A hot tub is a wonderful investment in your health and lifestyle and no matter which model or specification you go for, represents a fair chunk of money. With hot tubs varying massively in quality, ownership experience and average lifespan, you want to be sure that the model you go for will suit you and your family's needs in the long run.
We service and repair all makes and models of hot tub at MySpa and see the very best and the very worst of the industry. Here are our top 4 mistakes people tend to make when purchasing a new hot tub and how you can best avoid them.
- Focusing solely on the lowest price possible
Hot tubs can retail from anywhere between £3000 and £20,000 and most people will spend somewhere in the middle of those two figures. Whilst a hot tub with a £3000 price tag is understandably very appealing and at first glance, may not look much different from those at a higher price point, once you get into the detail of the build quality and components, absolutely everything will be inferior from the build quality to the components used and from the running costs to warranty and aftercare on offer.
The biggest impact this has is on your electrical running costs. We would expect a mid range spa such as the Sundance 680 Series Edison with excellent full foam insulation and energy efficient heater to add a maximum of £20 - £30 a month onto your electricity bill. Let’s take £30 for our example to give us an annual cost of £360.
We would expect a lower end spa lacking in insulation, sub-standard cover and cabinet, shell, heater and pumps to add over 3 times this figure to your monthly running costs. This is around £1080 a year in electricity alone without factoring in chemicals or any servicing you may require. So how does this work out over the years?
| Initial cost plus yearly running costs | Spa priced at £7000 | Spa priced at £3500 |
| End of year 1 | £7360 | £4580 |
| End of year 2 | £7720 | £5660 |
| End of year 3 | £8080 | £6740 |
| End of year 4 | £8440 | £7820 |
| End of year 5 | £8800 | £8900 |
You’ll notice by the end of year 5 you’ve paid more in running costs. We would expect you to have at least 10 years use out of a quality hot tub. So how do the figures stack up after 10 years?
| End of year 10 | £10600 | £14300 |
On average you’re looking at an extra £3700 spend on electricity alone and this isn’t factoring in expensive repair work that isn't covered by warranty or the cost of scrapping and then repurchasing a new spa if it fails to live that long. With hot tubs, the age-old adage is true; you certainly get what you pay for.
2. Concentrating solely on the number of jets or pumps:
When comparing models of hot tub, it’s very easy to look at the number of jets as a deciding factor because more of anything must equate to better… right?
Well it’s only half right. Most 5-6 seater hot tubs with a two pump system run off a maximum 32amp supply, so in simple terms, there is only a finite amount of power that needs to be split between the pumps and in turn, the jets. A two pump system with 40 jets of varying types will feel far superior in terms of massage quality than the same system with 100 small jets.
What is far more important than number of jets is having the right variety of jets in the right places to target the areas you need and at the right pressure. This is where wet testing is absolutely crucial in making sure you end up with the best spa for you. See more on this issue in the below post.
3. Skipping the wet test!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Wet testing is the single best decision you can make when selecting you spa. No brochure or salesperson will be able to magically predict which one you will enjoy the most. Everything from seating configuration to jet type and pressure will vary dramatically and it’s completely unique to you. Interestingly we see a big flip pre- and post-wet testing of people initially wanting a lounger and then purchasing an all seater spa. Some people go the other way! There is no right or wrong answer but we strongly advise everyone to give their potential spa a go. We have over 20 models ready to wet test on our showroom floor to suit all sizes and budgets.
4. Not researching your retailer as thoroughly as you would your make or model of spa:
Hot tubs are brilliant and whilst that will be your primary driver… your chosen supplier is almost, if not more important than your spa. With well built spas lasting well in excess of 10 years (we have ones out there that are 20+ years old!), you’ll want to carefully select a supplier who you feel you can have a good relationship with over the coming years. Not all will be able to carry out servicing and maintenance work or be approved by WhatSpa and BISHTA. Read online reviews both good and bad to get a fair picture of your chosen retailer. Look out for signs that customers are happy with not just the spa but the aftercare and servicing as well. We’re proud to have a 5 star rating on Google and TrustPilot and customers who have chosen to repurchase and upgrade their spas with us after many happy years.
So there you have it. 5 of the most common mistakes people make when purchasing a new hot tub. For more information on MySpa or any of our range, please do give our friendly team a call on 01164 645 870 or drop in to see us 7 days a week.
