hot tub for the backyard- help?

[urban.one]

Ive been thinking about getting a hot tub and am wondering about ball park costs and any recommendations for things to look for and things to stay away from.

Heres what my initial thoughts are: Im not looking for anything too big. Im thinking a 5-6 person tub. Is this too small? I doubt Id ever have more than 6 people in it but how does sizing work.... is it like tents where a 3man tent is barely sufficient for 2 comfortably?

What else should I be looking for? Im not looking for any fancy install? Its going to sit on the ground beside a deck and I dont foresee building anything around it at this point?

What cost do I expect for a decenty 5-6 person tub and how much for delivery/installation?

Anyone have any experience with Costco? They usually have tubs on their website starting in the spring? How about some of those lots that sell tubs in the summer at the side of the road (theres always one at Heritage and MacLeod - Im in the SW).

Edit: what about must have accessories?
Heres a calgary shop that has some clearance tubs on their site. Its shows how much you save but no actual prices.
http://www.jacuzzicalgary.com/clearance.html
Anyone have comments on any of these? Whats the minimum level youd get?



Thanks.

[scat19]

Ok bud, when it comes to hot tubs, do not cheap out!

Do not buy Artic Spa's, (costco), and you can get them at other places. They cannot keep a hot temperature as they are NOT insulated.

My roomate works at a local shop and knows far more than I, if you want his number, and perhaps a bit of a deal, pm me for his number!

Hot Springs FTW

[eblend]

I don't know much about it, maybe there is different installations of it, but my friends parents bought a house 3 years ago and it has a tub outside....running 24/7 warm water wasting water and electricity....as apparently you can't turn them off else the pipes will freeze (in the winter) and crack, and I don't know if there is a way to pump all the water out of the system before winter if you plan to use it every once in a while. My friend has NOT used it for 3 years haha, and its just running hot water and using electricity, i guess they are well off so they don't really care. Anyways, you also have to deal with chemicals to balance the PH levels and crap, he did this once.....3 years ago haha, afraid to open the top of the tub now, don't know what type of shit grew inside

[Kritafo]

you have to make sure you get a good hot tub that prevent from mice from getting up into the underside they will chew it all apart. I think Polar Spa is the brand I am thinking of that is made here in Canada.

[ekguy]

We have one and spent I think roughly 30,000 for it but it's huge and has all the bells and whistles. We have it in a gazebo and it keeps it's temperature at pretty much any outdoor temp. We don't have water pipes up to it. We fill it with the hose and then add the chemicals and make sure everything is all good across the boards with the water. We've had it on all winter and no problems. Now having it directly outside you will not be able to use it all winter for sure. Maybe get some kind of wall or anything to go around to have maybe a bit of privacy or even to cut down on some wind if it's a colder than average night and you want to use it. Most good hot tubs will come with at least a cd player and speakers which is decent.

[rumeo]

Originally posted by ekguy
We have one and spent I think roughly 30,000 for it but it's huge and has all the bells and whistles. We have it in a gazebo and it keeps it's temperature at pretty much any outdoor temp. We don't have water pipes up to it. We fill it with the hose and then add the chemicals and make sure everything is all good across the boards with the water. We've had it on all winter and no problems. Now having it directly outside you will not be able to use it all winter for sure. Maybe get some kind of wall or anything to go around to have maybe a bit of privacy or even to cut down on some wind if it's a colder than average night and you want to use it. Most good hot tubs will come with at least a cd player and speakers which is decent.

damn homie can i come party at your house?

[hedge]

Mine's was built into the deck by the previous owner. When I bought the house I had to upgrade the controller becase it had an archaic system that ran 24/7. The new system is much smarter and only runs the tub enough to keep it at termperature and to run a filter cycle.

I realy haven't noticed much of an increase in electricity prices. It was a bit of a hassle getting the hang of the chemicals but now that I have got it down by feel, it's pretty painless. We use ours all winter, averaging 3 times a week.

