Searching 4 Real Portable Spa

[redheartlove]

Good day to all you experts!

I've been reading your very infomative blogs for awhile, and I'll be honest, if I hadn't, I would have been blistfull happy with all the problems I may have had with the uneducated choice I would have made in a spa!! HeeHee! So, onward to my question(s).

I'm a simple girl (yes, they exhist!) I've been to EVERY site (I think!) looking into spas... Here's my "wants", and if someone could suggest a brand, I'd be GRATEFUL.

* Portable seems the way to go for me, as I'm in the midwest (brrr I tell ya!) and I've got a place "indoors" to run the spa in the winter. Of course, would like to move it in summer to outside, hense "portable". No worries on village codes, etc. Hubby = licensed plumber.

* 4-5 comfortable - actually perfer a more bench type seat, rather than the whole laydown thing.

* Don't need a whole lot of jets. I'm happy if hot water just circulates. (Told ya, simple..)

* I Ass-u-me also that portable would mean 110V...

Price... Well, as it seems to repeat in all the blogs, "ya get what you pay for" and I agree. I won't limit the above to a price. (Would LOVE to be under $5 large, though..)

Had I not found your site, I would have probably bought a Dreammaker X-400, just so's you can get an idea of what's in my brain.

Thanks so much!!

[Richs100]

Hi Redheart:

Initially, I'm not sure that you would want to plan to move any "portable" spa in and out of your house each summer and winter. I believe that the vast majority of portable spas are set up in permanent location and rarely moved thereafter. I have previously owned a 93 Hot Spring Prodigy, which is a relatively small spa, and I would have never considered trying to move it around on a regular basis (let alone, twice a year).

Although some may think it misleading, the "portable" in portable spa refers more to the fact that it is a self contained unit (as opposed to an in-ground unit with permanent plumbing connections outside the unit). You can move it, but generally wouldn't want to. In addition, I don't think it would be very good for any portable spa to be moved around so much. I tend to think you would eventually wind up with plumbing leaks and a weakened cabinet from moving it so much.

Regarding some of your other points, my old tub was 110. This basically meant that the heater didn't work when the jets were running, but I never found this to be a problem. If your taking a 45 minute or hour soak in the dead of winter, your tub temp may drop a few degrees, but nothing uncomfortable. (I also liked to soak without the jets running, so this may also explain why I never found it a problem.

The only brand of tub I have had any experience with is Hot Spring. (On my second tub) So for what it's worth, you might want to look at the Prodigy. Its bigger than the older one I had, looks fairly roomy, runs on 110, has a decent amount of jets for its size and is a "open seating" style of tub. I'm not sure of the current price, but someone here should be able to help you in that regard.

Good luck with your search

Rich

[Chas]

Well, since I replace my spa about once a year, and I move all of my display spas onto and off of my showroom floor every year, I would say that if you want to move a portable spa, then by all means go for it.

How will you bring it in and out? If you are going to go through a standard doorway, you will need a tub that is less than 6'8" when it's tipped up on its side.

If you have a removable wall or panel of some kind, sliding the tub in and out would be the way to go. Keep it horizontal and put down some rollers or what-have-you.

You may also want to consider moving the building - that is - look into a gazebo. There are some available which are fully enclosed, but with removable windows or hubby could just take down a wall or two in the warm weather. Many have skylights and that could be taken down in the summer and put back up in winter.

Options options.

[redheartlove]

* Portable seems the way to go for me, as I'm in the midwest (brrr I tell ya!) and I've got a place "indoors" to run the spa in the winter. Of course, would like to move it in summer to outside, hense "portable". No worries on village codes, etc. Hubby = licensed plumber.

* 4-5 comfortable - actually perfer a more bench type seat, rather than the whole laydown thing.

* Don't need a whole lot of jets. I'm happy if hot water just circulates. (Told ya, simple..)

* I Ass-u-me also that portable would mean 110V...

OK!

Well, I do feel like a bit of a dope... I did take the PORTABLE in "portable spa" literally (English major). I wouldn't be taking it in my house, but thru a double door access to a utility room attached to my garage, but let's just say, NEVER MIND! =-P The portable part of it does still come in handy, as I've got a large patio, and still not sure of where I'm going to put it. Will be nice if I do end up wanting to build a slab / gazebo to put it elsewhere.

Now, THIS is where the 110 comes in handy. So, as I seem to have no prob finding a 110, is what Rich stated pretty common, that the heater isn't running when jets are on? Just like he said, I'm not all that concerned about it, just curious.

BTW I did check into the Hot Spring Prodigy, and so far, my best found price is $5400. Thanx for the suggestion... But still lookin' !! =-)

Does anyone see any problems with getting a spa from a Home Show? They do seem to be good deals, but I always wonder just how long has been tub running? And/Or with all the transportation, has the plumbing / cabinet been compromised?

Just like Chas said, "OPTIONS, OPTIONS !!!!"

[Jim_The_Jim]

Good day to all you experts!

I've been reading your very infomative blogs for awhile, and I'll be honest, if I hadn't, I would have been blistfull happy with all the problems I may have had with the uneducated choice I would have made in a spa!! HeeHee! So, onward to my question(s).

I'm a simple girl (yes, they exhist!) I've been to EVERY site (I think!) looking into spas... Here's my "wants", and if someone could suggest a brand, I'd be GRATEFUL.

* Portable seems the way to go for me, as I'm in the midwest (brrr I tell ya!) and I've got a place "indoors" to run the spa in the winter. Of course, would like to move it in summer to outside, hense "portable". No worries on village codes, etc. Hubby = licensed plumber.

* 4-5 comfortable - actually perfer a more bench type seat, rather than the whole laydown thing.

* Don't need a whole lot of jets. I'm happy if hot water just circulates. (Told ya, simple..)

* I Ass-u-me also that portable would mean 110V...

Price... Well, as it seems to repeat in all the blogs, "ya get what you pay for" and I agree. I won't limit the above to a price. (Would LOVE to be under $5 large, though..)

Had I not found your site, I would have probably bought a Dreammaker X-400, just so's you can get an idea of what's in my brain.

Thanks so much!!

The only easy to move spas that are any good, light weight and reliable are FreeFlow spas, in my opinion.

The standard ones weigh about 300 LB and can easily be moved on some pvc pipe and you can put the on thier sides and roll them. They are the easiest spas to deliver that have real filter times, digital controls, UL safety dual suctions, light, and a real heater, and plug in to 120V. They also use standard parts, so you don't get ripped off on exclusive parts.

http://www.soundclick.com/havenhead

[MaRiSpaTech]

I agree that Freeflow is an excellent choice. They are 110v so you can plug it into a standard outlet, but you can also easily convert them to 240v for more heating capacity. They are essentially made of one solid piece with no wooden frame to rot out. If you decide to move it after sitting for many years, you don’t need to worry about the frame falling apart. I actually use a Freeflow Legend as a rental spa because they are so rugged. And for gods sake don’t buy a spa at a home show, talk about fly by night.