Hot Tub Buying Guide
Have you decided to buy a hot tub? Congratulations! Read some advice on how to choose a quality and good hot tub and not fly to vendors of poor quality Chinese hot tubs.
In order to enjoy relaxing in the bath to the fullest, it is recommended not to leave anything to chance. Well-chosen components will contribute to your satisfaction. The result of poor selection, on the other hand, tends to be unexpected worries and wrinkles on the forehead. The choice of a quality hot tub is a bit alchily.
So what to choose from?
There are many factors. You may be surprised by the variability of types, large price range, confusing lists of components and crowds of manufacturers and sellers. It is not easy to get to know the market at first. We believe that our advisor will become a good helper for you.
For starters, suppose you already have a clear size or approximate form. But what else should you be clear about to ensure a pleasant moments of well-being for years to come?
1. How much will a hot tub or swim spa pool cost?
Price is perhaps the most important factor to follow. Be careful, the popular rule “cheap=low-quality vs . expensive=high-end” does not always apply to hot tubs.
However, the fact is that if you come across a whirlpool under CZK 70,000 in some retail chains, it is probably a low-quality product – for such a price it is really impossible to produce a quality whirlpool.
Before buying, read the different price sessions of the hot tubs and get to know the details of the offer. Large price fluctuations are caused by the breadth of the equipment offered, the quality of the workmanship and components used and, last but not least, the reputation of the company that produced the whirlpool.
2. How is the shell of the whirlpool or Swim Spa pool processed?
The quality of the acrylic shell is based on the durability of each whirlpool and Swim Spa pool. Acrylic is the body of the whirlpool and is always the first visible part, and in case of its damage, there is a significant deterioration of the entire bath.
Is the quality of the surface and the materials used important?
The quality of the acrylic shell and subsequent processing is the most important thing in the whirlpool. The surface of the acrylic, its production quality and the reinforcement of the entire shell have a significant impact on the service life and strength of your whirlpool bath.
Some cheap hot tubs do not have the same thickness of acrylic in places of arches and curvature, as well as in the bottom polyester construction, shinethrough the bottom structure, threatens to burst even after a short use.
Have you ever seen a faded hot tub?
It is a fairly common phenomenon when the whirlpool already in the second, third year loses its shine. On some low-quality models even earlier. This is not the case with our hot tubs. Even after a few years, IDOL SPAS whirlpools have their original acrylic color and look fresh, as if they had just been bought and installed. So it does not lose its exclusive appearance. This is due to the fact that we use expensive, but the best acrylic on the market from Lucite International Ltd.
On the market, you can meet three main manufacturers of acrylic:
- Aristech (USA)
- Lucite (USA)
- Senoplast (Austria)
- other Chinese companies
Chinese acrylics are a cheap substitute for American shells, but they have recently been widely found on the European market. Even specialized retailers often have no idea if they are offering this low-quality type. At the moment of purchase, this cannot be quite reliably recognized. Then, when bursting bubbles appear on the acrylic within two years, sometimes it is not even possible to claim the product. Many sellers of poor quality hot tubs have ended up in liquidation due to the large number of complaints about their goods.
We recommend giving preference to whirlpools with shells of American companies Lucite or Aristech and Austrian company Senoplast. Barier code and Skin code are applied to the highest quality technologies to guarantee the best grip. You will eliminate any future shell problems to a minimum. Poor-quality Chinese acrylics can be found practically only on Chinese-made hot tubs. And although even the Chinese occasionally use American acrylics, they are almost never processed by Barier and Skin technologies. Therefore, the resulting quality is never one hundred percent.
At IDOL SPAS, we will love the choice of materials and guarantee you quality for many years to come. We use only the best acrylics from Lucite, Senoplast or Aristech and Barier code of the verified Raichold brand. We stand behind our quality so much that we provide a 15-year warranty on acrylic on our top line of hot tubs, which is the longest warranty in the Czech Republic.
However, beware of cheap hot tub reinforcement technology not with laminate, but only with PUR foam. It’s a cheap technology, but it’s very problematic. Problems with bubbles or osmosis appear already after 1 year of use. And even renowned van manufacturers have rejected this technology. We have tried this technology ourselves, because it is much cheaper to produce. However, there were big problems with osmosis and overall shell quality. So we’ve also discarded this technology. We prefer to go the way of a quality corpus than lower prices.
