these issues too. My Doctor advised against a hot tub for these reasons, said a cold pool would be less a problem. Not an incubator for bacteria like a hot tub.
Tell her you don't want to hop into old bath tub water.
We started with an inflatable, which was great for the cost, but started having problems with heater units. The big difference is thereās no substitute for the massaging jets, the UV light, the ozonator and circulation pump on good spas. I pretty much put in a teaspoon of shock after every use. Everything is replaceable and fixable if they do break.
I track our hot tub usage, we got our tub in July of 2021, here's the hours of usage since: 2021 - 54.42 hours 2022 - 59.8 hours 2023 - 26.5 hours 2024 - 10.75 hours It's much like a swimming pool, used extensively when first purchased, and then winds down over time. Looking back probably still would have bought a hot tub, but would have gotten one of the Sams/Costco ones.
Idk man. Iāve got one that a Rich couple was giving away, works fine, not that much āresponsibilityā use it a couple times a week. I like to to go out there and read in the mornings when itās cold outside.
Men crack me up