Differences Between Hot Tub / Spa And Jacuzzis

[Yvonne]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. Can someone tell me what are the differences between hot tub / spa and jacuzzis? This problem had been bugging me for sometime and it's hard to find the info i wanted from the search engines. Thanks alot

[Spa-Guy]

They are all one and the same. Just depends on who you are speaking with and what they call it. But, technically, a hot tub is how it all began, in California in the 60's people would fill a large wood tank with hot water and sit back enjoy the Hot tub. They were made of many types of wood, such as redwood, cedar and teak to name a few. Later jets, pumps and heaters were added to provide therapy. A Spa is the modern day term for portable spas, with the shell made from acrylic and resting in a wood or resin cabinet. Many manufacturers are going back to the old term Hot Tub, due to many people thinking of a spa, as a place to go to get a massage or facial. Jacuzzi is a name brand, of a spa manufacturer. Just like Kleenex, Zerox etc. Roy Jacuzzi and his brothers were some of the early pioneeers in our industry and certainly did the best job early, to promote their product and getting their name recognized. So, call it what you will and enjoy the hot water. Dave.

[Jim_The_Jim]

They are all one and the same. Just depends on who you are speaking with and what they call it. But, technically, a hot tub is how it all began, in California in the 60's people would fill a large wood tank with hot water and sit back enjoy the Hot tub. They were made of many types of wood, such as redwood, cedar and teak to name a few. Later jets, pumps and heaters were added to provide therapy. A Spa is the modern day term for portable spas, with the shell made from acrylic and resting in a wood or resin cabinet. Many manufacturers are going back to the old term Hot Tub, due to many people thinking of a spa, as a place to go to get a massage or facial. Jacuzzi is a name brand, of a spa manufacturer. Just like Kleenex, Zerox etc. Roy Jacuzzi and his brothers were some of the early pioneeers in our industry and certainly did the best job early, to promote their product and getting their name recognized. So, call it what you will and enjoy the hot water. Dave.

Excellent information Spa Guy, 100% right on.

[a42n8mom]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. Can someone tell me what are the differences between hot tub / spa and jacuzzis? This problem had been bugging me for sometime and it's hard to find the info i wanted from the search engines. Thanks alot

It is like comparing facial tissue with Kleenex. People always ask for a Kleenex because that has become the generic name however Jacuzzi and Kleenex are actually brands. In other words there is no more of a difference then comparing any other hot tub manufacturer.

The two top brands are Hot Springs and Sundance, you will not go wrong with either one. They may cost more up front but will end up costing you a lot less in the long run. Some people thing they are saving gobs of $ to only find their hot tub lasting 4-6 years. Hot Springs and Sundance have been known to last 20-25 years. So...if you compare the price of one of those or 4-5 of the competitors you will find that the savings will be significant.

Hope this helps,

Elise

[Roger]

The two top brands are Hot Springs and Sundance, you will not go wrong with either one. They may cost more up front but will end up costing you a lot less in the long run. Some people thing they are saving gobs of $ to only find their hot tub lasting 4-6 years. Hot Springs and Sundance have been known to last 20-25 years. So...if you compare the price of one of those or 4-5 of the competitors you will find that the savings will be significant.

Hope this helps,

Elise

This can be true of some brands but not all value brands. If you can get a 4000-5000 dollar tub that last 10-15 years versus a 8000-10000 tub that lasts 15-20 then where's the value, specialy if the value tub last 15 and the best selling brand last 17. Shopping around for a dealer and brand that you are comfortable with is more important than what's the best selling brand. Lund is the best selling, most expensive fishing boat but there are better boats out there for less money. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the best selling of anything but it sometimes comes at a price. After all this is America and if corporate can get more for the same product, they will.

[thestallion]

It is like comparing facial tissue with Kleenex. People always ask for a Kleenex because that has become the generic name however Jacuzzi and Kleenex are actually brands. In other words there is no more of a difference then comparing any other hot tub manufacturer.

