Size and Placement – When deciding the size, remember you will most likely want a cover lifter ($195) and steps, most cover lifters require about 18" of clearance on the side your cover is flipped. Think about the spa's location; consider access to and from the hot tub, privacy, proximity to the appropriate electrical source, and the view from the spa. Deck? Patio? Spa Pad?  There are many options for placement. We offer a free site inspection to help discuss the best option.

Seating Capacity – Decide how many people you would like your spa to hold (Family and Friends). Remember just because it has 6 seats doesn't mean it will fit 6 people at the same time. Some spas with 6 seats are 6ft square and some are 8ft. The extra 2 feet in an 8 x 8 spa is in the foot well (more room for legs).

Stereo/CD Player– This is a nice feature because the speakers pop up right near your head. This makes it easy to hear the music over the water noise. Up until 2 years ago I had speakers mounted on my deck. Either the music was too loud with the jets off or not loud enough when the jets are on. Hot tubs in general are not loud, it's the water noise that makes it hard to hear deck mounted speakers. We now use our Hot Tub Stereo as our outside stereo system. We can even hook up a TV or I pod through the wireless FM transmitter ($99). This keeps the I pod or TV away from the water but the sound is close. To add a stereo/cd to one of our spas is $695.

Air Blower System – Many spas feature a blower that produces air bubbles from fittings throughout the spa, usually under your thighs, to gently caress the body with. While it is certainly not an essential feature, many people enjoy this sensation.

Smart Winter Mode – If you live  in a northern climate your spa should have a smart winter mode. If the water temperature drops below (usually 50 degrees) the spa pack kicks on the pumps and the blower to keep all the water circulating to prevent the spa from freezing.

Pressure Switch– DO NOT buy a spa with a pressure switch. I won't get into the details here. There are many hot tub manufactures that still use this technology, in fact our hot tubs used this until  a couple of years ago. This is an older technology that was designed to turn the heater off if the pressure switch does not detect water flow. Great idea! The problem is hard water and high PH cause the switch to stick and that causes the heater to shut off. So you would have to replace this $16 part to get the spa working again. Not a huge deal just inconvenient.

Energy Efficiency – Your spas operating cost will be determined primarily by its ability to retain heat.  This is because the heater is by far the most energy-consuming component in the spa. Virtually every self contained spa is designed to maintain a constant temperature with the heater turning on as needed. 90% of a spas heat loss is through the top. A thick cover (preferably 5") is key 5. There are 2 basic types of insulation. Full Foam and Thermal Lock. Both provide close to the same insulation. The main draw back to full foam is that there is foam sprayed over all the jets backs and hoses. This makes the spa very hard and time consuming to service. A spa service tech generally charges $85/hr, that ads up fast. Usually labor is covered the 1st two years under warranty, but a hot tub is a 10-15 year product. Just remember you will own your hot tub longer out of warranty than in warranty. Look for a hot tub that is easy to service. Another way to increase the insulation is an insulating blanket($79) This is 1/4" of flexible closed cell foam that is cut to fit the inside mold of your shell. It floats on top of the water and increases efficiency by 30% and reduces evaporation in the extreme cold months by 80%.

Lounge Seating – This can restrict the number of seating areas in a spa, but most people prefer a lounge because of the comfort it provides. It offers the luxury to lay back and recline the entire body for complete relaxation. If you have a lot of people over in the spa 2 people can sit in the lounge seat side by side with their legs going into the foot well.  Pillows built into corner seats and the lounger provide extra comfort.

Maintenance Free Cabinet and ABS Plastic Base – It is strongly recommended that your spa have a  maintenance free cabinet and a full ABS plastic base especially if your hot tub is outside. Since an outdoor spa is subjected to harsh elements detrimental to any type of wood, a maintenance free cabinet  and ABS base will prolong the life of your spa. A wood cabinet around your hot tub needs to be stained annually in order to keep your spa looking new. A wood cabinet that is not stained at least annually will make your hot tub look old and run down.

Now for the boring stuff.

Electrical Requirements– Most hot tubs will require 220v electric service, unless it is a smaller spa with less than a 2hp pump less than about 20 jets.  A 220v spa, most of the time, will require a 50 amp GFCI and a #6 wire (Sometimes 60amp breaker). A GFCI, is a breaker that will automatically trip or turn off when any electrical component attached to it gets wet. GFCI breakers have a test button on the breaker that should be pressed every 30 days to insure the breaker is working properly.  If your main breaker box is in the basement and your basement is unfinished, or finished with a drop ceiling, the wiring can be run up through the rafters and out the wall near the hot tub to the GFCI breaker. If your basement is finished the wiring will have to go out the wall by the main breaker and run through conduit ( grey electrical PVC) around the outside of the house to the GFCI breaker near the hot tub. Trenching may be required to hide the wires. The description above is intended to give you a general understanding of what is required for your electrical. A licensed electrical contractor should be used for your wiring your hot tub.

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