OT: Hot Tubs & Inground Pools

[upstater]

Well, since we have appliance threads etc. lap pools, I thought I'd ask about Hot Tubs.

We wanted to get an in-ground pool for this summer, but every builder out here is backed up for 2 years (I would have asked about vinyl liner vs. fiberglass, but we'll get to that another day I guess).

We're looking at makers Hot Springs and Mira for a hot tub (saltwater-based vs. chlorine). Any tips for best makers, best water systems, or what I should consider most?

Any other favorite makers? (I suppose I really might be limited by the local dealer I'm going with).

 

[Hankster]

My pool is saltwater . No more chlorine tablets, rubber gloves and small mask. I suppose hot tub would be the same.. I put my inground 2002. Everyone has grown. Kids and grandkids. I am lucky if it is used 3 times during the summer. Wondering if it’s worth opening and closing it.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

I went with the easiest and most cost effective way in 2016. I had a 33x14 inground fiberglass saltwater pool installed. So far its been easy maintenance, once you learn how to test your own water it's a breeze.

I live in NC and keep the pool open year round, its to cold to swim obviously, but my dog still goes in everyday.

I have pretty basic equipment and sand filter.

 

[upstater]

I went with the easiest and most cost effective way in 2016. I had a 33x14 inground fiberglass saltwater pool installed. So far its been easy maintenance, once you learn how to test your own water it's a breeze.

I live in NC and keep the pool open year round, its to cold to swim obviously, but my dog still goes in everyday.

I have pretty basic equipment and sand filter.

That's interesting about fiberglass being cost effective. Up front it is quite a bit more expensive. That must mean the yearly savings are substantial.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

That's interesting about fiberglass being cost effective. Up front it is quite a bit more expensive. That must mean the yearly savings are substantial.

I actually found fiberglass installation to cost less than other inground options around me. I priced fiberglass, gunite and concrete pools. I purchased direct from local manufacturer out of SC and didn't have to pay any third party distributor fees.

 

[jibsey]

Calculate your cost per swim in your pool. It is very high I’m sure but not higher than my costs per swim which is infinity. OK here it is. I bought my house with pool in Florida 14 months ago and haven’t taken a swim yet. Used the hot tub a bunch but Covid forced me to Ct. for 9 months and I plan on heating it soon now. BTW, my pool has been eating money on equipment replacement and maintenance at an astounding rate but it is 19 years old and it was due. Down here it’s a worthwhile venture, up north not so sure.

 

[Pawsox]

Have a 20x40 concrete pool (painted on liner) that just became eligible for medicare, since it just turned 65 years old. Amazing that it has held up for that long. Had to replace the coping 2 years ago, and do some concrete repair work under the coping. Expensive, but the original coping lasted 63 years, so not bad.

This past summer, the pool was used almost every day, due to covid. I have solar panels on the roof and a propane heater (never use it anymore), so I get a few more weeks of use each year. I love the pool, but I wouldn't care if I didn't have one here in Connecticut. Will be selling the house in the next couple of years and having one limits the number of interested buyers.

 

[upstater]

Have a 20x40 concrete pool (painted on liner) that just became eligible for medicare, since it just turned 65 years old. Amazing that it has held up for that long. Had to replace the coping 2 years ago, and do some concrete repair work under the coping. Expensive, but the original coping lasted 63 years, so not bad.

This past summer, the pool was used almost every day, due to covid. I have solar panels on the roof and a propane heater (never use it anymore), so I get a few more weeks of use each year. I love the pool, but I wouldn't care if I didn't have one here in Connecticut. Will be selling the house in the next couple of years and having one limits the number of interested buyers.

You'll be surprised by the number of buyers interested in a pool. There's a new thinking about selling homes with pools. A lot of buyers are looking for them. The houses we were looking to buy all had people bidding them up because of pools.

 

[Pawsox]

You'll be surprised by the number of buyers interested in a pool. There's a new thinking about selling homes with pools. A lot of buyers are looking for them. The houses we were looking to buy all had people bidding them up because of pools.

Good hearing that, but I wonder if that interest will dwindle once covid goes away. When your backyard is the only place to go, toys like pools and hot tubs are in high demand. Normal times, not so much.

 

[jibsey]

I know that many high earning young people with kids are spending 100-150,000 on backyard highly landscaped dream pools because of Covid. When Covid is over demand will decrease but right now pool builders are flat out.

