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So, like seemingly approx 78% of the population we’re thinking of getting one. I was just wondering about a few things..
- how long are the cables and has anyone experience running one off quite a long all weather extension lead? Is it safe to leave one in situ for example?
- do you generally just leave them “on” for the season, ie the summer or can you turn them on when required (is more expensive to do this?)
- how regularly do they need cleaning and how expensive are the products?
- finally, place in the shade near the house but looking at a view or in the sun looking at our manky conservatory? 🤔
Thanks!
With the hot tubs you need to check the levels every day if using, or every 2-3 if not. I house-sat for a place with a hot tub for 4 weeks last summer and, with a few chats with the pool technician they had weekly, came to the conclusion that I would:
a) like one
b) very rarely trust anyone else to look after one I was going in
Germ factories! They can go manky very quickly, but very simple to keep sweet.
If switched on all the time, its going to use a lot of electricity keeping it warm. Depends on how good the cover is, and how much heat it loses. So would be cheaper to just switch it on when required. Though it may take a couple of hours to warm up.
Also worth emptying and refilling it regularly. Maybe every week or two, depends on how much you use it.
Would you like to see any of the women you socialise with in a bikini? The answer to that is the answer to whether you should get one or not
Would you like to see any of the women you socialise with in a bikini? The answer to that is the answer to whether you should get one or not
I'd not thought of it in those terms.
I need to change my social circle
I really do not get hot tubs at all.
I'd rather just sit on a chair in the garden and wrap up a bit if it's cool.
If I ever got in one, I'd want to get out again with 5 minutes.
We have one, but only because it cost me £50.
It's plugged into an outside socket and has it's own RCD on the lead.
Water gets changed every couple of uses/if it's looking dirty, we do leave it on but drop the temp down to just keep it ticking over and then heats up quicker. They really only go manky quickly if the filters don't get cleaned, and if the cover is left off when not in use.
We reuse the water to use in the garden or in the pressure washer and do things like clean the patio etc.
Hot tubs are a complete mystery to me. I just don't get the point unless if you live in Sweden and you can sit in it when it's showing whilst watching the northern lights
Had ours a few years. Tips, make an enclosure for it - I built a wood gazebo, corrugated PVC roof, with plastic glass panels to two sides from tub level up.
Folding a tub away in winter wil lead to cracks in the outer - i.e. the plastic is cold. We've left ours on 24/7 as storing o motor over winter, even in a warm garage isn't a good idea.
The pumps need to run all the time, hence I'd say build a gazebo. As for looking after it, top up the chlorine every use and top up every few days (it's a teaspoon of the stuff) - you'll need PH plus, defoamer and some clarifier. The main stuff is chlorine and PH plus in my area. Make sure anyone sing it hasn't got makeup and other crap on - you'll be using loads of defoamer.
Teens using it, then expect a full water change. If you look after it, water changes last over 3 months.
PS you have to look after it. Check the water evey few days, then if you suspect no use for a bit, chuck extra chlorine in for a shock dose.
Our mistake was to fold away for the winter and put away. 2 punctures in the tub outer, and a dead motor. Punctures were easy to sort, and the motor was under warrenty. Since then it's been run 24/7, used ot not.
It will add at least £30 a month to the electric bill.
If you get one, make sure you have space. We do use ours in the middle of winter now with the gazebo. It has a cloth shower curtain on one side for access, and heat retention in winter.
The noise drives me insane
Unless you have a big garden bear in mind your neighbours
I have a Lay-z-spa Helsinki.
I was dead against getting one but bought one for the wife's birthday.
Never been out of the bloody thing since. Xmas morning prosecco breakfast was worth it alone.
I tend to keep mine on at a low setting and heat it up the day before planning to use it.
They are worth it.
Some good info there Fossy, been working out what we need to do for ours generally. Have you got a pic of what you built?
Here we go,
Clear PVC roof, open to front with'curtains - useful in winter when it's freezing. One side window opens to let air in. Used external plug sockets.
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The lower sides are made from butchered fence panels - we picked up a couple of damaged fence panels from B&Q. They are ideal as they keep the weather off, but allow air flow, which ensures the gazebo dries out quickly. Decking base that's been beefed up as there is 1000 litres of water, so about a tonne load.
Emptying and filling can take a fair few hours - mainly all day. Heating from cold will take 24 hours. PS Plug sockets are on garage wall outside the gazebo as is the RCD for the tub (they come with about 5m lead with built in RCD.
Ours is an Intex, but we use the Lazy Spa filters as they are a bit more free flowing - the Intex ones clog very quickly and makes the tub throw an error and stop. I tend to put a spoon full of chlorine in after each use, then top up if not being used every few days. The water should appear clear and blue. If it's not, then either change it, or give it a shock dose of chlorine - you add quite a bit more, and leave it to do it's job.
Ideally, make sure no-one has makeup or body products on as it will mess the water up, and you'll be changing it more often. We tend to change every few months - if you are on-top of the chemicals, then the water remains clear.
It will add to your leccy bill quite a bit, so put your payments up at least £30 a month before you get the bill. It's bascially having 1kw on constantly. Having an 'enclosure for it cuts the bill slightly as it's helping with stopping heat loss. We had the tub is a Decathlon 'base' tent for the first 12 months, then decided to build the gazebo as it looks far nicer.
Looks like a great build!
Looks great fossy and thanks for the info all.
So, re electrics - has anyone used an outdoor extension lead with one?