The two top brands are Hot Springs and Sundance, you will not go wrong with either one. They may cost more up front but will end up costing you a lot less in the long run. Some people thing they are saving gobs of $ to only find their hot tub lasting 4-6 years. Hot Springs and Sundance have been known to last 20-25 years. So...if you compare the price of one of those or 4-5 of the competitors you will find that the savings will be significant.

Hope this helps,

Elise

Wow what a lot of BS. Both are fine spas but no better than say Marquis, D-1 among others.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Wow what a lot of BS. Both are fine spas but no better than say Marquis, D-1 among others.

I read that too but I didn't get the same meaning you did. I'm not sure that was meant to say Hot Springs and Sundance were the ONLY good spas. I think the comparison was with some of the cheapo spas out there that would have you believe you're getting an equal spa for $3000 less. Certainly Marquis, D1 and others are top notch spas as well.

[thestallion]

I read that too but I didn't get the same meaning you did. I'm not sure that was meant to say Hot Springs and Sundance were the ONLY good spas. I think the comparison was with some of the cheapo spas out there that would have you believe you're getting an equal spa for $3000 less. Certainly Marquis, D1 and others are top notch spas as well.

lol, you might be right and I agree there are several that besides being well made are also stand up company's when you need service.

[Guzz]

The bottom line is Yvonne, if you are in the market for a spa/hot tub, you first need to find out who sells what in your area, then start your research by getting out there and seeing what appeals to you, size, seating style, features etc.

Once you have narrowed it down to a couple spas dig out your bathing suit and go wet testing. Then before your final decision check out the dealers reputation. Certainly look for help from this forum but remember there are a lot of sales people in here, me included, most of us will give you a good honest opinion of what we think, but you must use your gut, it is after all your money. Some good spas to name a few, HotSpring, D1, Sundance, Marquis, Jacuzzi, Coleman, Caldera, Beachcomber. Good luck.

[Jim_The_Jim]

The bottom line is Yvonne, if you are in the market for a spa/hot tub, you first need to find out who sells what in your area, then start your research by getting out there and seeing what appeals to you, size, seating style, features etc.

Once you have narrowed it down to a couple spas dig out your bathing suit and go wet testing. Then before your final decision check out the dealers reputation. Certainly look for help from this forum but remember there are a lot of sales people in here, me included, most of us will give you a good honest opinion of what we think, but you must use your gut, it is after all your money. Some good spas to name a few, HotSpring, D1, Sundance, Marquis, Jacuzzi, Coleman, Caldera, Beachcomber. Good luck.

How can a spa that doesn't follow the safety standards be quality? It is quality, LOW QUALITY

If they can't build spas to the modern safety standards, then they are not quality.

1/ Look for spas that are easier to repair. As the spa ages, you do not want to spend extra money on labor, especially on leaks. The equipment should be spread out so one component is not in the way of removing the other. All of the side panels should be removable, and the spa should not be filled with dense foam to interfere with repairs. (Don't buy a luxury car and fill the hood full of foam!). The smaller tubing needs support with foam to keep it from shaking and leaking, so some foam support is needed. The standard design from 27 years ago is to stuff the cabinet with foam, then place the equipment in a box in front of the spa. This is not only a poor design for repairs, it is bad in terms of heat build up on the pumps and the plumbing has multiple consessions in design. It is much better to allow air space around the equipment. If you place the equipment in a large container as in a thermal pane spa, the heat is dissapated and the equipment is easy to access. If you have a leak in the plumbing, buried in the foam,in a fully foamed spa, it is very expensive to fix. How do you find it?