 

[upstater]

Good hearing that, but I wonder if that interest will dwindle once covid goes away. When your backyard is the only place to go, toys like pools and hot tubs are in high demand. Normal times, not so much.

Yes, it could very well be.

The only caveat is that we passed on 2 houses with pools that were very old, one of them was a 30+ year old pool, and the other looked like it was falling apart. Whereas the two houses we wanted with pools built within the last 5 years and very well kept were bid up well over our bid. They were much in demand because of the nice backyards.

 

[HCCForever]

I have a fiberglass pool here in central florida. I use it every month but much more from March thru November. The prior owner had a heater but was detached when they removed the hot tub. I heard heating it with propane was expensive and have no desire to buy a new heater. The water temp was 68 this week just prior to our recent cold snap. I have swam in much colder water in the sound in April. My neighbors do not agree. I probably pay $10 to $15 a month to run the filter. I spend maybe another $10 a month on chlorine on a 13K gallon pool. I only wish that the pool had stairs on the side rather than on the end of the 4 to 5 foot pool that is 30' by 12'. This would have made it a decent lap pool but I have no other complaints.

 

[uconnfan68]

I have a fiberglass pool here in central florida. I use it every month but much more from March thru November. The prior owner had a heater but was detached when they removed the hot tub. I heard heating it with propane was expensive and have no desire to buy a new heater. The water temp was 68 this week just prior to our recent cold snap. I have swam in much colder water in the sound in April. My neighbors do not agree. I probably pay $10 to $15 a month to run the filter. I spend maybe another $10 a month on chlorine on a 13K gallon pool. I only wish that the pool had stairs on the side rather than on the end of the 4 to 5 foot pool that is 30' by 12'. This would have made it a decent lap pool but I have no other complaints.

68*? Brutal. We keep it at 85* when we use it. Only way I’ll get in.

 

[Pawsox]

I have a fiberglass pool here in central florida. I use it every month but much more from March thru November. The prior owner had a heater but was detached when they removed the hot tub. I heard heating it with propane was expensive and have no desire to buy a new heater. The water temp was 68 this week just prior to our recent cold snap. I have swam in much colder water in the sound in April. My neighbors do not agree. I probably pay $10 to $15 a month to run the filter. I spend maybe another $10 a month on chlorine on a 13K gallon pool. I only wish that the pool had stairs on the side rather than on the end of the 4 to 5 foot pool that is 30' by 12'. This would have made it a decent lap pool but I have no other complaints.

Have you looked into solar heaters. Seems like it would be a good fit in Florida. The brand I have is Sunheater. Only a couple hundred bucks per 4' by 20' panel. The water picks up about 6-8 degrees across the panels. My pool contains about 42,000 gallons of water and I have 4 panels. After 5-6 days of sun, I get about an 8-10 degree rise in temp.

 

[HCCForever]

Have you looked into solar heaters. Seems like it would be a good fit in Florida. The brand I have is Sunheater. Only a couple hundred bucks per 4' by 20' panel. The water picks up about 6-8 degrees across the panels. My pool contains about 42,000 gallons of water and I have 4 panels. After 5-6 days of sun, I get about an 8-10 degree rise in temp.

I haven’t but I will. I grew up in CT and I have only been here a year so I can handle 68 but 70s would be better. Thanks.

 

[Lefty2one]

You'll be surprised by the number of buyers interested in a pool. There's a new thinking about selling homes with pools. A lot of buyers are looking for them. The houses we were looking to buy all had people bidding them up because of pools.

I've heard the opposite. A close friend is a realtor and he said homes with inground pools are the hardest sell. At least with an above ground pool or a hot tub you can take it down at little cost.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

I've heard the opposite. A close friend is a realtor and he said homes with inground pools are the hardest sell. At least with an above ground pool or a hot tub you can take it down at little cost.

I am a realtor in NC, I have never had an issue selling a house with a pool. I would say a pool, as long as its working, helps. I always hear a pool is a negative, sorry don't buy it. I'll take the listing and the money. CT may be different, but not where I live.

 

[upstater]

I've heard the opposite. A close friend is a realtor and he said homes with inground pools are the hardest sell. At least with an above ground pool or a hot tub you can take it down at little cost.

Did they recently say this to you? Or was it years ago?

 

[uconnfan68]

I haven’t but I will. I grew up in CT and I have only been here a year so I can handle 68 but 70s would be better. Thanks.

68* is like the Cape, without the salt water or waves. Turns my feet blue.

