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We recently purchased a new
Hot Tub and Gazebo from Cal Spas in Minnesota. The
purchase was not something we planned, just something that
caught our eye when visiting the Minnesota State Fair. As
a result we learned a few things that would have made our
purchase smarter. In the end we're pleased with the
decision but its easy to say now that all the work is
done. In this article I'll outline the information I wish
I had considered when making this purchase. I hope it
helps you in your decision.
The Tub
This isn't going to be a
detailed rundown on what to look for in a good tub or who
to buy it from. I'll leave that to the other articles out
on the internet. There are two points I'll make of things
I may have changed. We purchased the top of the line
system, the only thing it lacked was an LCD monitor and
DVD player. So what would I change? Well after using it
for a season I find that the multitude of jets is
irrelevant for me. I am more of a soaker and actually
prefer that the jets aren't all blasting. Its too much
noise and I don't like the splashing. So I would look for
something at a better price point and give up some of the
fancy jets in favor of more common ones. A friend of mine
paid 1/2 of my cost for a more basic unit and he couldn't
be happier. So where would I put this money? I would
ALWAYS splurge and get the stereo and speakers built into
the tub. My wife insisted on this and it added quite a bit
to the price but I wouldn't want it any other way. The tub
uses a marine radio/CD player with water proof speakers
and a remote controller on the top side of the tub. You
can easily hear the music and I even ran a TV in through
the Auxiliary so we can hear the TV through the tub
speakers. My friend who didn't buy this feature is left
with setting up elaborate wiring and remote control
extenders to get his stereo to play outside. Another
feature I'd suggest is fiber optic lighting. There are a
bunch of small lights around the top of the tub that
change color. At first glance it looks like this would
just be to make it fancy. Try the tub at night and you'll
find they provide a great deal of light which makes the
tub much easier to use. It also helps when messing around
outside the tub with CD's Drinks Towels, Chemicals etc. My
friend again, is stringing rope lighting. So in a nutshell
on the tub, consider the stereo and fiber optics and if
necessary go with less jets to cover the cost.
Gazebo Information
My wife insisted on a
Gazebo surrounding the tub and for years I put off the
purchase because I didn't want to spend another $7000.00
on a Gazebo. Once we took the plunge I'd say that for the
Minnesota winters I'd have it no other way. I have
neighbors that freeze climbing in and out and maintaining
their spa. Ours is like another room in the house and is
quite warm in the winter due to the heat from the tub. Now
a word of advice. My buddy purchased an 8x8 Gazebo that
basically encloses the tub with no extra space. They climb
up stairs and go through the windows of the gazebo to get
in the tub. On a showroom this looks like a fine
arrangement. Well this winter his wife climbs in, closes
the windows to keep the cold out and finds herself trapped
in the gazebo. They had to damage the windows getting it
open due to the condensation that froze the window shut.
My smart wife insisted we purchase a larger gazebo. We
went with a 12x12 that had racks and storage for chemicals
and towels. It also has built in lights which are a bonus.
The important thing to note about this decision is that I
enter the gazebo through a sliding door, not the window.
If anything freezes it will be the windows by the tub not
the ones opposite the room and the sliding door.
Additionally its just nice to have a new room on the house
and the cost relative to the benefits isn't bad at all.
Plus we have room for a bar and stools in there.
Preparation and Additional
Costs
Here are a few things to
consider in your decision they either provided additional
cost or hard work on my part.
Electrical: You'll most
likely need a dedicated 50 amp circuit with a breaker box
in plain view of the tub. In our case this meant digging a
36 inch deep trench from the garage to the gazebo (50
feet) so the electrician could run the conduit. The cost
of the electrical work was about $1000.00 and I had to dig
the trench myself. My buddy did his own electrical and
still spent $500.00 in parts so keep that in mind.
Cement: I also needed a new
cement slab to accommodate my tub and gazebo. We put in a
14x15 slab to accomplish this. What I did not consider was
that cement has gone way up in price since my last 10x10
slab. We spent almost $2000.00 for the labor and materials
to have this poured. What I also did not consider was the
work of removing the grass from that area. This took three
days of exhausting work cutting strips of sod and hauling
them to the disposal site.
Gazebo: What I did not
consider and was not told by the sales rep was that
immediately upon erecting the gazebo, we'd need to stain
it to seal the wood from the weather. This is a 12x12
structure I hadn't considered staining. Let me just say it
was a day of hard work which will need to be done at least
every other year.
Additional Items to
Consider
A few additional items you
may want to consider purchasing.
Cover Helper: The covers of
these hot tubs are not easy to move around by yourself.
This is especially true in a Gazebo. They sell cover
helpers which are lever type devices that life the cover
mechanically and put it behind the tub. Unfortunately for
me my wife wants the tub against the wall so we're stuck
either using 1/2 the tub or man handling the heavy cover.
This is my pet peeve about tubs. So if you have the room
or consider making the room, this will make your spa much
more enjoyable.
Portable Utility Pump: Tubs
have a gravity drain at the bottom but these can take all
day to drain a tub. My neighbor was smart and purchased a
utility pump or sump pump at the local Home Depot or
Menards. This drained the tub in about an hour and let us
get to work cleaning and refilling fairly quick. After
borrowing his I went right out and picked one up for about
$70.00 For those of you who've drained a waterbed without
a pump you'll know why this is a good investment.
Hose for adding water: Just
like with my waterbeds, I prefer to purchase a special
hose for adding water to the tub. I keep it inside so it
stays clean and not frozen. Tubs evaporate water at a
surprisingly fast rate so plan on adding water once a
month or so.
In Home Jacuzzi Tubs
When we built our house we
splurged and added one of those large two person Jacuzzi
tubs with six jets. I thought we'd be in heaven and was
reminiscing of nights spent in the Jacuzzi suites in a
hotel. What I didn't consider is the following and because
it these things, it functions more as an ornament to make
the bathroom look grand.
Filling: These things take
time to fill, by the time its filled do you still need or
want that bath?
Hot Water: Filling these
will drain your water heater down unless you've planned
for extra capacity. I find that the water for my pre bath
shower isn't very warm once I've filled the tub.
Cleaning: Ok so I'm lazy
but just like a hot tub, you have to clean the tub and
jets and the larger the tub the more work it is just to
keep the dust out.
I hope my thoughts have
given you something to consider and plan when making a
large purchase such as a spa or gazebo. All things
considered I'd do it again if I moved but I'd be a little
smarter and save money and effort.
-John
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