That seems to be the question that everyone asks but is not sure if the answer they are going to get is the right answer. So in an attempt to help with that we are offering some suggestions on how to tell if what you are buying is really the best for you. Also is it worth spending a little more money on another brand of Spa?
In todays market place there are many options when it comes to spas or hot tubs. But which one? Should I only buy on the price? Are all of them the same? Do I need lots of Jets? Do I need 4 pumps and what horse power should they be? 110v or 240v? Should I get a spa with a wood structure? Is full foam better than Spray foam or some other type of insulation? Should I buy from Costco, Home Depot, Lowes or some other big box store?
Well the best way to answer one or all of these questions is to talk to someone you trust. Talk to a friend, workmate or stop by a local dealer of these products and find someone who knows what they are talking about. We feel that yes there are big differences between spas, however when you get out of the price mode when shopping, this is when you will be able to see the differences. Most spas are built similar in many ways and then there are certain aspects of the spa that are built completely different and make huge differences in longevity.
For example take a spa that has a wood structure. What happens to wood in a wet environment? Eventually it rots or gets soft or bugs get to it. Plus it is destroying the environment we live in. So why not look for a spa that uses recycled materials and does not use wood. Makes sense.
When it comes to insulation, I feel there is some difference in the R-value but not enough to make one better than the other for insulating. However, there is a difference in the life of the insulation. Spray foam spas (full foam spas) eventually absorb water. Then if you have a leak which we all hope won't happen, what do you do? You call the place you bought the spa (unless you purchased through a big box store) and you ask for a technician to come out. Hopefully this happens while the spa is under warranty, then again that may not matter because most manufactures pro-rate warranty on leaks. When you finally do get it resolved, what happens to all that wet insulation? Shove it back in the spa sopping wet? Yep. Or they may leave it out all together. So now you are sitting with a spa that may not leak but no longer is built the way the manufacture intended. So pipes can freeze and so on. Kind of a nightmare.
You again have options, some brands are using water resistant insulation and insulating more like a home. Insulating the floor the walls and the top. This way you can always put the spa back together again just like the day you bought it. Plus these types of manufactures are easier to work with on warranty because finding and fixing a leak is SIMPLE! The other benefit of insulating this way over full foam is that all the heat the pumps produce is being used, not just lost to the outside.
Like has been stated you have many choices. Look around learn and see who give you the feeling that they are going to stand by there products now and into the future.
We will continue to blog about the things we see customers ask us about over the next few weeks. Stay Posted.
December 14, 2010 