Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire hot tub, good or bad ideal?

Thinking about getting one. If you owned one would you do it again? month cost? Any other info I should know?
Wife & I are thinking about this for our 25th Anniversary this fall.
thanks Darrell

I have had one for about 10 years now.

So assuming you don't have the setup for it, code requires that you get a 50amp GFCI installed and then run the wiring for it from the box to the hot tub, I'm not sure if that's part of the price in a hot tub package or not.

I did that myself and it cost about $200 in supplies (in 10 year ago prices).

Since I've had mine I've replaced the motor and pump which cost me around $225 - again doing it myself. I also bought a new cover for it that was heavily insulated for $300.

At first , like anything else, my wife and I used it, then lost interest in it after 4 years or so.

At this point, I'd give it away it someone wanted to move it.

Other people I know still love theirs and use it often.

Chemicals weren't too bad, although I only used chlorine and an anti-foaming water conditioner. Maybe I spent $75 a year on chemicals. I changed out the water in the spring each year.

I kept mine on a timer - running it more frequently in the winter and less so in the summer. I never really noticed a huge hit to my electric one way or another .

My brand is California Spa. I'm not sure if one brand is particularly better over the other. Its a 6 person tub but in reality 4 people would be comfortable in it.


Its cheaper than an in ground pool.

Bad idea. In cold weather, guess who gets to close it. Most just have paper filters. Sitting in your's and other's sweat and other bodily fluids. I had one. Never again.

I see ads all the time where people are giving them away for the effort of removing it.

Personally, I'd prefer a wood fired outdoor sauna.

We like ours. A little brisk getting in and out of the tub at -20..

While we got ours for free (it really wasn't.. cost about $1000 to install DIY) top shelf brand is the way to go, it's pay now for quality or pay later trying to fix it. Get the thickest cover you can for insulation. Ours builds snow at 101 degrees. Saves on heating costs..

Ours has avg'd $60 a month over the last year in electricity costs.





P.S. Last owners, the dog chewed up the pillows. Just got the new set.. Sundance brand, parts are everywhere on the 'net.

sure had a lot of fun with the one we used to have. Same maintence though for a small hot tub, as for a regular sized swimming pool.
Sold it with the house, and have not gotten another one.

We love ours - but be aware they have a limited life span - maybe 10-12 years with proper maintenance.

Power cost depends upon a variety of factors - insulation, outside temperature, frequency of use, quality of cover. We run about $50 month.

Plan to replace the cover ($400+ for a good one) every 4 years or so. They get waterlogged and there's nothing you can do about it. Chemicals run about $100 a year.

Plan to check the levels every other day and ALWAYS before anyone gets in. Warm water grows bacteria well and you can unintentionally get a nasty bacterial rash that looks a lot like chicken pox if you get in a hot tub that has low chem levels.

Some people think they are a lot of work. I don't think it's much more work than keeping a basket of flowers alive. Just check them every other day... Shock it once a week.

everyone i know that had one outside have sold them or given them away.we have a oversized oval jetted tub in the master bath,even it hardly gets used.

People we got ours from were getting a new one to go with a new deck..

same as most, had one used it, got tired of maintaining it, gave it away

only time I miss it is when I have a tweak on a muscle or tendon (hmmm that seems to be more often these days)


life is way too busy for us to use one anyway, hard enough to find time to get a work out in.


but sure enjoyed some of the underwater sports I used to play in that thing when I was single.

We have had one here in Idaho for ten years. In fact I am just now bringing it on-line. No real issues since purchased and I would not be without. As noted, we spent some money and bought quality. I did the install.

The devil's cesspool.

That's the way to roll! I'm planning on building one once I get my land scaping sorted out.

We have a large jetted bath tub and I've used it a few times since we moved into the house in February. That answers the question as to how often I'd use a hot tub.

I've used hot tubs a number of times. They're nice but I wouldn't spend the money for one.

3 years ago we put a patio, grill, fireplace and hot tub in. We shopped around and ended up with a Hot Spring. I get in it almost every day and love it. It makes me feel good. I'm now in my mid fifties and have all sorts of pains that come and go, so it helps.

A lot of tubs have different methods of sanitizing the water. Hot Spring's use a silver ion cartridge which gets changed every 4 months. Once a week I shock it with a chlorine shock treatment (2 1/4 teaspoons). Every use I shock it with 1 tablespoon of MPS non-chlorine shock treatment (no smell). Hose the filter out once a month and change the water every 3 to 4 months. Crystal clear.

Don't waist your time with lounge seats. When you're in the tub, your body will float around and you'll never really be sitting. They just take up room.

When it's cold out, I keep it on 102. When it's hot out I keep it at about 98 or 99.

I will never get in a hot tube on a cruise ship. Brown foam gives me the heebie geebies.

We love ours. Change 1/3 of the water every month. Check your chemicals weekly and enjoy often.

I'm reminded of Kramer on Seinfeld and his comments around a hot tub.

"That's superheated water. Nothing can survive in that!"

Mother had one and tired of maintaining it and paying for gas/electricity. We have one at the lake on the shore and it is great to sit in and warm up or enjoy the view. It only gets used in the summer though. I'm not sure I would bother to have one at our home.

SS

I gotta hear what that's supposed to mean

I was joking. We have one out back here. The novelty wore
off. Didn't get used enough, made noise.

Libertines.