6 Things you need to think about before buying your Hot Tub

So, you’re looking at purchasing a Hot Tub and you start browsing the internet to see what is on the market and what takes your eye. Quickly you realise there is so much choice and so much information to take in, you’re no further forward from when you started. Here, at North Outdoor Living we pride ourselves in giving customers the Hot Tub knowledge they need to aid them into choosing the right Spa. It’s a big purchase and not something to jump into (no pun intended!) and it’s so important to find out what requires certain Hot Tubs need.

 

There are a couple things that we suggest you might need to think about, such as:

• How will I power my Hot Tub?
• Where is the best place to put my Hot Tub?
• What features are important to include in my Hot Tub?
• How many seats should I be considering?
• Are more Jets better?
• Is there a certain cost I should be aiming for?

 

So, let’s begin to delve into what exactly do you need to consider before purchasing your perfect Hot Tub?

 

1. How will I power my Hot Tub?

 

Hot Tubs can usually be divided between needing a 13 Amp power supply or a 32 Amp power supply. Each has its own range of features and benefits, but the most important thing to consider initially is that a 13 Amp Hot Tub requires only a standard outdoor outlet to power it. 32 Amp Hot Tubs need to be connected directly to the main fuse board for power.

 

The differences between these two power supplies will affect the initial electrical setup cost of your Hot Tub. But don’t you worry as, here at North Outdoor Living, you will not need to go out-of-house in order to supply your new Hot Tub with the power it needs. North Outdoor Living’ sister company, North Sparks, has you covered when it comes to electrical installation and will be able to provide you with all the answers you seek.

 

If you are considering whether a 13 Amp or a 32 Amp Hot Tub would be best for you, consider checking out one of our previous blogs.

2. Where is the best place to put my Hot Tub?

There are many things to consider here, such as what size Hot Tub you can accommodate- Here at North Outdoor Living, we have Spas of all ranges that will be able to fit all spaces, so there isn’t any worry. No space is too small!

Also, the ground where your Hot Tub will sit, will need to be a flat, level, firm area. Many people choose a purpose built base for your Hot Tub to sit directly on, you may have a patio area or a decked area. The only thing to consider when placing a Hot Tub on existing decking, is that it has enough support underneath to hold a Hot Tub full of water and people! But at North Outdoor Living, we carry out a site survey to check where you are thinking about locating your Tub and make sure it’s suitable. Note- you cannot place a solid Hot Tub on grass!

However, do not panic if you are concerned that your garden area does not have such a perfect place as, here at North Outdoor Living, we can install a foundation base to any area to allow your Hot Tub to sit on a firm, level base, giving you a complete Base to Bubbles package.

 

We are also Pro Trex Decking installers! This means we can provide you with the highest quality composite decking for your Hot Tub to stand on, perfectly levelled out to support your Hot Tub. This decking can also be customised, coming in a range of colours to compliment your Hot Tub of choice. Click here to check our Trex page to see what we can offer!

 

5. What features are important to include on my Hot Tub? 

At North Outdoor Living, we believe it is important that you get the Hot Tub that is ultimately right for you and not something that simply costs more! Where with one customer, more features to their Hot Tub might mean a more customised experience that is tailored specifically to the customer’s needs or desires, but you yourself might not need nor want many of the features. The great thing about Artesian Spas is the optional extras you can add to your Spa to make it perfect.

The customer comes first at North Outdoor Living, and this is ultimately a question which will be discussed with our customers on a personal basis. We are happy to go through all the features on all the different ranges to see if its something that suits your needs.

3. How many seats should I be considering?

As every Hot Tub is unique, being personalised to each customer’s needs and desires, there is ultimately no “perfect” or “correct” amount of seats or size. All there is, is a perfect size and seating for you and your outdoor area.  You will find that the majority of Artesian spas have different jets in different seats so you can move around and experience a different massage in each seat and in order to help you get a better idea of what size and seating is right for you, we’d recommend that you come into one of North Outdoor Living’ showrooms to see the wide range of the Spas we have and, on top of this, consider coming in to try out a ‘wet test’ on one of our Hot Tubs for yourself before you buy!

 

4. Are more jets better?

This is a common question asked by first time customers! One thing that many first-time customers with other Hot Tub installers end up doing is buying a Hot Tub based purely on just how many jets a Hot Tub has. While these statistics are important factors when judging the hydrotherapeutic quality of a hot tub, they’re far from the complete story and when it comes to jets, more doesn’t always mean better.

 

The more jets there are, the more pumps there will need to be in order to allocate a significant amount of power to each jet for it to offer the massage experience you deserve. We’ve seen Hot Tubs with 100+ jets but not anywhere near the pump power behind them so the hydrotherapy is poor. It all about the placement of the jets and type of jet and this is recognised in all of Artesian Spas Hot Tub.

If you’re interested in understanding more about jets and how they can affect your Home-Spa experience, consider checking out one of our previous blogs!

 

6. Is there a certain cost I should be aiming for? 

The most important point of this list to consider is concerning the initial price of your first Hot Tub. Many customers make the mistake of putting too much emphasis on the purchase price and cost of the setup of the Hot Tub, without considering the long-term costs and future enjoyment.

The initial setup of your Hot Tub is perhaps the most important part of your Hot Tub journey and, while initial purchasing price definitely is important to consider, focusing solely on that can actually end up costing you more in the long term.

This can be due to a multitude of factors, such as the initial power setup of the Hot Tub. 13 Amp Hot Tubs are usually less expensive than their 32 Amp counterparts, which can initially appear attractive, but the 13 Amp Hot Tub is not able to stay as warm for longer as the 32 Amp. This makes the 32 Amp Hot Tub a more money-savvy choice for those that are wanting to get the most out of their Hot Tub for longer, but it might not be the case for yourself!

It might be good to research into full foam insulation as well. Not all Hot Tubs come with in-built insulation that can help preserve the Spa’s heat for longer and, with the 13 Amp Hot Tubs especially, this can save you some costs in the future! For more information concerning insulation, check out one of our previous blogs. (link to previous blog)

While you definitely need to be mindful of how much your new Hot Tub will cost initially, it is better to weigh all of the previous points when making a choice concerning price. When it comes to Hot Tubs you ultimately get what you pay for, meaning the more thought you put into the purchasing price, the more thought you are investing in the long term.

 

Consider consulting a North Outdoor Living Specialist today!

What’s important to remember is that you do not need to stress! It can be intimidating walking into the Hot Tub world for the first time and not knowing what you should exactly be looking for or maybe what questions you should really be asking.

Don’t panic! 

Every Hot Tub we install is unique and will offer its own hydrotherapeutic experience, which is why it is essential you get the Hot Tub that is best suited for your needs.

North Outdoor Living has got you covered at every hurdle, and will be able to offer you personalised assistance. North Outdoor Living and can do it all, from Base to Bubbles. We have had 15 years of experience helping customers get the Home-Spa experience that they needed and can assure you that no question is a wrong question to ask.

The best way to find out more is to get in touch with our North Spa specialists, or visit one of our amazing showrooms. You hope to hear from you soon!