Spa Buyers Guide
Be An Informed Buyer
For many consumers, purchasing a spa is a “once in a lifetime” event. The current spa market in the United States and Canada has over 100 manufacturers offering more than 1,500 spa models, many of which look virtually identical.
When confronted with so many choices, consumers often become overwhelmed. Adding to the confusion, some manufacturers use different names to describe similar features in an attempt to make their products appear distinctive.
This guide will help you make a more informed decision about purchasing a spa by providing you with some basic facts. “Informed Buyer” questions are included, which are questions you might want to ask when comparison-shopping.
The answers to these questions will help you evaluate spa features and determine which product provides the best value for you.
Is the spa installed indoors or outdoors?
Will I have to install plumbing for my spa?
How do I keep the water clean?
How often do I have to drain the spa and clean it?
How expensive is it to operate a spa?
What about the warranty?
How is the water temperature controlled?
What is hydrotherapy?
What does the spa pump’s horsepower rating mean?
What do I need to consider before purchasing a spa?
How much should I spend on a spa?
How many of the spa’s jets are adjustable?
Is the spa full foam insulated?
How big is the spa’s filter?
Is the spa installed indoors or outdoors?
A spa can be installed indoors or outdoors, although over 90% including those in cold weather climates, are installed outdoors. The main consideration for installing a spa indoors is: will it fit through the door, and is the structural strength of the flooring adequate. A typical 3-person spa weighs approximately 2,500 pounds/1,150 KG when filled.
Will I have to install plumbing for my spa?
No. All above-ground portable spas are filled with water using a garden hose. No additional plumbing is needed.
How do I keep the water clean?
Proper water maintenance is vital to enjoyment of your spa. While some salespeople may try to convince you that they can sell you a “chemical-free” spa, professional retailers and manufacturers most often recommend the use of ozone purification in conjunction with sanitizers developed specifically for spas. Maintenance procedures are not difficult and knowledgeable retailers will provide the start-up kit and instructions you need.
How often do I have to drain the spa and clean it?
Most manufacturers recommend draining and cleaning your spa no more than 3 or 4 times per year, depending on how frequently you use it and how well you maintain your water. In most cases this simple process will only take about an hour to accomplish.
How expensive is it to operate a spa?
The main cost of operating a spa is heating the water. If you have a full foam insulated spa with an insulating locking cover, the average daily cost, including sanitizers, is less than one dollar per day, even in the coldest climates.
Frankly, this is one of the most abused areas in the spa industry. Here are a few simple rules to keep in mind: A product warranty is a performance and reliability agreement between you and the manufacturer. Avoid spa dealers who add pro-rated and deductible provisions. Make sure you read the manufacturer’s warranty before buying, and compare coverage with other spas you are considering.
Most quality spas will have at least three to five year warranty on parts, plumbing and labor without any service call charges. Look for a spa manufacturer that has been in business at least as long as their longest warranty term.
How is the water temperature controlled?
Most quality spas have relatively sophisticated digital thermostatic controls. These highly reliable modern systems are capable of keeping the spa water within 1 degree of any temperature you select. While this is important for comfort, it is also important for safety.
You should pay particular attention to the control system if you have children who will be using the spa. Better systems have safety locks and digital readouts. A good indicator of the control system’s quality is to read and compare manufacturers’ warranties.
Hydrotherapy is the combined effect of heat, massage and buoyancy. Warm water dilates blood vessels, increasing blood flow to sore or damaged tissues, allowing oxygen and nutrients to help overworked muscles recover faster.
Massage, provided by the spa’s jet system, relaxes tense muscles and relieves pressure on surrounding nerves. Massage also improves circulation and accelerates the body’s natural healing process. Buoyancy reduces your body’s weight by 90%. This relieves pressure on strained joints and muscles. Hydrotherapy is widely recognized as an effective method of alleviating the tension commonly associated with stress.
What does the spa pump’s horsepower rating mean?
There are two kinds of horsepower ratings applied to spa pumps: “Continuous Operating” horsepower and “Brake” horsepower (also called “Marketing” horsepower). Continuous Operating is the horsepower the motor is capable of producing while the spa is in operation.
