The Reality of Hot tub ownership

[In Canada eh]

What the heck...I'm going to rain on this parade. I also have a Tundra and it's a great tub. No issues at all from a quality perspective, however, let me tell you the reality of tub ownership:
 
It's a blast for about one year. You will use it at least 2 times a week,.

Year Two: maybe once a week.  
 
Year Three: once a month, and you will seriously start to question the economics of it all ( yes it's a serious and noticeable energy drain in the winter... In my geographic it's $50/month ).
 

tubbin,

  I'm sorry to hear that your tub is not getting used as much as you originally anticipated it would.

We have owned our tub for 2 years and we still use it about 3 times a week.  I have some back problems and it does wonders for loosening up the lower back muscles.  

  As for your comments about energy efficiency, I am beginning to question Arctics claims about their cold weather efficiency (sorry Arctic folks).  This is not the first post about someone saying their Arctic is costing them about $50 per month to use in the winter, our tub has not once cost us more then $25.  Maybe this is due to ours being a smaller tub and I don't know how large the Tundra is, but I find the $50 per month high.

Anyhow,  We are both glad to have purchased our tub and do not regret the decision one bit

[Brookenstein]

We've had our Envoy 2.5 years.  The first year we used it 6 times a week.  The second year, DH was in a motorcycle accident and I broke my back.  The tub sat a lot, it was too powerful for me to sit in with jets on and very uncomfortable to get in and out of.  I'm healed now and can use it, but DH is awaiting surgery and just doesn't use it much.  When I went back to work full time we did start using it again in the evenings, but then it fizzled out after a bit.  I cooled it down this weekend and got it to 95 with about 8 inches of tap water and a couple buckets of ice.  The kids were in it from 10 am until 6 pm yesterday.

My parents have had their second tub for about 5 years, their first tub lasted 20.  They still use it every single night.  Sometimes they use it in the morning before work too.

I think it has more to do with why you got it (therapy for medical reasons, cool new toy, etc.) and life... I have no regrets on getting ours.  I do feel bad that we haven't used it much the past year, but I wouldn't pull the plug on it, wouldn't even consider it.  Once I'm done training for hiking Whitney and not getting up at 4am everyday, I'll probably have more energy to stay up past 9 and tub in the evening.  

[drewstar]

What the heck...I'm going to rain on this parade. I also have a Tundra and it's a great tub. No issues at all from a quality perspective, however, let me tell you the reality of tub ownership:
 
It's a blast for about one year. You will use it at least 2 times a week,.

Year Two: maybe once a week.  
 
Year Three: once a month, and you will seriously start to question the economics of it all ( yes it's a serious and noticeable energy drain in the winter... In my geographic it's $50/month ).

That's too bad that you are not using your tub as you expected. I've owned hot tubs for several years, and my usuage goes up and down, I still enjoy my hot tub very much and would buy another if I had to.  

You should avoid posting claimimg what others will expeince though. It really comes across poorly.

 

Think about it... that thing has cost over 2K in energy consumption (Ohio to Michigan) to run before the warranty even runs out...

Wth a 5 year warrenty, that's about a buck a day.   What were you told the costs would be?  Or did I mis interpit the math? (2K/5 yr).

I love my tub. Sometimes I use it several times a week, other times I don't get in it for weeks, but when I do, I really enjoy it. And when I think of the costs of other things I like to do, the hot tub really isn't that exspensive at all.

[Zep]

We started the floors this weekend

tinybubbles....I am considering hardwoods too
my brother went with the rough distressed hand scraped look
and man they look nice
your house is kind of a mess for a few days while they do it
but i guess the end result is worth it

[kokanee001]

I've had my hot tub (HS Vanguard) for one year and use it most every day. Cost of operation has had no great noticable impact on my electric bill even though I live in southern BC where we have some dandy winters.

I have an 18' powerboat that I use 4 out of 7 days during the boating season. It is the second boat I have owned since 1968. It uses a fair amount of fuel, needs insuring and seasonal maintainance. However, the costs never have made me look at my boat as a poor investment.

I also have an RV (a truck camper) that I've owned since 1978. Over the years, we have used it for vacations, camping, hunting and fishing expeditions. It has no ongoing expense other than it needs a hefty truck to haul it (think gasoline).

I am not rich by any means. I am an educator and I do have my summers free to enjoy my toys. I have never had any second thoughts about my having purchased any of them. I bought them because I knew I would use them. I think if you buy these things with thought as to how they are going to fit into your life style, you will make the right decision. They fit my lifestyle perfectly, and I could not imaginne having to do without them. The alternative for me would be sitting on the sofa watching TV (boohoo). They enhance my life and their costs, as far as I am concerned, are a part of the everyday expenses of living a life you enjoy.

[Summitman]

tubbin,

  I'm sorry to hear that your tub is not getting used as much as you originally anticipated it would.

We have owned our tub for 2 years and we still use it about 3 times a week.  I have some back problems and it does wonders for loosening up the lower back muscles.  

