I’ve had two over the last decade or so.1st was a cheap 110v that couldn’t run the jets and the heater at the same time. It was, as another poster mentioned, very fickle about the chemicals. I started out using chlorine but later switched to bromine. Mainly I hate the chlorine smell, but bromine does better in hot water anyway. Even so, I was forever testing and fiddling with the chemicals. Hot tubs are touchier than pools. Warm water is a great environment for bacteria so if your ph and sanitizers are off, the water can turn nasty pretty quickly.
When I moved, I left that one behind and got a much higher end spa. This one is a 240v and has much stronger jets and can stay hot when I’m using them. I’ve also switched to something called the Frog System. Get your tub ph, alkalinity, and everything set and toss in the two part floater. The first part has a mix of minerals that slowly dissolve. The second part is the chlorine. It attaches to the first and floats underneath is. As the chlorine dissolves, the whole thing slowly rolls over. Once the chlorine cartridge is floating on top, you replace it. Every three months, you replace the mineral cartridge. It is incredibly simple to use and I’ve pretty much stopped testing the water because the system seems to be maintaining everything perfectly. I’ve had to adjust the alkalinity once in the last year and that’s it. I’ve never had to add any other chemicals since I started using this system. As an added bonus, I rarely notice the chlorine smell. I highly recommend it.
As for the people who talk about bugs and stuff in the water… you need a cover for it. If you leave it open, of course it will get nasty. You also can have problems with vermin. If there are openings in the shell, including the bottom, mice will likely get in. Whenever it gets cold out, that hot tub is very inviting to them. If they get in, they will probably start chewing wires and die horribly while costing you a bundle in repair costs. Put the tub on some sort of pad, concrete or otherwise, to stop vermin from tunneling underneath and watch for and damage on the shell where they might try to chew their way in.
If you are like me and love a long hot soak once or twice a week it’s great. If not though, you may regret getting one. They can be a lot of work
I’ve had two over the last decade or so.1st was a cheap 110v that couldn’t run the jets and the heater at the same time. It was, as another poster mentioned, very fickle about the chemicals. I started out using chlorine but later switched to bromine. Mainly I hate the chlorine smell, but bromine does better in hot water anyway. Even so, I was forever testing and fiddling with the chemicals. Hot tubs are touchier than pools. Warm water is a great environment for bacteria so if your ph and sanitizers are off, the water can turn nasty pretty quickly.
When I moved, I left that one behind and got a much higher end spa. This one is a 240v and has much stronger jets and can stay hot when I’m using them. I’ve also switched to something called the Frog System. Get your tub ph, alkalinity, and everything set and toss in the two part floater. The first part has a mix of minerals that slowly dissolve. The second part is the chlorine. It attaches to the first and floats underneath is. As the chlorine dissolves, the whole thing slowly rolls over. Once the chlorine cartridge is floating on top, you replace it. Every three months, you replace the mineral cartridge. It is incredibly simple to use and I’ve pretty much stopped testing the water because the system seems to be maintaining everything perfectly. I’ve had to adjust the alkalinity once in the last year and that’s it. I’ve never had to add any other chemicals since I started using this system. As an added bonus, I rarely notice the chlorine smell. I highly recommend it.
As for the people who talk about bugs and stuff in the water… you need a cover for it. If you leave it open, of course it will get nasty. You also can have problems with vermin. If there are openings in the shell, including the bottom, mice will likely get in. Whenever it gets cold out, that hot tub is very inviting to them. If they get in, they will probably start chewing wires and die horribly while costing you a bundle in repair costs. Put the tub on some sort of pad, concrete or otherwise, to stop vermin from tunneling underneath and watch for and damage on the shell where they might try to chew their way in.
If you are like me and love a long hot soak once or twice a week it’s great. If not though, you may regret getting one. They can be a lot of work