Whether you’ve just purchased your hot tub or are considering investing in one to upgrade your backyard space, it’s important to understand what to expect and how to care for it to get the most life out of it!
Hot tubs are complex items, and you may not know it all, but that’s where we come in!
As an award-winning dealership, we’ve answered many questions over the years, and a few seem to come up again and again.
In this article, we’ll answer some of the most common questions we’re asked.
10 Frequently Asked Questions About Hot Tubs
1. How Much Does a Hot Tub Cost?
How much a hot tub costs will be influenced by a number of factors.
Hot tubs can range anywhere from £6000 like our J-215TM all the way to the £37,895 price tag of the Mercurio spa.
Cost can be influenced by the size of the hot tub, type of seating, such as lounge seats, number of jets, features, and brand.
The technology in your hot tub will also influence the price, such as sound systems, filtration systems, and unique app options for remote access to your spa.
For example, some Jacuzzi® Hot Tubs offer specially designed therapy seats to maximize the benefits of hydrotherapy and give you a more enjoyable, relaxing session each time you use your hot tub.
They also offer exclusive features, such as their SmartTubTM system. This app allows you to connect to your hot tub through cell data, removing the restrictions that wifi-connected apps experience and giving you control over your hot tub from anywhere.
Features like this significantly influence a hot tub’s price, and the benefits they provide can change your entire spa experience.
2. How Long Will a Hot Tub Last?
A high-quality hot tub can last up to 20 years when it’s properly taken care of, however the typical range for many hot tubs is anywhere from 10-15 years.
Hot tubs made of lower-quality materials will have a shorter lifespan. Higher quality materials like acrylic shells and powerful filtration systems make your hot tub more durable, reducing the wear and tear it experiences throughout its life span.
How well you maintain your hot tub will also significantly affect your spa’s lifespan. If you set up a proper maintenance schedule that includes testing and treating your water, draining, cleaning, and refilling your tub, and general care day to day, you should have no problem maximizing your spas life span.
3. How Do I Keep My Hot Tub Clean
As mentioned above, taking proper care of your hot tub is essential in extending the lifespan of your spa.
Keeping your hot tub clean is a big part of that, and if not done correctly or if steps are missed, you can cause damage to your system over time.
How you clean your hot tub will depend on your water system, but here are the basic care steps you don’t want to miss!
- Drain Your Hot Tub Regularly
Draining all the water out of your hot tub will need to be done once every 3-4 months for chlorine systems or once a year for saltwater systems.
Over time, the water in your hot tub can develop a buildup of organic matter and oils such as makeup, hair products, and sweat. The more often you use your hot tub and how many people are usually in it, will change how quickly this happens.
The filter in your hot tub will combat this, and treating your water with the proper chemicals can minimize this buildup. However, you won’t be able to maintain clean water without draining and refilling your tub with fresh water every few months. This is the only way to ensure your water is clean and won’t cause corrosion or damage to your hot tub.
- Deep Clean Your Hot Tub
Every time you drain your hot tub, you should complete a thorough clean of your shell, filter, and systems plumbing if possible.
Use a hot tub cleaning solution that won’t cause any damage to your shell. This will help clean off any residue that may be on it that you can’t see, like oil buildup. If oil doesn’t get cleaned off your hot tub’s shell, it can begin causing corrosion over time, so it’s important to clean it while it’s empty.
During your deep clean routine, make sure you take out the filter and clean it by flushing it with water and submerging it in a filter cleaner. You’ll know it’s time to replace your filter when you’re unable to get it clean during this process.
- Take Proper Care of the Water
Test your water levels regularly, and ensure your alkalinity and pH levels are in balance. These can become unbalanced easily, especially after you drain and refill your hot tub, as your communities water quality will greatly influence these initial levels.
You’ll also want to ensure you’re treating your water with the right chemicals, keeping it clean and ready to use each time you lift your spas cover.
4. What Hot Tub Chemicals Should I Use?
The chemicals you use in your hot tub will depend on the type of water system you’ve chosen to use.