  As for your comments about energy efficiency, I am beginning to question Arctics claims about their cold weather efficiency (sorry Arctic folks).  This is not the first post about someone saying their Arctic is costing them about $50 per month to use in the winter, our tub has not once cost us more then $25.  Maybe this is due to ours being a smaller tub and I don't know how large the Tundra is, but I find the $50 per month high.

Anyhow,  We are both glad to have purchased our tub and do not regret the decision one bit

50 a month is high, I would be surprised if this is the standard since I sell lots of the Arctics and have yet to have someone come back and say that they see much difference in the electrical bill let alone 50/month.  

[Steve]

These rounded off numbers are rarely accurate in my experience. Consumers have little clue and can only base their "numbers" off of previous years bills which can leave a fair amount of guesswork and assumptions often leading to inaccurate usage figures.

Even at $50/month, most users (as kokanee so eloquently wrote) gain far more enjoyment and quality of life from their "toys" to offset any real cost. Who here doesn't spend that ANY month on things we don't really need? Life's too short to worry about pocket change...

Tubbin has used far to wide of a brush to paint all of us inaccurately. It's too bad his spa hasn't paid off for him but that's not a snapshot of overall spa usage by the common consumer nowadays.

[ndabunka]

Good thread but I have not had the chance to read it all yet.  In my case, we (my family) uses our tub about 6 times a month.  Some weeks, it doesn't see any use while other weeks it may get two or even three visits.  My wife too has ZERO interest in using it but we use to LOVE using Hot Tubs at the resorts we went to prior to owning it but I'll leave that as one of those unknown women things.  The 5 year old on the other hand is ALWAYS "Sure" when asked if he'd like to float with daddy.  Twelve year old goes in sometimes with his friends.  I used it A LOT after tennis matches or working in the yard or...<insert excuse here>

Cost to run ours averages around $20/month.  We use the Equal payment plan options from the power company have have always done so and therefore the before-after comparison was very easy in our case.

Value - Ours is relatively large (480 gallons) and has a stereo.  We didn't pay $10K.  If I moved, it would likely come right along with us or I would leave it here if we did the "built-in" style units like you can find in the million dollar homes in this area.  So, whatever is next WILL have a tub irregardless.

Other "toys" - I owned a $30K boat (was $70K new but I bought it used).  I took it out about once a week during the summer and once a month in the winter (365 days of avaliable boating here in NC).  I had a $2.5K lift for it.  Gas was expensive (even then) for a 454cubic inch 400HP monster that was normally running at full tilt.  Some might have called that a bad investment but I did sell it for $29,500 after running it for 4 years.  Calculated out, it cost me about $100/year to own it.  The operation was fuel, insurance, etc and ran about $2K/year.  But while we had it, we had a BLAST.  Bars on the lake.  Getting away with "just the guys" to do a bit of skiing, parking on a sandbar and "watching" the local talent, etc.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.  When I sold it, I used the original down payment $6,500 to pay cash for my tub.  I've still got an 17-foot run-about that sits in the garage (most of the time).  It's a bit small for the lake we are on but both were great investments IMHO.

[wewannahottub]

I wonder if the brand of tub they purchased has anything to do with it.

 

Considering the powerful Jets and multiple types of Therapy available on a Tundra, I HIGHLY doubt it.  I think it is just owner-specific, some may not care to throw on suits and jump in (or whatev)

I can't wait to sit in it and I hope to buy!!!!

[Tom]

 As for your comments about energy efficiency, I am beginning to question Arctics claims about their cold weather efficiency (sorry Arctic folks).  

That's okay, question away.  The Truth is out there.  

As far as I know, we are still the only hot tub manufacturer to have had a comparative study done by an independent research company. The results are publicly available on our web site, warts and all.  

We're moving forward in encouraging NRCan's Office of Energy Efficiency to develop hot tub test standards  appropriate for Canadian conditions.  Our temperature-controlled test chamber has been approved for CEC testing.    Eventually, all of this will result in Energy Star or Energuide ratings for hot tubs, to the great benefit of the consumer.

Our tub has not once cost us more then $25.  Maybe this is due to ours being a smaller tub and I don't know how large the Tundra is, but I find the $50 per month high.

The cost of operation depends on so many factors -- the location of the hot tub, prevailing winds, local climate, cost of electricity.  The $50/month is certainly possible, though your figure is closer to what is usually reported.  

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

We have had a hot tub for 8 years, we have upgraded 4 times(the benifit of store ownership) and we use it everyday.

The tub we have now is a Clearwater Orlando, It costs average $35.00 a month for us to run, higher in the winter, lower in the summer and nightly 30 minute use. We live in the Northeast.

I use it for therapy, and if I miss a night I am sore the next day. I have osteo arthritis which I came down with in my late 20's and the tub has greatly improved my day to day living. Without it, I feel 60! Vacations suck, if where we go has a hot tub, it has all of 6 jets and the water chemistry seems to be lacking! I hurt when we get back!

I think and have seen that people who purchase them for therapy reasons, they use them much more for a longer period of time. People who have them for social reasons, the newness seems to wear off, but most still do not mind paying the small amount to run the tub to have it if they want it. It costs less to run most tubs for a month than one decent dinner out.