Ps. Never had anyone tell me the pool was too warm. Before we auto temp control the kids would sometimes forget to shut the heater off, and we’d see steam in July around 9pm. We always made a beeline to the pool... 91* was even better. ;^)

 

[Dove]

I've heard the opposite. A close friend is a realtor and he said homes with inground pools are the hardest sell. At least with an above ground pool or a hot tub you can take it down at little cost.

They may be a hard sell to a realtor who can't talk pool talk.

We bought a home in 2011 with i/g pool. Love the pool but sadly, without a heater, we get two months months of use where my nads don't shoot up into my chest due to the cold temps. And we live in the woods so the direct sun is limited each day. Another negative. Still love it, tho.

 

[uconnfan68]

They may be a hard sell to a realtor who can't talk pool talk.

We bought a home in 2011 with i/g pool. Love the pool but sadly, without a heater, we get two months months of use where my nads don't shoot up into my chest due to the cold temps. And we live in the woods so the direct sun is limited each day. Another negative. Still love it, tho.

Propane heaters solve your problems. My pool is mostly in shade after 2pm. Impossible to get all the neighbors to remove their tall trees, and can’t get any heavy equipment back to do my large tree.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

This is my 33x13 fiberglass pool, picture taken yesterday. I keep open and clean year round. Its pretty basic, nothing custom. It goes from 3ft to 6ft deep, works for me.

 

[NJHusky]

Have you looked into solar heaters. Seems like it would be a good fit in Florida. The brand I have is Sunheater. Only a couple hundred bucks per 4' by 20' panel. The water picks up about 6-8 degrees across the panels. My pool contains about 42,000 gallons of water and I have 4 panels. After 5-6 days of sun, I get about an 8-10 degree rise in temp.

We’re they difficult to install? My wife won’t use the pool below 88 in the winter so 10 degree bump is a help with the heater

 

[thatguyed]

I'm now in SC with a Hot Springs spa. The first one we got was warrantee exchanged because the fiberglass (acrylic?) shell started to bubble. The second one had a leak where the recirc pump needed to be replaced.

When we were in CT, we had a Hydropool spa bought through Galvin (I think). It held up really well and had a nice feature of filtering in through holes in the floor to keep it cleaner. They're out of Canada, so I have no idea about availability. At the time, it was a mid-priced option.

 

[Dove]

Propane heaters solve your problems. My pool is mostly in shade after 2pm. Impossible to get all the neighbors to remove their tall trees, and can’t get any heavy equipment back to do my large tree.

The $4000+ cost of buying and installing the equipment is rough.

 

[upstater]

I'm now in SC with a Hot Springs spa. The first one we got was warrantee exchanged because the fiberglass (acrylic?) shell started to bubble. The second one had a leak where the recirc pump needed to be replaced.

When we were in CT, we had a Hydropool spa bought through Galvin (I think). It held up really well and had a nice feature of filtering in through holes in the floor to keep it cleaner. They're out of Canada, so I have no idea about availability. At the time, it was a mid-priced option.

Thanks for the info. This doesn't leave me feeling good, as Hot Springs were supposed to be one of the reliable makers--as opposed to others.

 

[UCSouth]

You could always fill it with dirt and turn it into a greenhouse. That might be a better selling point.

 

[uconnfan68]

Have you looked into solar heaters. Seems like it would be a good fit in Florida. The brand I have is Sunheater. Only a couple hundred bucks per 4' by 20' panel. The water picks up about 6-8 degrees across the panels. My pool contains about 42,000 gallons of water and I have 4 panels. After 5-6 days of sun, I get about an 8-10 degree rise in temp.

42k gals? What dimensions?

 

[uconnfan68]

The $4000+ cost of buying and installing the equipment is rough.

We bought the initial heater about 20 years ago. My mother-in-law passed away, and my father-in-law gave all the kids some cash. We used it for the whole family. It was around $2k then. I think we've started on heater #3... with a new filter (switch from DE to cartridge). All the plumbing and gas lines are done, so it's just a heater replacement now if needed. 100 gal propane tank is part of the deal for buying the propane for it. They give pool heaters a deal compared to using it as a fuel for your house. Good luck!

 

[Bezzz]

This was my pool and hot tub in CT way back when. Sold the house in 2003. At that time I calculated based on maintenance and upkeep it cost me $50 every time I swam in it. (Not including the initial cost.)

Kids loved it though.