Hot Tub Myths Part 2: Buying a Hot Tub

Following the success of our last post in regards to 'hot tub myths', we feel that more could be added and so welcome to 'Hot Tub Myths: Part 2'. At Happy Hot Tubs we are committed to giving our customers the best service and these myths allow us to protect consumers from industry methods that could affect you, as the consumer.

The more horsepower, the better.

MYTH - This may be the case for racing but when it comes to hot tub this is not necessarily the case. Adding lots of pumps could just waste further energy, when it is not absolutely necessary. The salesman may highlight the huge horsepower of a hot tub but when you think about your electricity bill, you may be more inclined to go for a less powerful spa. Some newer brands have even began to exaggerate spa pump ratings. Internet companies that have recently emerged within the hot tub industry can easily round up a 1.5hp pump to 2 or 3hp without any legitimate certification. Just ensure you take the power talk with a pinch of salt.

A self-cleaning hot tub is better than others on the market.

MYTH - A 'self-cleaning hot tub'? Ask the salesmen to define what this means and how it differs from other brands. This is very clever marketing and one cannot deny that, however, the idea of a 'self-cleaning' hot tub that is marketed by some brands such as Hydropool is not as outstanding as you think. 'Self-cleaning' means that is has a filtration system and an ozone which is available in most other brands, just not marketed in such a way. All hot tubs with a Balboa control system will filtrate 2 times a day, keeping the water fresh. Go ahead and call this 'self-cleaning' if it makes you feel better. With a 'self-cleaning' system you will still need to top up the chemicals and you will spend the same amount of time maintaining a 'self-cleaning' hot tub as any other spa. So, do not buy into this clever branding, almost every hot tub is 'self-cleaning'.

Fully foamed spa cabinets are the best.

MYTH - This is not actually the case. Heat rises and therefore most of the heat lost in a hot tub is through your spa cover. For spas with a lot of space inside, it is better to have a cavity to allow warm air to be re-circulated by air injection jets. Full foam is once again a good piece of marketing but is not the best insulation for a hot tub. Ensure you take caution when being sold a fully-foamed spa for a it's energy saving capacity.

You pay a high price for high quality.

MYTH - Most small hot tub dealers will sell only 30-50 spas a year and will look to maximise the sale price for every customer. Larger stores will be able to charge less as they may be the sole dealer for those spas and therefore sell more at lower prices. At Happy Hot Tubs, we have some of the most competitive spa prices in the UK and have sold thousands nationwide, so not only can you feel safe about the price we are charging but also the high quality customer service that comes with buying a spa from us. 

Spa ratings and comparison sites are very useful.

MYTH - Who owns these sites? Well it is common knowledge within the industry that spa dealerships will create hot tub review sites and benefit from the leads they produce. An industry as specific as the UK hot tub industry is also very susceptible to backhanders for certain awards and certifications. The British and Irish Spa & Hot Tub Association (BISHTA) was setup and chaired by our managing director, Simon, who created it to ensure that people were using their hot tubs safely and also to ensure the industry started to pay more attention to water safety at exhibitions. This has even become slightly politicised within the industry as approved members simply pay for membership. Be careful when looking at these review sites as they are not totally impartial. 

These are only a few tips that will help with the hot tub buying process, if you want impartial advice from real industry experts contact us on Twitter (@HappyHotTubs), Facebook (fb.com/hottubcare) or e-mail myself eddie@happyhottubs.co.uk. 

Some of this content was based on ideas from SpaDepot.com (Link - http://www.spadepot.com/spacyclopedia/spa-buyers-guide.htm)

What Temperature Should A Hot Tub Be?

It might seem like an obvious question at first but it regularly confuses new hot tub owners. Most hot tub control systems have a maximum of 40º C and freeze protection that kicks in when the hot tub senses the water going below 6.7º C, which initiates the pumps and blowers to prevent the water from freezing. These are simply the boundaries that your hot tub temperature can be within, leaving it down to you to decide what you actually prefer.

Some Like it hot!

The maximum temperature of a hot tub is 40º C for safety reasons and any hot tub that goes above this is not fit for use. Some hot tubbers will like to bathe in 40º water and within an hour or so of use on a cold night, the temperature will drop to around 37.5º, so this is reasonable. 

