Hot Tub At Second Home

[Muffley]

Ok, I've never owned a hot tub before but have ued them enough that I know I want one. But there's one problem...I'd like to place the spa at my vacation home (on a lake, near a ski resort). My family will be at the lake hose pretty much all summer (with me visiting every weekend and for a few weeks in the summer) so I think/know we'd make good use of it in the summer months, but I'd also like to use it in the wintertime after a long day of skiing. But as we will likely o weeks between visits I am unsure whether even considering using a spa in the winter is feasible.

So thought I'd ask the experts what they'd do in my situation? Is there a way to go weeks without tending to the chemicals? Is it possible/worthwhile draining the tub and refiling for use in winter (i.e. for xmas week, for school vacation week)? Or is that too big of a hassle or perhaps impractical to due in the cold of winter.

Alternately, I suppose I could hire a creataker but have no idea of what would be involved, o if this would require some daily check-up then I think that's not ecnomically feasible.

Any/all opinions welcome.

Thx.

[PaulR]

I'm not in your situation but I have rented properties with hot tubs during ski season. It is nice!

If you leave it unattended for weeks at a time, you'd really want some kind of automation. A salt system ought to fit the bill. Bromine might also work, as long as you visit often enough that the feeder doesn't run out of tabs.

--paulr

[DaveR]

There are pool/spa companies that will come by weekly to do whatever service you want. Get references and check prices they vary greatly depending on what you want.

Dave

[DK117]

There are pool/spa companies that will come by weekly to do whatever service you want. Get references and check prices they vary greatly depending on what you want.

Dave

+1, every vacation rental I've ever visited that had a tub had a cleaning fee, and this wasn't just for the housecleaner, it also includes weekly spa maintenance. I'm not sure on the prices, but it's got to be built into your costs of owning a second home and a second (or vacation) tub.

DK117

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

We are in the middle of several ski areas that have several people willing to maintain your tubs. Make sure you really look into the comapany because we also do many repairs for people who have maintenance companies doing their tubs and are not doing them right. As far as chemicals, bromine would be a good system as long as you are going up every 2-3 weeks. Even one of the salt systems needs to have the PH balanced. the biggest issue in a second home in a cold climate, is if something fails, ie...the tub is not heating, or you develop a leak and the tubs drains enough to shut off pumps...then you come home to a block of ice. if you have an alarm system, you can add a cold alet to it. When the tubs(cabinet area) gets below a certain temp, it sends an alarm to your alarm company and you can call someone to check on it, or maybe a kind neighbor would check on it. make sure to get a high end tub, less apt to have something happen to it (brak down) and better insulated so if something does happen, the water will stay warm longer before freezing

[Shekina]

I, too, have a hot tub at a second home (log cabin actually). It has died for the final time (my son and I have HAD IT!!!). We purchased it second hand from Wanker's friend. Stupid, stupid. (Wanker was daughter's first husband.)

It is a Sundance and we have replaced something major every year we have had it, about seven years. We live in Butte, Montana and our cabin is about an hour from us. We have one dealer in town. We have been very careful and tried to do everything correctly. We will install the low temp thingy mentioned in another post.

So we are in the market for a new tub. We go to -40F around here. What are the quality tubs out there? I am happy to read articles and do research but the Tech's know the good machines and I would appreciated some input.

Thank you,

Mary

[DaveR]

So we are in the market for a new tub. We go to -40F around here. What are the quality tubs out there? I am happy to read articles and do research but the Tech's know the good machines and I would appreciated some input.

Thank you,

Mary

List according to my nephew who is in the business - his company services about 300 spas weekly and these are the brands his records show have the fewest issues per install.

Hotspring

Jacuzzi

D1 - Dimension One

Sundance (yes I read your post)

All makes produce a lemon every once in a while. Just ask my buddy about his $85,000 Mercedes.

Dave

[ServiceGirl]

I, too, have a hot tub at a second home (log cabin actually). It has died for the final time (my son and I have HAD IT!!!). We purchased it second hand from Wanker's friend. Stupid, stupid. (Wanker was daughter's first husband.)

It is a Sundance and we have replaced something major every year we have had it, about seven years. We live in Butte, Montana and our cabin is about an hour from us. We have one dealer in town. We have been very careful and tried to do everything correctly. We will install the low temp thingy mentioned in another post.

So we are in the market for a new tub. We go to -40F around here. What are the quality tubs out there? I am happy to read articles and do research but the Tech's know the good machines and I would appreciated some input.

Thank you,

Mary

I've sold/serviced all of these at one point or another, and I've found my personal favourite to be the Hot Springs spas. I wouldn't recommend Dimension One or Sundance. Sundance is actually a sub-set of a Jacuzzi, but Jacuzzi is better.

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

i will have to add clearwater and Arctic to the mix