Here's a pic, this is right outside the back door so it's a quick sprint to the tub in cold weather. The tub is small but it's only the 3 of us so it's usually big enough.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/_hedge_/IMG_0467.jpg

[2ndgenlude]

we have one, i think ours is a 8 person. we would never fit 8 people in it however. its safe to say if you buy a 6 person tub, 4 will fit comfortably. any more and it gets a little friendly...lol. i do all the chemicals. you need to keep the PH and water hardness in check. as well as keeping proper clorine levels. we keep ours on all year, and i use it in the winter a lot more then in the summer. its awesome sitting outside in 100 degree + water and its -20 outside. just walking to it in a swimsuit on snow is a little chilly. getting out is fine since you don;t cool off till you hit the house depending where you put it. our tub is a coast spas model. its been good so far. i think its been around 5 years or so since we had it installed. small shit needs upkeep, like fading headrests, jets getting brittle and needing replacement, etc. also a word of advice is don't get a lounger chair. its useless, and takes up a shit ton of room. you are better off getting normal seats all the way around.

for install you need a approved base too. either a 4x4 base, or a concrete pad im pretty sure. as well as proper electrical, usually consisting of a breaker box outside on a seperate circuit.

[colsankey]

I've got an 8 person (seats 6-7 comfortably) Sundance Spas tub for sale; Origionally ~14.5K on sale, asking 6 + you pick up.
tubs awsome and uses bromine which I loved compared to chlorine or other chemicals.

Selling cause we're moving and I cant get it onto the deck of my condo.

[ekguy]

Originally posted by rumeo


damn homie can i come party at your house?

hahaha ummm no. Hahaha it's nice now though we have a bell receiver in there and also got wireless internet in there. When we got electrical run to the gazebo we also added a bar and bar fridge hehe it works.

Gazebo certainly helps though cuz we're never cold we threw a couple heat lamps in there and we're golden all winter long.

Maybe consider a smaller hot tub and get it enclosed in a small gazebo for heat purposes???

[2LOW4SNOW]

Check out moose mountain spas. Built right here in Calgary specifically for our cold climate

[Mitsu3000gt]

We looked for several months and at every single tub retailer in Calgary before buying ours, and settled on Artesian. Hotspring is another really good tub manufactuer and Sundance seemed to be one of the better ones as well. With Artesian you get a wicked warranty, switchless pumps, good stereo w/2 subs & pop up speakers, ball bearing jets, thickest covers, a great triple filter system, sealed cushions, and they are finished the nicest out of the ones we saw. Our 2007 tub was using a tiny bit more electricity than it should have been, and they simply replaced the entire tub no problem with a better, brand new 2009 tub. Another thing that impressed us was that the Artesian tub we bought had by far the best seating layout, and could accomodate 7+ people in the same size of tub that usually fit 5-6. I think it was around ~$12k after a bit of negotiating.

None of them are worth what they cost, but the ones to avoid are Arctic Spas, Polar Spas, and Beachcomber was especially bad. There are some other pretty average tubs but I forget some of the names.

Other than wiring & the GFI, the installation/delivery should be free (Often has to be craned into the back yard).

Another thing is that I suggest you do not use only chlorine/bromine (Those floating sticks are not good at all)....get either a salt water system or an enzyme system. You hardly need to add any chlorine at all with the enzyme system (3 small spoonfulls every few days to 1500L water) and the enzyme does the rest. The water is crystal clear all the time. With the saltwater systems, they are looking good so far, but are mostly still used for pools and at least when we were looking, hadn't been fully proven in th hot tub industry yet but the people testing it out seemed happy so far.

[Khyron]

http://www.nexus-point.net/pictures/house/deck-railing2.jpg

There's 2 schools of thought - those that figure the body should be foam injected for extra insulation and to hold hoses and shit from moving around, or the other that say it costs a fortune to dig out all that foam if something goes wrong, and it's a haven for mice to eat into and nest in.

After looking at both, I went with the open type - cleaner, and I can switch motors/hoses if needed myself. Motor gives off heat which keeps the inside hot anyway so I think it's a wash from insulation standpoint.