Laminate has always been used for the manufacture of boats and older American hot tubs. Never PUR foam, it is used for insulation, not for strengthening. PUR foam degrades and is porous, which is bad for both boats and hot tubs and Swim Spa pools.
Examples of acrylic degradation:
3. Where was the control panel and control unit of the whirlpool or Swim Spa pool made?
Chinese control panels often do not work as they should. The result can be in the extreme case and burnout of the entire whirlpool.
Balboa from the USA and Gecko from Canada are among the manufacturers. For balboa, gecko control systems, or waterway or davey, definitely ask even if you decide in the final eve to buy a Chinese-made hot tub.
The problem is that even most Chinese manufacturers have understood that electronics are essential. Therefore, in bulk, they began to buy the cheapest version of control systems from Balboa. 90% of the hot tubs on the European market with this panel are also made in China.
4. Where do I want to place the whirlpool or Swim Spa pool and what insulation should it have?
The insulation of the hot tub is not one of its most visible elements. However, its poor quality processing will still fundamentally affect the functionality of the bath, especially in winter. Therefore, choose an isolation adequate to the environment in which you want to use the hot tub. Pay special attention to the selection when placing the bath in the exterior.
The absolute basis is the insulation of acrylic, which today should have any hot tub. If this is not the case, it is most likely only a massage bath to the interior. Full insulation in the outdoor whirlpool can save you the cost of operation in the order of thousands of crowns.
Also ask about the type of outdoor insulation that the seller offers. It is best to see the insulation in person. Everyone will tell you that their insulation is the best, but we have already met sellers who actually used bubble wrap for insulation…
We personally use two types of outdoor insulation. Double, where we use a mirelon insert with a double layer of aluminum, which we put along the entire length of the bottom and frame. Thanks to this, the whirlpool is hermetically sealed and there is no heat leakage, precisely due to the use of insulation on the frame, which is the best way to use. Then we have triple outdoor insulation for extreme climatic conditions, which is based on our double insulation using mirelon inserts even on the side walls of the cladding.
5. Interested in energy consumption?
Another component influencing the quality of the hot tub is the pump. Pumps differ mainly in the ratio of power and consumption. Some pumps may not perform adequately, but they consume up to three times more energy than their high-quality alternatives. This is then related to the service life of the pumps. In our experience, the best and at the same time the most used pumps are from the manufacturers Gecko, Koller, Waterway and Balboa.
The type of heating of the whirlpool is also related to energy consumption. As a standard, we use 3 kW heating from the renowned Gecko brand. Alternatively, of course, it is also possible to connect the whirlpool or Swim Spa pool to a heat pump for maximum energy savings. You can use your existing heat pump or get a pump directly to the hot tub.
6. What kind of massage do I want to enjoy?
Jets are what makes a hot tub a hot tub. It is they swirl ing water and taking care of the perfect relaxation of your muscles with the help of hydro massage. It is the jets that are the heart of the whirlpool and take care of your enjoyment of relaxation.
All nozzles are made of plastic. The determining factor is not their number, but the type and location of the nozzles in the whirlpool. Their quality is not judged according to the material used, but according to the workmanship.
Cheap whirlpools often have only direct nozzles, often in unnecessarily large quantities, so they have insufficient pressure. More suitable and more pleasant to use are rotary nozzles. Straight nozzles exert feelings of greater pressure oriented into one place. This can cause pain or sensations of itching. The massage itself can then turn into an unpleasant experience.
Rotary nozzles, on the other hand, act as a real masseur. They massage the body and muscles. In our whirlpools, therefore, we mainly use rotary nozzles from the American company CMP, which rank among the best on the market. We only mount straight nozzles at the customer’s express request, although this is not needed, as our CMP rotary nozzles can be switched to straight nozzles if necessary.
7. Who sells you a hot tub?
Competition among hot tub vendors is quite large. We at Idol Spas recommend cooperation with established companies that offer professional service and have been on the market for at least 5-6 years. Non-established firms often abruptly cease their activities. The customer with the need for warranty service or the purchase of spare parts thus loses all benefits. The basic indicator of quality is the background and proven references of the company. Put on your own impression of the visit and on the experience of the customers in front of you. The history of the company according to the extract from the register and the data return of individual suppliers on the justice.cz will also tell you a lot.