We have noticed throughout the years that women tend to like the temperature slightly hotter,  usually around 38/39º C. When delivering a hot tub, we usually leave the customer with the temperature set to 38º C, this is more comfortable to get in than 40º C and allows for a slight temperature drop whilst the hot tub is in use. 

A Small Pool?

In the spring/summer months when the weather is hot and you are not wanting to bathe in 38º C water then simply turn it down! It is not just a hot tub, it can be a cold tub! As long as you keep it sanitised as you normally would, it will be perfect. Not only are you enjoying your spa to cool off, you are also saving on heating costs!

Health Precautions 

Firstly it is important to consult you doctor if you unsure whether hot water could affect you. Pregnant women should avoid hot water as it can damage the foetus. Also people with heart conditions or high blood pressure should not use a hot tub at higher temperatures. If you are in doubt, contact your doctor. 

Purchasing a Used Hot Tub

Buying a used hot tub is a great way to enjoy a spa without the cost of a new model. This option is also good for the environment as many hot tubs that are scrapped simply need a small amount of work to get going again. The trend of buying used hot tubs has rocketed in recent years, mainly as a result of consumers having less money and sites such as Ebay offering great deals on luxury spas. As experts in the industry, we would like to offer some useful advice to those seeking to purchase a used hot tub. This advice will cover potential problems with second-hand hot tubs and the issues you will face when collecting or moving such spas.

What to look for...

The list below contains the variables to consider when purchasing a used hot tub, the further information explains why these variables are so important to consider. We are not suggesting you don't buy a hot tub that has such issues but simply highlighting what to look out for.

• Age.
• Cabinet Condition.
• Shell Condition.
• Pumps/Blowers.
• Control System.
• Headrests.
• Filters.
• Cover Condition.

Age

An old hot tub is not necessarily a bad hot tub. We have seen many hot tubs that have been looked after well or kept inside for many years and are in perfect condition. The issue with age is the availability of spare parts and support for certain errors. With many hot tub manufacturers going bust and others moving production to China, parts will slowly become less available for older spas. Note this when purchasing an old hot tub and be prepared for high costs if changing electrics or plumbing to fit different parts.

Cabinet Condition

The hot tub cabinet is important for aesthetics within your garden. Hot Tub cabinets can be wooden or polymer and both these materials can lead to varying issues. Wooden cabinets are structurally strong when kept in good condition but it is very common for these to rot in the damp conditions of most gardens. A rotten cabinet can make moving the hot tub impossible as sections of the cabinet fall away when trying to manoeuvre the spa out of the garden. If you do manage to get a rotten hot tub onto a truck or trailer, it will need to be secured well to ensure that it holds together during the journey. Polymer cabinets do not rot in the same way as wooden cabinets but become brittle over time and this makes them very difficult to manoeuvre without snapping or cracking the panels. In either case, it is important to ensure that the cabinet is in a reasonable condition as this holds the hot tub together and supports the shell.

Shell Condition

One could argue that the shell of a hot tub is the most important aspect but it is difficult to repair and irreplaceable. Although hot tub shells are made of tough acrylic, the exposure to 30-40 degree water and harsh chemicals like chlorine means that inevitably issues will arise. Blistering is a common problem with hot tub acrylic and such blisters emerge after a few years with limited options to repair them. It is important to find out any problems such as blistering as the hot tub shell is difficult to repair and could be expensive. Problems such as scratches are less important but if you want an aesthetically pleasing spa then multiple scratches around the top of the acrylic could be an eye sore to the perfectionist. 

Pumps/Blowers

Probably the second most expensive component of most hot tubs after the control board, it is important that you know whether these are working or not and if not, ensure these parts are available to purchase. If a pump has been discontinued, such as the J250 that was common in many spas, it may require a large re-plumb in order to fit an equivalent pump. This should be researched and considered if you are able to access the codes of any pumps that may not be working. Some pumps that have been discontinued can be serviced and refurbished, we offer this service at Happy Hot Tubs so contact us prior to purchasing a spa to see if we can offer you this service. 