My 8 foot is big enough for 8 people providing you can touch feet every now and then. It's not much more than a 6 or 7 foot (you're paying for jets/motors/etc)

We used patio stones for the base on top of a 4x4 cross braced frame. Our ground is really hard clay. If you have even remotely soft ground remember the tub weights thousands of pounds when full of water so you have to make sure the ground isn't going to move. Lay a concrete pad yourself - it doesn't have to look beautiful.

Electrics are not cheap - a GFI breaker alone is around 200 bones and the wire is expensive/foot. I think 500-800 dollars is the norm to get wired, and that's without the 100$ or so permit you need. If you don't get the permit and your house burns down due to electical fault you may be denied insurance. If it's away from the house, the wires must be buried a certain depth (I forget what).

I've had a Polar tub from Paradise bay for 7 years, not one problem, about 20-30/month extra power and 80/year around for chems like Bromine and shock. I bought a big no-frills model with an ozonator to reduce filter wear with minimal jets (I don't really care for hundreds of jets) and no stupid lights/stereos etc for under 7 grand with the fancy lifter bar and lid. I'm going to buy a new lid this year as they tend to break down eventually and get really heavy with absorbed water.

If you build it into a deck I don't recommend putting it flush with the floor as it's hard to get in and out - keep it a foot or two above. I should have raised mine another 6" or so.

[Mibz]

^ That sums up everything I would have put and a couple things I'd forgotten. Our decks are even the same colour :P

Since we kinda stopped using ours we drained it, cleaned it, rinsed it, vacuumed out the pipes and disconnected it. I'm not sure we'll be turning it back on before we leave this house either.

[ekguy]

This is our setup. Started with the additional deck.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/Gravy_83/n828790337_1908107_868.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/Gravy_83/n828790337_1908108_1075.jpg

We saved a shit ton of money digging the hole for the deck and building the deck ourselves.

Then the hot tub went on the deck and had this built around it.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/Gravy_83/n828790337_1908120_7936.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/Gravy_83/n828790337_1908122_8438.jpg

Then the inside.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/Gravy_83/n828790337_3611145_8790.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/Gravy_83/n828790337_3611144_8482.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/Gravy_83/n828790337_3611143_8200.jpg

Ours doesn't have the foam. But the gazebo ensures it stays pretty hot all the time. We have a few windows per side that have screens and open to let the steam out when it gets too steamy in there.

We were told to stay away from the foam insulated ones.

Already we've had to get repairs done on it so to have the foam would of made it damn near impossible.

[JordanLotoski]

Glacier spa's :thumbsup: all made in BC

Best customer service, free water tests, free filter cleaning...I shopped around for weeks and ended up with a great spa at an amazing price.

[urban.one]

This is pretty cool.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/Gravy_83/n828790337_1908122_8438.jpg

I like the privacy it offers. Did you have any trouble getting a building permit for that?

Thanks for all the ideas. Im going to have to go take a look whats out there and then do some planning.

[Alterac]

I think it falls under storage, like a shed, so you wouldnt need a permit for the building itself.. (you do need one for electrical, etc tho)

[JordanLotoski]

also might have to pay property tax on that..I think a Shed can only be a certain sq footage before the city charges you for it.

Personally I think a hot tub should be outside...open air, stars above...if your going to enclose it you might as well sit in your jetted up in your bathroom.

[Alterac]

I think its actually a skylight in the roof, if you look close at the last two pictures you can see through it and see trees / powerlines.

Aparently you need an Electrical and Building permit to install a hottub.

http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_6_0_771_203_0_43/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Development+and+Building+Approvals+and+Land+Use+Planning+and+Policy/Home+Building+and+Renovations/I+Want+to+Build/Hot+Tub/Hot+Tub.htm

Also, a shed over 10m squared is requred to have a permit also.

[JordanLotoski]

Heres my setup...This is what I mean by open air...Beside my tub is a rundle stone retaining wall above that is a 16x16 patio.

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7554/img0054m.jpg
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4889/img0055i.jpg
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2923/img0056v.jpg

[ekguy]

Originally posted by MIWYFSHOT
also might have to pay property tax on that..I think a Shed can only be a certain sq footage before the city charges you for it.