Brake is the amount of horsepower the motor produces on start-up before dropping to the Continuous Operating rate. Comparisons can be misleading. Efficient plumbing, better jets and flow control are more important than horsepower.
A lower-horsepower pump in an efficient spa will produce just as much jet power as a higher-horsepower pump in an inefficient spa. Take a soak, or stick you’re hand in. You’ll feel the difference.
What do I need to consider before purchasing a spa?
You may consider “wet testing” a spa before purchasing. This means getting into a spa with water in it. All reputable spa dealers maintain filled demonstration models just for this purpose.
Here is what you should look for: Verify that the seats provide lumbar support. You do not want to have to scoot down in the spa like you do in a bathtub. When sitting in any seat, the water should reach at least shoulder level.
If it does not, you will not get full hydro-therapeutic value. Look for seats for users of differing heights. Lean your head back against the pillows. Make sure you do not have to hyperextend your neck to rest your head.
Take notice of the alignment of any fixed jets. Make sure they are massaging muscle tissue and not bone or your spine. Pay attention to how quietly or noisily the spa operates.
Can you hold a conversation in a normal voice when you are seated in the spa and the jets are turned on? Stay in the spa with the jets on for at least 15 minutes. At the end of that time you will know whether the seating and jet arrangement is truly comfortable.
How much should I spend on a spa?
Quality spas are available on a wide range of prices. Just like cars, spa prices reflect features, materials and workmanship. The information in this consumer guide will help you determine the best spa for your needs based on value and performance.
No matter which brand of spa you finally choose, we want you to be an informed consumer and have a wonderful, satisfying spa experience.
Informed Buyer Questions
How many of the spa’s jets are adjustable?
Real, beneficial hydrotherapy is directly related to being able to adjust each jet where it is needed. This is the standard by which physical therapy and athletic hydrotherapy systems are judged.
A common point of consumer confusion is introduced when manufacturers load up a spa with lots of inexpensive, non-adjustable, stationary jets. It doesn’t make any difference how many jets a spa has if they are not properly located and streamlined to provide the correct balance of water, air and horsepower.
Is the spa full foam insulated?
All major manufactures agree that filling the spa cabinet with polyurethane foam insulation significantly reduces heat loss, thus reducing heating costs.
While this process adds to the cost of manufacturing, research has shown that full foam insulation provides substantial savings to the spa owner over time. Some manufacturers eliminate full foam insulation in an attempt to provide thier product at a lower cost.
The spa’s filter size is usually given in square feet. (example: 125 square feet). As a general rule, bigger is better when it comes to filters. If the filter is too small for the volume of water, you will have to drain and clean the spa much more frequently.
For example, a 75 square foot filter would be considered the minimum adequate size for a spa seating 4-5 adults. Some spas require multiple filters. This may increase the maintenance costs over time.
Would You Like to Have Some Hands-On Training?
This consumer information guide has given you answers to some of the most common questions that spa buyers have when they begin their process for finding the right spa.
Unfortunately, if you don’t have a lot of experience with spas or have never owned one before it’s difficult to fully understand some of the points we discussed in this guide.
I’d like to invite you to visit me at All Florida Pool & Spa and I’ll give you a hands on training session on what things to look for when purchasing a spa.
For instance, we talked about stationary jets versus adjustable jets. Unless you’ve seen, touched, and held a spa jet, you probably aren’t sure how to tell them apart. If you stop by, I’ll show you how a few little known methods of testing the spa jets to make sure they are right for you and your family.
My promise to you is that I WILL NOT try to sell you on anything. All I will do is give you a quick hands-on education about spas and what to look for when buying one, nothing more and nothing less. That’s my philosophy.
You see, if you end up purchasing a spa, either from me or someone else, and you later determine it’s not what you wanted, it only hurts me and other spa dealers. I would rather equip you with a good education and a few insider tips on what to look for when you are evaluating a spa and then let you make your own decision.
Thank you for requesting this consumer information guide and I look forward to meeting you soon.
Sincerely,
David Cohen
President, All Florida Pool & Spa
11720 Biscayne Blvd.
North Miami, FL 33181
305-893-4036
