Spas And Kids

[Peg]

We just had our new hot tub installed. I was just wondering how old children should be before they can use the spa. Does anyone know what the recomendations are. My Grandchildren are almost 3 years old. Is it safe to let them into the spa?

[Canadian Kahuna]

We just had our new hot tub installed. I was just wondering how old children should be before they can use the spa. Does anyone know what the recomendations are. My Grandchildren are almost 3 years old. Is it safe to let them into the spa?

One of the main reasons i bought a spa was for my daughter who has cerebral palsy (the hot water helps relax her muscles and we can do her therapy easier . . . stretches, etc). I had asked her Dr. (specialist) about the hot tub and he said just to make sure she wasn't in it too long (10 mins at a time) and she was about 1.5 years old at that point, water temp at 104. We turned down the temp a lot too 100 so that she could stay in a little longer. My neice was about 3 when using the hot tub and was able to tell us when she felt too hot, or would just hop up and cool down on her own. Basically, i was told to make sure the kids didn't get overheated and it was fine, but you can always double check with a pediatrician as I am not a doctor and i'm sure there are considerations.

[Guzz]

One of the main reasons i bought a spa was for my daughter who has cerebral palsy (the hot water helps relax her muscles and we can do her therapy easier . . . stretches, etc). I had asked her Dr. (specialist) about the hot tub and he said just to make sure she wasn't in it too long (10 mins at a time) and she was about 1.5 years old at that point, water temp at 104. We turned down the temp a lot too 100 so that she could stay in a little longer. My neice was about 3 when using the hot tub and was able to tell us when she felt too hot, or would just hop up and cool down on her own. Basically, i was told to make sure the kids didn't get overheated and it was fine, but you can always double check with a pediatrician as I am not a doctor and i'm sure there are considerations.

If you drop the temp down to 98 they can stay in as long as they want, they won't & don't care about the temp, kids just love water.

[sharkman009]

We just had our new hot tub installed. I was just wondering how old children should be before they can use the spa. Does anyone know what the recomendations are. My Grandchildren are almost 3 years old. Is it safe to let them into the spa?

You should not let small children in the spa with the temperature above 100 degrees. In some states there are regulations on commercial spas that make it illegal to allow minors to use a commercial spa.

The reason it is not recommended is when they sit in the hot water and their body core temperature gets up above 100 it has the same effect on them as if they had a fever of the same temperature. Also their heart beat is much faster than an adult and the heat will increase their heart rate. As Guzz said if you have the temp down they can sit in it as long as they want.

[Wmartin]

I bought my spa for therapy first, but with 4 kids under 8 years old, I wanted to make sure they would be able to enjoy it as well. The danger of kids in the spa was over heating, this can be avoided for having tempatures lowered to 98 deg for the kids. The kids can stay in there all day if the temp matches there own body temp.

I bought the Optima with the new heating box (whatever) that can heat the water up quickly. The employee said I can set a timer so during the day it can be lower temp, but as it reaches my spa time (which I think will be at night before bed) it will heat up to 103-4. We are going to try this approach and monitor cost.

If the temp can be lowered to 98, there is no problem at all

[Brulan1]

I bought my spa for therapy first, but with 4 kids under 8 years old, I wanted to make sure they would be able to enjoy it as well. The danger of kids in the spa was over heating, this can be avoided for having tempatures lowered to 98 deg for the kids. The kids can stay in there all day if the temp matches there own body temp.

I bought the Optima with the new heating box (whatever) that can heat the water up quickly. The employee said I can set a timer so during the day it can be lower temp, but as it reaches my spa time (which I think will be at night before bed) it will heat up to 103-4. We are going to try this approach and monitor cost.

If the temp can be lowered to 98, there is no problem at all

There is always a 5 degree variance from the extra heat the motors produce:

The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) Hot Tub Council Advocacy Committee today announced that the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) standard for the maximum water temperature for the hot tub and spa water will remain unchanged, at 109 degrees F. For more information about the APSP, visit www.TheAPSP.org, telephone (703)838-0083, or write to the APSP, 2111 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria, VA 22314.

When the hot tub says 98 in can in fact be 101 persay. Just use caution and keep that in mind when allowing the children inside the hottub.

[Wmartin]

Sorry to be repetitive to Guzz post, I started it before his post, then got busy, and finished after Guzzs post.

Here is a follow up question for the industry guys: for spas with timers, do people usually swing temps as wide as 98 to 104? My only concern was the energy expense of doing having the temp set at 98 all day but starting at 6-7 having it ramp up to 104 by 10ish, then go back down after midnite (thinking Id spa before bedtime which can be from 10-12)

Thanks

[Brulan1]

Sorry to be repetitive to Guzz post, I started it before his post, then got busy, and finished after Guzzs post.

Here is a follow up question for the industry guys: for spas with timers, do people usually swing temps as wide as 98 to 104? My only concern was the energy expense of doing having the temp set at 98 all day but starting at 6-7 having it ramp up to 104 by 10ish, then go back down after midnite (thinking Id spa before bedtime which can be from 10-12)

Thanks

Remaining unchanged at 109 degrees because someone was actually found dead in there hot tub and started a big debate

[poollady]

Remaining unchanged at 109 degrees because someone was actually found dead in there hot tub and started a big debate

One nice thing about a "hot" tub is that you don't have to keep it hot. You can turn the temp down into the 80's in the Summer time and actually use it to cool off. You still get the therapy and you (and the kids) can enjoy it more.

PS I think all tubs should have a high limit and not let the temp reach more than 104.