2/ Look for spas with standard parts. There are several companies that make readily available high quality parts. The word "EXCLUSIVE", means just what it says. You are excluded from buying parts from other suppliers. If they have exclusive parts that you like, check around to see how much they cost to replace. I certainly would not pay $500 for a heater manifold. Most all the major brands have some ridiculous prices on parts. All of the manufactures of spas use outside manufacturers for the various parts. If they buy enough parts, then they can have the parts "bastardized" so that they cannot be replaced with the standard part. There is no difference in quality between "exclusive" parts and non-exclusive. In most cases the non exclusive parts are stronger. One large company places the motor frame on the pump on a 45 degree angle, so that you can't even replace it with a better brand of motor. You are stuck with an inferior part and "pay thorugh the nose" for it.

3/ Look for spas that are fully insulated and not fully foamed. A fully foamed-in spa is not, by any stretch of science, the most energy efficient spa. Spas that capture the heat from the equipment and keep cold air off the components and plumbing are efficient. A fully insulated spa has foam on the shell, warm air chamber, and the walls of the cabinet have foam boards. The cabinet is closed with no vents that allow cold air to enter the cabinet except by vacuum. DAIT Click Here

4/ Look for spas with acrylic backed by vinyl ester bonding resin and hand rolled fiberglass with glass cloth or chop. This is the shell with the most history for strength, reparability, and beauty. (When something better comes along I'll be the first to let you know.) The cheaper spas will use a composite of Acrylic and ABS, or another plastic and ABS with no structural fiberglass. Then the cabinet is stuffed with structural foam to hold it up. This is a cause of many problems that result in expensive repairs and more expense to heat the water.

5/ Look for quality electronics. Right now Gecko makes the best (in my experience) and Balboa is very good.

6/ Look for spas that have good clean plumbing. If the pump can put out 200 gallons per minute and it is running at 150, there is something wrong with the design. If a diverter valve is used, make sure it is NOT the first thing the pump hits in the plumbing path. If the diverter valve is the first plumbing part after the pump, then the spa is poorly plumbed. I call this "diverter first" plumbing. Look for few turns in the main plumbing. A poorly installed diverter valve means that people have to wait their turn for the jets. The diverter valve is similar to driving you car with the brakes on, in which the engine works harder to do less work. If you cannot run all the jets at full pressure at the same time, then the spa has a diverter valve, restricting the flow.

7/ Look for bypass filtering with check valves on the main jet pumps. This insures proper water flow to the jets. It also follows the ANSI standards for safety. (The worse design is the no bypass plumbing on spa pumps because it limits the water flow and as the filters get dirty, the jet pressure drops. These spas have weak jet pressure to begin with and water diverters.)

8/ Look for pumps that are mounted to reduce noise. We use rubber mounting pads, solid 2 x 4 frames and lag screws to hold the pumps solid and get rid of "sounding boards" (thin plywood or plastic). Listen to the pumps running on high with all the equipment going. If you can't have a conversation, don't buy it. All you should hear is water!

9/ The length of a warranty on the spa should not be the primary reason for buying. Warranties are hidden "insurance policies" in the spa that you are paying for. It is built into the price of the spa. For instance, our least expensive spas have a one year parts and labor warranty for a reason. It is to make them affordable. Our high end spas have 5 years parts and labor. The same brand of components, same shell construction, same plumbing parts brands. ( When I hear a salesperson say: "we put our money where our mouth is". They mean "we put your money in our pockets and manipulate the interpretation".)

10/ Look for reasonable prices. A one horsepower (1.65 hp), one speed jet pump spa with no air jets (air injection) being sold for $6000 is a rip off. Look for the features per dollar of the spa as well as design and construction materials. Do not purchase any spa that you do not understand about the equipment being used. Find out the real HP, motor size, brand of motor, brand of electronics and jets.

11/ Avoid spas that use a tiny 24 hour circulation pump that produces less than 18 GPM. (Unless of course you want to buy scum balls, scum bags, scum bug, extra shock and water clarifiers, and enzyme treatments to help get the scum out of the water.)

