where do i start?

[audiobull]

ok the mrs decided she wanted to buy a hot tub. problem is we couldnt afford the price in one go. we won a used hot tub for spares and repairs.

its all seen better days but shell seems solid which to me all that matters.

i came with sand filter pumps but to be honest only the sand filter is usable.

its a blue water quality spas ridgewood enterprises ltd, model riviera acrylic spa.

my questions are.....

can i buy new jets?

where is best to buy new jets and are they universal?

there is a turn knob attached to the jet plumbing and a button with a hose which im guessing is the on/off button to avoid electrical components being near water, am i able to upgrade this/these buttons and add a new control box?

any advice on this build?

im in no rush to get this up and running and i can afford a £300 pump or heater etc at different times over a large sum on a working one. i find it a great learning experience too but i do need some help/advice from people in the know.

i am in the uk.

thanks

[vangoghsear]

I bought a used hot tub from a person I knew.  It needed work and I was going to do it myself to save some money.  Five years later it is standing on its side in my back yard, barely touched, still not usable.  It had only 1/2" of insulation sprayed on the shell, a wooden structure and plumbing and electrical issues.

I've given up even attempting to repair it, I bought a new (off the showroom) 6' dia Bullfrog hot tub and could not be happier with it...except when I am sitting in it and I look over at the wasted $700 eyesore standing like a monolith mocking me from across the yard.  I just write it off to a hard learned lesson and figure that the couple I bought it from needed the money more than me at the time.

I would recommend checking out some budget models from reputable dealers some of the cast plastic models can be pretty decent for a few thousand dollars.

[audiobull]

thanks for your message. perhaps sell the old hot tub so you do not keep looking at it and feeling sorry for yourself about not having the get up and go to repair it 

[Chas]

I would tell you to look at a few important things before you jump in:
Get a brand of tub which is still in business -
Get a brand of tub which still has some representatives in your area, or who will ship parts affordably -
Get a tub with good insulation. Older tubs which have thin insulation around the inside of the cabinet tend to be very hard to seal up once the cabinet reaches old age. You very well may spend enough on the power bill heating that kind of tub to allow you to buy a new one.
Count on a new cover ($400 here in the US) because you will NOT be able to heat and run it without.

HTH

 

[audiobull]

Thankyou Chas
is there a spray insulation to upgrade the existing insulation?

[Chas]

Yes. About $400 to do a credible job - again, here in the US. I have never found a real good source at lower prices.

It's one of those things which a manufacturer can buy in huge bulk amounts to bring the price down, so I recommend just buying a tub which already has good insulation. A layer three to four inches thick will do about the same as 'full foam.'

HTH