Hot Tubs

How to Choose Your Hot Tub Foundation

Thinking about getting a hot tub, but not sure where to put it?  There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing the perfect place for your hot tub that will enhance your enjoyment. If you live in an area that’s gets snow, or other bad weather, we highly suggest placing your hot tub RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR. If you put your hot tub on the other side of the yard where the view is great, but have to walk across 30 feet of ice and snow just to get there, you probably won’t end up using your hot tub as much as you could if it was placed right outside the back door, kitchen door, garage door, etc. If you live in an area where weather is not a concern, then consider the following factors when placing your new spa: Usage  – Will you be using your hot tub for socialization and mingling with friends or is it intended to be more of a solitary place to relax and enjoy the hydrotherapy benefits? Socialization  – If entertaining is more your thing, look for an open area to place your spa. This will allow people in the spa to converse with those outside the hot tub and will allow the spa to be part of the party. Relaxation –  If hydrotherapy or quiet relaxation is your goal, then consider finding a private or secluded part of the yard. If no such space exists, consider putting a few tall potted plants around your spa or erecting a privacy screen. Access to Service Compartment –  Considering building your spa into a deck or placing it up against a wall? Remember to rotate the spa so the service compartment door faces out. This will save you time and hassle should you ever need to get into the service compartment. Path of the Sun  – You may find that you really enjoying hot tubbing during the mornings or afternoons. In order to be comfortable during all times of the day, consider the path of the sun and the spa’s orientation. You may be able to rotate or move the spa a bit to make sure the sun isn’t in your eyes, or beating down on you. Hop-in-ability  – This is an extremely technical hot tub term we use within the industry. Bare with me while I try to explain it in layman\’s terms.  Hop-in-ability refers to the level at which one is able to easily get into their hot tub.  Regardless of weather, backyard landscaping or the prying eyes of neighbors, hop-in-ability is super duper important when it comes to actually using your spa. If your spa is easy to get into, you will use and enjoy it more than if it becomes a chore to get to every time you want to use it. So consider placing it if not directly outside a door, then relatively close to the house with a clear pathway from your door to the spa. And Don’t Forget… Always put your spa on a structurally sound, level (within ½” per 10\’) surface. A filled spa can weigh a great deal. Make certain that the location you choose can support the weight of your filled spa. Locate your equipment compartment, which houses all of the electrical components, in a place where water will drain away from it. Allowing water into the equipment compartment can damage the electronics, or may result in tripping your house’s circuit breaker. Leave yourself easy access to the circuit breakers in the subpanel (230 volt converted models), or to the GFCI on the end of the power cord (110 volt models). Never let water get into the subpanel (230 volt converted models), or into the GFCI (110 volt models), or into the electrical outlet that your spa is plugged into. Leave access to the equipment compartment for periodic spa care and maintenance. Have you thought of a perfect spot for your new hot tub? Get in touch today and we can get you set up with pricing on the spa of your dreams!

What’s the difference between 110v and 220v hot tubs?

110V One of the nicest things about 110v or “plug and play” hot tubs is that once it’s sitting in your backyard, all you have to do to enjoy it is fill it up and plug it in. You don’t need to hire an electrician and hard wire anything. Because it only draws 11 amps, it can be plugged into a regular outdoor outlet. Additional benefits of 110v hot tubs: Simple, fast set up. All you have to do is plug it in. You can finally own a hot tub even if you’re renting your home, since you don’t have to alter any electrical wiring. Because they can be plugged in anywhere, can easily rearrange your backyard or take your spa with you if you move. 220V Now let’s talk about converting a plug-n-play spa to 220 volts. A misconception that we hear all the time is that converting a spa to 220 volts will increase the jet power. That is completely false. Converting a hot tub from 110v to 220v has absolutely no effect whatsoever on jet performance. You will however see a difference in the heating time and pump power. When the hot tub is converted to 220v, the heater gets more power. With Freeflow spas, the heater goes from 1.5 horse power to 3.5 horse power. Because of the added power of the heater, the spa is able to heat the water faster. This is really only a benefit when you are heating the water for the first time. Both 110v and 220v spas will keep the water hot around the clock. 220v spas can heat the water while the jets are on high or low. 110v spas can only heat the water while the jets are on low. All Freeflow Spas come standard as a 110v plug-n-play hot tub, but can easily be converted to 220 volts by a licensed electrician. And regardless of your chosen voltage, all Freeflow Spas come fully insulated for maximum heat retention so your spa is always hot and ready, whenever you are. Contact us when you’re ready to get pricing on a Freeflow Spa!