12/ Don't be "sold" on a spa by a salesman. If you feel pressure and manipulation, get up and walk out. The deal they have now that is so good, may be even better tomorrow. Research the products and take some "salt" with you so you can take everything as they say with "a grain of salt". Make your decision to purchase at a later time based on knowledge. ( There is a company that goes around with trailers and RV's with a sign on the trailer saying "LIQUIDATION SALE". The spas they sell are lacking in cold weather insulation, not fully finished, and are being sold for about $1000 more than a comparable spa. They say if you don't buy now, you will miss out on the best deal. They also don't take care of the customers. They are unethical. This is the epitome of high pressure sales.) If you go to a home show, you need to know about spas and prices before you go, otherwise, you most likely will be taken advantage of. HOME SHOW WISDOM CLICK HERE

13/ Buy spas that are ANSI/NSPI(Click here) conformant. The largest manufacturer of portable spas does not follow these engineering design rules. These rules are their to protect consumers and are not subject to interpretation.

14/ At the present time, there are no valid rewards or awards in the possession of any spa company. Do not fall prey to awards that are paid for advertizing. Do not fall for the Consumer's Digest logo used on brochures, because that too is paid advertising. Do not fall for the NSPI awards to the spa company that gives the most money to the organization. Do not fall prey to "Star Ratings on Pool and Spa" it is paid advertizing. The spa industry is full of tricks to play with the uninformed consumer. The more out of date and rich the company is, it seems the more money they have. That is only because spa shoppers do not know anything about spas. All of the advertizing on earth cannot change a poorly designed products engineering.

[Chris H]

DAIT Click Here

HOME SHOW WISDOM CLICK HERE

Buy spas that are ANSI/NSPI(Click here) conformant

Where am I supposed to click again?

[Guzz]

How can a spa that doesn't follow the safety standards be quality? It is quality, LOW QUALITY

If they can't build spas to the modern safety standards, then they are not quality.

1/ Look for spas that are easier to repair. As the spa ages, you do not want to spend extra money on labor, especially on leaks. The equipment should be spread out so one component is not in the way of removing the other. All of the side panels should be removable, and the spa should not be filled with dense foam to interfere with repairs. (Don't buy a luxury car and fill the hood full of foam!). The smaller tubing needs support with foam to keep it from shaking and leaking, so some foam support is needed. The standard design from 27 years ago is to stuff the cabinet with foam, then place the equipment in a box in front of the spa. This is not only a poor design for repairs, it is bad in terms of heat build up on the pumps and the plumbing has multiple consessions in design. It is much better to allow air space around the equipment. If you place the equipment in a large container as in a thermal pane spa, the heat is dissapated and the equipment is easy to access. If you have a leak in the plumbing, buried in the foam,in a fully foamed spa, it is very expensive to fix. How do you find it?

2/ Look for spas with standard parts. There are several companies that make readily available high quality parts. The word "EXCLUSIVE", means just what it says. You are excluded from buying parts from other suppliers. If they have exclusive parts that you like, check around to see how much they cost to replace. I certainly would not pay $500 for a heater manifold. Most all the major brands have some ridiculous prices on parts. All of the manufactures of spas use outside manufacturers for the various parts. If they buy enough parts, then they can have the parts "bastardized" so that they cannot be replaced with the standard part. There is no difference in quality between "exclusive" parts and non-exclusive. In most cases the non exclusive parts are stronger. One large company places the motor frame on the pump on a 45 degree angle, so that you can't even replace it with a better brand of motor. You are stuck with an inferior part and "pay thorugh the nose" for it.

3/ Look for spas that are fully insulated and not fully foamed. A fully foamed-in spa is not, by any stretch of science, the most energy efficient spa. Spas that capture the heat from the equipment and keep cold air off the components and plumbing are efficient. A fully insulated spa has foam on the shell, warm air chamber, and the walls of the cabinet have foam boards. The cabinet is closed with no vents that allow cold air to enter the cabinet except by vacuum. DAIT Click Here

4/ Look for spas with acrylic backed by vinyl ester bonding resin and hand rolled fiberglass with glass cloth or chop. This is the shell with the most history for strength, reparability, and beauty. (When something better comes along I'll be the first to let you know.) The cheaper spas will use a composite of Acrylic and ABS, or another plastic and ABS with no structural fiberglass. Then the cabinet is stuffed with structural foam to hold it up. This is a cause of many problems that result in expensive repairs and more expense to heat the water.