We’re reliant on stuffing a cable through the conservatory window and the preferred spot for the hot tub is at the far end of the garden. I don’t really want to have to get proper electrics installed at the bottom of the garden (seems a faff for what’s a temporary thing)
Oh, and how noisy are the inflatable tubs?
Better or worse than a “proper” hot tub?
Ta
That's what I used - Aldi outdoor extension - ran from a socket in the garage, out from under the up and over, round the side of the garage. Mounted it to the wall next to the gazebo. Then plugged in tub. (the socket's are weatherproof type with the locking cover).
We don't own one but if we Air B'n'B for a bank holiday weekend,it'll be one of the things we look for - only one of those was inflatable but I'd say it was every bit as good as the fancy rigid ones we've been in.
The Intex blow up tubs can support a person's weight on the sides - they've been strengthened and do say you can sit on it. We have some 'tub' chairs that have two height settings and two drinks holders for the sides. The way Mrs F saw it, if it breaks each year, we can buy a new one more than 10 times for a basic solid tub. We were a it dubious when the first pump unit failed , but it had been stored in a cold garage, although dried, you can never get all the water out, so it must have corroded part of the motor. This was replaced without question and we've not had any issues in the last two years as it's on constant. I'd say find somewhere dry and warm (maybe loft) to store the motor unit if not using it.
As for noise, not that bad. General hum whilst circulating and heating, then it's a noisy with the bubbles being 'blown' - move a few feet away, or next grden, it's not bad. Ours is furthest away from the nearest neighbour, and sound is blocked by the conservatory.
what do people do with the water when changing it?
I'm being over-ruled at home and we're getting one of those small intex swimming-pool things - essentially like an inflatable hot-tub but without the heating or jets. I suspect it'll get used twice and then sit gently decaying on the patio for the summer.
The ladies of the house insist that they want the water sparkling clean so it looks like I'm treating it with something. We're not on mains sewerage and that's a lot of water to drain into the septic tank. I'm guessing the chlorine dissipates after a certain period but even so, I'm assuming there's all sorts of nasty chemicals that we don't want going anywhere near the garden...
Drainage: dirty water pump and flat hose into drain
We have a Helsinki. It's good because it doesn't look like an inflatable paddling pool.
Can also be used all year round.
Kept at 35c with a controlla cover. Heated up to 40c when using.
On a bed of 50mm kingspan to aid heat retention.
Water changed every 6 weeks.
2 chlorine tablets every 3 days.
2 caps of clarifier a week
2 spoons of pH plus a week for our water.
1 shock dose of chlorine granules a week.
Filter change after use. (Filters washed and reused on rotation)
When not in use electric is £3.00 a day roughly. That's for the whole house.
Costs about £1.50 extra to use a time if heating up.
We pay a big 18p per kWh.
We also fill from the hot tap. £2.25 to fill with hot water down a hose Vs £10.60 to heat from 15c cold water.
Insulation is key. Hence the kingspan underneath and controlla cover. Cover is expensive at £170 delivered but saves £1-2 a day depending on use. You see people on Facebook attacking their lay z spa with sliver bubble wrap and tape. Looks a bit naff but up to them.
That’s a good point re waste water. Is the treated water so chlorinated it’ll damage plants / baby robins?
Olly2097 - good info, thanks. Does the kingspan not get entirely squished under the weight of the tub?
For anyone looking to buy an inflatable filth pond - I’ve spent about 27 days online searching for somewhere that either has them in stock or on order.
The only place I can find is the Canadian spa company who are getting a shipment in mid June (you can pre order online).
Using the code maple10 will get you 10% off too .. I have no affiliation with the company, rather ordered my own filth tub recently 🙂
Olly2097 - is there any way of working out what chemicals you should be adding and how often?!
I just don’t get the point unless if you live in
SwedenIceland next to a geothermal pool
FTFY
Next door have one and it beeps constantly. I guess that the spunk filter is blocked.
Hot tub prices are crazy at the moment. I bought the Intex one below from Aldi two years ago for £280, I have seen pretty ropey ones from the same year sell for over £700 on Ebay recently.
I would concur with the above and say leave them up all year with water in. Our old Lay Z Spa developed leaks from the folding up and unfolding. We tend to turn ours on the evening before we want it as we are on Economy 7 so it usually gets turned on on a Thursday and turned off on Sunday. I disconnect the pump in winter and put it in the outhouse, make sure all water is drained out like you would with a pressure washer. I put it on in winter if we are going to have a mildish spell. The pump generates heat and the water is warm so freezing isn't a big issue but I use a caravan water container insulating jacket on the pump when it is frosty. They are great for putting takeaway pizza's in as well.
Our water can be drained via a hose to the drain. Remember there is around 1000 litres of water in a typical tub - that's only a cubic metre, so is under a fiver for a refill (counting drainage charge if on a metre).
Mucky sex pond.
Nope.
sorry, is the pond mucky or the sex? One would be a seller, the other - not so much?
Sadly, it's likely to be the pond.
Being watched by the weirdos next door would put me right off my stroke.
having sex in a dirty artificial pond in your garden....and you call your neighbours weirdos.
We're British here; birthday's and anniversary only, with the lights off.
Mucky sex pond.
One of my mates had one in his 'batchelor' house thing that he had 'back in the day'.
From the weekly Saturday night goings on that occurred I think it may well have had a higher sperm count after a month or two than most of the blokes who lived in the house.