If you have a chlorine system, you’ll want to include chlorine tablets or liquid, salt cells if you have a salt water system, or, if you use a chlorine-free system, you’ll want to use a sanitiser called Biguanide.
You’ll also want to have pH and alkalinity balancers on hand. They come in the form of increasers and decreasers, and adjusting one will affect the other. Always adjust your alkalinity first, keeping it within the 80-100 ppm range, and you’ll want to maintain your pH levels between 7.2 and 7.8.
When it comes to your shock treatment, you’ll want one that matches the sanitiser you use. Essentially, the shock treatment is to quickly treat any changes in your water, like if it becomes cloudy or develops an off smell.
5. Is a Salt Water System Good for My Hot Tub?
There is a common misconception that salt water systems are the same as chlorine-free systems. This is far from the truth!
Salt water systems produce chlorine as the water passes through the salt cells. This is how it keeps your water clean.
While salt water can create softer feeling water, it can also cause damage to your hot tub as the salt can corrode your hot tub system over time if the levels get too high.
If you’re considering this system, do your research and make sure it’s the right fit for you.
6. Where Can I Put My Hot Tub?
Hot tubs can be installed inside and outside, but choosing one will ultimately depend on your space.
No matter where you install your hot tub, you’ll need a level, strong foundation for it to sit on. This will ensure your hot tub doesn’t suffer any unnecessary damage from its weight being off centre, water pooling around the cabinet causing water damage, or your hot tub sinking into the ground!
If you don’t have the luxury of your hot tub being installed indoors but want the privacy you would get from an indoor spa, consider investing in a Covana Automatic Hot Tub Cover.
Adding one of these covers to your backyard space will let you slip below the water and let the jets of your spa ease your stress away without worrying about prying eyes or nosey neighbours!
7. Can You Use A Hot Tub All Year?
Yes!
Hot tubs can be used all year, keeping you warm even as snow falls around you during a mid-winter session.
Your hot tub water is heated to an optimal temperature to keep it from freezing and is surrounded by insulation, helping keep the heat in no matter what the temperature is outside. This makes managing its temperature easy while keeping energy costs low!
8. Do I Need A Cover For My Hot Tub?
A hot tub cover is an essential part of your hot tub.
Without a cover, your water would be exposed to the elements constantly, and nothing would be keeping the heat in. This would increase your energy costs as your heater tries to replace the heat that’s consistently being lost.
Including a well-fitted cover will provide you with massive benefits, such as lower energy costs by locking the heat in, lower maintenance costs by protecting your water from the sun and the natural debris blown by the wind, and making caring for your hot tub easy.
If you live in a cool climate where your cover will be exposed to snow or lots of rain, invest in a heavy-duty one with a peaked top, allowing rain and snow to drift off.
This will extend the life span of your cover by removing the possibility of snow and water building up and sitting on top of your cover for extended periods of time.
9. How Do I Choose the Best Hot Tub for Me?
With so many hot tubs on the market, knowing which one is best for you can be challenging. Here are some things to consider that will help you narrow down your best options.
- How do you want to use your hot tub?
- How many people will be using your hot tub?
- Do you want to be able to lie down in your hot tub for a full-body massage?
- How big is the space you’re adding it to?
- What kind of features are important to you?
Answering some of these questions will help you better understand what you’re looking for in a hot tub. Share these with one of our on-site experts, and they’ll be able to help you find the hot tub that can meet your needs.
10. What Are The Health Benefits of Hot Tubs?
Hot tubs offer a wide range of benefits supporting both your physical and mental health.
How often you use your hot tub will influence the types of benefits you experience, with frequent use leading to positive changes in your health that will last long-term.
When you spend at least 20-30 minutes a day in a hot tub, you can experience:
- Pain relief
- Better circulation
- Lower stress levels
- Decreased anxiety
- Better sleep
And so much more!
Hot Tubs In West Sussex
Have another question we didn’t answer here? Check out our FAQ page, or contact one of our experts, and they’ll walk you through everything you need to know. Discover the hot tub of your dreams at Euphoria Lifestyle today!