5/ Look for quality electronics. Right now Gecko makes the best (in my experience) and Balboa is very good.

6/ Look for spas that have good clean plumbing. If the pump can put out 200 gallons per minute and it is running at 150, there is something wrong with the design. If a diverter valve is used, make sure it is NOT the first thing the pump hits in the plumbing path. If the diverter valve is the first plumbing part after the pump, then the spa is poorly plumbed. I call this "diverter first" plumbing. Look for few turns in the main plumbing. A poorly installed diverter valve means that people have to wait their turn for the jets. The diverter valve is similar to driving you car with the brakes on, in which the engine works harder to do less work. If you cannot run all the jets at full pressure at the same time, then the spa has a diverter valve, restricting the flow.

7/ Look for bypass filtering with check valves on the main jet pumps. This insures proper water flow to the jets. It also follows the ANSI standards for safety. (The worse design is the no bypass plumbing on spa pumps because it limits the water flow and as the filters get dirty, the jet pressure drops. These spas have weak jet pressure to begin with and water diverters.)

8/ Look for pumps that are mounted to reduce noise. We use rubber mounting pads, solid 2 x 4 frames and lag screws to hold the pumps solid and get rid of "sounding boards" (thin plywood or plastic). Listen to the pumps running on high with all the equipment going. If you can't have a conversation, don't buy it. All you should hear is water!

9/ The length of a warranty on the spa should not be the primary reason for buying. Warranties are hidden "insurance policies" in the spa that you are paying for. It is built into the price of the spa. For instance, our least expensive spas have a one year parts and labor warranty for a reason. It is to make them affordable. Our high end spas have 5 years parts and labor. The same brand of components, same shell construction, same plumbing parts brands. ( When I hear a salesperson say: "we put our money where our mouth is". They mean "we put your money in our pockets and manipulate the interpretation".)

10/ Look for reasonable prices. A one horsepower (1.65 hp), one speed jet pump spa with no air jets (air injection) being sold for $6000 is a rip off. Look for the features per dollar of the spa as well as design and construction materials. Do not purchase any spa that you do not understand about the equipment being used. Find out the real HP, motor size, brand of motor, brand of electronics and jets.

11/ Avoid spas that use a tiny 24 hour circulation pump that produces less than 18 GPM. (Unless of course you want to buy scum balls, scum bags, scum bug, extra shock and water clarifiers, and enzyme treatments to help get the scum out of the water.)

12/ Don't be "sold" on a spa by a salesman. If you feel pressure and manipulation, get up and walk out. The deal they have now that is so good, may be even better tomorrow. Research the products and take some "salt" with you so you can take everything as they say with "a grain of salt". Make your decision to purchase at a later time based on knowledge. ( There is a company that goes around with trailers and RV's with a sign on the trailer saying "LIQUIDATION SALE". The spas they sell are lacking in cold weather insulation, not fully finished, and are being sold for about $1000 more than a comparable spa. They say if you don't buy now, you will miss out on the best deal. They also don't take care of the customers. They are unethical. This is the epitome of high pressure sales.) If you go to a home show, you need to know about spas and prices before you go, otherwise, you most likely will be taken advantage of. HOME SHOW WISDOM CLICK HERE

13/ Buy spas that are ANSI/NSPI(Click here) conformant. The largest manufacturer of portable spas does not follow these engineering design rules. These rules are their to protect consumers and are not subject to interpretation.