8. Who made your hot tub or Swim Spa?
Let’s be honest. The market situation is sometimes a bit confusing. Many retailers do not have the necessary experience with hot tubs and can not determine the true origin of the products offered. This puts you at risk of having a low quality in the finals that few customers want.
Among the renowned manufacturers of quality whirlwind baths are mainly Czech, American or Canadian brands. We recommend choosing mainly products of these companies:
- Idol Spas (made in the Czech Republic)
- Usspa (Czech Republic)
- Jacuzzi (USA, some models of China)
- Hot Spring (USA)
- Coast Spas (Canada)
- Other China spent on production whether Germany, Sweden (IQUE), Canada, USA, etc.
IDOL SPAS offers Czech products including complete service and all spare parts in stock. We also service hot tubs of other brands, which convinced us with their quality.
We will advise you on your selection and if you already have your whirlwind bath selected, we can provide you with useful information about it or compare it for you with our Czech products.
Finally, how do you know a hot tub made in China?
Construction
Larger sellers of all hot tubs that issue them for German, Canadian, American, Swedish, etc. they are worn by the fact that they have a stainless steel structure. The “stainless” design is used only by manufacturers in China. None of the manufacturers in the USA, Canada and Europe use this chrome-galvanized iron. Ask the seller of your hot tub what the hot tubs have in their construction.
Due to the ambiguity in the origin and production of hot tubs, most retailers are buying the production of hot tubs in a state. But these hot tubs didn’t see the state even from the lode let alone from the plane. This is a great scam and deception of the consumer. Today, the better sellers of Chinese hot tubs admit to something is montovna in China or Asia. In fact, they are possible and it is mounted all. And thanks to this, they do not use materials that are necessary for a quality hot tub reach the eye of lower prices. But after a failed complaint of a poor quality hot tub, your purchase will come out a lot more expensive.
The biggest liars
Ique spa house – Swedish quality??? They admit to doing something that’s in China. Do you think something is being sent from Sweden to the tin and back? Will you find any production in Sweden? In Sweden, there is only one company that produces hot tubs and this is viskan. They say they use the revolutionary SQR system from the company LVJ. SQR system the patented company CMP USA. Chinese nozzle manufacturer LVJ decided not to use the sqr rear system and cannot. More lies prosecute others… Just because the hot tub has the Balboa system doesn’t mean it’s all from the US.
Pumps
Have the hot tub opened and check the pumps. If an LX sticker is glued to the pumps, it means that the whole hot tub is made in China for 100. But a lot of manufacturers stick labels on Typhoon etc etc etc.
Cladding
Similarly, it is possible to distinguish Chinese production by cladding – you can detect cheap blown PVC decking from the point of view.
Control system and control
Next, orient yourself according to the control system – if the hot tub does not use Balboa or Gecko controls, it is most likely not to expect the necessary quality standard. It happens that balboa systems or chinese production, but mostly the lowest lines. You can tell by not having a color display or the possibility of worldwide control. You would be looking for the Czech language of control in vain.
Whatever you decide, we wish you a lot of beautiful “whirlwind” moments. And if you’re still hesitating, write to us or call us. We’re here for you, and we’ll be happy to help you.
Is running a hot tub or swim spa pool an expensive thing?
Economy of the hot tub operation
Ask for daily, monthly and annual costs. What are the costs of using chemistry, heating the hot tub – filtering it?
We will tell you these costs absolutely accurately and we will also answer the questions associated with it in an absolutely exhaustive way. We care about multiplying the joy of quality hydro massage with economical operation. The most economical filtration pumps are installed in idol spas hot tubs. This makes you sure that the traffic will cost you surprisingly little.
Another very important thing is the used insulation of the hot tub. Cheap and regular hot tubs do not have quality insulation. Insulation on the cladding, however strong it may be, does not guarantee good insulation, as the gaps between the individual removable parts are huge. It’s like having 30 cm of insulation on your house and leaving the window open. Insulation may look good, but more important is its processing. We isolate the design of the hot tub, which actually hermetically closes the inner space of the hot tub and thus we use the normal heat of the pumps to heat the water of your hot tub. With this method of insulation, only a circulating pump without heating can increase the water temperature by 2 degrees per hour without heating during filtration.
Other costs? We will calculate them for you in detail and explain them. Contact us!
