You’re ready to improve your life and your home with a hot tub, but you’re not sure where to start your search. You might have questions, like, “How much will it cost? What features are am I looking for?” To answer these questions and more, Hot Spring Spas created a Hot Tub Buyer’s Guide — a simple, printable guide that guides you through every step of shopping for a hot tub. The guide takes you through the following:
Spa Basics
- Initial questions you should ask yourself
- Hot tub water care basics
- Discovering what hot tub features matter to you
- What to look for in spa filtration systems
- Estimating your monthly operating costs
Buying Advice
Click to Download our Hot Tub Buyer’s Guide
Choosing the Right Hot Tub
One of the reasons people buy a hot tub is to help relieve stress. So why add any stress to your life in the hot tub shopping experience? Due to the number of brands, products, features, and options available, choosing the right hot tub can be an overwhelming process. To help make the shopping process less stressful, below are several key tips on how to buy a hot tub, and important questions to ask along the way.What could possibly be better than climbing into steaming hot water at the end of the day and gazing over your garden while your cares soak away? Before you peel those clothes off, however, you’ll need to make several decisions about your hot tub–chiefly regarding its size, cost, safety features, and installation.
Does the Spa Fit You and Your Family?
- How many people will use the spa at one time?
- Will you have friends and neighbors over?
- Do you have kids who will use it?
- Can you move around comfortably?
- Do you want a flexible seating arrangement?
Try before you buy.
We let you test hot tubs in the showroom. (You’ll want to dress for the occasion.)
- Try each seating position; not every seat in every spa will be right for you. The spa should feel comfortable. Spas with barrier-free seating let you move easily from one seat to another to experience the variety of jets. Bucket or contoured seats may restrict your ability to scrunch down or move around in the spa.
- Is there lumbar support for your back?
- Water depth should be just over your shoulders.
- Make sure the jets are in the right position for you, and that the pressure can be regulated. You should get a vigorous massage, not a painful one.
- Does the spa have a cool-off bench? Great for kids or for just cooling off a bit.
Where Will You Put It?
- The closer to your home it is, the more often you’re likely to use it. Right off the master bedroom can be ideal.
- Consider the view you’ll have (or your neighbors might have!).
- A spa cover lifter makes spa use a lot easier, but it needs some clearance (6 inches to 24 inches) to operate. It should open on a side other than the control panel.
- Spas are designed to operate at 110 or 220 volts. 110-volt spas are plug-in and need a 20-amp outlet. A 220-volt spa requires room in your electric panel to accommodate 50-amp service. It also requires a disconnect (or sub-panel); ask us if this $300-400 item is included in the spa purchase price.
- Consider the access you have for spa delivery. Be prepared before you shop, and measure your narrowest access point, such as a gate. Spas are generally delivered on a dolly, on their side, but need some extra clearance for a trouble-free delivery.
Outdoors
- If you’re placing your spa outdoors, consider a solid foundation such as a reinforced concrete pad.
- If you will be building or remodeling a deck for the spa, be sure to contact us early on to discuss delivery and spa placement. It’s often much easier to build the deck around the spa, before a railing is added for example, than to deliver the spa to a finished deck.
- Before placing a spa on an existing deck, determine the deck’s maximum load capacity. To do this, consult a qualified structural engineer or building contractor. We can give you the spa’s filled weight (per square foot) with occupants.
- If you want to place a spa on an upper-level deck or in a backyard that is otherwise inaccessible, a crane delivery is often an easy and affordable solution.
Indoors
- If you don’t have outdoor space, consider a convenient indoor spa. But be aware of some special issues:
- Be sure the door or other opening is large enough to deliver the spa.
- Ventilation is crucial, as the spa will add to the room’s humidity. An architect can help determine the level of ventilation needed. Without proper ventilation, dry rot and mildew can occur, or damage to exposed wood or wallpaper. Be sure the fan(s) you install are quiet and of high quality.
- Water will splash onto the floor, so non-slip footing and good drainage are essential. Avoid wood flooring or carpeting. Many owners find non-slip tile to be ideal.
- Be sure carpeting or other objects do not block the jet pump shroud vent which removes excessive heat from the equipment compartment.
GET IN TOUCH WITH US
Valley Hot Spring Spas and BBQ Islands of Murrieta
25098 Madison Ave.
Murrieta, CA 92562
HOURS
Mon-Fri10am-6pm
Sat10am-5pm
Sun12-5pm
Temecula Valley Hot Spring Spas and BBQ Islands
BBQ Island Super Store
28011 Jefferson Avenue, Suite A,
Temecula, CA 92590
HOURS
Mon-Fri10am-6pm
Sat10am-5pm
Sun12-5pm