14/ At the present time, there are no valid rewards or awards in the possession of any spa company. Do not fall prey to awards that are paid for advertizing. Do not fall for the Consumer's Digest logo used on brochures, because that too is paid advertising. Do not fall for the NSPI awards to the spa company that gives the most money to the organization. Do not fall prey to "Star Ratings on Pool and Spa" it is paid advertizing. The spa industry is full of tricks to play with the uninformed consumer. The more out of date and rich the company is, it seems the more money they have. That is only because spa shoppers do not know anything about spas. All of the advertizing on earth cannot change a poorly designed products engineering.

Thanks Jim, at last I see the light, every major manufacturer that spends millions on research & developement has got it all wrong, we surely are not worthy to be in your prescence!

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Thanks Jim, ...we surely are not worthy to be in your prescence!

Apparently, the judge at Jim's own trial isn't even worthy of his presence.

[Roger]

How can a spa that doesn't follow the safety standards be quality? It is quality, LOW QUALITY

If they can't build spas to the modern safety standards, then they are not quality.

1/ Look for spas that are easier to repair. As the spa ages, you do not want to spend extra money on labor, especially on leaks. The equipment should be spread out so one component is not in the way of removing the other. All of the side panels should be removable, and the spa should not be filled with dense foam to interfere with repairs. (Don't buy a luxury car and fill the hood full of foam!). The smaller tubing needs support with foam to keep it from shaking and leaking, so some foam support is needed. The standard design from 27 years ago is to stuff the cabinet with foam, then place the equipment in a box in front of the spa. This is not only a poor design for repairs, it is bad in terms of heat build up on the pumps and the plumbing has multiple consessions in design. It is much better to allow air space around the equipment. If you place the equipment in a large container as in a thermal pane spa, the heat is dissapated and the equipment is easy to access. If you have a leak in the plumbing, buried in the foam,in a fully foamed spa, it is very expensive to fix. How do you find it?

2/ Look for spas with standard parts. There are several companies that make readily available high quality parts. The word "EXCLUSIVE", means just what it says. You are excluded from buying parts from other suppliers. If they have exclusive parts that you like, check around to see how much they cost to replace. I certainly would not pay $500 for a heater manifold. Most all the major brands have some ridiculous prices on parts. All of the manufactures of spas use outside manufacturers for the various parts. If they buy enough parts, then they can have the parts "bastardized" so that they cannot be replaced with the standard part. There is no difference in quality between "exclusive" parts and non-exclusive. In most cases the non exclusive parts are stronger. One large company places the motor frame on the pump on a 45 degree angle, so that you can't even replace it with a better brand of motor. You are stuck with an inferior part and "pay thorugh the nose" for it.

3/ Look for spas that are fully insulated and not fully foamed. A fully foamed-in spa is not, by any stretch of science, the most energy efficient spa. Spas that capture the heat from the equipment and keep cold air off the components and plumbing are efficient. A fully insulated spa has foam on the shell, warm air chamber, and the walls of the cabinet have foam boards. The cabinet is closed with no vents that allow cold air to enter the cabinet except by vacuum. DAIT Click Here

4/ Look for spas with acrylic backed by vinyl ester bonding resin and hand rolled fiberglass with glass cloth or chop. This is the shell with the most history for strength, reparability, and beauty. (When something better comes along I'll be the first to let you know.) The cheaper spas will use a composite of Acrylic and ABS, or another plastic and ABS with no structural fiberglass. Then the cabinet is stuffed with structural foam to hold it up. This is a cause of many problems that result in expensive repairs and more expense to heat the water.

5/ Look for quality electronics. Right now Gecko makes the best (in my experience) and Balboa is very good.

6/ Look for spas that have good clean plumbing. If the pump can put out 200 gallons per minute and it is running at 150, there is something wrong with the design. If a diverter valve is used, make sure it is NOT the first thing the pump hits in the plumbing path. If the diverter valve is the first plumbing part after the pump, then the spa is poorly plumbed. I call this "diverter first" plumbing. Look for few turns in the main plumbing. A poorly installed diverter valve means that people have to wait their turn for the jets. The diverter valve is similar to driving you car with the brakes on, in which the engine works harder to do less work. If you cannot run all the jets at full pressure at the same time, then the spa has a diverter valve, restricting the flow.

