A Hot Tub Makes the Home Even More Relaxing
There’s a few things in life that cause an almost instant sensation of relaxation. One of the most attainable of these is that first moment as you slide into a hot tub after a long stressful day. Hot tubs offer up soothing hot water propelled around your tub through various wonderful water jets. Hot tubs can often offer massage and relax tense muscles. Every trip into a hot tub means a happier person.
However, getting a hot tub for your home can actually be a bit of a hassle. Hot tubs require power and water. Electrical work and plumbing can be finicky (as almost every homeowner knows) and require constant maintenance. There are horror stories about hot tubs that never seem to be working right. It’s amazing what some basic knowledge can do to avoid making mistakes with hot tubs and ensuring that the one in your home is going to provide years of joy.
Hot Tub Construction
Before you buy a hot tub, you need to recognize that unlike many products out there, hot tubs are built in smaller batches. There’s no companies that create every single component of the hot tub, they merely assemble them. Some companies may claim they do everything. This is likely a lie and that seller should be avoided. There’s nothing wrong with avoiding fabricating your own electronics and plastic.
When it comes to the hot tub, the jets, pumps and fittings are important. The heating and control systems are also quite important. Arguably, the most important aspect of the hot tub is the insulation. If the hot tub isn’t properly insulated, then the heat is going to fade away quickly. Insulation can make it difficult to service a hot tub as well. The most efficient hot tub insulation is usually full foam. In the past, this meant that the internals of the hot tub were nearly impossible to reach for maintenance work. The good news is that modern foam never truly hardens to a perfect solid. This means it can be shifted and moved to allow for repairs to the hot tub if it’s needed.
The other most important aspect of the hot tub is the shell of it. The shell holds the water and people within it and needs to be comfortable. The shell should be strong enough that it supports anyone sitting in the hot tub. There should be no need for additional support beneath the seats. While this sounds good in theory, what it really means is that the shell might be too thin and the support is structural rather than a luxury.
Buying and Place Your Hot Tub
When it’s time to buy the hot tub, there’s several considerations you’ll need to consider. The first is where you plan to place it at your home. If it’s a small space, buying a very large hot tub isn’t going to do you a lot of good. The vast majority of hot tubs are placed outdoors since homes lack proper ventilation to make use of a hot tub. Where you live in the country will alter the type of hot tub that’s needed. Different hot tubs are weather rated to different degrees. You don’t want to get a tub if you live in Minneapolis that can’t handle the winters. When you’re placing it, the hot tub needs to be level. This is usually fine on decks or poured concrete. Paving stones however can present a problem. It’s possible for these to warp and in turn damage the hot tub.
The other aspect you’ll want to consider is how big of a tub you want. Tubs can be small and intended for just a couple of people, or larger and fit up to 8 comfortably. Consider friends you might want to include in the hot tub experience. You don’t want to buy one that’s too small and be unable to host your friends. That being said, location will determine size. Larger tubs may need larger electrical voltage hookups. Otherwise, many of the features of the larger tub might be unavailable.
