Hot Tub advice

Go with a good brand, and like most things you get what you pay for.

I bought a Hot Spring Envoy a couple years ago and I've yet to have a single issue. Five year warranty as well.

We don't use it too much in the spring/summer, but use it a ton in the fall/winter.

ETA: One caveat to the higher end hot tubs...they're 230 volt/50 amp. Which means you'll need to bring in an electrician to run the line/wire it up (unless you've got the skills to do it yourself) so add that in to the total cost equation.

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We don't use it too much in the spring/summer, but use it a ton in the fall/winter.

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Can you run the tub cool/cold? Does the heat have to be on?

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Which means you'll need to bring in an electrician to run the line/wire it up (unless you've got the skills to do it yourself) so add that in to the total cost equation.

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I had read that. Luckily, my cousin is an electrician.

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this summer I am going to experiment with basically turning the heater off. That and the cover on should drop the temp to where it's actually nice to get in during the summer.

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This is what I was thinking.

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Just make sure baw reads up on how to wire in the panels. Dude I used said there are some quirks you have to read up on.

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10-4

Should I use a brick and mortar dealer or shop on line?
What are some of the best/better brands?

# of jets?
Bigger tub not problems?
Is there a certain size motor I should be looking for?

Sorry I don’t know shite and don’t want to get ripped off

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Should I use a brick and mortar dealer or shop on line?

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I'd recommend at least visiting a brick and mortar so you can see the various brands/models first hand to get a better idea of what you want. Then if you find a better deal online you can go that route.

I ended up sticking with the brick and mortar store. Got a good deal and the store is only about a mile from my house. They didn't charge me a delivery fee for the hot tub even though it required a flatbed truck with a crane. They've also come out twice free of charge to take a look at the water when I had a small algae issue, and again when I thought I was getting some leakage after we had a hard freeze. So going with the local store has definitely paid off.

Top brands are probably Hot Spring, Marquis, Jacuzzi, Sundance, and Arctic...in no particular order.

# of jets is really going to vary between brands and models. More jets = more money though.

My hot tube seats five, but it's also pretty big for a five person.

Motor size is driven by the number of seats, jets, and size...so it's going to vary.

My recommendation is like I said go visit a brick and mortar store. I'd do some research online first to find a brand with models and sizes that fits your budget. Then find a brick and mortar that at least carries the brand, if not model. That way you can get a good feel for what you'll actually want that's in your price range.

A decent size higher end model is going to easily run you north of 10k though. There are still plenty of good quality models well below this though. It just may not have all the bells and whistles.

Sundance.

On a whim, I bought a used one for $300 6 years ago. I brought it home, completely rebuilt the box around it, wired her up and have been using it ever since. I might have $600 in an eight person dual pump hot tub.

My advice would be to get the BEST cover you can find. My tub isn't covered (my wife like to get in it when its raining) so you'll want a good top to protect it.

I've been wanting one of those cover removers.

Wife and I got in it last night during the rain. It was AWESOME!