7/ Look for bypass filtering with check valves on the main jet pumps. This insures proper water flow to the jets. It also follows the ANSI standards for safety. (The worse design is the no bypass plumbing on spa pumps because it limits the water flow and as the filters get dirty, the jet pressure drops. These spas have weak jet pressure to begin with and water diverters.)

8/ Look for pumps that are mounted to reduce noise. We use rubber mounting pads, solid 2 x 4 frames and lag screws to hold the pumps solid and get rid of "sounding boards" (thin plywood or plastic). Listen to the pumps running on high with all the equipment going. If you can't have a conversation, don't buy it. All you should hear is water!

9/ The length of a warranty on the spa should not be the primary reason for buying. Warranties are hidden "insurance policies" in the spa that you are paying for. It is built into the price of the spa. For instance, our least expensive spas have a one year parts and labor warranty for a reason. It is to make them affordable. Our high end spas have 5 years parts and labor. The same brand of components, same shell construction, same plumbing parts brands. ( When I hear a salesperson say: "we put our money where our mouth is". They mean "we put your money in our pockets and manipulate the interpretation".)

10/ Look for reasonable prices. A one horsepower (1.65 hp), one speed jet pump spa with no air jets (air injection) being sold for $6000 is a rip off. Look for the features per dollar of the spa as well as design and construction materials. Do not purchase any spa that you do not understand about the equipment being used. Find out the real HP, motor size, brand of motor, brand of electronics and jets.

11/ Avoid spas that use a tiny 24 hour circulation pump that produces less than 18 GPM. (Unless of course you want to buy scum balls, scum bags, scum bug, extra shock and water clarifiers, and enzyme treatments to help get the scum out of the water.)

12/ Don't be "sold" on a spa by a salesman. If you feel pressure and manipulation, get up and walk out. The deal they have now that is so good, may be even better tomorrow. Research the products and take some "salt" with you so you can take everything as they say with "a grain of salt". Make your decision to purchase at a later time based on knowledge. ( There is a company that goes around with trailers and RV's with a sign on the trailer saying "LIQUIDATION SALE". The spas they sell are lacking in cold weather insulation, not fully finished, and are being sold for about $1000 more than a comparable spa. They say if you don't buy now, you will miss out on the best deal. They also don't take care of the customers. They are unethical. This is the epitome of high pressure sales.) If you go to a home show, you need to know about spas and prices before you go, otherwise, you most likely will be taken advantage of. HOME SHOW WISDOM CLICK HERE

13/ Buy spas that are ANSI/NSPI(Click here) conformant. The largest manufacturer of portable spas does not follow these engineering design rules. These rules are their to protect consumers and are not subject to interpretation.

14/ At the present time, there are no valid rewards or awards in the possession of any spa company. Do not fall prey to awards that are paid for advertizing. Do not fall for the Consumer's Digest logo used on brochures, because that too is paid advertising. Do not fall for the NSPI awards to the spa company that gives the most money to the organization. Do not fall prey to "Star Ratings on Pool and Spa" it is paid advertizing. The spa industry is full of tricks to play with the uninformed consumer. The more out of date and rich the company is, it seems the more money they have. That is only because spa shoppers do not know anything about spas. All of the advertizing on earth cannot change a poorly designed products engineering.

Or like most common people you could forget all that crud and just buy from a reputable dealer that will take care of you. One that has been in business a long time and has a solid reputation. Let the manufacturers take care of the details with building them, and find one you are comfortable with and meets your budget.

[Yvonne]

Thanks everyone, my problem solved, bought a hot tub from LA spa.

[Roger]

Thanks everyone, my problem solved, bought a hot tub from LA spa.

Good luck and welcome to spatopia.