[Dr. Spa]

Some of you are really being feed by myths and old wives tales. Commercial spas throughout Europe and Japan get significantly hotter than 104. some up to 115. Most European countries have far stricter standards than the US to protect the health of their citizens. The US has standards more for reducing lawsuits, a phenomenon that really only exists in the US. You are of course welcome to believe whatever you care to, but please, before you try to shove your beliefs upon others, find some kind of documented evidence to back it up. The following, posted to my message board by John, I felt was worded quite well;

This standard was imposed on the industry as a result of some hot tub drownings. The actual investigations placed most of the blame on excessive alcohol consumption. Heat was considered a secondary factor due to the fact that the excessive alcohol consumption altered the response these people had to high temperatures. Well, whenever you involve the likes of government agencies (such as the CPSC) and testing agencies such as UL or ETL (mainly UL), they always feel like the have to "do something" after they conclude an investigation. I guess they felt powerless to control the real problem in this case and we all know that agencies such as these do not like to appear impotent. So we have what we have now, a lot of smoke and mirrors. Then again, maybe we are fortunate that they only imposed this artificial 104 F temp standard on us. I shudder to think that one day they might try to force the manufacturers to implement anti-alcohol features. I can imagine it now. They could make a breathalyzer machine integral to the hot tub electronics whereby the entire tub is shut down unless you are under a certain level of alcohol in your system (Hey, I think I'll patent this idea!!!!).

Temperatures above 104 F are not the problem. If they truly were, we would also have standards for 104 F in our baths and showers. The only standard for tubs and showers is for anti-scald, which is much higher than this artificial 104 F standard for hot tubs. That fact alone is enough to convince me that 104 F is an arbitrary standard. If temps above 104 F were truly dangerous, the CPSC would have mandated that hot water heaters and anti-scald valves be calibrated such that the maximum delivered water temperature would never exceed 104 F. No one has ever proposed such a standard for hot water to my knowledge.

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there's a bit more info here;

http://www.rhtubs.com/104f.htm

[Brulan1]

One nice thing about a "hot" tub is that you don't have to keep it hot. You can turn the temp down into the 80's in the Summer time and actually use it to cool off. You still get the therapy and you (and the kids) can enjoy it more.

PS I think all tubs should have a high limit and not let the temp reach more than 104.

Another words the maximum temperature you think it should be is 99 degrees with a 5degree variance with a maximum of 104. That would mean only being able to set the tub to 99 degrees.

Some of you are really being feed by myths and old wives tales. Commercial spas throughout Europe and Japan get significantly hotter than 104. some up to 115. Most European countries have far stricter standards than the US to protect the health of their citizens. The US has standards more for reducing lawsuits, a phenomenon that really only exists in the US. You are of course welcome to believe whatever you care to, but please, before you try to shove your beliefs upon others, find some kind of documented evidence to back it up. The following, posted to my message board by John, I felt was worded quite well;

This standard was imposed on the industry as a result of some hot tub drownings. The actual investigations placed most of the blame on excessive alcohol consumption. Heat was considered a secondary factor due to the fact that the excessive alcohol consumption altered the response these people had to high temperatures. Well, whenever you involve the likes of government agencies (such as the CPSC) and testing agencies such as UL or ETL (mainly UL), they always feel like the have to "do something" after they conclude an investigation. I guess they felt powerless to control the real problem in this case and we all know that agencies such as these do not like to appear impotent. So we have what we have now, a lot of smoke and mirrors. Then again, maybe we are fortunate that they only imposed this artificial 104 F temp standard on us. I shudder to think that one day they might try to force the manufacturers to implement anti-alcohol features. I can imagine it now. They could make a breathalyzer machine integral to the hot tub electronics whereby the entire tub is shut down unless you are under a certain level of alcohol in your system (Hey, I think I'll patent this idea!!!!).

Temperatures above 104 F are not the problem. If they truly were, we would also have standards for 104 F in our baths and showers. The only standard for tubs and showers is for anti-scald, which is much higher than this artificial 104 F standard for hot tubs. That fact alone is enough to convince me that 104 F is an arbitrary standard. If temps above 104 F were truly dangerous, the CPSC would have mandated that hot water heaters and anti-scald valves be calibrated such that the maximum delivered water temperature would never exceed 104 F. No one has ever proposed such a standard for hot water to my knowledge.

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there's a bit more info here;

http://www.rhtubs.com/104f.htm

That is why it was never passed to have alower temp. standard.

[Michee]

My pediatrician advised he would never let a child in a hot tub until puberty, particularly boys as the side effect could also be sterility.

[Brulan1]

My pediatrician advised he would never let a child in a hot tub until puberty, particularly boys as the side effect could also be sterility.

I have believed this to be only in extreme water temps and allow my 3 yr old occasional use so long as the water does not exceed 98 and he isn't in too long.

Perfect.

[Peg]

Perfect.

Is that true? What about little girls? Does being in a hot tub cause them not to be able to have kids also. The reason I asked the question in the first place, is because my daughter-in-law told me that here pediatrician told her not to let her two kids in the hot tub before the age of eight. I thought that seem a little unreasonable.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

My pediatrician advised he would never let a child in a hot tub until puberty, particularly boys as the side effect could also be sterility.

I think your pediatrican is simplifying it as a manner of CYA. My boys pediatrician has 3 kids and he got a hot tub after consulting with me about how to shop for them. I don't think he cares less for his kids. Now if someone asked him his opinion he's probably be a bit careful on how he put it and would advice how to use it. My kids were in and out of ours (pool and spa) all day. We simply keep it at a temp that won't overheat them.

[Dr. Spa]

My pediatrician advised he would never let a child in a hot tub until puberty, particularly boys as the side effect could also be sterility.

WOW! And does he also advise not to give them warm baths? How do you bathe your kids?

Little FYI, doctors aren't any less prone to old-wives-tales than the rest of humanity..... They also aren't adverse to giving advise based on the liabilty of having their malpractise insurance canceled.