Blowers are usually broken through water damage so a thorough drying out can usually get them working again. If not, they are relatively cheap so again, it shouldn't be something to put you off a good spa. Remember also that you can run a hot tub without a blower without any issues, simply unplug it and use the rest of the spa as usual.

Control System
The control system is the most expensive part of any hot tub. The board can be replaced or you can change the whole pack depending on the error. Water damage is the most common problem for most control boards, usually caused by flooding. This needs to be considered when purchasing a used hot tub as certain control boards or spa packs could cost more than you paid for the hot tub and therefore make the purchase less cost effective. 

Headrests
Although headrests may seem to be a necessity within a hot tub, I personally do not believe they are fatal to the enjoyment of your spa. Headrests wear over time due to the exposure to harsh chemicals like chlorine and the temperature of your spa water, therefore old hot tubs usually have damaged headrests that may be unusable. Some headrests are very rare and this increases the price of the headrests available.

Filters
Most filters are very common and available due to scale of manufacturing from companies such as Pleatco. However, in recent years we have experienced some customers looking for very uncommon filters and therefore it is important to ensure the hot tub you are purchasing has a filter to be matched. See our vast range of filters at www.happyhottubs.co.uk. 

Cover Condition
All hot tub covers can be custom made, a service we offer for £299 including VAT and delivery, so add this cost in when analysing the cost effectiveness of purchasing a used spa. If a hot tub is waterlogged and heavy you will struggle to remove it from the hot tub, therefore a replacement is necessary. You also need to consider the cost of having a damaged old cover, as lots of heat will be lost through seams that are split or damaged heat lock pads. Again, this is not to put you off a hot tub but to be priced in when considering the cost of refurbishment. 

I hope the above information is of some use when looking for a used hot tub. We will happily check over images on an auction site to see if we can spot anything and if local to one of our branches, we can visit to check the hot tub at a cost. Please contact us on 02380 812769 or e-mail us admin@happyhottubs.co.uk for any help you may require.

How to Measure a Hot Tub Cover

Image: How to measure a spa cover radius.

Measuring a Hot Tub Cover

When ordering a new hot tub cover, it is important to get a correctly fitted cover to ensure no heat is lost. This not only ensures that your hot tub stays at the set temperature but will save you lots of money. Below is a guide on how to measure your cover correctly.

Measuring Your Hot Tub Size

If you are happy with the fit of your existing cover, by all means measure your existing cover but remember this will probably have expanded over time by soaking up water.

When measuring your spa, always remember to measure from one lip to the other. The lip may be the edge of the acrylic or the wooden cabinet depending on your model. It is recommended to add around 0.5’’-1’’ to both the length and width to allow for easy removal, as too tight a fit will make it difficult to remove the cover.

Cover Skirt Measurement

The skirt that overhangs your acrylic or cabinet is important to prevent heat loss around the edges. The length of your existing cover skirt is usually recommended or a skirt of around 4’’ is normal. If you have a wooden ledge around the acrylic, too long a skirt could lead to problems with the cover fit, ensure that this is considered when measuring the cover.

Measuring the Radius of your Hot Tub Cover

The what? The radius! Commonly frustrating for most hot tub owners when they first order a new cover. Getting this right is again vital to prevent heat loss through the corner of the cover.

The easiest way to measure is using a carpenter’s square, however you can easily make of one of these using strong cardboard. The radius length is from the start of the bend to the imaginary point of the corner if the cover was square. The smaller the radius, the more square the corner of the hot tub cover.

And as it is so confusing, see our helpful image above for more details!

How to Measure Certain Shaped Covers

Square

Easy. Measure one length, you won’t have a radius and will only need a skirt length to complete your order. Be careful, most hot tub covers are not totally square and without a radius, double check to prevent errors.

Rectangle

Measure both lengths and specify which length needs to be the folding length. By default, we will assume that the cover folds along the long side.

Square with radius

Follow the instructions of a square cover and measure the radius.

Rectangle with radius

Follow the instructions of a square cover and measure the radius.

Round

Measure the diameter of the hot tub cover and this will be sufficient.

Octagonal

Measure the length and also measure the length of each section on the octagon.