Personally I think a hot tub should be outside...open air, stars above...if your going to enclose it you might as well sit in your jetted up in your bathroom.

We have a nice skylight that we can see the stars through.
I believe the skylight can be removed quite easily but I'm not sure.

As far as permits and such I have no idea since my brother in law took care of that it's his house.

[Kloubek]

Jordan - I see you're putting your barbells to good use. :)

[ercchry]

Originally posted by MIWYFSHOT
Heres my setup...This is what I mean by open air...Beside my tub is a rundle stone retaining wall above that is a 16x16 patio.



corner lot? pretty sure i know which one that is, great looking backyard, my parents are just down from there (south) their yard is almost done, its the one witht he stone waterfall down the side, patio with big heavy table and hot tub is under the deck with a privacy thing built to the side

they got the one with the polar bear in the logo.... it seems to hold temperature just fine and heats up pretty quick when you want to use it, the bottom is all sealed too so no mice or anything get in, no fancy speakers or tv, but we have out door speakers wired into the home theater anyway

[JordanLotoski]

Originally posted by ercchry


corner lot? pretty sure i know which one that is, great looking backyard, my parents are just down from there (south) their yard is almost done, its the one witht he stone waterfall down the side, patio with big heavy table and hot tub is under the deck with a privacy thing built to the side

they got the one with the polar bear in the logo.... it seems to hold temperature just fine and heats up pretty quick when you want to use it, the bottom is all sealed too so no mice or anything get in, no fancy speakers or tv, but we have out door speakers wired into the home theater anyway

Yeah I Met your father a few times at the park with your neice his grand daughter. awesome guy..Iam a block south of him, not a corner lot (he has a polar spa)

[JordanLotoski]

Originally posted by Kloubek
Jordan - I see you're putting your barbells to good use. :)

OUCH...my cover has blown off twice.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by MIWYFSHOT


Yeah I Met your father a few times at the park with your neice his grand daughter. awesome guy..Iam a block south of him, not a corner lot (he has a polar spa)

haha.. umm not him..... he is not a grandfather.... hopefully not for a while at least, i think we are south of you, left at the T from max and first right

[JordanLotoski]

^^^ Hmm, iam way down on the same street as the last ridge showhomes..brand new house..

[blownz]

Originally posted by ekguy
We have one and spent I think roughly 30,000 for it but it's huge and has all the bells and whistles. We have it in a gazebo and it keeps it's temperature at pretty much any outdoor temp. We don't have water pipes up to it. We fill it with the hose and then add the chemicals and make sure everything is all good across the boards with the water. We've had it on all winter and no problems.


Originally posted by ekguy
hahaha ummm no. Hahaha it's nice now though we have a bell receiver in there and also got wireless internet in there. When we got electrical run to the gazebo we also added a bar and bar fridge hehe it works.

Gazebo certainly helps though cuz we're never cold we threw a couple heat lamps in there and we're golden all winter long.




Originally posted by ekguy
This is our setup. Started with the additional deck.

[IMG]

We saved a shit ton of money digging the hole for the deck and building the deck ourselves.

Then the hot tub went on the deck and had this built around it.

Ours doesn't have the foam. But the gazebo ensures it stays pretty hot all the time. We have a few windows per side that have screens and open to let the steam out when it gets too steamy in there.

We were told to stay away from the foam insulated ones.

Already we've had to get repairs done on it so to have the foam would of made it damn near impossible.


Originally posted by ekguy
We have a nice skylight that [/B]we can see the stars through.
I believe the skylight can be removed quite easily but I'm not sure.

As far as permits and such I have no idea since my brother in law took care of that it's his house.



This kind of shit makes me laugh. About 20 times you refer to it as being yours when it isn't. Once or twice it can me a mistake, but come on. It is almost as bad as all the people that pretend to own their parents cars or homes.

Amost every time you read "ours" and "we" on this site you can assume it means "daddy's" and "my mommy and daddy". lol


Sorry man, it is a nice set up though. :thumbsup: