1st. Tub Purchase. Need Advice

[Bryan]

My wife and I never have owned a hot tub, we are a little unsure where to begin.

Here is what we do know:

* 2-4 person

* Above ground

* Lower Profile (easier to get in and out)

Here is what we don't know and need advice on:

*What should we be looking for during a wet test?

*Can the concrete patio have a "slight" pitch? How much?

We looked at 2 local dealers so far. One was a Hot Springs dealer. We both liked their JETSETTER tub, but they wanted 6400.00. Can we get a better spa for $6400.00? We also looked at Sundance Devon and liked it as well. Seems to be a bit more tub for the money or am I mistaken?.

Hot Springs also stated that we needed a DEDICATED 40 amp circuit (nothing else powered on the circuit) to run the Jetsetter. Not sure if this is true or if the sales guy was being overly cautious. What do you think? I also heard that with 110v tubs, usually the heater doesn't work when the jets are running. True or false?

[cplarsen]

1 - How well you and the wife fit in the tub. Do you float or sink? Want a lounge or not?

2 - Slight slope is fine. How much is to much? Depends on you. How much is it going to bug you if the water seems a inch low on one side? You can add concrete under the tub area to level though.

3 – Most tubs are going to need their own 240v circuit and a GFI shutoff box by the tub, so the salesman is telling you the truth. You will need to budget for an electrician, so keep that in mind.

4 - 110v tubs have a much smaller heater. It might run, but it can't keep up when the jets are running. If you like to soak more than run the jets, no problem. Otherwise, you eventually sit in cold water.

Btw, you picked two good brands, but it doesn't hurt to keep looking. I'd sit down and just start reading the forum. You can learn a lot that way. And wet test before you buy anything.

[DjPiLL]

You know I didn't get a chance to wet test, but check out the Hot Springs' "Limelight" series.

I saw the Pulse and Flair in person a few days ago. They aren't that big, but they look pretty sharp. The Pulse in the blue looked really nice. You could probably get one of these for around 8k or maybe even less.

[Hex92]

Get steps. Then you don't have to worry about the profile.

Wet test everything you can. We wet tested the tub we bought twice. On the last day we narrowed it down to 2 tubs @ 2 different dealers. We tested the first, talked money to determine our final price and then hopped in the car and tested the 2nd. We liked it better and it was cheaper even before negotiating. So I got them to knock another few $$$ off the price and bought it.

My tub was <$4800. I tested Hot Springs, Hot Spot, and Tiger River (and others) before settling on mine. I was quoted $6000 for a Jetsetter. Its a nice tub, but it was more than we wanted to pay.

[money814]

I have Four Winds hot tub seats 6 maybe 7. Very happy at this point. I also wet tested several, Hot Springs, (very nice more than I could pay) Sun Dance (nice more than I wanted to pay). Looked at Leisure Bay (did not wet test) nice about the right price just no dealer close and was going to have to haul 4 hrs. (Didn't want to do that) I have been in this tub about every night for the last 2 weeks. Have had a little problems getting ph etc. right. Strips hard to read. Took my water and had it tested twice. Going to change water in a few weeks and start again. Have not received a electric bill yet not sure how that is going to turn out. Has LED lights and water fall. But it was the price that I could afford. We even used a back hoe to place the tub. If I knew how to post pictures I would show you step by step on placement. I have a deck that had a hole in the middle for the tub to be placed. Gook luck with your purchase.

[Chas]

Jetsetter can be run on 110v (20amp) or 220v (50amp). I have sold a bunch of them and 220 is always my first choice. However, many folks have set them up to run on 110 knowing that they can change later. I live in a mild climate, and they stay warm just fine - so far few if any have ever changed over to 220 after living with them for a year or two.

The reason they can stay warm even though the heater is off when the jets come on, is that they are well designed and well built. They have good insulation around the tub, the equipment and the plumbing, and they recycle the heat off the jet pump - so in effect the longer you run the jets the warmer the recycled air is which is blown into the jets. This has limits, of course, and you will notice some cooling in ice cold windy climates. How long before you notice it is up to the conditions, and the area in which you install the tub. You may be like many of our customers and only run the jets for five or ten minutes anyway, and then the heat is available again.

The jets and all other systems are the same on this tub between 110 and 220, but the heat does jump from 1500 watts up to 6000 watts if you go 220. That will heat much faster, though our customers generally set it and forget it, so that is not a big deal.

[Jacuzzicalgary]

My wife and I never have owned a hot tub, we are a little unsure where to begin.

Here is what we do know:

* 2-4 person

* Above ground

* Lower Profile (easier to get in and out)

Here is what we don't know and need advice on:

*What should we be looking for during a wet test?

*Can the concrete patio have a "slight" pitch? How much?

We looked at 2 local dealers so far. One was a Hot Springs dealer. We both liked their JETSETTER tub, but they wanted 6400.00. Can we get a better spa for $6400.00? We also looked at Sundance Devon and liked it as well. Seems to be a bit more tub for the money or am I mistaken?.

Hot Springs also stated that we needed a DEDICATED 40 amp circuit (nothing else powered on the circuit) to run the Jetsetter. Not sure if this is true or if the sales guy was being overly cautious. What do you think? I also heard that with 110v tubs, usually the heater doesn't work when the jets are running. True or false?

Have you had a chance to check out the Jacuzzi J-315, J-325 or the J-460? Any of these models might suit you quite well.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Have you had a chance to check out the Jacuzzi J-315, J-325 or the J-460? Any of these models might suit you quite well.

Don't limit yourself, if you are going to test others you'd be best off checking out even more choices like Arctic, Artesian, Caldera, D1, Marquis, Sundance, etc. Any of these brands might suit you quite well.

[Bajatucson]

My wife and I never have owned a hot tub, we are a little unsure where to begin.

Here is what we do know:

* 2-4 person

* Above ground

* Lower Profile (easier to get in and out)

Here is what we don't know and need advice on:

*What should we be looking for during a wet test?

*Can the concrete patio have a "slight" pitch? How much?

We looked at 2 local dealers so far. One was a Hot Springs dealer. We both liked their JETSETTER tub, but they wanted 6400.00. Can we get a better spa for $6400.00? We also looked at Sundance Devon and liked it as well. Seems to be a bit more tub for the money or am I mistaken?.

Hot Springs also stated that we needed a DEDICATED 40 amp circuit (nothing else powered on the circuit) to run the Jetsetter. Not sure if this is true or if the sales guy was being overly cautious. What do you think? I also heard that with 110v tubs, usually the heater doesn't work when the jets are running. True or false?

[Bajatucson]

Hi,

I am a spa dealer in Tucson. I carry the Baja Spa and the Artesian Spa. I have many two - three person spas some are 110v and some are 220v. The only downfall to 110v units is the initiall heating time. 220v spas heat at a rate of about 6-8 degrees per hour. My 110v units heat at about 2-3 degrees per hour. It is true that your heater will automatically shut itself off when you put your jets on high speed (my motors are all two speed) Once you reach a desired a tempature of a spa it will retain that heat (as long as it is covered when not in use). So do not be afraid to go with a 110v unit, I have many many happy customers with 110v spas. With that being said I have five different spas that are smaller units that are also low profile (one is high profile with small dimensions and the other four are all low enough to step into. Please come to my 55,000 sq ft. showroom on oracle beetween prince and roger on the west side of the street. The adress is 3901 north Oracle rd. The number is 520-292-0205 and my name is Ian. Please see me before you make your finall purchase. Thank You

[Bryan]

Hi,

I am a spa dealer in Tucson. I carry the Baja Spa and the Artesian Spa. I have many two - three person spas some are 110v and some are 220v. The only downfall to 110v units is the initiall heating time. 220v spas heat at a rate of about 6-8 degrees per hour. My 110v units heat at about 2-3 degrees per hour. It is true that your heater will automatically shut itself off when you put your jets on high speed (my motors are all two speed) Once you reach a desired a tempature of a spa it will retain that heat (as long as it is covered when not in use). So do not be afraid to go with a 110v unit, I have many many happy customers with 110v spas. With that being said I have five different spas that are smaller units that are also low profile (one is high profile with small dimensions and the other four are all low enough to step into. Please come to my 55,000 sq ft. showroom on oracle beetween prince and roger on the west side of the street. The adress is 3901 north Oracle rd. The number is 520-292-0205 and my name is Ian. Please see me before you make your finall purchase. Thank You

Thanks. I will visit you before deciding our purchase. We did decide to go with a 4-5 person spa like the Sundance Chelsea, but are by no means set and determined to go with a Sundance. My wife and I will see you in the next 3 or 4 weeks.

Bryan

www.TucsonComputerRepairs.com

[T-N-C]

Hi,

I am a spa dealer in Tucson. I carry the Baja Spa and the Artesian Spa. I have many two - three person spas some are 110v and some are 220v. The only downfall to 110v units is the initiall heating time. 220v spas heat at a rate of about 6-8 degrees per hour. My 110v units heat at about 2-3 degrees per hour. It is true that your heater will automatically shut itself off when you put your jets on high speed (my motors are all two speed) Once you reach a desired a tempature of a spa it will retain that heat (as long as it is covered when not in use). So do not be afraid to go with a 110v unit, I have many many happy customers with 110v spas. With that being said I have five different spas that are smaller units that are also low profile (one is high profile with small dimensions and the other four are all low enough to step into. Please come to my 55,000 sq ft. showroom on oracle beetween prince and roger on the west side of the street. The adress is 3901 north Oracle rd. The number is 520-292-0205 and my name is Ian. Please see me before you make your finall purchase. Thank You

Thanks. I will visit you before deciding our purchase. We did decide to go with a 4-5 person spa like the Sundance Chelsea, but are by no means set and determined to go with a Sundance. My wife and I will see you in the next 3 or 4 weeks.

Bryan

www.TucsonComputerRepairs.com

My thoughts are, if you are able, but I doubt it, is look at Arctic spas. There a small spas in their line, and they have a "chiller" which will actually cool the water for you in your hot AZ weather!!

Artesian spas are sweet, too! You are lucky to have a dealer near you to see and wet test (it is a must to wet test) and have many nice spas to pick from. Good luck to you and wet test and post!!