Top Tips

• Remember you can make your own carpenters square using a ruler, cardboard and scissors!
• Specify your hot tub model and make when ordering your cover. We have over 1000 models in our file and can compare with previous orders to ensure your measurements are totally accurate.
• Remember that your old and worn cover will not be totally accurate to fit your hot tub. Measure your hot tub and your existing cover and compare the difference, draw conclusions from both.
• Many people send us length and width measurements that are 1 inch out, these hot tubs are most probably square but the cover wear has led to a slight change in size, assume the cover is square if the measurements are this close.
• When measuring a cover size, bigger is generally better, but this is your responsibility.
• When measuring a corner, smaller is better. Round down if needed.

Order your replacement hot tub cover today here - www.happyhottubs.co.uk.

If you have any other queries about measuring and ordering a new hot tub cover, call the Hot Tub Helpline on 02380 812769 or e-mail us on admin@happyhottubs.co.uk.

Hot Tub Filter Cleaning

Most hot tub owners should already know the importance of cleaning their spa filters regularly and thoroughly, however we feel this point needs reinforcing to spa owners across the country. We regularly get calls from new and experienced hot tub owners who are experiencing such messages as "LF", "FLO" and "SNS". These problems are all related to flow issues that are 95% of the time caused by dirty filters.

Some companies are poor at after-sales service, with some even sub-contracting their own servicing and repairs to other companies. This results in customers being misinformed of the key processes involved in owning a hot tub, one of which is the cleaning of cartridge filters. The "grab and run" sales technique is damaging to the lifespan of many hot tubs, as proper maintenance techniques are not suggested. Although filter cleaning may be as simple as soaking the filters once every two weeks, we feel better routines are needed to ensure your hot tub stays in good condition for years to come. Below we have outlined a few cleaning routines/techniques for differing lifestyles.


Routine 1 - The Very Busy Person - Little Time - Low to Medium Hot Tub Usage.

• This routine is simple, quick and effective but suits those who have a busy life schedule. 
• 1 DAY AFTER FILLING THE HOT TUB - Rinse Filters with hose.
• EVERY MONTH (DURING WATER CHANGE) - Soak Filters in filter cleaner.

Routine 2 - The Busy Person - Average Spare Time - Medium Hot Tub Usage.

• This routine is more thorough than the routine suggested above, but less so than the ideal routine below.
• 1 DAY AFTER FILLING THE HOT TUB - Rinse Filters with hose.
• FORTNIGHTLY - Rinse Filters with hose.
• EVERY MONTH - Soak Filters in filter cleaner.

Routine 3 - The Less-Busy Person - Lots of Spare Time - High Hot Tub Usage.

• This routine is the recommended routine for those that have time to clean their filters more thoroughly.
• 1 DAY AFTER FILLING THE HOT TUB - Rinse Filters with hose.
• WEEKLY - Rinse Filters with hose.
• FORTNIGHTLY - Swap Filters with clean ones, then soak the dirty filters, allow to dry and place back in within a fortnight.

These routines are not strictly realistic but they give you an idea of how to organise the maintenance of your hot tub around your lifestyle. You may be wondering why we recommend that your filters are rinsed within one day of filling up your spa? Well this is because tap water is dirty, so by rinsing one day after filling up you can remove any debris or impurities that were in the tap water. The best technique is that suggested in Routine 3. This involves having two or more sets of filters, constantly swapping them and ensuring that they are dry when placing back into the hot tub to add to filtering efficiency.Obviously those of you who love a hot tub party will need to clean them thoroughly after such an event and these routines do not consider such high usage events.

If you have any questions in regards to filter cleaning, e-mail me on eddie@happyhottubs.co.uk.

Eddie, HHT.

Sponsorship 2011/2012 - Billy Sharp (Southampton FC)

Another successful year for Southampton Football Club saw them promoted to the premier league with a second consecutive promotion. 


As a Saints supporting company, we were delighted to be the official player sponsor of Billy Sharp for the 2011/2012 season. Having joined from Doncaster in the January transfer window, Billy scored an extremely helpful 9 goals in 11 league appearances. With two vital goals against 'that lot down the road' being key in ensuring bragging rights were temporarily shared until they were relegated and the saints were promoted to the premier league!


On the evening of Friday 4th May 2012, we attended the Player Awards Dinner at St. Mary's, sitting with Billy for the event and meeting the rest of the squad. This was an excellent occasion and we would like to wish Billy and Southampton Football Club all the best in the top flight. Come on you reds!

Hot Tub Energy Saving Tips

Hot tubs have a key thing in common, the heating of water up to a set temperature and maintaining this temperature with a flow-through heater. A spa heater consumes the most electricity of all the items on a hot tub, and is comparable to a kettle in electricity consumption. Therefore, in order to keep costs down, we must focus on conserving as much heat as possible.

Hot Tub Covers

We repeat this time and time again, a good condition hot tub cover is vital to conserve maximum heat and any slight damage can reduce energy conservation massively. Insulation foam that has snapped can cause a huge loss of heat as the sealed unit of insulation has been broken, to prevent this it is recommended that a hot tub cover lifter is used and it is important to ensure no individuals (specifically children) treat the hot tub cover as a bed! Torn vinyl can also lead to a loss of vital heat, as once again, the sealed unit of the hot tub cover has been perforated. The two above problems cause the biggest issue with hot tub covers, water-logging, see our previous post on this problem (Click Here). A damaged/waterlogged hot tub cover results in no R-value of the hot tub cover, so to conserve pounds, a new hot tub cover is recommended, See the cover section of our website to order a a high quality replacement (Click Here).

Windbreaks

Simple, yet very effective. The panels of a hot tub do not lose as much heat as a damaged hot tub cover however, if the hot tub is in an open area and at constant battle with the elements, windbreaks can help conserve some heat and energy. Specific hot tub gazebos help conserve heat effectively but a simple fence can also do this just as effectively without the high cost.

Hot Tub Control Settings

We get regular calls from customers asking why their hot tub hasn't heater, when we find out that is has simple been put onto an Economy mode without intention. Although this is a regular mistake, users are finding that this can actually become helpful in conserving energy and saving money. In economy mode you can program the hot tub to heat for a certain time, and when the hot tub is not heating for a specific time, it is held at a lower temperature like 21 degree Celsius. Instead of holding the temperature at between 38deg-40deg in standard mode, the lower temperature will help conserve energy.

Air Jets, LED Lights & Air Blowers

All those listed above are great accessories for your hot tub are spa, whether its wowing friends with your LED lights, adding power to jets with air or cooling off with the air blower, these features make your hot tub special. The problem comes when features are left on whilst the hot tub is not in use. LED lights consume unnecessary electricity when left on and by simply turning them off you can save £'s! Air jets allow a slight air intake into the water system, this obviously cools the water, lowering the water temperature over time, all you need to do is ensure that you turn the air jet controllers off when the hot tub is not in use to prevent this cooling from happening. This is the same with air blowers, they cool the water quite rapidly if on unnecessarily, so ensuring the blower is off and not used unnecessarily can also help save energy.

Cartridge Filters

Clogged or worn out filters can reduce circulation to such an extent that pumps can be damaged by dry running. Heater element efficiency is also reduced as water flow is affected on such a scale. Luckily most systems, such as Balboa control systems have "DR" and "LF" warnings to prevent heaters from burning out if water is reduced to such an extent. However the fact is you must ensure that filters are regularly checked, cleaned and if necessary, replaced, and by doing this strain on the pumps and heater will be reduced, making your hot tub much more efficient. For information on our high quality Pleatco filters......Click Here. To see our full range of stocked filters....Click Here.

Floating Thermal Blankets

When these products were simply transferred from the pool cover market into the hot tub industry, people asked...Why did we not sell these before? And rightly so, by placing a thermal blanket on the surface of your hot tub water, you can make a high return for such little investment. Not only does the cover prevent steam from leaving the hot tub surface, saving you money, it also increases your spa cover life by preventing chlorinated moisture from attacking your hot tub cover underside. A highly recommended investment. To see the thermal blankets we offer..Click Here

I hope this post will help save you money whilst being able to fully enjoy your hot tub!

For any questions or information e-mail (eddie@happyhottubs.co.uk)

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Some of this content was based on ideas from SpaDepot.com (link - http://www.spadepot.com/spacyclopedia/energy-conservation.htm)